7. HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE?

Transcription

1 7. HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE? HOW READEST THOU? It is one thing to read the Bible through; Another thing to read to learn to do. Some read it with design to learn to read; But to the subject pay little heed. Some read it as their duty, once a week, But no instruction from the Bible seek; While others read it with little care, With no regard to how they read or where. Some read it to bring themselves into repute By showing others how they can dispute. Still others read it because their neighbors do, To see how long 'twill take to read it through. Some read it for the wonders that are there-- How David killed a lion and slew a bear; While others read it with uncommon care, Hoping to find some contradiction there. Some read it as if it did not speak to them, But to the people at Jerusalem. One reads with father's glasses on his head, And sees the thing just as his father said. Some read to prove a pre-adopted creed, Not seeing it as the creed they need; For every passage in the book they bend To make it suit that all important end. Some people read as I have often thought, To teach the book, instead of being taught; And some there are who read it out of spite. I fear there are but few who read it right. But read it carefully and you will see Although men contradict, God's Words agree; For what the early Bible prophets wrote, We find that Christ and his apostles quote, So trust no creed that trembles to recall What's been penned by One and verified by all! --Author unknown IS THE BIBLE CAPABLE OF BEING UNDERSTOOD? Romans 15 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 1 Corinthians Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition... The way of Christ, the Highway of Holiness, was to be marked with simplicity of understanding (Isa. 35:8), and the common people would hear Him gladly (Mark. 12:37; Acts 2:41). Jesus said to His apostles: Matthew Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you... But why would the Lord command His Word to be taught if man is incapable of understanding it? Again, He said: John 6 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. That the Scriptures can be understood should also be evident from the following: Romans So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. cf. Heb. 11:6 Ephesians 5 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. II Timothy from childhood you (Timothy) have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. James 1 21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness... and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Would God make man s salvation dependent on his knowledge of a book that he could not understand? cf. John 6:63; 8:32; 12:48; 2 Thess. 2:

2 BUT WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT FOR SOME TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES? Matthew And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive: cf. Isa. 6: For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart and turn, so that I should heal them. --Jesus Christ cf. Acts 28:23-27 Luke 8 11 Now the parable (of the Sower - vss. 5-8) is this: the seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for awhile and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. --Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 2 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 2 Corinthians 4 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel... should shine on them. Ephesians you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart... Why then are some unable to understand the Bible? According to the Scriptures, this condition comes about when (1) Satan, temptations, cares, riches and pleasures of this life interfere (Luke 8:11-14; 2 Cor. 4:14); (2) there is no real love for the truth (2 Thess. 2:9-12); (3) hearts have grown dull and/or hardened (cf. Heb. 5:11); (4) ears will not hear and eyes will not see (Isa. 6:9-10); (5) there is ignorance from lack of study (Hosea 4:6); (6) one does not study intelligently (Matt. 22:23-30); (7) there is blind prejudice and preconceived ideas (1 Tim. 6:3-5); (8) one remains willfully ignorant (Matt. 22:29; 2 Peter 3:5); and/or (9) one is carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14; 2 Tim. 3:6-7). SOME COMMON SENSE RULES Some common sense rules for Bible study must be employed if we are to be acceptable to God and united in our understanding, interpretation and application of the Scriptures. When trying to discern the true meaning of a certain passage, look for and consider the following: 1.Who is speaking? While the Bible should be considered an inspired account of everything recorded therein, yet not every statement recorded therein is true, for it also records the thoughts and conversations of people and even Satan himself. Who then is speaking? Is it God, Christ, an angel, human or Satan? If a human is speaking, then who is it? Is the person inspired of God or uninspired? For example, the statement There is no God, can be found in the Bible, but closer examination will reveal that the fool rather than God makes this statement (Psalm 14:1). The statement, all that a man has he will give for his life, is in the Bible, but closer study will reveal that Satan and not God made this statement (Job 2:4). Again the statement, curse God is in the Bible, but this foolish advice was offered by Job s wife and not God (Job 2:9). Therefore, before drawing conclusions from a certain passage, look for who is speaking 2.To whom is the passage (quotation, verse, paragraph, chapter and/or book) addressed? If it is a command from the Lord, is it applicable only to the one s addressed, or is it applicable for people of today as well? 2

3 One should seek to understand a passage as it was intended to be understood by those to whom the book or passage was originally addressed. 3.To what religious age, covenant or law does the text being studied apply? There have been three periods in which God has guided man: The first was the Patriarchal Age--a period covering some 2500 years, beginning with the creation of man and continuing until God gave a written law through Moses. For the Gentiles, this period continued to the cross of Christ. The second period was the Mosaic Age--a period of some 1500 years beginning with the giving of the law of Moses to the Israelites (Jews) at Mount Sinai and continuing until the death of Christ on the cross (Col. 2:13-14; Rom, 7:1-4; and Heb. 8:6-13). This made for a middle wall of division between Jew and Gentile until Christ died on the cross to unite Jew and Gentile into His one body, the church (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:11-16). The third dispensation is the Christian Age-- a period beginning with Christ's death on the cross. This age shall continue until Christ comes again (Hebrews 9:15-17; 1 Cor. 15:24-26). A failure to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15) and keep in mind these three different religious dispensations of the Bible will make for all manner of confusion and religious division. Shall we, for example, build an ark because God commanded Noah to do so in the Patriarchal Age (Gen. 6:13-16)? Shall we stone disobedient sons to death and kill those who work on Saturday (the Sabbath day) because God commanded such in the Mosaical Age (Deut. 21:18; (Ex. 35:2-3)? That man is not under the Patriarchal and Mosaical laws that were in existence before Christ s death on the cross is made clear in the following passages: John 1:17; Rom. 7:1-4; 10:1-4; 2 Cor. 3:7-14; Gal. 2:21; 3:11-14, 21; 4:21-31; 5:1-4, 18; Col. 2:13-14; Heb. 7:18-19; 8:6-7, 13; 9:15-17; 10:4, Examine all the Scriptures on a given subject before drawing conclusions. One passage will often explain another and it is always wise to let the Scriptures answer and explain themselves. This may require study of other books and passages in the Bible to see what is taught elsewhere on the same subject. After all, if we could learn everything God wants us to know in a single verse, chapter or book, there would be no purpose for the rest of the Bible. 5.Avoid drawing conclusions that make for contradictions. If the conclusion drawn from a certain passage is in conflict with some other passage, then the conclusion is wrong, for the Bible is a book of truth and truth does not contradict itself. 6. Do not wrest the scriptures. The apostle Paul spoke of some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures... therefore... beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked... (2 Peter 3:15-17). When erroneous methods are used in interpretation, erroneous conclusions are drawn resulting in contradictions with other passages. Some for example try to place an interpretation upon Rom. 4:2-4 and Eph. 2:8-9 that contradicts James 2: Therefore be careful not to take a verse out of its context and give it a meaning that it does not have in the book and chapter from which it was taken. When in doubt about a verse of Scripture, the entire chapter or paragraph containing the verse should be read to get the proper meaning. Even Satan quoted Scripture (Matthew 4:6) but he not only misquoted it, he tried to use it in such a way as to be in direct contradiction to other passages the Lord had given. There is an old saying that You can prove anything by the Bible. However, common sense should not allow us to pick a sentence here and another there to make the Bible say what the Lord did not intend for it to say. 7.Exercise caution in giving an interpretation to a difficult passage. One will occasionally find passages in the Bible that are very difficult to understand. A difficult passage therefore should not be interpreted in a way that would contradict a plain passage on the same subject. One should never base an important teaching or practice on a doubtful passage. Cf. 1 Cor. 15:29; 1 Pet. 3: Is the language literal or figurative? If we give a literal interpretation to a figurative passage, or a figurative interpretation to a literal passage, erroneous conclusions may be drawn. A figurative passage should never be interpreted in a way that would cause it to contradict a literal passage. 3

4 Each of the sixty-six books of the Bible fall into one of the following classifications: history, law, biography, letters (epistles), poetry and prophecy. One should note the difference between books of different classifications. Books that are poetical and prophetical in nature may have some or a lot of figurative language whereas the language in books of history, biography, epistles and law will generally tend to be literal. Some, for example, want to make the first two chapters of Genesis poetical and figurative in nature, but Genesis is not one of the poetical books; instead it contains history and law which should be regarded as literal. Furthermore, Genesis 1 harmonizes perfectly and literally with Exodus 20:8-11 which is a part of the law (the ten commandments). On the other hand, some want to make every passage in Revelation literal, but it is prophetical or apocalyptic in nature and contains a great deal of figurative and symbolic imagery. Where possible, it is extremely wise to let the Lord explain His parables and prophecies that are given in figurative or symbolic language as He has done for example in Luke 8:5-15; Acts 2:1-4, and Rev. 1: Respect the silence of the Scriptures. Some think that any practice in religion is right unless the Bible specifically forbids it. Others practice in religion only what is authorized by the Scriptures. Being governed by these two distinctly different principles leads one to vastly different conclusions. Just because God has not said Thou shalt not... on every thing does not within itself make a thing right. When he specifies what he wants done then that should rule out doing it any other way. If we speak where the Bible is silent, then we become divided, for a lot of religious division comes more from what is not in the Bible rather than what is. But when we confine our belief and practice to that which is revealed in the Scriptures, our chance for unity is greatly increased. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus... (Col. 3:17). 10. Learn to distinguish between circumstance and commandment. For example, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river. Was the Jordan a matter of law or a matter of circumstance? In the New Testament, the Lord s Supper is mentioned as being observed at night and in an upper room; was this a matter of circumstance or a matter of law? Examining all the Scriptures on the subjects of baptism and the Lord s Supper will prove most helpful in answering these questions. 11. Learn to distinguish between custom and principle. In 1 Cor. 11:5-10, for example, there is an allusion to the fact that the women in Corinth who did not have a covering over their heads were conducting themselves shamefully. From this, some have concluded that it is important for the godly woman to wear a veil when in public. In another time and culture, however, the Bible spoke of the veil as being associated with the garments of harlotry (Gen. 38:15-19). Customs may change, but principles do not, and the principle has always been that God s people should adorn and conduct themselves in such a manner as not to convey a message of immoral behavior. On the other hand, we dare not take God ordained principles and specific commands given for every age and culture and treat them as local customs subject to change. 12. Try to find out what the Bible actually teaches instead of trying to make it prove what you already believe. Study with an open mind. Let your beliefs be based upon the Bible rather than the Bible based upon your beliefs. Try not to conform the Scriptures to fit your life, but conform your life to fit the Scriptures. Try to avoid preconceived opinions, especially those formed by what you have heard instead of those formed after an overall study of the Scriptures. In other words, try to overcome any prejudice that might blind you to seeing the real truth. Search not for the way of ease, but search for what is right in the sight of God. What pleases God and what pleases man are often two different things: For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9). There is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death Prov. 14:12). --David W. Echols Sr. 4

5 5