Hermeneutics Lessons

Understanding the word of God

Class Synopsis:

Ephesians 4:5 says One Lord, one faith, one baptism.  Yet when we look we see many 'faiths' which claim to be 'the true faith which comes from the Bible'.  1Thessalonians 5:21 says Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.  According to the Bible, that which is good  is what comes from God.  When we hold fast,  we still have it after the worst storm.  If we lose it we may have held  it but we did not hold fast.  When we look at the spiritual condition that America had when we became adults, and compare that to the conditions we find today, we will have a hard time explaining to God how we obeyed His command to hold fast.

The basic reason that God's people failed to hold fast  is because they used the wrong methods to prove all things,  including having the one faith  which is to be in obedience to One Lord.  Many people believe that they have the one faith,  and many honestly believed that they did the best that they could to live right, but the evidence says that our generation, and several prior generations, failed.  The most basic evidence is the existence of many 'faiths' which claim to be 'the true faith which comes from the Bible', since it is impossible for all of these differing 'faiths' to be God's one faith.

Let me illustrate what happened.  My brother bought a house that was built in the 1800s.  All of the interior walls had large cracks in them.  He hired a team to tear out all of the lathe and plaster and put in new wallboards.  A couple of years later the cracks were back.  He chewed out his team, made them repair their work, and a couple of years later the cracks were back again.  Having about 40 years personal experience in construction, he then did the job himself, and a couple of years later the cracks were back again.

At this point he started looking elsewhere and found serious problems with his foundation and main support truss.  He had to (slowly) lift the house back into the proper position, fix the foundation and main support truss, wait for the house to settle in the correct position, and only then could he fix the cracks and have them stay fixed.

All while this was going on his wife complained and demanded that he fix the cracks and stop causing more damage.  If he had done what she demanded their house would have fallen in on them.  When I try to show 'good godly Bible Believing fundamental Baptist preachers' God's plan for fixing the foundation of our faith,  I keep getting demands to 'stop trying to fix the foundation and just repair the cracks'.  It is very simple.  The techniques that people want to learn are in the later lessons.  God's way  is to start with our relationship with God.  He gives us the spiritual point of view.  He then changes our attitude.  It is only after we are in line with God that He can work in us and through us to give us the right answer.  Men want to skip the steps which connect us to God and jump directly to what we can do in the flesh and then wonder why they fail.

The primary requirement is to get God involved.  Without God we are acting in our flesh and will fail.  The primary failure of methods for interpretation the Bible is that they told people how to get God involved and then concentrated on techniques that we do in the flesh.  In the process of teaching fleshly religious methods, our heritage has also skipped the primary fleshly step.  Thus, most people currently base their doctrine on the sand of religion and what some famous preacher, or some Bible school, taught them was doctrine.  This method is different.  The primary things taught are how to get God involved before we do anything in the flesh.

For at least 100 years Baptists have 'kept the pulpit hot about sin', and the evidence is that they are 'fixing the cracks'.  The same problems (cracks) keep returning and the situation is getting worse.  They are not looking at the foundation of our one faith.  They believe what they have been taught, which is that our foundation is the word of God.  However, the Bible tells us that our foundation is not just the word of God, but includes the Way of God for using the word of God.

When the devil tempted Jesus he quoted the Bible.  The problem wasn't what he quoted but what he left out.  We are losing our one faith  because our foundation does not include the Way of God for using the word of God.  Further, the Bible tells us that God gives us a perfect way.  Unfortunately, many people reject this God given Bible truth because the 'way' that they use is not perfect  and their own pride keeps them from admitting personal error.

This course will cover the way  of God for using the word of God  and it will teach that way  at several levels.  Most people will not use the most technical methods presented.  However, it is important that they get at least a basic understanding of how thorough and accurate those methods are so that they can have confidence in the simpler methods which will also be offered.

At one time in my life I had to take 28 prescriptions per day.  All of the doctors assured me that I would have to take this many and more for the rest of my life.  I was completely disabled and being told that it was permanent.

I now take 5prescriptions per day and hope to reduce that.  I have not been disabled for several years.  The way that I improved my physical health was using the same methods that this course teaches.  Those methods can improve your personal spiritual health and the spiritual health of all whom you influence.

However, even my personal experiences do not make a true Biblical witness that the way presented in this class works.  The true witness is that this way has been used to interpret over 5,000 verses that are cross referenced to over 55,000 verses and there are NO 'problem verses'.  Further, these results are on the web where anyone in the world can show where the results go against the literal interpretation of the 1611 KJV Bible, and no one has provided any evidence of error. Many people who claim to not be 'Bible Correctors' still blame their perfect word of God  by claiming that there are 'problem verses'.  We have a perfect word of God  that is a perfect  picture of a perfect  God Who is not the author of confusion.  However, when men get a conflict between their interpretations of two different passages in the Bible, they blame the perfect word of God  instead of admitting that they made a mistake or that their method of interpretation caused the conflict.

The method interpreting your Bible, which comes directly from the Bible, can be learned.  However, there are two problems.  First is that our preachers have been taught an incomplete method of interpretation but were told that it was complete even though it created so-called 'problem verses'.  As a result, like we see all through the Bible, people hold onto what they were taught even when they are shown the error.  Think of the disciples who left Jesus when He asked the apostles Will ye also go away?  (John 6:67).

The second problem is that while Hebrews 11:6 says But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,  most people are not willing to fulfill God's definition of diligent.  Thus they do not do what God requires in order for God to reward  them.  In spite of this, many want to claim to be a greater authority than someone who did fulfill God's definition of diligent.  This is plain and simple pride and anyone with any spiritual maturity knows how God reacts to pride.

You are invited to learn this method for yourself and personally test this way of interpreting God's Word in order to see if it causes any conflicts.  However, be warned that it will require you to fulfill God's definition of diligent  in order to receive God's perfect  interpretation.  While many people will not be able to do that, they can still benefit from learning the truths presented in this class because that will enable them to tell when someone is using a wrong method to get their doctrine.

I am not a medical expert and never have been.  Nevertheless, I could tell the liars from people telling the truth by looking at how they generated the 'proof' that was supposed to back their claims.  This class will allow many people to do the same for conflicting doctrinal claims.  I already told just a little of the benefits to my physical health by using this method for medical information.  However, is not your personal soul, and the souls of your followers, much more precious than physical health?

There are certain things that we only truly understand after we do them.  Hebrews 5:8-9 says Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.  Please notice that the Son of God had to personally experience things in order to learned he obedience.  In addition, we have the word and  within this sentence which means that His being made perfect  and His becoming the author of eternal salvation  was added after He learned obedience.  That is why we must 'trust and obey' what makes no sense to us until after we have the experience which is required in order for us to understand.  The homework assignments are designed to give the student the experience required to understand that this method works, even if they do not get enough experience to fully understand how or why it works.  That level of understanding only comes after using this method for years and seeing God consistently bless it.  Please use the following Lesson Homework as you go through these lessons.

Lessons:

• Dig down to the Rock:  Eliminate the source of error just like Isaiah 28:1-8 symbolizes.  Isaiah 28:7 says they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.  Since they are out of the (God's only) way,  and they err  and teach error in vision  and judgment,  God will not use them.  Since God does not change, God will not give us reliable doctrine by using anyone who teaches error.  Therefore, God tells us to get rid of the influence from any source of error and this is our first step in interpretation.  (We see this literally said in Proverbs 19:27 which says Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge..)
• Lesson 01:  Primary Way to avoid false doctrine:  1John 4:1.  Please see the Study called False in addition to what is in this lesson.
• Lesson 02:  Three ways to use God's Word:  The Gospels tell us of the example that Jesus gave.  Please see the incomplete Book Study on Psalms 119.  The incomplete parts, towards the end of the Psalm, show the first steps in how to do the type of study that is taught in this class.  The start of the Study show completed sections.  Thus, you have an example of the steps that you will go through as you do the homework that is part of this class.
• If we don't eliminate the source of error then we will be led into error and will lead others into error and will be judged by God for doing that.  We have very definite things to look for in order to avoid this error:
• Do not accept doctrine from anyone who is justifying sin of any type by anyone.  God turned His back on His only Begotten Son while He was on the cross with our sin on Him.  God will not accept anyone keeping sin in their life.
• Do not accept doctrine from anyone who is telling people that religious rules and ceremonies can replace their personal relationship with God.  Also reject 'Old Time Religion' that is heavy on 'accepted beliefs from famous teachers and preachers' and light on Bible verses.  What is proper is heavy Bible doctrine with 'accepted attitudes and actions from famous teachers and preachers'.  Galatians, Ephesians and Colossians were written specifically to correct this error.
• Always look at the Spirit  behind a doctrine and not at the man or his ministry.  We saw three ways to use God's Word and get blessings.  We saw people who were being blessed in one area even while they made major errors in another area.  Someone can build a large ministry that is blessed by God and still teach doctrinal error.  Peter is our example of that.  Likewise, someone can have miracles in their personal life and still teach doctrinal error.  The Pentecostals are evidence of this truth.
• We saw in the Gospel of John that Jesus used God and scripture as His witness  that He taught true doctrine.  Verify your doctrine with the Spirit of God and the word of God.


• Verify that you are at the correct Rock  Use God's Way to understand (interpret) God's Word like Isaiah 28:9-11 says.  God's way.  always matches the character of God.  If someone preaches an attitude or action which goes against the character of God you can know that it is wrong  God's way.  always gives us godly attitudes before godly actions.
• Lesson 03:  Use godly Attitudes to understand (interpret) God's Word.  Please also see the Study called Prove in addition to what is in this lesson.
• Lesson 04:  Use godly Actions to understand (interpret) God's Word.  Please see the Study called Basic Rules in addition to what is in this lesson.
• In these two lessons we saw very specific things to do and a specific way to do them.  Just like you have to solve a Math problem in a very precise and specific way, so also do you have to get God's understanding.  of His Word in a very precise and specific way.
• Always deal with Attitudes before dealing with Actions.
• Follow God's perfect way  exactly if you want God's perfect understanding.


• Accept God's correction and realize the consequence of rejecting His correction  Now we do what God tells us to do.  Isaiah 28:10 tells us that He teaches knowledge...makes to understand... here a little, and there a little:.  God gives us a little  and expects us to obey, and learn through experience, before He gives us more.  Now notice the exact wording of Isaiah 28:12.  Some people received God's rest  and some didn't.  The people who refused to hear  (and obey) part of what God said did not receive the blessings.  Hebrews 3 explains that this difference is the same as the difference between the wise man  and the foolish man  in the parable found in Matthew 7.  God gives His rest  only to those saved people who Get their instructions from God and obey those instructions exactly as God gives them with no changes that religion teaches are OK.  If we do things any other way,  then we get the judgment of God instead of God's rest.
• God always provides blessings and cursing with His instructions.  People are blessed for obedience and cursed for disobedience.  All throughout the Bible we see God's people cursed for following religious leaders who claim that we can get away with doing something similar, but not exactly, as God says.  Always do exactly as God's Word says to do  Think of Galatians 2 where Peter was publicly embarrassed before the entire church because he did not do what the Bible told him to do.
• God's Truth is exact and precise.  Religion tells us to follow the way of Satan when he temped Jesus.  The problem was not with the scripture that he quoted but with what he left out.  Judgment comes upon God's people who believe they can be less precise than God tells them to be and still get the blessings of God.  Always seek to be as precise as you can be.
• 'Deep abiding respect' is taught as being the same as the fear of the Lord.  but it is not the same and this difference is a root cause for God bringing judgment upon His people.  The true fear of the Lord  causes God's people to stop their sinning.  'Deep abiding respect' allows them to continue in their sin.  Always teach the exact attitudes that God tells His people to have and tell God's people to make God's attitudes personal in their lives.
• A lot of doctrinal error is because people try to understand the spiritual  in a physical way.  Also, lot of doctrinal error is because people try to understand the physical in a spiritual  way.  Since God is a Spirit,  we must always understand the Bible from a spiritual  point of view first.  However, we must not stop there but we must continue to an application in the physical reality.


• Lesson 05:  Judgment is coming to God's people when they do not obey, even if that disobedience is because they lack knowledge.  Please see the Study called Fear the Lord in addition to what is in this lesson.
• Lesson 06:  God is Lord.  'He said what He meant and meant what He said' .  Context is critical.  Please see the Study called God is a Spirit and pay special attention to what is said about truth, which is a demanded part of our worship.


• Test and verify that you are following God and not religion  God has told us His way (to) teach knowledge...and...make to understand doctrine,  and told us the consequences of obedience and disobedience, .  Now He tells us the order to use when we apply His way  in our life.  We start by applying the precepts  of God's Word.  God's people are led into doctrinal error and receive judgment when they acknowledge precepts  but fail to apply them to their personal life.  Please notice that Isaiah 28:13 tells us the consequences to God's people who failed to apply God's precepts  in their life.
• Lesson 07:  Confess and forsake error and trust God's Way especially when it disagrees with the flesh and man's religion.  Please also see the Study called The Knowledge of God in addition to what is in this lesson.
• Lesson 08:  The 'Law of Sowing and Reaping' is always true.  We do not reap unless we sow.  We reap what we sow.  We reap more than what we sow.  God is not a Communist and does not promise everyone a mansion  in Heaven just because they received God's salvation.  The Bible says that God uses the economic principals of Capitalism.  Please also see the Study called Bible Economy 101 in addition to what is in this lesson.
• God does not change.  All throughout the Bible God promises reward for obedience and punishment for disobedience and God does not listen to excuses for disobedience.  We are to teach that this is true even after we get to Heaven.
• Be sure that any interpretation of the Bible supports rewards given in proportion to our efforts to advance the kingdom of God.  Always fight against any doctrine that supports rewards being given because of position or anything that promises blessings from God to people who refuse to work for God's kingdom.
• Be sure to promote doctrine which promises punishment for disobedience including 1,000 yearss of tears after the judgment seat of Christ   (Romans 14:10; 2Corinthians 5:10-11) .  Reject and suppress all doctrine which denies this truth.


• Pass God's test to be taught directly from God  Please notice that Isaiah 28:14 says Wherefore hear the word of the LORD.  This is opposed to the word of religious leaders that God calls ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.  We need to continually recheck what we believe against God's written Word in order to catch ourselves when we start to drift from God's truth.  Since we are human, error will come in and we need to keep correcting those errors before they become big.  When we apply line upon line  it must be the word of the LORD  and not the interpretation of men.
• Lesson 09:  We have more than a 'God breathed' word of God in English.  We have a God translated and God preserved word of God in English.  Please also see the Study called HyperSpiritual.  It mentions ways that people think they are spiritual while rejecting what God's Word literally says.
• Lesson 10:  Requirements for God to call you a spiritual adult.  God uses the church to teach basic doctrine but He expects us to spiritually mature enough for Him to start teaching us personally.  Please see the sub-study called sins that Paul dealt with in 1Corinthians (see Test of Spiritual Maturity), in addition to what is in this lesson.
• Trust the perfect Bible that is in the language that God used to save you for the foundation of all of your doctrine.
• Be very leery of any doctrine which causes you to go beyond what the Bible literally says.  Applying a 'higher standard' is OK for you and those following you so long as it isn't used as an excuse to neglect something that the Bible tells us to literally do and so long as you don't try to make other believers live according to your 'higher standard'.
• Use God's standard of spiritual maturity, such as found in the Test of Spiritual Maturity, and not some measurement created by religion.
• Strive to bring every member of your church to the level that God recognizes as a spiritual adult.


• Build your house (ministry) after the foundation is complete  Now that we know God's way  and have accepted godly attitudes, we must be diligent  when we apply godly actions to receive God's knowledge  and understanding.  Please notice that Isaiah 28:16 says Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.  Here are the detailed actions, to build our ministry (the building that is put upon the foundation), that we do after we get our foundation of God's Rock  and not the sand of religious procedure.  This is where most Hermeneutics classes start.  People end up with error using what those classes teach because the people don't know God's way  to get God's foundation.
• Lesson 11:  The proper Way to do Word Studies.  Also the difference between 'interpretation' and 'application'.  Please see the Word Study on Adultery for an example of a proper Bible Word Study.
• Lesson 12:  Rightly dividing the Word of truth.  If we must be rightly dividing the Word of truth  it should be obvious that people will be wrongly dividing the Word of truth.  They will be made ashamed  by God and it might not happen until the judgment seat of Christ   (Romans 14:10; 2Corinthians 5:10-11) when it is too late for them to correct their error.  This is where we apply God's method of line upon line,  which requires us to use the punctuation which controls how those lines  are put together.  While verses are good for the application of the word of God, they lead to doctrinal error when trying to interpret the word of God.  Please see the Study called Rightly Dividing in addition to what is in this lesson.


• Fill your house (ministry) with all of the good things that come from God.  Isaiah 28:26 says For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.  After you build your ministry you need to keep it growing.  Many ministries hit a stall after a certain amount of growth.  If you build a house people will be interested as they sew new things but when they stop seeing new things they get bored and go elsewhere.  God always has new things for us but we need to keep connected to Him and keep our people connected to Him.  This requires going beyond the basics.  If you don't go further, then your ministry will stall.
• Lesson 13:  'Progressive Revelation' and how to get God's discretion  by going beyond the initial revelation of what is literally said.  This lesson covers most of the steps that most Hermeneutics classes teach in more detail.  These steps are required to build a ministry upon whatever foundation  you chose to use.  Please see the Study called Doctrine in addition to what is in this lesson.
• Lesson 14:  This is a review and summary of what has been taught.  Now the students can present their homework projects and show how well they applied the lessons of this class to their chosen chapter of the Bible.  Please see the Study on Proverbs 9 in addition to what is in this lesson.  It tells us how God says that wisdom  builds a ministry.

Summary:

• Start with God and His character.
• Seek the truth which brings spiritual maturity and goes against the answer preferred by the world, our flesh and the devil.
• Apply never changing truths (precepts).
• Understand by sentences.
• Use punctuation the way that the Bible uses it to control the structure of the sentence and the meaning derived from that structure.
• Accept truths which come from godly sources that are different from those who taught you.
• Only after all of the above fail to produce an answer do you go to other languages like 'the Greek'.  Remember that the main use of these other languages is to provide applications of what is said and they are rarely used for interpretation.
• Always verify that your preaching causes people to increase their faith in God along with increasing their actions which are based upon that faith
• Apply other methods only after applying all of the above.  These additional methods include such things as considering the culture and events happening at the time the passage was written.
• Be sure to use the definition of Bible words that come from a proper Bible Word Study.  If that is not available then keep in mind that your doctrine may have some error in it due to a non-Biblical word definition.
• Only use the methods taught by others for places in the Bible which can not be clearly understood using the methods presented here.  In particular, use the methods taught in Lesson 13 and, if needed, consider the teachings from other men which go into more details about using those methods.  However, be sure to not let those methods lead you to a conclusion that there is an error in the truths learned by applying what was taught earlier in this class.

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