2 Peter Chapter 1
Today we are walking in: Tools For Interpreting Scripture Part 4
Today we look to the word-UNDERSTAND- H8085 shama`--to hear with attention or interest, listen to understand (language)
The Torah testifies...............
Genesis 11:7
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand H8085 one another's speech.
The prophets proclaim..................
Nehemiah 8:2
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear H8085 with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
The writings bear witness...........................
1 Kings 3:9
Give therefore thy servant an understanding H8085 heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
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; 2 Samuel 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).
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 realise 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 teaching.
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.
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; 2 Samuel 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).
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 realise 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 teaching.
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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