Other
Message Writer
Hire Writer
Relevant Truth Project: Article #1
Once, I was having a friendly, but lively discussion about certain doctrines of the Bible with another believer. Present with us, and listening, was an unbeliever. Having this kind of conversation in front of an unbeliever is not something I normally do or recommend, but it's how it fell into place on that particular day.
After a time, I asked the unbeliever, “Well, what do you think?” His terse reply was, “I don’t know. I’m confused.”
This response initiated a revelation: The different interpretations of what the Bible says can possibly hinder my own relationship with the Lord and others, depending on the contexts, and how I apply them. However, to an unbeliever, such variations easily cause confusion, and a tendency to move away from the confusion. In other words, they will avoid situations where the Word of God is expounded, and this is exactly the thing they should not do.
Perhaps more than ever, there is a need for a consistent and agreeable interpretation of Biblical Truth which is relevant and applicable in our lives. Over time, the perception of what is true has become a thing of relativity, something that changes with the times, or with the personal agendas of individuals and groups.
For too long there have been various (so-called) interpretations of the Truth of the Bible which have been both contradicting and confusing, and the cause of much division and strife. This has spilled over to negatively impact those who have yet to discover the Lord Jesus. We need to do away with such misconceptions and deceptions and bring forth the plain truth which is made available by God to every human being, of every generation, everywhere.
If I was a draftsman about to create a Blue Print, I would first determine and put in place what is called the Datum Line. It is from this line all other measurements follow on the print, and it ensures consistency to every item being built from that print. It is in this way we can look at the Christian Bible. It is, in a sense, the Datum Line from which comes all relevant truth.
When taken in its entirety, the Bible can be very complex, covering such subjects as history, culture, literature, archeology, astronomy and so on. However, when we search within its contents for the truth we all desire and need, we find it is rather simple and straight forward and something that never, ever, changes. For the sake of illustration let us compare it to a force we are all familiar with…gravity. It is possible to both deny and defy gravity, but doing so changes nothing about its existence and the force it constantly exerts. It is what it is, and such is the same with the truth that God desires all of us to embrace. As we shall see, it is like a stream that flows from the beginning of the Bible to the end. It has always been there for us.
Before embarking on this journey, it is important to set criteria for interpretation of scripture that will ensure we do not misinterpret. Realizing God’s claim to authorship of the Bible, His character, and the superior reason for its existence are three essential elements to keep us accurate.
Regarding God’s authorship:
2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…”
2 Peter 1:20-21, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
This term inspiration has caused no little stir, as people endlessly debate what it means, or how there must be mistakes because fallible humans were used to record the Word of God. To bring common clarity to this, let us look at what is meant by “inspiration.”
Inspiration does not mean that words and statements describing events, scenes, or facts are necessarily the same. What inspiration does, is ensure sameness in the truth of the record, even though different wording and emphasises may be used by different writers.
God inspired men in different ways to record His Word:
By giving His exact words.
Exodus 32:16, “And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
Matt 3:17, “And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
By putting His words into the mouths those who spoke as the Holy Spirit inspired them.
Ezekiel 3:10-11, “Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all My words that I shall speak unto you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. And go, get you to them of the children of your people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus says the Lord God: whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.”
Luke 1:70, “As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began.”
By inspiring His words to be written.
Exodus 34:27, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Write these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture (the written record) is given by inspiration of God…”
So, God used the various faculties of certain individuals to record what He wanted to say regarding His plan for man and creation. The result is nothing short of a miracle, resulting in a collection of 66 books that in absolutely no way contradict or conflict with one another.
Regarding God’s character:
In 1 John 4:8, 16 we read, “God is love.” That is, God is the embodiment of love, the fullest expression of love possible in everything He says and does. When we think of Him in these terms, we must conclude the Bible was given for our good and benefit, not to foster confusion, divisions, and strife. In fact, it would be a cruel thing for Him to declare Himself “love” and then give mankind something that would cause such problems. Especially when we read in so many areas of the Bible that God wants unity and loving fellowship amongst His people. ( 1 Corinthians 14:33, “ For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”)
In the book of James we read, “Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:16-17)
The Bible then, is one of God’s gifts to man, freely given to us. It is therefore something good and perfect. And since with Him there is no variableness or shadow of turning, that is, He is not going to do something out of His character; it will never be anything else but something good and perfect. We can depend on it to be such.
Regarding the superior reason for the Bible’s existence:
The truth of the Bible will always point in some way to Jesus Christ and bring Him glory. By glory we mean proper recognition, and deserved honour and dignity.
John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.”
Revelation 19:10, “…For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
John 16:13-14, “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Me, and show it unto you.”
After establishing the above criteria of authorship, the author’s motive, and superior purpose, we now come to an amazing rule, unique to the Bible: it always interprets itself. That is, there will always be two or more portions of scripture which will agree with and substantiate the truth being realized. As well, no other scripture(s) will disagree with and contradict the truth realized by the two or more portions of scripture used.
We have a great example of this criterion mentioned by both Jesus and the apostle Paul:
Matthew 18:16, “…in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” (Here Jesus is referring to Deuteronomy 19:15, “…at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.”)
2 Corinthians 13:1, “…In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
So, in a nutshell, our basis for uncovering the truth of God’s Word is this:
We will take the Word of God literally whenever possible, and when it is written figuratively, we will look for the literal truth being conveyed, using two or more passages that express that truth. At the same time we will keep in mind these three things:
One –God is the author of the Bible.
Two - God is love, and so has our best interests at heart by giving us the truth.
Three - All truth in scripture will in some way point to, and bring glory to Jesus Christ.
Now, having said all this it is important note that we must come to God on His terms in order to receive the truth. If we have our own agenda or are unbelieving, we will not get it. Here are a couple of examples found in the Bible:
Matthew 13:11-15
In this instance, the disciples of Jesus came to Him and asked why He spoke in Parables. His response is a warning to all who would look for the truth with preconceptions and /or personal agendas:
This group is allowed to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, the other is not. Why would some not be allowed to understand? He gives the answer in the following verses:
V13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.”
These people are capable of seeing but see only what they want to see. They are capable of hearing but only hear what they want to hear. The result is they do not understand the truth.
V14-15 “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who says, By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people’s heart is waxed gross (dull, insensitive), and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
Notice Jesus says, their eyes they have closed. By their own choice they have determined to not see the truth. Thus, they will only see something else.
Luke 9:44-45
“Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.”
Here Jesus comes right out and tells His closest companions that He will be delivered into the hands of men, yet they did not understand; it was hid from them so they could not perceive what He was saying. The key word here is “Let.” Jesus told them to let the words sink in. That is, make a conscious choice to accept His words. Because they did not, they did not receive the truth. The fact is, it wasn’t until Jesus was raised from the dead that the 12 people closest to Him began to believe much of what Jesus said.
Notice what happened in Mark 16:12-14, “After that He appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterword He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them who had seen Him after He was risen.”f11f
God is looking for honest and humble people to seek the truth in His Word. He will not give it out to those who create and believe their own interpretations.
James 4:6, “…God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.”
Psalm 138:6, “Though the Lord be high, yet has He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knows afar off.”
God so very much wants to give us the truth of His Word that is relevant for day to day life. Let us come to Him open and honest to receive, and by His grace, apply it to our lives.
Please make comments, suggestions, or ask any questions on this site or at [email protected]. By cleaning up lack of clarity and unifying our belief system as it relates to interpreting the scriptures, we will make our relationships with the Lord Jesus and each other much stronger and more fruitful.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
This article has been read 439 times < Previous | Next >
Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.