There are many analogies for God. Plenty are used in the Scripture that are capable of stretching us and providing good (and biblical) foundations for our thoughts about God. He is described as a “strong tower” (Prov 18:10), an eagle (Deut 32:11-12) and even motherly (Isa 49:15; 66:13). So why would we ever speak about God as a pirate? It really is quite simple: He is in the habit of commandeering. Webster’s defines commandeer as “to seize for military purposes” and Johnny Deep has personified it in the personality of Captain Jack Sparrow. Plus, if we dwell on it for a while, it does make a catchy title.
So if God is a pirate what is it that He commandeers? At the risk of being simple: words, language and speech.
Perhaps those of us in the Protestant tradition take God’s revelation for granted. Many of us have been raised believing the Bible is the Holy Spirit breathed and inerrant word of God. We’ve lost the majesty of the impossible possibility that God is in the habit of commandeering human language to make Himself known. This is revelation. And this is how revelation occurs. The mystery of God who is infinite and unknowable revealing Himself is only possible because He seizes our language to reveal Himself (Deut 29:29). These revealed truths have been communicated and written down in human language. We would do well to recover the shock that this is possible.
This is a small part of the incredible beauty of our “pirate God.” Though divine revelation has ceased, history testifies to the truth that God, through the medium of the gospel, continues to commandeer human language for the proclamation of His Son. It started with Hebrew. It spread to Aramaic (likely the language our Lord spoke). Then He captured the Greek tongue. After some time He took possession of Latin. And in these recent days He has seized English and it continues to spread daily across the world into other tongues.
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word concerning Christ” (Rom 10:17). But in what language must this word come? This is the mystery of God’s pirate ways. Through the work of the Holy Spirit it is “the word” in all languages. Because of this the apostle Paul can say in the very same text that this word has gone to “all the earth” and “to the ends of the world” (Rom 10:18).
Not only has the Holy Spirit commandeered each language for the proclamation of the gospel but it has also survived the growth and development of these languages. Every Sunday morning the resounding gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is proclaimed in different dialects of English. It is presented to the young and to the old. It is made plain across all levels of education. This is the resounding power of the gospel and the ultimate act of God’s love. He commandeers human language throughout time and in each and every dialect to communicate His “eternal gospel” to every tribe and nation (Rev 14:6).
Our langue cannot and will not limit the gospel. Our God is a commandeering God. We worship a pirate God. Yes, “every tongue” shall confess the glory of Christ (Rom 14:11; Php 2:11).
