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I'm growing to dislike the word "interpret." It is too often thrown about to explain why others don't get what one person believes. Can we interpret Harry Potter as the Bible story? (Hey, that was included in the article for what some think. Truly bizarre.) Can we interpret a book about container gardening into a book about auto repairs? Too many use the word "interpret" to do just that and then pretend they just proved the Bible incomprehensible -- even on this site. So really getting to the point of hating that word. Too many have dismissed the true meaning of the word to fit whatever they want.
(Not saying, you... just on my soapbox about that game.)
(Not saying, you... just on my soapbox about that game.)
C
I took a class and they had me counting every word in the verses I was studying. They made it painful because they really didn't want me to study the Bible.
I usually use dictionaries to look up the Greek or Hebrew meaning of every word. I use online dictionaries because they are faster. I have printed dictionaries as well. Also, there are some meanings in Hebrew that some dictionaries won't help you figure out.
On top of that, I use half a dozen commentaries but they are always to be a last resort because the rule is to let scripture say what it says. I also use the commentaries on biblehub.com and look at the different ways different translations translate a word. I also have different apologetic books and reference books where different scholars write about an issue.
There are online resources as well. There are pastors who have MP3's on every chapter of the Bible and they've been teaching a long time.
I also write about a topic when I learn about it and it serves a purpose when I learn more and can add to what I write so I have second generation and third generation Bible studies.
When I look things up, I ask "What does this mean?" and not just "What does it say?" because you can get different results. I also do word analysis and look for context.
I pray about it and leave and then God sometimes gives me verses to think about.
I put the end result of going verse by verse into my systematic theology.
I get a lot of opposition in studying the Bible and the majority of people don't believe God because they view the Bible as just a historical book and not "God breathed" so they will always say what I write is "out of context". My apologetic and hermeneutic is that all scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, etc., and the Bible was written for our example:
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
In other words, they want to say the New Testament is out of context because it is a historical book to them and shouldn't be profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction or instruction because they don't believe it is scripture and I can prove it is scripture because they don't know their Bibles and I am an adult Christian who can win this debate.
1 Corinthians 10:11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
These things were written for our "ensample" or "example". The words mean the same thing. The person that doesn't believe in God's word will say, "out of context" because it isn't a living breathing book to them. They are unsaved and don't know God because of how they act basically. They might believe in God but they aren't following God because they don't know Him, trust Him or make God the Lord or King of their life.
Bible study is not just reading the notes in your study Bible when you come to Bible study. Bible study begins when you know what you will be studying before you come to Bible study. Bible study takes years of preparation.
I usually use dictionaries to look up the Greek or Hebrew meaning of every word. I use online dictionaries because they are faster. I have printed dictionaries as well. Also, there are some meanings in Hebrew that some dictionaries won't help you figure out.
On top of that, I use half a dozen commentaries but they are always to be a last resort because the rule is to let scripture say what it says. I also use the commentaries on biblehub.com and look at the different ways different translations translate a word. I also have different apologetic books and reference books where different scholars write about an issue.
There are online resources as well. There are pastors who have MP3's on every chapter of the Bible and they've been teaching a long time.
I also write about a topic when I learn about it and it serves a purpose when I learn more and can add to what I write so I have second generation and third generation Bible studies.
When I look things up, I ask "What does this mean?" and not just "What does it say?" because you can get different results. I also do word analysis and look for context.
I pray about it and leave and then God sometimes gives me verses to think about.
I put the end result of going verse by verse into my systematic theology.
I get a lot of opposition in studying the Bible and the majority of people don't believe God because they view the Bible as just a historical book and not "God breathed" so they will always say what I write is "out of context". My apologetic and hermeneutic is that all scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, etc., and the Bible was written for our example:
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
In other words, they want to say the New Testament is out of context because it is a historical book to them and shouldn't be profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction or instruction because they don't believe it is scripture and I can prove it is scripture because they don't know their Bibles and I am an adult Christian who can win this debate.
1 Corinthians 10:11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
These things were written for our "ensample" or "example". The words mean the same thing. The person that doesn't believe in God's word will say, "out of context" because it isn't a living breathing book to them. They are unsaved and don't know God because of how they act basically. They might believe in God but they aren't following God because they don't know Him, trust Him or make God the Lord or King of their life.
Bible study is not just reading the notes in your study Bible when you come to Bible study. Bible study begins when you know what you will be studying before you come to Bible study. Bible study takes years of preparation.
Understand when most who know use the word, interpret, it is in accordance with the usage in the Word as translated from the oldest transcripts availed to mankind by God.
Yes, many who have the appearance of being well educated are yet ignorant in the interpretation not having the understanding afforded by the Holy Spirit.
My reference to illiterate is to any who truly do not read or write, yet understand what they hear by the Holy Spirit.
Our Father is not limited in getting His truth to any individual, and YES, if He choses, He will use any means to get His Word to a man or woman; He will take what is not to bring down that which is.
Be wary of how folks use words, but when referencing the Word, apply that word accordingly.
Yes, many who have the appearance of being well educated are yet ignorant in the interpretation not having the understanding afforded by the Holy Spirit.
My reference to illiterate is to any who truly do not read or write, yet understand what they hear by the Holy Spirit.
Our Father is not limited in getting His truth to any individual, and YES, if He choses, He will use any means to get His Word to a man or woman; He will take what is not to bring down that which is.
Be wary of how folks use words, but when referencing the Word, apply that word accordingly.
The enemy is aware of everything that is written, however towards the end of God's will for this age, as is written, Satan will become drunk on the blood of the saints rendering him self-deluded.
We do not want to ever laud the enemy, but we should never underestimate him. Rely on the Blood of the Lamb to always be tetween us and the enemy, and all will be just fine, amen. Blessed be Jesus Christ, amen...
We do not want to ever laud the enemy, but we should never underestimate him. Rely on the Blood of the Lamb to always be tetween us and the enemy, and all will be just fine, amen. Blessed be Jesus Christ, amen...
It says we cannot serve both God and richest of our worldly lives, because we will tend to lean towards more on the one over the other. It is easy to be caught up in wealth, like some churches has to pay for other things, eventhough, they are exempted from paying taxes to Caesar, but they has gotten themselves caught up in other things and started focusing more on their lifestyle rather than focusing on the scriptures that shows that whom they have love for. And so they started to leave out part of the scriptures or distorted them making their congregations become illiterate and becoming more and more like them.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
Luke 11:52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Isaiah 22:22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
Luke 11:52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Isaiah 22:22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
I found reading scripture is difficult. One phrase can be astounding while a parable can be boring. Sometimes nothing speaks to you or a particular passage is so different you wonder how it came about.
This is often why fellowship helps and sharing our different discoveries.
Jesus talks about His words as being eternal, so their meaning etc is important to get into our hearts and minds.
But then the enemy will try and oppose such behaviour because it will lead to radical faith and radical lives, which obviously are not something we ourselves rush into.
This is often why fellowship helps and sharing our different discoveries.
Jesus talks about His words as being eternal, so their meaning etc is important to get into our hearts and minds.
But then the enemy will try and oppose such behaviour because it will lead to radical faith and radical lives, which obviously are not something we ourselves rush into.
Parables are an understanding for the ones that can decode its interpretation by using the spirit. You cannot understand it if you read it by the letter or else it will not make any sense, like saying, a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush, that if you perceives it in the natural, it will not make any sense, but it only can be interpreted in spirit. All through the scriptures, it has spiritual meaning that we has been over-looking; like in the story about Samson; he was blind to his action while having his eyes; but if his eyes has caused him to sin, then plucked them out, and which afterwards, he saw the errors of his ways once his eyes were removed. God want us to start focusing on His word in the spirit, not the natural.
N
Jeremiah 17:10 nkjv I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.
I did a search of the word "ways" and what a found was many word, but the first few were Experiences, Knowledge and Understanding. The Lord knows people's hearts, minds AND bodies. He knows why we do or don't know the Bible.....And He gives to each based on not only whether they know the Bible, but also whether they live it. I know as many people who know the Bible and don't live it, as I do people who don't know the Bible by reference but live it. I think I prefer the latter.
I did a search of the word "ways" and what a found was many word, but the first few were Experiences, Knowledge and Understanding. The Lord knows people's hearts, minds AND bodies. He knows why we do or don't know the Bible.....And He gives to each based on not only whether they know the Bible, but also whether they live it. I know as many people who know the Bible and don't live it, as I do people who don't know the Bible by reference but live it. I think I prefer the latter.
R
Why are so many Christians biblically illiterate?
Because those Christians dont read the Bible and/or trust the witness of man over the witness of God which is found in the written Word!
"If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son." 1 John 5:9
Because those Christians dont read the Bible and/or trust the witness of man over the witness of God which is found in the written Word!
"If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son." 1 John 5:9
Hi. Perhaps you can help me understand this bible scripture, "Then Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” 1 Sam. 15:1-3
So, Jesus, the Light of the world who perfectly revealed God, says, "Love your enemies"; versus God supposedly speaking through Samuel saying "kill thousands of women, children and infants" of "the enemy". The typical response is that God being God and do anything he wants. True, but God's power or authority are not the issue here, it is God's CHARACTER. So, regarding God's character (how He treats other beings), reconcile killing thousands of "women, children and infants" and "love your enemies" and "treat others the way you want to be treated".
So, Jesus, the Light of the world who perfectly revealed God, says, "Love your enemies"; versus God supposedly speaking through Samuel saying "kill thousands of women, children and infants" of "the enemy". The typical response is that God being God and do anything he wants. True, but God's power or authority are not the issue here, it is God's CHARACTER. So, regarding God's character (how He treats other beings), reconcile killing thousands of "women, children and infants" and "love your enemies" and "treat others the way you want to be treated".
