Follow-up to “Why Is It So Difficult for Me to Read the Bible?”

By Andre Eksteen

My article for today was already written when I scrolled through the comments on the previous one. And there it was again: “Which translation should I read then?” A simple question — but what followed did not just surprise me, it made me deeply sad. Some asked honestly, others mocked, but a few deliberately began attacking God’s character. They pulled verses out of context to present Him as a woman-hater, a liar, a jealous monster, even immoral and cruel. They said, “Read these verses and you will see, God is not good.”

I will tell you straight: this is Satan’s work. He uses people daily to tear down and twist God’s character — and the worst part is that he does it through the Bible itself. It is exactly the same sly method he used to deceive Eve: “Did God really say…?” He uses the same tactic today. He knows the Bible is the only book that can truly set man free, so he tries to neutralise it through misunderstanding, mistranslation, and doubt.

That is why I have decided to do something I have postponed for a long time. I am starting a new series today that will continue over the next few weeks — a series in which I will show how the Bible tells one continuous story: “From Genesis to Revelation: The One Story – The Golden Thread that Explains Everything.”

Each part of this series builds on the previous one. I therefore ask that you read it in order. If you take only one part and ignore the rest, you will lose the thread that God weaves through His entire Word.

I hesitated at first, because I know what this will bring. The moment you open up the full context of Scripture, the enemy’s people storm into your space — they mock, they provoke, and they use your own words against you. They proclaim that God is a monster, and they present their hatred as “intellectual debate.” But you know what? They have already started. They have already tried to drag God’s name through the mud. They have already tried to break people’s faith by selling their doubt as wisdom. That is why I will no longer remain silent.

I am going to show you how the golden thread of Scripture runs — from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation. I am going to show how God’s character remains constant throughout: just, pure, merciful, and full of love. I am also going to show how Satan works through people to make God look like the enemy, and the enemy like a saviour. I know this will bring resistance. I know I will upset people. And I will say it plainly: I am going to step on the toes of many church leaders. Why? Because I am not bound by the chains of a denomination. I do not carry the burden of a synod, a bishop, or a church council’s approval. I am bound to Christ alone — to the truth of His Word, not to human traditions. And if that means I trample through the fine porcelain of comfortable dogmas, so be it.

Let us begin with the first principle of any honest Bible study: the Bible explains itself. Word explains word. One passage unlocks another. There is not a single truth in Scripture that is not confirmed elsewhere. If you have questions, the answer is always somewhere else in the Bible. But if something feels out of place — if something contradicts God’s character — then you must know that there is either a problem with the translation, or you are reading it out of context.

Let us take Job 40 as an example. The 1933 Afrikaans translation says: “Behold, there is the hippopotamus which I made along with you. He eats grass like an ox.” And a few verses later: “Only his Maker can approach him.” A hippopotamus? And only God Himself can overcome him? How blind must one be to believe that? A hippopotamus is dangerous, yes — but you do not need the Almighty to subdue it. You can kill it with a spear, a firearm, or even a well-designed trap.

Now look at the King James Version: “Behold now Behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.” (Job 40:15). Here you read of Behemoth — and as you continue reading, you quickly realise this is no ordinary animal. His bones are like bars of brass, his tail like a cedar tree. This is a supernatural being — a symbol of power and evil, of fleshly strength that stands against God. Only God Himself can overcome him. Now it makes sense.

But incorrect translations blind you. In Job, Behemoth becomes a “hippopotamus,” and Leviathan is softened into a “crocodile.” Yet the original text describes these beings as mighty, spiritual entities — symbols of the fleshly and spiritual powers of rebellion. In ancient writings such as Enoch and 2 Esdras, we read that God has preserved these two beings for the day of judgement — Behemoth representing the earth, and Leviathan rising from the depths of the sea. Isaiah 27:1 says: “In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing serpent… and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.” And in Revelation 19:20 we see the final fulfilment: “And the beast was taken… and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.”

Do you see the line? From Job to Revelation. From the beginning, God shows that He will triumph over all the powers of flesh and spirit. This is not yet the golden thread itself — it is only the foundation of understanding. Because without correct translation and context, you cannot see the thread that runs through the entire Bible.

That is why I say: the KJV is one of the most reliable translations in existence, and the Afrikaans 1933 follows closely behind it. Yes, there are errors in both, but they remain closest to the original intent. In the 1933 there are roughly 30–50 verses where word choice or translation meaningfully shifts the meaning when compared to the KJV. That is not insignificant. That is why I always use both and test everything. One incorrect word can tilt the meaning of an entire passage, and with it your understanding of God’s character.

Now we come to the second principle: everything in the Word of God is literally true. That is exactly how Jesus said it should be read: “like a child.” Mark 10:15: “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” A child does not try to explain what God “really meant” — he believes what He says.

And yet, look at us. We have become so educated that we sound like scribes parroting words. We can repeat the phrases, but we do not believe them. We argue about how to pronounce a name, we attack one another over small things that have nothing to do with salvation, and in the process we portray God as a monster He is not.

When we reach the core — the “meat and potatoes” of the Word — we push it aside as metaphor. When Jesus speaks of hell and fire, we say it is symbolic. When God speaks of Leviathan, we turn it into a hippopotamus that belongs in a zoo. In this way we rob ourselves of the simple faith of a child. A child does not ask whether it is just a metaphor — he believes it as it is written.

And this is exactly where the great deception lies. People think they are clever. They believe they understand the Bible better than God Himself explains it. They reason that nothing can be literal because it offends their logic. But in reality, they are blind. They explain God’s words away until nothing remains. They end up with a soft, toothless religion that changes nothing. That is why the Bible feels dead to them. Because without childlike faith, without the Holy Spirit, you can read and read, and still understand nothing.

In this new series I am going to explain the Bible with the Bible. I am going to show how church history has muddied the waters. I am going to open up the ancient writings. I am going to show how the Torah and the New Testament perfectly complement one another. I am also going to show how true science and true Scripture confirm each other, not contradict each other. And yes — this will make people angry. It will unsettle people. Church leaders will feel that I am stepping on their toes. And I will. Because I am not bound to them. I am bound to Christ.

The Bible says: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32). But remember: the truth always makes you uncomfortable first, before it sets you free.

So I ask you today: are you going to continue making God out to be a liar because you follow the words of the wrong people and believe poor translations? Are you going to keep fighting over trivialities, or are you going to take the Word like a child, just as it stands? Because from Genesis to Revelation there runs one golden thread — a thread of love, justice, and grace. God is good, He is faithful, and He shows it again and again. You simply have to choose to believe it.