Hermeneutics Lesson 03
Use godly Attitudes to understand (interpret) God's Word.
The first 8 verses of Isaiah 28 tell us what God had against the top priests of the day. They represented all of the religious leaders of their day. Isaiah 28 continues with God's message about how He would can/will give wisdom
and understanding
(doctrine) directly to spiritually people and bypass corrupt religious leaders who were not fit for God's use. They, of course, continued to claim that God worked through them.
Since Isaiah wrote just before the Captivity, God's people were punished for continuing to believed the doctrinal error taught by their religious leaders. Today we have many opposing doctrines with various religious leaders denouncing others and all can't be right. Therefore, if we as individuals want to avoid punishment for following doctrinal error, then we need to be able to use God's way
to prove that the doctrine that we live by came from God and is not erroneous.
This lesson provides a high-level look at what is required to prove that our doctrine is not erroneous. The paper called Prove, which is under the Hermey Menu, has a lot of details that will not be covered here. It also has real life examples to illustrate various points. Please see it for more details.
Even that paper does not cover all that is involved since there are now college degrees in testing methods, Quality and other subjects related to what the Bible means by prove. Obviously, this paper can not provide any significant detail but can only provide the broadest outline of this subject.
In Genesis 3:5 Satan got Adam and Eve to do 'Original Sin' with the claim For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
As explained elsewhere, 'Original Sin' is the basis of the belief that the claims of religion are greater than the message from God. In Genesis we read about Noah and the flood. 2Peter 2:5 tells us that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly
, which means that the ungodly
refused to hear God's preacher of righteousness
and chose what they thought was good
. When the 12 spies returned to Moses the people refused to hear the message of faith from Joshua and Caleb, but chose what they thought was good
, which resulted in God killing all of that generation except Joshua and Caleb. In Exodus we constantly see God bring judgment because the people refused the message from God given through the author of the first 5books of the Bible (Moses). They repeatedly expressed a preference for religious traditions (gods of Egypt). In Judges the theme is every man did that which was right in his own eyes
(Judges 17:6; 21:25) and we see God bring judgment time after time because people preferred what they thought was good
(religious traditions) to what God's Word said. In Isaiah and Jeremiah we read about God's message which was rejected and brought in the captivity because people preferred what the religious leaders told them was good
(religious traditions) to what God's Word said. In the Gospels we see the people reject Jesus and cry crucify him
because people preferred what the religious leaders told them was good
(religious traditions) to what God's Word said. In Galatians we see that Peter was withstood 'to the face, because he was to be blamed
and it was done before the entire church because he preferred what the religious leaders and saved prophets of the church told the Church was good
(religious traditions) to what God's revealed will was. In Acts 9 we see that the Jerusalem Church knew that God had set aside the religious part of the Mosaic Law (religious traditions) and replaced it with a personal relationship that is through Christ
and yet Acts 21:20 tells us Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law
. Thus preference for what the religious leaders and saved prophets of the church told the Church was good
(religious traditions) to what God's revealed will was resulted in God sending in the Roman Army to tear down the Temple and kill all who held the doctrinal error which caused Paul to be beheaded.
Thus all throughout the Bible we see God's people doing 'Original Sin' and preferring what the religious leaders told them was good
(religious traditions) to what God's revealed will was. Repeatedly we see God bringing a judgment of death upon His people.
In the New Testament we read about the sin unto death
(Romans 5:21; 6:16; 7:5, 13; 1John 5:16-17). The literal sentences, and the context of each of these sentences, makes it clear that the sin unto death
is due to God's people preferring error (what they thought was good
) to what God's revealed will was. In 1Corinthians 11:28-31 we read But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
Our Lord (Jesus) lived as a physical man (discerning the Lord's body
) to show us how to live in this flesh using the power of the holy Ghost. (Please see that Study for details.) However, many people are like the church members at Corinth and believe that God will count them as spiritual
while they refuse the example that Jesus lived before us and submit to another example. The saved people at Corinth were sure that they were spiritually mature but Paul called them babes
. (Please see the Study called Spirit for the Biblical definition of the word spirit
, a table of all of the Biblical applications of the word spirit
, and notes for verses in the Bible which uses the word Spirit
.) The primary sin that they had was divisions
caused by people 'taking a stand' for what they believed was the doctrine that came from religious leaders in preference to the revealed will of God.
The primary prayer request in churches all across America is due to sickness and death. Preachers constantly acknowledge that we have not held fast
to the things that our forefathers were given yet they preach messages based upon 2Chronicles 7:14 and tell people to 'pray, pray, pray' and ignore the fact that this has not worked for at least 100 years in America. They ignore the fact that 2Chronicles 7:14 says that the first thing that God's people need to do is humble themselves
, which means stop putting what they think is good
above God's revealed Word and revealed will. They ignore the fact that Daniel was seeking God's face for the Lord's sake
when he was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God
. He was not seeking what he thought was good
but was seeking what was good' for the Lord's sake
and for the holy mountain of my God
(the lifting up of God in this world). He was also confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel
, which means that he was confessing having personally sought what religious traditions taught him was good
and confessing that they were in captivity because God's people preferred what religion said was good
instead of God's revealed will.
Thus we see that the Bible teaches, repeatedly, that preferring what religion tells us is good
brings judgment while preferring what God reveals as His will brings freedom.
If what the Bible says isn't enough to prove this point, I can provide evidence of God removing a pastor from the pastorate and of two people burying adult children because they preferred religious traditions to the revealed will of God. At the exact same time, I had multiple lost doctors telling me that I had 'undeniable multiple miracles' and had multiple medical workers coming to see me 'just to see someone who could survive that type of accident'. As I have shown repeatedly on this site, I prefer God's revealed will to religious traditions. As I have reported elsewhere, a preacher asked me for my opinion on a Bible doctrine. When I started quoting scripture, he stopped me and said that he was not asking what the Bible said but what my personal opinion was. I told him that was what I was giving him. When God reveals, through his Word, that my opinion does not match His Word, I replace that opinion with what God's Word literally says.
About now a lot of people are probably thinking 'What has all of this got to do with what the Bible says about how to interpret God's Word?' The answer is simple. While some of God's people deliberately disobey, most try to obey what they believed God's Word tells them to do. Since they repeatedly receive the judgment of God, instead of the blessings of God, they are actually disobeying while they think they are obeying. While some people might claim that the people didn't know that they were disobeying, in each of the examples presented God sent a messenger to tell them how to act right. Thus, they had at least two different 'experts' tell them opposing messages. Thus, they had to decide which was correct.
'Cause I'm the mommy' works when you are dealing with a 2 year old but does not work when your child is an adult with children of their own. No one has a baby so that the baby will still be in diapers and sucking on a bottle 30 years later. God does not save people so that they stay spiritual infants. Yet our churches are full of people who claim to be saved for several years but are still doing the 'baby' sins that Paul dealt with in 1Corinthians (see Test of Spiritual Maturity). The primary sin of 1Corinthians was divisions caused by people still being spiritually immature and sticking to the message from preachers ('cause I'm the mommy') instead of growing up spiritually and learning how to get the truth directly from the word of God using only to Spirit of God. Thus, one of the first reasons that we see judgment come upon God's people is their refusal to maintain their personal relationship with God which always results in spiritual maturity.
Once someone starts to mature spiritually, they start seeking ways to understand the word of God by themselves. This is where religious traditions step in and give people the wrong method, which keeps the people spiritually immature and dependent upon the religious leaders. Instead of teaching people how to get answers for themselves, religious traditions teach people to seek answers from famous religious leaders. Just look at all of the books that most preachers have and ask them how often they seek the interpretation of Bible passages within those books. Then ask them how many of those authors quoted other famous teachers as the basis of the interpretation they used. Now look at the methods used by the people who crucified our Lord. Read Romans 2. Many preachers criticize Roman Catholics for trusting the traditions of their 'fathers'. When they do so they prove that they know that this is a wrong method. Then when they do the same, Romans 2 says that they being greater condemnation upon themselves and their followers. Thus, we see the need for another method of interpreting God's Word.
We can know that religious traditions have repeatedly given us the wrong way to interpret God's Word because they have repeatedly brought God's judgment upon God's people who thought they were obeying the correct interpretation of God's Word. However, the Bible also reveals that some people must have used the correct way to interpret God's Word because they got the right answer even though that answer was opposed by most of the neighbors and religious leaders. However, there are rebels who oppose the majority and are not right. Obviously, it takes more than just going against the majority to be in God's Will. So the question remains: 'What is God's Way to interpret God's Word correctly?'
Psalms 19:1-4 says The Heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
The way that we understand this world is using the Scientific Method and proving the validity of scientific laws using the field of Mathematics called 'Probability and Statistics'. When Galileo was alive they put him on a gallows and were going to hang him because he insisted that the Scientific Method was correct and it proved that the world was a globe and that it circled the sun. The 'scientists' of that day depended upon 'revelation from God' for their understanding and insisted that the world was flat and that the sun circled the world. We know who was correct.
As foolish as those so-called 'scientists' were, people who are risking souls will be proven to be more foolish. As great a witness as creation is, God's Word is more so. If understanding this world requires the exacting and precise methods of the Scientific Method and Mathematics, understanding God's Word requires even more precision. However, since God's people insist upon using the methods of 'flat earthers' to understand God's Word, God is letting people turn to the same method for understanding creation. This is seen in the increased belief in 'Big Bang' and 'Evolution' which come from the lying religion that claims to be science and tells people to 'trust the experts'. Thus we see two different methods which lead to two different results. One method says 'trust the experts' and leads to foolishness and judgment by God. The other method says to use exact and precise methods which agree with the Scientific Method and Mathematics, and it leads to the truth
and to blessing from God.
Consider: Proverbs 3:19 tells us The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the Heavens.
Proverbs 8 tells us: Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?.. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:...For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
I did not copy all of the proverb here but the student should carefully read that Proverb. It tells us that the same understanding
that the LORD
used to write His Word is what He used in creation. Thus, this proverb is telling us that there way to understand
God's Word is the same way as we use to understand creation.
We know that God does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). The exact same understanding
that God used to create this world is the same that he used to write His Word. In fact, if you read the verses quoted you will see that Proverbs 8 tells us precisely that fact. Thus, the way of understanding
that gives us a correct understanding
of creation is the same way of understanding
which gives us a correct understanding
of God's Word. Further, using another 'way' causes men to wrongeth his own soul
and end up with death
. Therefore, the way that leads to the sin unto death
opposes using the way of understanding
God's Word that is as precise as Mathematics and the Scientific Method.
How often do we hear preachers quote a Bible passage which contains an and
and lift up one side of the and
while ignoring the other. Yet who would agree that 'one and one is one'? How often do preachers quote 2Timothy 2:15 (rightly dividing the word of truth
) and yet separate the word of God using divisions that God has in His Word? If I run a pile of Bibles through a band saw and put the tops in one pile and the bottoms in another am I rightly dividing the pile of Bibles? If not then how and I (rightly dividing the word of truth
) when God tells us to divide His Word by sentences and yet I insist upon using verses which divide sentences in half?
No numbering system has two different numbers with the same value. The same is true with the definitions of words used in God's Bible. God does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) and God is not the author of confusion
(1Corinthians 14:33). When God assigned a particular meaning to a word, He would have to change to assign that same meaning to another word or assign that word to another meaning. Men do this and cause confusion. However, God has a one-to-one relationship between words in the Bible and their meaning. When preachers claim that two different words in the Bible have the same meaning, they are not rightly dividing the word of truth
. When people claim to have an every word
belief and then use a different meaning for words in the Bible than God used, they prove themselves to be either ignorant (lacking knowledge) or a liar.
When we were in school, the only classes that required us to prove our answers were Mathematics, science and computer programming. Speech and language classes used 'persuasion'. In the paper called Prove, we are shown that using the methods of Mathematics and the Scientific Method is how God wants us to prove all things
so that we can hold fast to that which is good
. In every case mentioned in this paper, where God's people were punished by God, they were 'persuaded' to do error and call it the way of God
.
Interpretation by 'persuasion' leads to doctrinal error and judgment by God. Interpretation by proof using the precise methods of Mathematics and the Scientific Method lead to blessings from God. You chose which you will use. However, please be aware that using Mathematics and the Scientific Method requires diligence
and effort in order to dig down to the rock
which is to be our foundation
. The 'way of persuasion' provides the ease of building a life upon sand.
'Persuasion' is a valid, and very important, part of preaching. However, preaching is used to show people how to apply the word of God, not how to interpret it. Preaching is used to teach us how to apply the word of God to our own life, how to act in the church (family) of God, and how to act towards other people who are not in the family of God. There are many applications but only one interpretation. Thus, there is only one Biblical plan of salvation because as God takes His single plan and applies it to our lives, He considers us as individuals. The way that I was shown how to be saved is probably different from the way that you were shown. Further, each of us have a unique salvation experience and a unique relationship. However, that does not change the fact that the proper interpretation of the Bible is the same for everyone.
You might hold two books and I might hold two different books. We are two people. While books are different from people and the books that you hold are different from the books that I hold, each of those are applications of the number two. These different applications do not affect the interpretation of the number two. Likewise, the multitude of applications of Bible truths does not affect the interpretation of those truths.
Thus many people use a method of finding the proper application of the word of God to try to get the interpretation and end up with doctrinal error.
When people are shown the possible sinful results of their doctrine, they claim 'Oh I don't go that far. If you don't go any further than I go then you are OK.' However, 2Peter 1:19-21 says We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
As soon as anyone puts a my
of an I
into interpretation of the Bible, they are using the method of Satan. Galatians 5:9 and 1Corinthians 5:6 tell us: A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
People think they can hold onto a 'little error' but what they allow in small amounts their children take to an extreme and their children end up judged by God including going to Hell. In Genesis 19:20 Lot was being literally dragged from Sodom and he asked the angels: Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
This was just before his wife looked back to see what other sin they could hold onto. This was before his 'virgin daughters' got him drunk so that they could have sex and bring in two people that are considered to be vile and Ruth is the only known saved descendent of Lot. When we say that sin is OK only up to a point we are giving a private interpretation
and we are being moved
by out flesh, and not by the Holy Ghost
.
Our Bible is a perfect word of God
which is a perfect
picture (John 1:1, 14) of a perfect God
who does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). When we use God's perfect way
to understand God's perfect word of God
we get NO conflict with other parts of the Bible [For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
(1Corinthians 14:33)]. When we get these conflicts we end up with confusion
and with men blaming the perfect word of God
for the results of their using a wrong method for interpretation.