By Dr. Greg Cochran, ICC Fellow

One of the greatest half-truths ever unleashed on humanity was the pithy encouragement parents commonly passed down to their children: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  

The saying is intended to help children persevere against the meanness of their peers, but even pop music legend Cher knows the folly of this thinking. She sings more honestly: “Words are like weapons, they wound sometimes.” She goes on in this song to confess: “If I could turn back time, if I could find a way/I’d take back those words that’ve hurt you and you’d stay.” 

Cher may not be known for imparting Biblical wisdom to her fans, but she is spot on regarding the power of words. The Scriptures have no choice but to place a high premium on word power. Indeed, the Word of God is the highest power known to humankind. The Word created us and the earth and the church (Genesis 1, John 1). The Word is the power now upholding all things, including the church (Hebrews 1, Ephesians 1). The Word is so powerful that it is equated with God Himself in the incarnate Christ (John 1, Hebrews 4).  

Not surprisingly, the Scriptures instruct Christ-followers to teach the word, preach the word, and live the word, with careful attention to interpreting the words of the Bible rightly. Pastors and theologians spend years learning Biblical exegesis — the process of digging into the original languages of Scripture to achieve the right understanding of the words before speaking them to the church and the world.  

The point is that words have power for good or for ill. As Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Not coincidentally, Scriptures implore Christians to be careful with words. Toward the end of his life, when he sensed that his days on earth were coming to an end, the Apostle Paul wrote to his young protégé, Timothy, investing heavily in passing along to him the most important lessons for ministry. Among the important lessons he shared, Paul commanded Timothy to entrust the words of the gospel to faithful men in the church; to teach the gospel to them; and to “… solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers” (2 Tim 2:14, NASB). Invest faithful words in the faithful. Teach the gospel words. Don’t wrangle about words.  

The difficulty facing the faithful is discerning and maintaining the distinction noted above: How does one pay close attention to words, yet without wrangling over words? When it comes to wrangling over words, scholars have used the basic guide of categorizing “wrangling” as entering into debates over words that prove to be either unimportant or unsolvable. An example might be a question such as, “What happened on the eighth day of creation?” A congregant once pressed that question on me when I served as his pastor. The reason he wanted to know my thoughts is that he was following a possibly false teacher who had devised an elaborate scheme of all the events that took place on day eight. I responded that the question is unimportant and any declaration regarding it would be unprovable, as Scripture neither invites nor engages that question. The answer could only lead to an unprofitable and divisive end.  

On the other hand, a recent report on global persecution offers a positive test case for engaging, even debating, the meaning of words while being careful at the same time not to wrangle over words. The publication of the Global Terrorism Index 2025 by the Institute for Economics & Peace notes what ought to be a startling geopolitical transition of violence from the Middle East to the Sahel region of Africa. According to the report, the Islamic State group (ISIS) and related groups across the Sahel were responsible for the most global terrorism (and persecution) deaths in 2024.  

Commenting on the Global Terrorism Index, the Gatestone Institute adds that this increase in violence corresponds to a decreasing Western influence in the Sahel region. As Western military presence decreases, jihadist presence increases.  

The consequence is, of course, that with the West’s retreat, ISIS has free rein to act on its visions of global influence. They are present in 22 countries and, as the [Index] points out: “Despite counterterrorism efforts, the group’s ability to coordinate, inspire, and execute attacks highlights its resilience and evolving operational strategies.“ In the remoteness of the Sahel, ISIS finds an accommodating environment to consolidate and establish a central base.  

Islamic terrorism thrives across the Sahel. The Global Terrorism Index documents this fact: The Sahel is the most affected region globally, accounting for more than half of all deaths from terrorism in 2024, and 19% of attacks globally. Five of the 10 countries most affected by terrorism are in the Sahel region.  

According to the Lausanne Movement, this region still has 500 people groups in 25 people clusters in which Christians make up less than 5% of the population. USCIRF makes plain what happens to religious minorities in this system of increased violence:  

This overall dynamic expands support for insurgents and boosts their recruiting pools, further weakening Malian, Nigerien, and Sudanese government control over their respective territories. The perpetration of religious freedom and other human rights violations then becomes more common, especially against religious minorities.  

Christians across the Sahel are in grave danger. What Word of comfort might fellow believers around the world share with them? What does Scripture teach?  

What about Matthew 16:18? “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (ESV).  

In the safer confines of Western seminary classrooms, budding theologians learn to debate the proper translation of this verse. Should it read “the gates of Hell,” or would it be better to say, “the gates of Hades”? Is this mere wrangling about words when the sober reality of persecution threatens fellow saints across the Sahel? What is left to debate after centuries of translations?  

As it turns out, there are two different traditions regarding the translation of Matthew 16:18. In one interpretation, Bible translations follow the Western tradition rooted in the Latin Vulgate, leading to the conclusion of the ESV quoted above: “the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” (also KJV, NLT). In a separate tradition which attempts to translate literally from the original Greek, the rendering appears more like the NASB: “and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (also NIV, NKJV).   

Which is better? More accurate? Does it matter? Does it matter for Christians facing the daunting prospect of persecution? Or is this more Western word-wrangling?  

Based on the principle already noted, this debate is not mere wrangling because the matter is both important and solvable. From a technical point of view, “Hades” is the better translation, meaning the place of the dead or death. But the Latin tradition also supports this interpretation, as scholars have noted that the Latin term for “Hell” was used historically to refer more broadly to the powers of death, not exclusively to indicate the place of eternal torment.  

Paying close attention to these words delivers a reasonable and defensible interpretation: Christ will build his church, and death’s power will not encroach on what He is doing. The debate is solvable. Is it important? Does this interpretation matter to Christians across the Sahel who face an ominous threat in the face of intense violence?  

This interpretation indeed helps and can be a source of great power. Translating the verse as “gates of Hell” might leave the impression that Christ will build his church in such a way that the threat and power of Hell’s torments — of God’s righteous judgment — will not affect believers. This is true, of course. Christ’s atonement and resurrection ensure eternal life for believers against the threat of judgment.  

And yet, persecution thrives more on wielding the power of death, not the power of Hell. Persecutors kill and threaten to kill Christians to force them into compliance with their power. When Christians pay close attention to the words Christ has delivered, they find that Christ promises strong encouragement, even victory, in the face of death itself. Consider the almost shocking — yet matter-of-fact — statement Christ makes to his followers in Luke 21:16-18, “You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish.”  

How can such assurance be given? Because the words of Scripture teach that there is no judgment for the people of God, as their sins have been forgiven. But even more, Christ has also given his word that “It is finished.” Death itself has lost its power (1 Cor 15). Christ has killed death so that death will no longer keep His people enslaved to its fear (Hebrews 2). Therefore, in the face of persecution, including the threat of death, Christians sense no fear. They respond with the Apostle Paul, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”  

The report from the Sahel is dismal. The future feels mostly grim. But Christ’s church will not die. The murderers will not win. Christ will build his church, and the gates of death will not hinder his success. 

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