How to Study the Bible (Part 4)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our with our series titled “How to Study the Bible” for our Christian walk with our Lord Jesus Christ…

How to Study the Bible (Part 4)

Interpreting the Bible ~ Important Things to Avoid!

Here are a few very crucial points to consider when interpreting the Biblical text…

Important Things to Avoid!

1) Do not make a point at the cost of proper Biblical interpretation!

In other words, we don't want to make the Bible say what we want it to say by finding verses to support our preconceived ideas. This man-centered approach to Biblical interpretation is known as “cherry-picking” from the Scripture and is very popular in today’s evangelical environment. When we try to make a passage fit out of context, we will end up forcing the Bible to fit our misunderstanding of the true meaning of the text. But if we try to truly comprehend a passage, a proper understanding and application will flow out of our Bible studies, resulting in a life-style of obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word!

The Apostle Paul says:

For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God – 2 Corinthians 2:17

The Greek word translated "peddling" is kapeleuo which is referred to selling something deceitfully in the marketplace – something that wasn't what it claimed to be. We must not force the Bible to illustrate our preconceived notions. Be careful not to interpret the Bible at the cost of its true meaning!

2) Avoid superficial Bible study!

Sadly, to the detriment of God’s Word, many Bible studies consist of nothing more than person's saying something like: "I guess this verse means..." or "What does this verse mean to you?" Basically that's nothing more than a pooling of ignorance – people admitting what they don't know about the verse!

To have a successful Bible study, someone must study the passage beforehand to find out what it really means. Only then can you discuss it intelligently and thus correctly apply it in your life. Proper interpretation requires serious work! Don't take the easy way out and just simply believe what everyone tells you the Bible says. Check out the facts for yourself. Don't assume there are many interpretations of a biblical passage. There may be many applications, but there is only one true interpretation. God's Word is precise. It is not ambiguous and its content is “spiritually discerned.” In fact, God has given the believer the ability to discover the true meaning of the Scriptures:

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 – 1 Corinthians 2:14

3) Don't spiritualize the text!

For a light-hearted example of this next point, let’s consider the following brief testimony…

The first sermon Pastor John MacArthur ever preached was as he recalls – “really bad!” Mr. MacArthur’s text was "The angel rolled the stone away" taken from Matthew 28 and he entitled his sermon, "Rolling Away the Stones in Your Life." The then young and energetic “twenty-something” Pastor talked about the stone of doubt, the stone of fear and the stone of anger. Doubt, fear and anger are all legitimate topics to be sure – but they have nothing to do with that text! Many people also tend to do this with the Old Testament. These “teachers” turn it into a fairy tale of sorts with all kinds of hidden, secret and mystical meanings – anything but what the text plainly states.

In addressing this poignant point, the Apostle Paul encouraged young Timothy to “carefully” follow his example of faithfulness to God’s Word and “godly” life style in “Christ Jesus” – whatever “persecutions” may come:

But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.  But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work – 2 Timothy 3:10-17

The false teachers of Paul’s day – “evil men and impostors” – were masters at twisting the Scriptures to their own destruction… Don't spiritualize the Bible. It deserves much more respect!

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s continued investigation of How to Study the Bible…

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><

Made of Wood

15 The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold.  Exodus 37

We don't have pictures of what the tabernacle furnishings looked like.  Instead we have these written descriptions.  So I'm going to go with the assumption that these are wooden poles coated in gold for this devotional.

Looking at a wooden pole covered in gold, what do you see?  You see gold in the shape of a pole.  You don't see the wood underneath.  You only see the prized and perfect outside.  We are called upon to be reflections of Christ - to live a life like Christ lived.  There are two lives that everyone lives.  First, is the life they live that others can see.  This is the gold overlay.  You can do everything within your power to let others see that you are living a life for Christ. Second, is the life that only you know about.  This is the wood underneath the gold covering.  The only person who knows about this is you.

Now, acacia wood was durable and ideal for crafting purposes.  Its consistency was unpalatable to insects, leaving it to be very dense, which made it water resistant and less prone to decay.  This was good quality wood (it also happened to be the only wood in good supply in the desert).  There are all types of wood, each with their own unique characteristics.  Some are strong, others brittle.  Some are dense, others porous.  The point is, once it's been covered in gold, no one knows what wood is underneath.  So, what wood are you made of?  Do you still live for Christ when no one is able to see you?

Change We Can Believe In

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.  Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.  He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.  James 1:14-18

Someone once told me that the only thing in life that you could consistently count on is that it is ever changing.  Since being born again over a decade ago, there has been a lot that has changed for me.  It’s really amazing when it’s something you have never done before.  You gain a strength that you never had, and before you know it, you’ve changed for the better.  That is what this lent season was for me.  God showed me that He would be with me always, and I learned to call on Him when I felt weak.  Thus, I could stay true to His will for my life.  He proven that while He is the same God as He has always been, my relationship is ever changing for the better.

The best rewards are found in our ever changing relationship with God.  Many people have stated that God changes for an ever evolving society.  They most commonly refer to beliefs on slavery and the gay community as examples.  This is simply not true.  God’s word is true, and He is never changing.  What does change is our understanding of His will for our own lives.  Through His grace, we learn to forgive others, and through His love, we learn that love never fails.  Through His wisdom, we make better choices, and by trusting in Him, we find true purpose for our lives.  Through reading His word and growing through His Holy Spirit, we are the ones who change as our understanding is both deeper and greater.

We are all changed through Jesus Christ.  John 1:12:13 says, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”  That moment is only the beginning, and we continually evolve into the wonderful children of God that He loves so much.  What is God challenging you to change today?  What changes can strengthen your relationship with God?  My prayer is we embrace God’s ability to change us for the better for this is as a famous campaign slogan said, “Change we can believe in.”  Amen.

Tues Devo: Fight for me

Psalm 25:1-3 ”Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of buckler and shield and rise up for my help. Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’” (NASB)

Hello,

The last few days I have been fighting hard. Sounds great right? Very American of me to fight hard and keep pushing. The problem….I get tired. I can’t win on my own. I realized that I had been fighting hard – but fighting by myself on too many things. We have to allow room for God to fight for us. We must be willing to recognize that we have to slow down or stop and move aside to let God do that for us. That is hard and often frustrating. We see the struggle and perhaps can pinpoint part of the issue –so to step back and not keep pushing. But when we do this, we see how impatient we tend to be. We see how self-centered we often approach life with…and those things hurt.

Sure, having God fight for us sounds easy…but in the heat of the battle, it is hard – and sometimes painful to do. But if we want the best results, we must do it!

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill