The Church leadership article stated, “As the Bible says, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.'” The writer was referring to the future plans of the organization as inspired by the pastor. It was a challenge to be forward-thinking.

A quote like this sounds great until you do some digging. If you looked up the verse they are quoting in the New International Version, you would see it reads like this, “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint. (Proverbs 29:18)”

Those two things do not sound much alike, so what is happening?

The writer was quoting the King James Version of the verse. It is not so much a mistranslation as words coming to mean different things historically. The word “vision” was not used as forward-thinking until the last 50 years. The English Standard Version translates it as “prophetic vision.” The word for vision is the concept of special revelation from God. We might understand it as the Bible.

“Perish” is also a little tricky to translate into English. The word “restraint” is reasonably close. The primary connotation is that people will do whatever they want. They will make up their own rules and laws, which often lead to destruction. This unrestrained lifestyle leads people away from God, where they will perish.

This verse is not a plea for visionary leaders or an organization like the Church will die. Instead, it is a plea for people to turn to the Bible, so they do not have to live in chaos.