* Live-stream our services at www.RedemptionCLC.com
Theme: How to… read your Bible
You might be wondering how we could cover this topic in
one sermon. There’s been so much written about how to read the Bible. This is
one of the most often asked questions about Christianity. There are countless
steps, procedures and techniques out there. Every Christian denomination has its
own principles which govern how they use Scripture. Every Christian wrestles to
some degree with what to make of the Bible. Questions that come up are:
· What’s the context?
Historical narrative, prophecy, parable, poetry, allegory, etc?
· What’s the
meta-narrative? This essentially means the over-arching theme.
· What did it mean for
the original readers vs. what does it mean for us?
· What translation should
I use?
· What about all those
scholars who have refuted the Bible or shown it to be nothing different than
any other sacred book?
· What can a pastor
understand vs. what can I understand?
· What about the other
so-called apocryphal books – Gospel of Thomas or the Wisdom of Solomon? Who
choose the books that are in the Bible?
· What is relevant to my
life today? With so many things (especially in the OT) talking about life for
Israel, what applies or doesn’t apply to me?
These
are all valid questions that deal with how to read the Bible and there’s a time
and a place for them. But that’s not where I’m going to go today. There’s one
very important concept that governs all use of Scripture, and that’s what we’ll
focus on this morning. Ultimately, the best way to read your Bible is to do
so with the intent to honor God. All of our questions, concerns, and
thoughts about the Bible come back to honoring God when we ask one very basic
question – “Did God really say?” The Bible is God’s book. His Word. That’s what
the book itself says. That’s how Jesus treated it. That’s what our faith
beckons us to believe.
Your
answer to that question completely changes how you read the Bible, and consequently
what profit it has in your life. This is why that’s the very question that
Satan posed to Eve in the beginning. He knew that her view of God’s Word (even
though she didn’t have a Bible) would impact how she honored God. The same
truth is present in our lives. The best principle for reading the Bible is to
stay focused on honoring God and to do that you need to trust that it’s truly
His Word. This is where we come to in our text for today, from Colossians
3:16-17:
Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
In
our era, we’re told to straddle the fence of Biblical interpretation. Accept
the parts of the Bible that speak of love but ignore the parts of the Bible
that speak of judgment. Preach the gospel, not the law, at least the laws that
21st century people disagree with.
It’s
often what we discussed last weekend, culture, that leads us to deny verbal
inspiration (define). However, there’s more at stake in this process than just
one teaching of God’s Word. It’s ultimately about honoring God. Do we care
about that today? It’s easy to answer “yes” but consider the ramifications
of that when it comes to the Bible. It’s impossible to sit on the fence when it
comes to God’s Word if you want to honor Him. It’s an all or nothing thing.
This
doesn’t mean you have to have it all figured out – no one does. It also doesn’t
mean you can’t question or challenge preconceived ideas about interpretation.
Challenging something is one way to verify the truth and allow it to more
clearly come out. What we mean by “all or nothing” is in terms of your approach
to Scripture. Are all of your choices and activities centered on honoring God?
Do you fully believe that He has delivered His perfect Word to you in the
Bible? Do you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to the correct understanding or
do you shoe-horn your own thoughts into the picture? These are all questions of
approach and they are monumental pieces in how you treat the Word of God. There
are only two options with approach– either it’s His Word or it’s yours. Once
you start choosing what to believe and what not to believe, you have taken
God’s place. The reality is that His Word speaks clearly and with authority.
Our job is to listen, not to choose.
Are
you an empathetic listener with God? Empathy is listening in order to learn. We
often confuse that with sympathy, which is listening in order to act. Far too
often we feel a need to sympathize with God – that is to understand in a way
that helps us become equal partners with God. So many people twist or abuse
Scripture because they want an active part in faith life with God. They want to
know as He does and have a part in His power. Sympathy always makes the hearer
feel better. Empathy is directed at the speaker first. God wants us to listen
to understand, not to respond – at least not right away. When we focus only on
responding immediately, or getting our two-cents in, we miss the point. That’s
what happens when Christians shove teaching down peoples’ throats. It’s also
what happens when non-Christians summarily dismiss portions of God’s Word that
are not popular today. Both sides do this and it all strikes at honoring God.
If
the Bible cannot be trusted in all that it says our faith is a lost cause and frankly,
we’re wasting our time here. Yet, increasing atheism and even many modern
Christians continually tell us that it’s nearly impossible to understand the
simple words of God. You’ve heard this lie in various forms:
· “That’s your
interpretation, of which there are many”
· “That’s what it meant
back then, but not today”
· “That applied to them,
but not to me”
· “Who’s to say what it
means – we can’t know for sure.”
These
sayings are all moral principles thrust upon Bible-following believers
as a way to deny God’s moral principles (Sexual purity is one example). “Don’t
judge me with the Bible because absolute truth does not exist.” “Don’t use your
moral principles to tell me what’s right or wrong in my life.” Well, that very
argument is invoking an absolute truth itself, and therefore is based on a
logical fallacy.
Anyone
who reads their Bible with sincerity – no matter where you start – will quickly
see the emphasis that God puts on holding His Word in high regard. Everywhere
you look in Scripture God is talking about His Word and how important it is for
you. You either have to take that as it reads and trust it– or give up on it.
There is no in-between.
Many
people have given up on the Bible because they’ve bought into the false idea
that no one can understand it. They give up because they don’t want to trust
someone else’s interpretation or opinion of things. They give up because of
this daunting prospect yet it’s exactly what they fall into. There’s either
God’s Word, or not. If God’s Word does not exist, as the Bible presents it in
errorless truth, then we are all in the boat of opinion. At that point there is
no basis for truth or morality – no ability to speak of what things “ought to
be” or “should” be because the only foundation that exists is opinion.
Essentially, if God is not faithful in His Word – everything is ruined and in
chaos.
Consider
this example: God’s Word like the sun. We’ve never handled it or touched the sun.
We’ll never fully understand it in all its physical properties. It’s impossible
for us to quantify and comprehend it in totality. You can’t take part of the
sun and put it in a jar or under a microscope. You have to live with unknowns
about the sun. Yet despite all of those unknowns – all of life rests on the
sun’s existence and no one can deny it. Despite the unknowns we still know a
lot and we can use that information in a positive way. The sun’s ability to
provide in our lives and to exist is not validated by our understanding of it.
Likewise, it’s not discredited by our lack of knowledge either. Whether or not
we know or trust anything about the sun, it still exists and it still continues
to work in all its ways. Same with the Word of God. (Jesus to Nicodemus)
John 3:8 “The
wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where
it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
In
our Scripture reading for today we saw another account from Jesus’ life that
was very much along the same lines. Many people had questions about Jesus. They
were amazed at His teaching but they didn’t know where He got such authority. When
the crowds questioned Jesus about this, He replied "My doctrine is not
Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 "If anyone wants to do His will, he shall
know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My
own authority. 18 "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but
He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no
unrighteousness is in Him. (John 7:16-18)
Jesus
explained to them that He was merely speaking for God. There was more to be
sure – Jesus is God – but He simplified it for them in this context. In the way
He viewed them – as just a man and nothing more – Jesus was God’s mouthpiece.
He was not conjuring up His own doctrine. He was not going on a different path
than God. And the greatest proof of these things was that Jesus’ main priority
was glorifying God. Jesus didn’t give them a lesson on interpretation. He
didn’t prove the Bible’s origin from God. He didn’t give them the top five
principles for understanding Scripture. He simply said that He spoke for God in
order to glorify God. Everything Jesus said about Himself here can apply to
your life too.
You
are not God. But you’ve been given the right and privilege to speak God’s
Words. Sinners are redeemed and saved when you do this. Everything in faith
falls eventually apart when you quit or give up. The first step down the path
of unbelief is to give up seeking to honor God in all thing. When you are
willing to do that – any is up for grabs – including your understanding of the
Bible.
Many
people assume that we tout the Word of God to a high degree because we like to
have control over people. It’s believed that the sum and substance of the Bible
is about the right laws and commands to follow and to keep people in line.
Shame on us if we give that impression. The real reason we emphasize the purity
and effectiveness of God’s Word to the degree we do is because it’s the vehicle
through which the unconditional gospel flows. The Bible today is the closest we
can get to directly conversing with God Himself. In fact, that’s exactly how He
wants us to think of it each time we open the Scriptures. That’s why we use
reliable Bible translations in our studies and in our services. It’s why we
sing hymns that contain Scriptural truth, even if the music is out of style
today. It’s why our worship is not structured to glorify ourselves or evoke
emotions, but rather to express humility and respect for God. We want the word
of Christ to dwell richly in all who come to our church – not as a law but
because to know and believe the simple and clear gospel message in Christ. When
that happens, sinners are saved, and God is honored.
Knowing
and understanding the Bible is not difficult for the one who seeks to honor
God. That’s why Jesus said the greatest example of faith was a little child. Human
scholarship and academia more often get in the way of God’s truth. As we close,
consider these portions of Psalm 25 as a recap of our study. When you ponder,
“How do I read my Bible?” remember that the greatest virtue is the desire to
honor God above all else.
Psalm
25:4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth
and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.
Psalm
25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. 9
The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.
Psalm
25:12 Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will show him the way he should
choose.
Psalm
25:14 The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them
His covenant.
No comments:
Post a Comment