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Understanding that God can speak even to hard hearts, it is nevertheless good, when preparing to study scripture to have certain beliefs and convictions that will strengthen our faith in His Word. These are some that I was taught:
1. The Bible is God's Word. As surely as He was speaking to the people of ancient times, in His wisdom He speaks to us through His Word. We must treat the Bible as His Word and be careful to hear what it says even when it does not please us.
2. The Bible is a unity. It has a single Divine Author. While it may build on itself, it does not contradict itself.
3. The Bible is its own interpreter. Plain statements clarify obscure and literal statements explain figurative statements. studying scripture to find these interpretations must be done diligently and honestly.
4.The Bible can be interpreted from the translations. The Divine work of preservation insures this. While there are a few translations that are the work of those with an agenda, the great majority are translated with good intent.
5. The language of the Bible is normal human language. There are literary forms which require more effort in interpreting, but largely scripture says what it means.
6. We are most able to understand the Bible if we are prepared to respond. A closed heart makes for a closed mind.
7. The Holy Spirit is a neccesary agent in full understanding of the Bible.
This is only a beginning point. What other convictions do you see as essential to studying scripture? What more can be added to these?
1. The Bible is God's Word. As surely as He was speaking to the people of ancient times, in His wisdom He speaks to us through His Word. We must treat the Bible as His Word and be careful to hear what it says even when it does not please us.
2. The Bible is a unity. It has a single Divine Author. While it may build on itself, it does not contradict itself.
3. The Bible is its own interpreter. Plain statements clarify obscure and literal statements explain figurative statements. studying scripture to find these interpretations must be done diligently and honestly.
4.The Bible can be interpreted from the translations. The Divine work of preservation insures this. While there are a few translations that are the work of those with an agenda, the great majority are translated with good intent.
5. The language of the Bible is normal human language. There are literary forms which require more effort in interpreting, but largely scripture says what it means.
6. We are most able to understand the Bible if we are prepared to respond. A closed heart makes for a closed mind.
7. The Holy Spirit is a neccesary agent in full understanding of the Bible.
This is only a beginning point. What other convictions do you see as essential to studying scripture? What more can be added to these?
hopefully they will be useful to the thread topic;