Understanding the Bible, pt. 1

Purpose: To gain insight into how to properly study the Bible to ascertain its meaning.

Intro.

“The Bible says, ‘Judas hanged himself,’ and Jesus says, ‘Go, and do likewise’!”

One of my instructors at SIBI made this comment in class once, as he was attempting to show us that someone can make the Bible say anything they want. And, unfortunately, people do make the Bible say whatever they want it to.

“Jesus helped His friend Lazarus ‘come out’!” Says one LGBTQ preacher.

“Jesus called a woman a dog, demonstrating that He, too, had to repent sometimes!” Says a female priest in a Protestant group.

“Salvation is only for the Israelites, so if you’re white, then God hates you!” Says the Black Hebrew Israelite cult.

All of these groups, and many others throughout history and modernity, have abused and misused the Bible in such a way as to bend it to their will and want. Their evidence does come from the Bible, though — and that is the problem. If we are not prepared with the tools we need to properly understand what the Spirit meant in the Bible, we will all be vulnerable to falling into these kinds of lies and missing the gold mine of life, salvation, and holiness which God has given to us.

Therefore, I intend to help us come to the Bible in the right way, so we can rightly understand what God has meant in His revelation.

Hermeneutics

In biblical interpretation, also called hermeneutics, we seek to understand the meaning of the Bible’s words.

Edward E. Hindson

Without proper biblical interpretation, the theology of an individual or of an entire church may be misdirected or superficial and its ministry unbalanced.

Donald K. Campbell

As is explained in these quotations, the word hermeneutics is used to describe how we understand the Biblical text. There are, despite popular opinion, right and wrong ways to understand what the inspired Scripture is saying.

Someone once said,

“The Book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy. Its precepts are binding. Its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be saved, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, and the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Here Paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the ways of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object, our God its design, and the redemption of man, its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, a river of pleasure. It is given you in life and will be opened in the judgment and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibilities, will reward the greatest labor and condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.”

We Can Know

Psalm 119:1 “1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of Yahweh.”

Ephesians 3:3–4 “3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 About which, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,”

Acts 17:11 “11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

Ezra 7:10 “10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of Yahweh and to practice it, and to teach His statute and judgment in Israel.”

Many people say that the Bible is a book with a multitude of interpretations. So much so that no one interpretation could be more true than any others. The evidence for this comment is usually the fact that many alleged Christians have many varying interpretations.

However, more times than not, when a person is speaking to another, they have one particular meaning in mind.

If I tell you that I need you to go up the street and speak to neighbor so-and-so then thank the Lord for having good neighbors, I only mean one thing. There may be many ways to misinterpret what I mean. There may even be many ways to kind of apply what I really mean. But, the meaning itself can only be one thing.

If there is a way to live which is blessed in accordance to the truth of God’s law, that means we must be able to really know it to live by it.

Since the inspired authors of the text clearly expect that God has made us capable of understanding His Word, we must also then understand that He wants us to know it.

God Wants Us to Know

Psalm 119:4 “4 You have commanded us, To keep Your precepts diligently.”

Psalm 119:9 “9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.”

Deuteronomy 6:6–9 “6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as phylacteries between your eyes. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

James 1:22 “22 But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

Throughout the history of God’s people, God has communicated in some way with His people. In that communication, God has had the expectation that the people would understand and obey.

Obedience, particularly, is not something which occurs by way of accident. We cannot obey or live by God’s word if we are not properly understanding God’s word.

If God wants and expects us to understand His word, then we must also desire to know His word.

We Must Want to Know

Acts 17:11 “11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

Psalm 119:10 “10 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me stray from Your commandments.”

1 Peter 2:2–3 “2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”

Psalm 119:73 “73 Your hands made me and established me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.”

Psalm 119:64 “64 The earth, O Yahweh, is full of Your lovingkindness; Teach me Your statutes.”

Approximately 30% of churchgoers read their Bibles on a daily basis.

This lack of a real attention paid to the Bible and the Word of God is why the Church needs to be reminded about context and intended meaning — when we don’t read the Bible enough for ourselves, then we believe whatever we are told about it.

If we are going to actually be blessed by living in the ways of God, we have to actually want know what those ways are.

Application

Like David in Ps. 119, let us pray to our God for guidance in understanding His word

Let us be as the Bereans in Acts 17, and search the Scriptures to prove that which is true and holy, longing for it as a newborn for milk.

Having understood the intended meaning of the text, let us always pursue to be doers of the Word.