Be dressed ready

1 Peter 1:13
When I was in Bible College, a linguist came to my evangelism class and discussed the challenges of sharing the gospel in other languages. He explained that the challenge was not one of vocabulary, but one of idioms and colloquialisms. For example, when he was in a small tribal village in South America he was asked by a particular tribesman if he had a snake in his throat. He couldn't figure out what he was being asked, it made no sense to him. After some time spent gesturing back and forth, and using what few words he knew, he realized that the tribesman was merely asking if he had a cold. There was no word for the common cold in their language; therefore, they had to describe the cold. He learned later that because of the wheezing and congestion, to them, it sounded like a snake hissing from inside the throat. The reason he wasn't able to understand what was being asked, he said, was that he was only able to translate the words and not the idea behind them. He didn't know there culture well enough to make that connection. This is the difference between a 'Literal' (word for word) and 'Dynamic' (thought for thought) translation, and is the challenge experienced in translating every Bible version we have today. 1st Peter 1:13 is a great example of this very issue. The NIV reads, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action," and the NASB reads "Therefore, gird your minds for action" However, a literal translation of the original text reads, "Therefore, having girded up the loins of your mind." Gird up the loins of your mind. When I first read that, I was puzzled about the imagery the writer was trying to portray. More so, I couldn't understand why this was being translated as "Prepare your minds for action." Though, after a little studying into the culture of the times, and the Middle East, I quickly began to see that Peter was assimilating the way the Israelites prepared for battle with the way we need to prepare for Christ's return. The Israelites wore a long gown, sometimes multiple layers, to protect themselves from the sun. Similar gowns are still worn to this day in the Middle East. However, when the Israelites would run or do battle they would have to tie the lower portion of the gown up around their waist. Otherwise, it would get in the way of their feet. An example of this can be seen in 1 Kings, "The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel (v 18:45)." Elijah couldn't run with his cloak hanging all the way down, he would trip over it. He needed to remove the obstacle, before it got in the way. He did this by wrapping it around his waist and tucking it in his belt. This is what Peter was trying to get his readers to do. Understanding that they were experiencing, and would continue experience, many trials before the coming of the Lord, he wanted them to prepare their minds ahead of time. He wanted them to remove any obstacles that might cause them to trip or prevent them from overcoming the challenges that lied ahead. They needed to gird themselves up mentally, as if they were about to do battle. This is not an uncommon illustration. We can see in other places throughout scripture the connection between being dressed and being prepared. In Ephesians 6, Paul urges that his readers "Put on the full armor God… (v 10)," and their feet should be "fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (v 15)." Even Jesus commanded His Disciples to "be dressed ready (Luke 12:35)." The symbolism of being dressed and being prepared has not changed for the Jewish believer. To this day they put allot of energy in preparing themselves before entering the synagogue. From the placing upon themselves the Tallit (prayer shawl) and Kepah (skullcap) to the Phylacteries (prayer boxes tied to the forearm and forehead), much prayer, and time, is spent before entering for the service. I often wondered why this was, so I sought a Rabbi that I had met in my second college semester. He compared it to a football player saying, "Before a player enters the field, he is no different from any other man. His mind and behavior are focused on things outside of the game. However, when he puts on his uniform and helmet, and enters the playing field, he is no longer the man he was before the game. There is a transformation that takes place in his mind, in his behavior, and in his focus. He is not a spectator or even a fan, he is a player, and the only thing he cares about is the game. Likewise, when the Jewish man enters the synagogue, and places upon himself the Tallit and Kepah, he is taking his mind, behavior and focus from the world outside, and transforming it to the world inside. He is a servant, and the only thing he cares about is the Lord." What powerful imagery, and what a powerful example for our daily life. In this way, Peter wanted his readers to be prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ, and for the challenge that awaited them. We too need to be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead by removing, now, the obstacles that might cause us to stumble. We need to transform our minds, our behavior, and our focus from the world around us to the world prepared for us when Jesus Christ returns. We are neither spectators nor fans, we are players and servants, and the only thing we should care about is the service of the Lord. Not only when we go to church, but every time we walk out the front door, every time we interact with the world around us, and every time we fellowship with the body of Christ. We need to gird up the loins of our minds, remove the obstacles that might cause us to stumble, and be dressed ready.  [mp]

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Michael D'Urbano
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