Last week I was thinking about the importance of “rightly dividing the word of truth” and how different interpretation of certain scriptures (either in or out of context of the rest of the bible) can lead to the differences of beliefs that exist among different denominations of Christianity. This casued me the think on how important broad scripture reading is; in that it prevents us from taking a scripture and using it to defend something we want to believe, but something it can’t be teaching when examined through the light of the rest of scripture. Then my engineering mind began to form an analogy between this truth and the surface tension of water droplets which lead to an analogy of rubber puzzle pieces - hopefully it’ll make sense by the end.
Before we have a discussion on the importance of carefully considering scripture, we must agree that scripture is important and that it is word of God for his people regardless of age, sex, social station, time, or culture. Some may argue that relying on the bible’s claims that it’s the word of God to believe that the bible is the word of God is a circular argument. However, my friend John made a good point yesterday: “If you assume that you have to go outside the bible to validate the bible’s claims that it is the ultimate authority, you have already passed a judgment that the bible is not the ultimate authority since you have given that designation to whatever you use to validate it.”
However, for you literary critics out there, consider this (Reference: I’m borrowing the following line of reasoning from Dr. Voddie Baucham. I highly recommend his talk on the subject. Just google “Voddie Baucham why i choose to believe the bible” and either watch on Youtube or listen on Sermon Audio. Actually, here’s a link: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=530914253 [retrieved 1/24/12]):
The New Testament comes from over 6000 surviving manuscripts (compare that with: Caesar’s Gallic wars – 10 manuscripts, Aristotle’s Poetics – 5 manuscripts, Herodotus – less than 10) the earliest of which is dated about 120 AD (compare that with: Caesar’s Gallic wars – earliest 900 years after, Aristotle’s Poetics – 1300 years after).
The supernatural events reported in the bible were performed in the presence of many eyewitnesses (over 500 saw a resurrected Christ, 1 Cor 15:6)
The supernatural events recorded in the bible were in completion of specific prophecies (Ps 22:12-18 was written a thousand years before Christ by a man who’d never seen a crucifixion).
And finally – the bible has no internal inconsistencies despite the fact that it was originally written in 3 different languages, by over 40 different authors, across 3 continents, over the space of 1600 years.
Now that we agree that the bible can be treated as the firmest foundation any discussion can have, let’s see what the bible says about itself:
Psa 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
Pro 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Deu 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Psa 18:30-31 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
It would seem that it would be a fearful thing to misuse the words of God. Not just the “word” of God, but the “words” of God. Note the language in Proverbs 30, “Every word of God is pure,” and add to that Psalms 138, “..for thou has magnified thy word above all thy name.” How often have I taken a verse out of context to try to support a point? I hope I did not augment my error by trying to use it to support a point that was not biblical. I pray that I might never be found twisting scripture to teach falsehoods!
In Ephesians, Paul talks about a warfare we are fighting. He states that it is not a fleshly warfare we are a part of (in that we aren’t fighting nations or sacking cities. We are, however, to fight our own flesh so that we might better serve God – Romans 7:21-25) but rather, a spiritual one
Eph 6:11-12 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
So what is this armor that we need to not fall casualties of war? [things in bold tied with scriptures beneath]
Eph 6:13-18 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
That’s all well and good, but how do I know about those things? How do I know truth? Or of what righteousness is other than by my conscience (2 Cor 1:12)?
2Tim 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2Tim 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Now I get to what got me thinking on this subject. I would hope that all followers of Christ would agree that the bible holds the words of God for his people. That it is to be believed and that it does not contradict itself. However, if it is true we agree on that, then why is there discord among our doctrine? Well, while the bible is the refined words of the Father to his children, we are still sinful and have imperfect understanding. I’m afraid that oftentimes we do not read the scripture to see what it teaches us to believe, but rather we try to use scripture to teach that which we already believe.
2Pet 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 Ghost.
2Pet 3:15-18 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
We must labor to read the scriptures and rightly divide the word of truth. We must not be lazy in this. It’s easy to read a few verses, interpret them with the beliefs we already hold, and call it a day. It can’t be done that way.
Consider:
The most prolific bible verse is probably John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Many know that verse by heart and without thinking about it can say what they think it means:
“That’s saying that God loves everyone in the world and Jesus died so that everyone could have the choice of heaven."
Well, it can’t mean what they think it means because Paul says
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Go check it out. The bible just said that God hated someone (on a quick note: some will answer “well, that just means that God loved Esau less, and if you look up the Greek word for hated there you’ll see that ‘love less’ is a possible meaning.” They would be correct. However, Paul is actually quoting Malachi 1:2-3, and in the Hebrew that Paul is quoting, there are no alternate definitions of “hate.” It’s definition is “to hate (personally): - enemy, foe, (be) hate (-ful, -r), odious, X utterly.” Is there conflict in God’s word? No, in no wise. However, if there is conflict within our interpretation of scripture, we’ve shown that our interpretation is incorrect.
Now, to close the loop, allow me to present an analogy. If someone were to ask you to sketch a rain drop, how would you do it? Most children would probably make it round at the bottom and give it a pointy tail. That is actually incorrect. That’s what a drop of water sliding down something looks like. Drops falling through the air are mostly spherical. The reason being that the surface tension of the water forces the water droplet into a shape that has the least amount of stress: a sphere. The reason water going down your window are pointed is because of the shear forces acting on the water caused by the friction between the glass and the water. Take away the glass, and the droplet will regain the least stressed shape of a sphere - or mostly spherical since there would be friction between the water and the air as it fell. Ever seen the videos astronauts have taken of water drops float around their cabin? They are perfectly round because there isn’t even friction from the air since they aren’t falling.
In a way, the scriptures are like those drops of water. The truth in the bible maintains a simple shape, free of stress or conflict until imperfectly handled by marred man. Perhaps a more easily visualization is this: think of all the verses in the bible as rubber puzzle pieces that together form a puzzle larger than any man can put together and more beautiful that any can imagine. They all fit perfectly together to make the image, but can be twisted by men’s hands into the wrong places to create false images. I think that this twisting is unintentional for the most part, and can be avoided by having in our hands as many pieces as possible, instead of only have a few and trying to force them to make a complete picture.
Therefore brethren, let us press towards the mark. Let us not read a few chapters without any prayer or meditation and consider our devotion done. Let us search diligently the scriptures to see and understand as much of the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as possible this side of the glass (1 Cor 13:12). Let us not leave church Sunday afternoon and let the sermon preached be the deepest our spiritual thoughts descend that week. Let us be as those at Berea and receive the word with all readiness of mind, but then go home and search the scriptures daily, to see if those things are so.
If any of this is of benefit: praise God. If any of this is unsound or of the flesh: pray for me.
Gabriel
