There is this concept that when we approach Bible interpretation that we just need to be consistent.  This sounds like good advice but what these folks mean by consistency is ignoring genre, context, idioms, typology & all manner of grammatical constructs simply to make things appear to fit as if they are using a pry bar to force it. This isn't consistency but rather obstinacy.

To these folks who are advocating “consistency”, they behave like a person who does nothing more than a literal word study.  This fails even in our own day since how we use words in English can’t always be understood “consistently”.  For example, we often use words & phrases INconsistently with the standard definition.  Further, anyone who has done work in translating from one language to another knows you can’t be “consistent” with how you translate otherwise you will have a poor if not humorous translation...or maybe even a disasterous translation.

EXAMPLES OF PROBLEMS WITH “CONSISTENT” TRANSLATING

Notice, even here with a modern language like Spanish, we cannot be “consistent”, & ignore context & ignore original usage otherwise our translations would make little sense.  The Spanish word for “flower” is flor yet you see it appears nowhere in the Spanish word for sunflower.  To be “consistent” in this case would leave us bewildered.

Secondly, notice how the Spanish word tierra is used to represent at least three different words, which could dramaticly alter the meaning of a sentence depending how it is understood.  Context may not even be enough to understand a sentence using words like this.  We even have words & phrases like this in English.

So, when folks chatter that we “just need to be consistent”, we need to reel them back in & have them focus on not just consistency (which indeed is important) but also & especially when approaching biblical interpretation & understanding we should consider so many other factors otherwise we will not just get humorous little translations but such improper handling of Scripture can be dangerous. (2 Pet 3:16)

Please pray for the people who unwittingly fall victim to this improper focus on being “consistent” but pray even more for those who follow those who knowingly twist Scripture, not only to their own destruction but also to the destruction of those following.

The Scriptures are not a play thing.  The Scriptures are not a cool little philosophical football to toss around & have other people ooo & ahhh over how smart we think we are.  When you see men or women handling Scripture in this manner, beware & warn others to beware.