What has happened to the meaning of the word 'chief' in Scripture?
In Scripture, 'chief' means most important, head, or primary, as when Paul was the chief speaker or Publius was the chief man of the island. Its meaning has been twisted to imply something vile, worst, or wicked, which is entirely different from the biblical usage.
Les explains that in Acts 14:12, when the pagans called Paul Mercurius because he was the chief speaker, it did not mean he was the worst, vile, or used awful language. Rather, he was the most important of the two, the chief speaker rather than Barnabas. Likewise, in Acts 28:7, Publius is called the chief man of the island; he was not a wicked man but the head honcho, probably the governor, the chief of that island. Les points out that the Word is translated into other areas, and we have twisted 'chief' to mean something entirely different. He encourages comparing Scripture with Scripture and searching the Scriptures rather than just taking his word. He also notes that in Romans 3 it appears as an adverb, a different Greek form.
More Questions
Why has the word "chief" been twisted to mean something different than it does in Scripture?
The word "chief" is translated into all these other areas of Scripture, yet it has been twisted to mean something entirely different.