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When Words Are Carelessly Swapped“Hold fast the form of sound words…” — 2 Timothy 1:13 (KJV)God chose His words carefully, and He expects His people to handle them the same way. When translators substitute words that are similar but not equal, they do more than adjust style — they alter meaning. That is why replacing servant with bondservant is not harmless.A servant describes a role — one who serves by duty, calling, or obedience. Scripture uses this word to describe men who carried authority from God: Moses, David, the prophets, and the apostles. A servant answers to God, but still speaks and acts with responsibility and commission.A bondservant, however, describes a status — one bound by ownership. In Scripture, a bondservant belongs to a master permanently and has surrendered personal freedom. That concept appears in the law, but it is not what the apostles are asserting when they introduce themselves in their epistles.When a translation replaces servant with bondservant, it quietly shifts the reader’s understanding: ==> from calling to ownership ==> from service to bondage ==> from authority under God to identity as propertyThis matters because doctrine is built on words. When words are blurred, truth becomes blurred. Readers begin to accept ideas Scripture did not state, and over time those ideas shape theology, obedience, and how believers view their relationship to Christ. This is why careless reading is dangerous. If a believer assumes all similar words mean the same thing, he will never notice when meaning changes. God commands us to hold fast to sound words, not approximate ones.Faithful reading requires attention, comparison, and humility. God’s Word does not need correction — it needs careful handling.