8: Interpretation (part 3) (2)

NOTES: https://bit.ly/SolaScripturaDevo

Last week we ended with one of the most misquoted verses of our time - Jer 29:11.

You can back up in your notes to page 30.

In fact, 1 day after teaching on this, one of my former students posted on…guess which verse.

Then, another of my former students kindly responded and said something we will

• “YOU” in Jeremiah 29 isn’t about YOU and ME. “YOU” was written to the Jewish captives who God had not forgotten. You can’t claim verse 11 as YOURS while you leave v10. This is not BIBLE BUFFET.

I didn’t like hearing this, but it was TRUE. The Scriptures aren’t about ME and YOU. The Scriptures tell us about our FAITHFUL GOD! Just as God had promised, He did send the Jews back to Jerusalem in 70 years (as promised in verse 10)! God didn’t forget his people, even though they had been unfaithful. God has been faithful in the PAST and He will be faithful in the FUTURE!

So, what can WE lean and APPLY from Jeremiah 29?

God punishes those who continue in disobedience. God sent them to Babylon.

God’s promises can be trusted. This is EXACTLY what happened! God brought the Jews back after 70 years! (see Daniel 9:2)

God LOVES to restore those who repent! This is the focus of the Scriptures and the gospel of Jesus - to restore people to God.

God does have a plan and purpose for your life and you don’t need one verse to prove it - you have the whole of Scripture. - Jackie Watts

Let’s look at 1 passage that seems to be a universal truth for ALL followers of Jesus.

Romans 8 is from Paul to Roman believers, some who have suffered for following Jesus. But this is more than just a word to Romans, it is a word to the universal church...’us’!

Romans 8:31–39 (NIV)

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Does God have a hope and a future for you? Yes! Our current and future hope is the fact that Jesus died for us! We can trust Him and rest in His promise that nothing can separate us from His love!

RULE #1: Never Read A Bible Verse.

When you only hear a PIECE of the story, you might not get the POINT of the story. In fact, you might get LED ASTRAY by false teaching. Remember that Satan used Scripture out of context to try to get Jesus to sin. That is the same tactic he and others use today - twist the Scripture and make it say something it was never intended to say.

Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, and many others have abused Romans 4:17 - not quoting the entire context to say “God has told you to speak to those things which are not as if they are…” - speak it into existence (‘name it claim it’). What does Romans 4:17 actually say?

Romans 4:16–18 (CSB) This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to the one who is of the law but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all. As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations— in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the One who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.

This is speaking about GOD enabling Sarah’s dead womb to have a child. Abraham didn’t speak that into existence. Again, it speaks of our Great God!

Instead of asking “What does it mean TO ME?” we should be asking “What does it MEAN…and then how I apply the principle in my life?”

WE don’t DETERMINE what it means. We DISCOVER what it means.

RULE #2: Author & Audience before Application.

Dr. Wayne Stacey

“I try never to forget that the Bible was the word of God to somebody else before it was the word of God to me.”

Cultural Differences: The original author & audience spoke a different language and lived on a different continent over 2000 years ago. We must place ourselves in THEIR context instead of transporting them to OUR CONTEXT.

Literary Differences: “I read the Bible like we do the sports page - trying to understand the intent of the author.” We read with metaphors in mind. Is it POETRY, HISTORY, or METAPHOR? We read POETRY in a different way then we read HISTORY, and what about METAPHORS?

“Cowboys Scalp the Redskins.” or “It’s raining cats & dogs.” or “Butterflies in my stomach”

You don’t ask - how BIG were they? What COLOR are they?

This might sound like hard work, but, the hard work is worth the effort as it enables us to answer the question ‘What does it MEAN?’.

RULE #3: View Scripture Through Scripture.

The Scriptures give us real life examples.

Matthew 18:15-20 Confront, discipline/restore the sinful brother/sister.

So what does that look like? See discipline 1 Cor. 5:1-5 & restoration in 2 Cor. 2:5-11.

The Scriptures give us clarity when it’s confusing.

There are some parts of the Bible that are tough to interpret. When we come to these areas we should Read what is UNCLEAR in light of what IS CLEAR.

Recognize what is descriptive versus prescriptive.

The Scriptures shows the Character of our Creator.

Throughout the Scripture we see God as both Just and Merciful.

Old Testament

God destroys enemies who fought against His people (JUDGMENT). He also sends Jonah to his arch-enemies in Nineveh, the Assyrian empire. The people turn from their sin and God spares the whole city (MERCY)!

God destroys Jericho & everyone there (JUDGMENT), BUT He rescues all of Rahab’s family & she is later in the family tree of Jesus as one of his great great great great grandmothers (see Matt. 1:5)! (MERCY).

When the Jewish people disobey God after years of warnings, He rips them from their homes (JUDGMENT), BUT He eventually brings them back to Jerusalem (MERCY).

New Testament

Jesus forgives prostitutes & tax collectors who ask for help (MERCY), BUT He also drops the hammer on religious leaders who reject Him (JUDGMENT Matt. 23 & Jn. 8).

Jesus forgives Peter when he denies knowing Him 3 times (MERCY), BUT drops a married couple dead when they lie to God & His servants (JUDGMENT - Acts 5:1-11).

Jesus dies on the cross to make full payment for anyone who will turn from their sin and turn to Him (MERCY), BUT He will ultimately condemn those who reject His forgiveness for eternity. They will be held accountable for their sins (JUDGMENT - Matt. 25:31-34).

So….How can we make sure we read it RIGHT?

Never Read a Bible Verse

Author & Audience before Application

View Scripture Thru Scripture.

Let’s put these 3 principles to work in John 10.

RULE #1: Never Read a Bible Verse (Context)

John 9: Jesus has healed a blind beggar on the Sabbath. The Pharisees refused to believe that Jesus, whom they called a sinner, could have performed performed a legitimate miracle from God. The blind man defended Jesus by saying, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing—that although I was blind, now I can see.”(John 9:25 NET)

The Pharisees refused to believe the blind man’s story and when he continued to defend Jesus, they said, “You were born completely in sinfulness, and yet you presume to teach us?” So they threw him out.” (John 9:34 NET) Then Jesus found him! Jesus reveals who He is and says this:

John 9:39 (NET)

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind.”

Then Jesus tells a story.

John 10:1–6 (NET)

1 “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.4 When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not recognize the stranger’s voice.”6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

* This is NOT teaching that every believer should hear the audible voice of Jesus 2000 years later.

John 10:7–10 (NET)

7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep.8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture.10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

Many Christians have memorized John 10:10 and think it’s contrasting Jesus to the Devil, but Jesus has been contrasting Himself, not to the devil, but to the Pharisees who were blind guides and didn’t care about the ‘sheep’. We appreciate this better when we apply…

RULE #2: Author & Audience before Application

Then Jesus said of Himself…

John 10:11-15 (NET)

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away. 14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me—15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Now, you’ve GOT to see this. This shepherd/sheep language was KNOWN to the audience. And when we apply

RULE #3: View Scripture Thru Scripture

just watch what we see!

Ezekiel 34:23-24 (ESV)

23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.

John 10:16 (NET)

16 I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd.

* Mormons say this speaks of Jewish people who Jesus visited in the Americas. But when we view Scripture thru Scripture we see how this applies though the writing called Acts.

Galatians 3:26–28 (NET)

26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

John 10:17-18 (NET)

17 This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again.

18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father.”

So, what are WE to apply from this 2000 years later?

Be Grateful: Jesus is our Good Shepherd as well, the one who laid down His life for his sheep - including us! Be Faithful: Hear the voice of Jesus through Scripture. That is how we judge whether or not other ‘voices’ are from God or not. All others are imposters. Are you LISTENING to Him…or to someone who DID NOT lay down his/her life for you?

Read all the passages we gave you today (in your notes) & use the 3 Principles of Interpretation.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These open-ended questions are designed to help you LIVE what you LEARN w/ Family, Friends, or Small Group.

Restate the 3 Principles of Interpretation. Which one of these benefits you the most & why? What are the dangers of bypassing the author & audience & moving directly to personal application? Explain. View Scripture thru Scripture. Read Matt. 18:15-20 and see how the command of Jesus is obeying in 1 Cor. 5:1-5. Finally, see discipline result in restoration in 2 Cor. 2:5-11. How does this encourage or concern you? How might you respond to those who say the God of the Old Testament is different than the New Testament? Why is it so important to read the Scriptures regularly? Are you doing that and/or what are your plans to read consistently this week? Who is checking on you this week? Share prayer thanks & needs. Then pray for one another.