God's words are given to us through ancient people speaking and writing ancient languages that are translated (and interpreted) into English. They are true in timeless ways as they reveal the glory of Jesus to us and invite us to be transformed into his image and likeness. Remembering that they are ancient and entering the world 'of the text' — seeing how words are used throughout the Bible's story — and the world 'behind the text' — seeing how words are used in the ancient world adds richness and helps us avoid domesticating texts in ways that make them speak only to our time.