Boilerplate Language

Many legal and financial documents contain what is referred to as boilerplate language. These are time tested and accepted phrases, often in small print, that are used in contracts and proposals. Sometimes this boilerplate language protects one party’s interest against a lawsuit. Other times, boilerplate language provides background or window dressing for a sales proposal.

Most of us know boilerplate language when we see it. It is usually passed over, dismissed as filler, or too boring to read. I have done this, skimming over a document to get to the terms of the contract and the bottom line. This is why we hire attorneys, to read through and understand the whole document. They are trained to find the devil in the details.

I was comparing this to how I read scripture, and how easy it is to skim over what seems to be boilerplate to get to what interests me. Thankfully, there are biblical scholars, acting as scriptural attorneys. They interpret boilerplate from the original Hebrew or Greek and provide us both the context and hidden meanings. For instance, they bring to life what was common and accepted boilerplate language in the time of Jeremiah and make it understandable for today’s reader.

I have a friend that said most of us read scripture in our English translations, of which there are many, like an army general receiving a report from a battle several miles away. The biblical scholars, researching scripture from the original texts, are like wartime news correspondents in the thick of the battle.

Some clergy are better biblical scholars than others; however, all clergy are trained in how to use commentaries, often investing heavily in their own personal libraries. Though not weekly, as a lay person, I too have used commentaries to prepare a sermon. I enjoy it when my pastor unpacks scripture, especially verses that I viewed as boilerplate. It can be very interesting as, after all, the angels really are in the details.