We are walking in today: How to Use Scripture To Interpret the Scripture!!
Witness err throughout the Bible: H7686 shagah-- to go astray, stray, err, deceive,, (let, make to) wander.
Proverbs 19:27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err H7686 from the words of knowledge.
The Torah ..................…
Numbers 15:22 And if ye have erred, H7686 and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,
The prophets ...............…
1 Samuel 26:21 Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have
erred H7686 exceedingly.
The writings .............
Psalms 119:21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err H7686 from thy commandments.
Psalms 119:118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err H7686 from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.
Today there are multitudes of Bible teachers, Pastors, Ministers, religious Leaders, and would-be Prophets, all clamoring to put forth a 'Bible message.' Some of these teachings are genuine and valid. But as Yahushua warned His Disciples, deception would be widespread immediately prior to His return, and multitudes of Believers will become deceived.
Because of the great importance of the Bible message, we must make sure we are receiving the correct message, and not a counterfeit; the pure message, and not one mixed with man-made ideas; the full message, not only a small part.
So how can we avoid deception, even from sincere, but misguided Bible Teachers? How can we begin to understand the Bible for ourselves, so that we may obtain the True Bible message?
The answer is not found within man-made doctrines, nor in man's 'own understanding' of how to study the Bible. The answer is found only in what the Bible actually says about how to study and interpret the Scriptures, and how to understand its content!
And so in this teaching today, we will look at what the Bible itself says about how to properly study its contents, and how to correctly understand its message. The Bible itself gives us some built-in guidelines to follow, that when used, will help us to study for ourselves, and to correctly understand, the true Bible message!
Introduction
The Bible itself actually tells us, in great detail, how we are to properly interpret and understand the Scriptures. The Bible reveals how Scripture itself can interpret the Scriptures for us!
According to the very words of the Bible, it is the Scriptures themselves that define the Bible's own content, and they also tell us exactly how the Scriptures are to be understood. The Scripture Guidelines presented in this writing are certain Scripture passages that tell us exactly how the written Scriptures alone are able to correctly interpret Scripture, through the leading and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
In this study we will observe the direct, primary principles found in Scripture, as well as some modern-day examples that illustrate common violations of these Biblical principles. We will then look at some important considerations as illustrated by Scripture examples.
In the first section of this study, we will see in detail the Biblical method of Bible study that the Bereans used. We recall that the Bereans (Acts 17:11) were considered to be more noble, because with readiness of mind, they searched the Scriptures daily, to see if what the apostle Paul said was true. And because of their use of the Biblical principles of study, the Bereans became an example for us to follow.
When we follow the Biblical study principles, coupled with a softness of heart and readiness of mind, we too will see the same results.
We will finish this study by echoing a few New Testament caveats or warnings, that we as Believers would be well to follow, in view of the great degree of deception today.
A Few Common-Sense Basics
Before we look at the Biblical principles, we must first mention a few common-sense, basic rules of reading comprehension that must be applied.
First and foremost, reading the Bible is not like reading a novel! The Scriptures are not to be read speedily, but slowly, in order to study each word and its meaning!
The true 'seekers' are those who will read the Scriptures slowly and deliberately, to draw out the nourishment.
The hurried and impatient Readers, in contrast, are those who read the Scriptures rapidly, skimming over the surface. Those in a hurry will not find the nourishment they need to overcome, and will likely end up being deceived!
The complete sentence must be understood, not only in relation to its immediate context, but in its global context of all of Scripture. Only within its proper context, can a Scripture passage be applied correctly. The subject of Bible context is so significant, and is of such great importance to proper application, that it will appear in a separate writing.
Along with context, the proper understanding of a Scripture passage is then found when it is in full agreement with all the Biblical Guidelines given within the Scriptures themselves.
And finally, we must keep in mind our goal of reading and studying the Scriptures for ourselves: to become cleansed by the washing of the water of the Word, by becoming "DO-ers" of what we read. Only in this way can our lives become adjusted and conformed to Messiah's image; and only in this way are we able to truly love one another (Eph 5:26; James 1:22; Romans 8:29; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 1:22).
Here are two of these passages showing the goal of studying the Scriptures for ourselves:
"...that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word..." (Ephesians 5:26)
Seeing ye have purified ['cleansed'] your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure ['cleansed'] heart fervently: (1 Peter 1:22)
Notice in the above passage that we do not become purified [cleansed] by knowing the Truth, but by obeying the Truth — by becoming "DO-ers" of Truth.
We become "DO-ers" of Truth, when we obey the sayings, the Words of Scripture spoken by Him who is the Truth!
But in order to obey the truth, we must study the Scriptures diligently, to find how we are to apply the Truth to us personally.
Only in this way can we live our lives as He calls us to do, in a manner that is pleasing to our heavenly Father (John 8:29; Col 1:9-10; 2 Tim 2:4; 1 John 3:22).
Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? (Ezekiel 33:10)
Fiveamprayer, the Scriptures ask us, "How should we then live?"
We are called to understand the Scriptures, so that we may then understand how we should then live!
But in order to understand the Scriptures, we must study the Scriptures for ourselves!
And so we begin our study with a look at the great importance of studying and interpreting the Scriptures for ourselves.
Studying the Scriptures for Ourselves
Why should we study the Scriptures for ourselves?
Most Believers today have heard Evangelists, Ministers, Pastors, Teachers, and Spiritual Leaders, faithfully teaching the Scriptures. Many would ask, "Are these teachings not sufficient?" Some would even say, "We have heard enough to be Born-Again, and we are now saved. What more is needed?"
Fiveamprayer, there are some Scriptural reasons for studying the Scriptures, that we have not understood!
We are called to walk as Messiah walked, and to live our lives as He did (1John 2:6). But to do this, we must remove the stumbling-blocks.
Removal of Stumbling-Blocks
As Believers, and as Followers of Yahushua, we are called to live our lives according to the Scriptures.
But before one may live a life according to the Scriptures, a great number of obstacles ['stumbling-blocks'] must first be removed. Stumbling-blocks are those things that prevent us from walking 'upright' in The Way, while yoked with Messiah. These stumbling-blocks are 'Religious Doctrines' which Scripture calls 'Traditions' and 'Commandments of Men.'
The terms 'traditions of Men,' 'Commandments of Men,' and 'Doctrines of Men' are the Bible's terminology for the collection of man-made teachings and traditions that men have heard and accumulated over the years.
These teachings and traditions are man-made Bible doctrines that have twisted the true meaning of Scripture, changing a Bible passage to say something it does not really say. This twisting creates a false paradigm — a false perspective or way of understanding of the true meaning of a Scripture passage, and results in blinding a person to the true meaning of the passage.
This twisting occurs when men see the Scriptures through the lenses of their own Doctrinal Statements [mostly based on decrees of Rome], or through a faulty interpretation based on their own understanding. That is, they read their own meaning into a Bible passage [called 'eisegesis'], rather than reading from the Bible passage what it actually says [called 'exegesis'].
Most Bible Schools and Seminaries practice their own forms of eisegesis, in order to conform to the particular Doctrinal positions of their founders and sponsors. And because many Pastors, Ministers, and spiritual Leaders are produced from these schools, these twisted meanings based on non-Biblical paradigms become propagated and transmitted from one generation to the next. They become widely taught in many congregations, and today these man-made teachings and traditions are widely practiced by most Believers.
These many non-Biblical paradigms then become mixed with Biblical truths, and the result is pictured in Scripture to a confluence of two rivers or streams — one of pure water, and one of polluted water. This merging of two streams produces a mixture, and the result of this mixture is confusion. As we shall see, the Bible has a name for this system of confusing doctrinal mixture: "Mystery Babylon."
Today Believers are being called out of the confusion of Mystery Babylon, and are being called to return to the pure waters of Scripture alone.
And so our goal is to properly exegete, or draw out from the Scripture passage, what it actually says, even if it goes against all we currently understand! Our goal, however, is not to properly understand the Bible merely for the sake of understanding or 'head' knowledge — but for the sake of becoming a "DO-er" of what it says!
When THE MOST HIGH's Covenant people do not correctly understand the Scriptures, they are not able to walk as He walked, in accordance with the Scriptures. And so the vital importance of correct Scripture understanding can now be seen.
And so we must ask again, "Why is it important for all Believers to study the Scriptures carefully for themselves?"
The tragic truth is, that most Believers today continue to believe and embrace teachings from their Pastors, Ministers, or Spiritual Leaders, without question. Many Believers today are not as the Bereans — they do not search the Scriptures for themselves, to see whether these teachings are true, or not!
The Bible however, calls all Believers not to believe everything they hear, but to diligently study the Scriptures on their own:
The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. (Proverbs 14:15)
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:18)
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness [actions] of saints. (Revelation 19:7-8)
The reasons we are called to study the Scriptures for ourselves can be seen the above passages. Notice the warning, telling us we are to study, in order to avoid the shame of nakedness, of being found without our 'clothing' of righteousness. Messiah living within us is our Righteousness, but the clothing speaks of something that is outwardly seen.
We are then told that we must learn to handle the Word as a 'sword,' able to rightly divide the Words of Scripture, as a sword cutting accurately and steadily.
We are also called to make ourselves ready, as a bride preparing for a wedding, so that we may be clothed in the fine linen of Righteousness. We are then told (Rev 19:8), that this Righteousness consists of our actions of obedience to the Scriptures. This last step requires that we have an understanding of what actions we are to do — and what actions we are not to do — and this requires much study of the Scriptures!
We must first understand how Messiah living within us is our Righteousness. We must then understand how Messiah in us produces the fruit [outward works] of Righteousness in us.
The key to understanding how Messiah produces our Righteousness, can be seen as we study the Hebrew word for Righteousness in the Bible. This can be seen in Isaiah 45:8, and is explained in Matthew 13:3-9, Mark 4:3-9, Luke 8:5-8, Hebrews 5:13 and Philippians 1:11. We cannot now speak particularly of this, except to say that we have written in other writings on the matter of Messiah as our Righteousness.
Many Believers today are not preparing themselves with this fine linen of Righteousness, as a bride preparing for the wedding to the Bridegroom. They are not being taught what the Scriptures tell us about Biblical Righteousness, but are being given the milk of the Word, mixed with many man-made doctrines and other foolishness.
And so our first Scripture reason for studying for ourselves can be seen in this Scripture passage:
The simple ['foolish, gullible, deceived'] believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. (Proverbs 14:15)
The word for 'simple' in the above passage comes from a root word meaning foolish and deceived. If we do not study the Scriptures for ourselves, we will surely be deceived. The deceived Believers will be found among the Foolish Virgins. They will not enter in with the Bridegroom.
Another important reason for studying the Scriptures for ourselves can be seen, as we realize that it was THE WORD of THE MOST HIGH, the person of Messiah Yahushua Himself, who spoke the words to Abraham, Moses, and all the Prophets! (See Genesis 15:1; Num 3:16; Num 15:31; Jer 18:5; Zep 1:1; Zec 1:1; John 1:1, 14).
Many Bible teachers today deny this truth of Messiah's identity, by their teachings and by their actions (Titus 1:16). As a result, many Believers today are walking in partial disobedience and partial deception, and do not yet 'know' Messiah.
But in order to understand how deception takes hold, we must take careful note of this one fact. THE MOST HIGH has purposely spoken His Words in such a way that His enemies, as well as those not in covenant with Him, will not see nor understand the true meaning of His Words. Instead, they will take them incorrectly! (Isaiah 6:9-10; Isaiah 29:10; Mark 4:11-12).
Thus it is only after Messiah opens our eyes to see — to know Him, and to understand His Word — that we receive the correct meaning of the words! (Luke 24:16,31; Eph 1:17-18).
In contrast, when Pastors or Spiritual Leaders have received the meaning of the words from a Bible School or seminary, rather than from the Holy Spirit, they open themselves to receiving error passed down from man-made doctrines. It is the Holy Spirit alone, who will guide us into Truth (John 16:13; 1 John 2:27)].
Those who hear and follow these seminary-trained Leaders must therefore study for themselves (2 Tim 2:15), lest they too receive the same errors!
Let us now look at a Biblical example of how this studying is to be done.
When Paul and Silas went to Berea, they spoke and taught the Gospel [the Good News] of Messiah Yahushua and His kingdom. But notice what these Bereans did:
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Hebrews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:10-11)
First we note that the Bereans were open to hearing the word of the Gospel, but they did not automatically believe everything they heard. Instead, they "searched the scriptures daily," to see whether or not the words of Paul and Silas were true!
Fiveamprayer, we are to do likewise! We should not simply believe everything we hear from the pulpit — but we are to be 'more noble,' just as the Bereans, and study the Scriptures, to see whether those things are true!
Perhaps the Bereans were told, "Wow! The apostle Paul will be speaking and teaching in our congregation today!"
Fiveamprayer, it does not matter who speaks or teaches! We are called to Beware!
It is significant that the words 'take heed' or 'beware' or 'warn' appear more than 40 times in the New Testament writings. Most of these passages warn us of the many kinds of error that could lead us astray. A few of these passages can be seen in 1 Co 10:12; Col 2:8; 1 Tim 4:16; 2 Tim 4:15; Heb 3:12; 2 Pet 3:17.
Fiveamprayer, if it were not possible for Believers in Messiah to be led astray, there would be no need for the many New Testament warnings!
Let the Believers Beware!
In the same way that we are to study the Scriptures for ourselves, we are likewise expected to interpret the Scriptures for ourselves!
Interpreting the Scriptures for Ourselves
One might ask, "Why is it important to correctly interpret the Scriptures for ourselves?"
The answer to this lies in the fact that our understanding of Scripture is dependent upon our interpretation of Scripture!
When we misunderstand the Scriptures, it becomes easy to embrace man-made substitutes instead. When we practice the man-made 'Religious Traditions' and 'Commandments and precepts of Men,' rather than what the Scriptures actually say, we create stumbling-blocks for ourselves.
When put into practice, these Religious Traditions actually cause us to deny Messiah; that is, they turn us away from practicing the Truth — for they cause us to deny the obedience of Messiah Himself, who lives within us! (See Titus 1:14, 16).
Let us recall from Scripture, that if we have been Born-Again, Messiah Yahushua now lives within our fleshly body, in our spirit. And He desires to walk in the same obedience today, living within our fleshly body, that He did when He lived in His own fleshly body, two thousand years ago!
Our walk [Messiah's walk while living in us] is to be a walk of Righteousness, a walk of obedience to all of Scripture. But there are many stumbling-blocks that prevent us from walking of obedience to all of Scripture!
In Scripture, these stumbling-blocks are shown to originate from the Religious Traditions and Doctrines of Men. These stumbling-blocks come as a result of holding on to a false understanding of Scripture, which comes from Bible teachers having a non-Biblical interpretation of Scripture.
Both Paul and Jude warn us of these stumbling-blocks, and of the teachers who have crept in to our assemblies unawares, bringing false doctrines based on a false understanding of Scripture (Romans 16:17; Jude 1:3-4)
These false understandings of Scripture may come from many sources. Today false teachers, false prophets, and deception abound. Likewise there are many sincere Bible teachers, who unknowingly pass along truth mixed with error. But whatever the source, these false teachings come from mixing the Truth of Scripture with the Religious Doctrines of Men.
The end result is that many Believers today unknowingly hold to error, and continue to practice a vast collection of man-made, religious traditions that have been built up over the centuries, and passed down as truth.
Those Believers who do not study the Scriptures for themselves have simply entrusted their eternal destiny, and their eternal, Great Reward of inheritance, into the hands of their Religious Leaders. Many of these Religious Leaders, however, are spiritually blind, and they are leading multitudes astray.
And so we can now see the great importance of studying the Scriptures for ourselves, and of correctly interpreting the Scriptures for ourselves.
If the Reader will adhere strictly to the Bible-based Study principles, he will be more likely to correctly interpret the Scriptures, and to become a "DO-er" of Scripture, thus avoiding deception. He will then be able to identify and remove the many stumbling-blocks that prevent us from walking in THE WAY!
Today THE MOST HIGH is restoring the Bible-based Study principles to His people. He is calling all His people to return to the Bible-based Study principles, so that they may correctly interpret the Scriptures. Only then will His people be able to let go of the many stumbling-blocks they have embraced in their ignorance, the religious baggage they have carried for centuries.
If we are to closely follow Messiah, we must correctly interpret and understand the Scriptures!
But how do we find the correct interpretation, so that we might avoid deception?
Interpretation: What Does it Mean? - Avoiding Deception
Perhaps the most important item to examine is the issue of interpretation. For any given Scripture passage, the question arises: "What does it mean?"
We might ask further, "What is the correct interpretation?" and most importantly, "What does this Scripture passage mean for me — how does this apply for me today?"
This last question is the very center of the battlefield of deception today. This question is where many are being led astray by Religious Tradition and Doctrines of Men, which all give false answers to this question.
Fortunately, the Scriptures themselves give us the correct answer to this question. Finding the correct answer, however, requires that each one dig deeply into the Scriptures for himself, to search out the Truth — as if searching for gold, jewels, and hidden treasure!
To find the correct Bible Interpretation, there is only one General Rule to be followed:
The Scriptures alone must interpret the Scriptures!
Within the confines of this one General Rule, there are many additional and important considerations. Although secondary to the Biblical Guidelines of what the Scriptures actually say, there are topics such as context, word definition, historical background, and many others that must be considered. These common-sense "Rules of Biblical Interpretation" guidelines have been published in many forms over time, and are valuable aids to reading comprehension.
In this writing, however, we will codify and present only the Biblical guidelines of Biblical Interpretation. Hidden in plain sight in the Scriptures, these Biblical guidelines are of greatest importance, yet virtually unknown in the Religious world.
Today the Biblical Guidelines — what the Scriptures themselves actually give as Guidelines for correct Scripture interpretation — are now being restored!
The Scriptures themselves tell us what these Guidelines are. They tell us what the Scriptures consist of, how they are to be divided, and how they are to be seen as a unified message. And of greatest importance, these Guidelines tell us how we are to 'apply' the Scriptures to our lives today!
We begin with an overview of what the Bible says about the Scriptures themselves.
The Bible: Its Content
The Bible appears to many as merely a collection of historical writings, or perhaps a book of guidelines to live by. But the Bible is much more than that. The Bible is a supernatural writing, like no other book in existence.
Its pages are the complete, written instructions from the Creator of the universe, addressed to mankind! And within its pages can be seen the many different forms of the Author's personal signature, all confirming and verifying the authenticity of its contents!
The Bible itself tells us (2 Peter 1:21) that Holy men of ancient times wrote these words of Scripture, as the Holy Spirit moved upon them, telling them what to write. All the words within it pages gave testimony to the Truth, through the absolute agreement of the various writers, even though unknown to each other, and written over a long time span.
From the internal testimony of the Bible, we see that the Bible tells us that it is the Word of the Creator, and all of its Words are Truth (Deuteronomy 32:4; 2Samuel 7:28; 1 Kings 17:24; Nehemiah 9:13; Psalms 19:9, 119:142, 119:151, 119:160; John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 21:5).
An overview of the Bible's Message, and the Bible's Mission and Purpose, are discussed in another writing. As an overview, we might say the Bible speaks a broader message to the many, and a more narrow message to the few, also called His Disciples.
Within the broader message of the Bible can be seen the life-and-death message of coming judgment against all the inhabitants of the world, and also a message of Redemption and forgiveness for all who choose to receive this forgiveness.
The Scriptures pronounce judgment on all people for having rebelled against the Creator, and having transgressed His eternal Laws. There is also a parallel message of the Creator's gift of eternal love and redemption, for all those who choose to return to Him.
This two-fold message confronts all people, and the decision each one makes becomes the most important issue each one must face, within his own lifetime.
Throughout the Bible, a more narrow purpose for the Scriptures can also be seen. THE MOST HIGH has chosen to hide much of the Bible's Content, so that only those who diligently search for Messiah, as one would search for gold, jewels, and hidden treasure, would find Messiah. Those who choose to follow Him would then learn His Ways, by walking with Him, and abiding [remaining] in Him. They would then delight in Him, and would come to know Him!
There are many other purposes for the Scriptures. The central focus of this writing, however, is based on the one purpose of seeking Messiah with all our hearts, so that we can identify and remove the stumbling-blocks from our lives. Only then can we walk in the Light of His Word, abide in Him, and learn His Ways.
And so as we dig deeply to study the Scriptures for the purpose of seeking Messiah, we soon realize that the Scriptures are pure and without fault [in the original manuscripts in which they were written], notwithstanding the variations found within many different manuscripts and translations. The Holy Bible does not merely 'contain' the written Words of the Creator — the Holy Bible is the sum of His written Words!
There are some who study the Bible, however, and never arrive at a correct understanding of the Bible message. Unless the student approaches the study of Scriptures with humility and with a teachable heart, the eyes of his understanding will not be opened, and he will receive no understanding.
We might say that the fundamental reason for incorrect understanding of the Bible is that a correct understanding of Scripture is fully dependent on THE MOST HIGH — for it is He alone who opens our spiritual eyes to understand. We will discuss the 'opening of eyes' throughout this writing.
Let us look next at what the Scriptures themselves tell us about how the Bible is to be divided.
The Bible: Its Divisions
Over the centuries, men have divided the Holy Bible into two basic sections, and have called these the 'old' testament and the 'new' testament. These are not Biblical divisions, but are erroneously based on men's observations. We will refer to these as 'old' testament writings and 'new' testament writings in order to communicate, and to clarify some of the Biblical meanings.
The Bible is not actually divided, in the usual sense of the word. Instead, there is a single, unified message seen throughout the old and new testament writings. The Scriptures do however, use several terms, such as Torah and Testimony, and Old and New, to distinguish between certain covenant aspects of THE MOST HIGH's word.
For example, the Scriptures use the terms old and new not to refer to sections of the Bible, but to various aspects of Father's Covenant provisions for His people. When we associate the terms old and new with sections of the Bible, we begin to walk in error, for these are man-made divisions, of which the Scriptures do not speak. As long as we think of old and new as merely sections of the Bible, we create confusion — and we cut ourselves off from much of our Heavenly Father's provision for His children!
Let us see what the Bible itself says about Old and New.
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