I love music. And I love a good, clean sound when listening to music. I want to hear music in as natural a sound (that is, as the musician intended) as possible. And so when listening to music from my laptop I usually do it through an earphone or, better, external speakers with a subwoofer. The built-in speakers of the laptop are okay, but I get a fuller sound with the external speakers.
You would then understand my concern when one day the signal coming out from the headphone/external speaker port was distorted. I went into troubleshooting mode. To my dismay, it wasn’t the earphones or external speakers that was the problem; it was the actual output signal from the laptop. At present, I cannot enjoy the full sound that I prefer. I have to settle for the laptop’s internal speakers until I can get the problem fixed.
A distorted signal will not convey the musician’s intended sound. And the listener will fail to appreciate the musician’s authentic craft. So the music must be given a clear channel through which it can be delivered andproperly heard. Similarly, the Word of God deserves a clear channel through which God’s intended message may be properly received.
The apostle Paul, when writing about the spiritual gifts that involve speaking, comments: “Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?” (1 Corinthians 14.7–8 NLT)
For Paul, it was critically essential that the Gospel message that is conveyed is what the Lord means. The Gospel addresses matters of eternal significance. Its communication is not to be trifled with. He expresses this concern in very emphatic terms: “Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed” (Galatians 1.8–9 NLT).
Distortion may be caused by many and varied factors. One thing is certain, distortion of the Gospel or God’s Word occurs when messengers adjust or filter its essential truths to fit personal preferences. But as followers of Christ, it is imperative that we let the music of the Great Musician be heard as he intended it to be heard.
—Keith Y. Jainga