In the last two parts of this series, we discussed the second greatest commandment and the cultural mandate as reasons for studying another language. Now we move to the first great commandment. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37).
I have saved this one for last, partly because it is the greatest and most important commandment and partly because it harder to see how this commandment influences language. To begin, let's go to the beginning, both of this three part series and to the beginning of the world. John says that Jesus is the Word. Genesis says that God spoke everything into existence. This directly links God to language. Not only did He use it to create, He uses it to communicate with us, and it is word incarnate that saves us and our world. This also explains all the directives and warnings and commandments in Scripture concerning how we use language. Obviously these rules apply to all languages and affect how I teach Spanish. Some students over the years have asked me about "bad words" in Spanish. I refuse to teach them (of course). One of the points made in Scripture is that we should use our tongues to praise God.
As we study a world language, we need to praise God with that new language. This means that we need to observe that language's rules and ways of expressing itself. We can praise God in any language, but do we have to learn a world language just to praise God? No, but learning it can help us to praise God. Just like any other part of creation that moves us to praise God, so language can do the same. As we study languages, we can come to a greater understanding of creation and how it works. (I mentioned this in part two.) This understanding should cause us to praise God who made the language or languages that we are studying. When we find or learn a different and beautiful way of expressing God's truth in another language, that should cause us to worship because through it, we see the genius, the creativity, and the variety of the triune God.
As we study other languages, we will also discover other names for God that can give us insight into who God is. (These names must, of course, correspond with scriptural teaching about God.) Here are some names for God in some other languages that will illustrate what I am speaking about. In Micmac, Kisúlkw means "unmade Maker." In Machiguenga, Tasorinise means "the Breather." In Zulu, Baba Umkulukulu means "greatest of all Fathers." In Punjabi, Waheguru means "true is Your name." All of these refer to different aspects of God. Although none of these names reveal something new about God, they may emphasize a different aspect of God than we normally emphasize in our own language and culture. As we study a language, these words and names referring to God can give us insight into an aspect of God in a way that we had not noticed before. This also brings us to greater praise of Him and gives us more words to use in that praise.
So in order to glorify God Himself, in order to love your neighbor, and in order to take good care of the creation that He has given us, study another language. You will not regret it.