Tuesday: The Clarity of Scripture
Any appeal to Scripture alone makes little sense if the text of the Bible is unclear in its meaning.
Read Matthew 21:42; Matthew 12:3, Matthew 12:5; Matthew 19:4; Matthew 22:31; Mark 12:10, Mark 12:26; Luke 6:3; Matthew 24:15; and Mark 13:14. What does Jesus’ repeated referral to Scripture imply regarding the clarity of its message?
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
The biblical testimony is unambiguous: the Bible is sufficiently clear in what it teaches. The Bible is so clear that it can be understood by children and by adults alike, especially in its most basic teachings. And yet there are endless opportunities for our knowledge and understanding to grow deeper. We do not need any ecclesiastical magisterium to provide the Bible’s meaning for us. Instead, its basic teachings can be understood by all believers. It assumes the priesthood of all believers rather than restricting its interpretation to a select few, like the clerical priesthood. Therefore, we are encouraged in the Bible to study Scripture for ourselves because we are able to understand God’s message to us.
It has been aptly pointed out that “the consistent example of the Bible writers shows that the Scriptures are to be taken in their plain, literal sense, unless a clear and obvious figure is intended. . . . There is no stripping away of the ‘husk’ of the literal sense in order to arrive at the ‘kernel’ of a mystical, hidden, allegorical meaning, that only the initiated can uncover”. — Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology [Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2000], p. 65. Rather, the clarity of the Bible pertains to the language, sense, and words of Scripture because there is a definite truth intended by the biblical writers rather than subjective, uncontrolled, multiple meanings of the biblical text.
None of this means that we won’t, at times, come across texts and ideas that we don’t fully understand or grasp. After all, this is the Word of God, and we are but fallen human beings. Nevertheless, God’s Word is sufficiently clear on the things that we really need to know and understand, especially in relation to the question of salvation.
| Think about a time when you didn’t understand some texts, only to have them clarified later. What did you learn from that experience that perhaps could help others struggling with something similar? |
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You do not have to be a prophet to see that within the church there are some deep-seated divisions of interpretations of scripture and it would be presumptive to say that the Bible speaks clearly on these issues of concern. There are several possible explanations.
One of the most obvious is that Satan is a good fight promotor and takes every opportunity to ensure that differences are seen and magnified until those differences become divisive and people start calling one another names. I am old enough to have seen several such differences come and go. Some of them are more memorable for the fight than the difference.
In view of that, we should perhaps step back a little and ask ourselves how important the difference of interpretation really is. I am not suggesting that all differences are of little importance. For example, the two notable sects of the Jewish faith in Jesus' time, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, came to different conclusions about the resurrection, and that seems a major difference in interpretation.
I have been the moderator of discussions here on Sabbath School Net where both sides have claimed to be Bible-based and led by the Holy Spirit and I have had to ask the question as to which Holy Spirit should I follow. So much for the clarity of the scripture. And in times like these I keep seeing what some of you must regard as my favourite text by now:
Maybe the issue is that condemnation of one another is so much easier than understanding one another. And if we get that right, then maybe Scripture will be able to speak to us with clarity.
Yes, indeed - Maurice! We are in the process of being transformed by the Light of God toward loving Him and our fellow man more effectually.
1 John 3:1-11 - v.10: In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
John 14:10-21 - Shows us that Jesus has provided, made preparations for us how to be able to love rightly.
To God be the Kingdom, Honor and Praise!
We cannot forget that Jesus, though living perfectly the love of God, was still rejected and condemned to death by “religious” leaders, who later sought to destroy those who had become converted and filled with the Holy Spirit.
What does this mean concerning unity of the scriptures? Though the scriptures have perfect unity, some will never “see” it.
Why?
Dan 12:10, Matt 5:8, John 7:17, 2 Thess 2:10-12, etc.
The wheat and tares will grow together until the harvest.
I really appreciate the clarity of text in Tuesday's lesson. Especially, "that God's word is sufficiently clear on the things that we really need to know and understand, especially in relation to the question of Salvation."
I take a 'stab' at answering Tuesday's question:
A long time ago, as a child growing up in Germany, the public schools provided Catechisms and religious education. I received the Protestant Catechism to instruct me in the basics of the Protestant faith.
In all my years of believing/knowing that there is a God, which to me was my Heavenly Father, I was never introduced to Jesus and His work until I came to America and joined a Baptist bible study. I was then twenty-eight years old.
At that time, my Heavenly Father had brought me full circle back to Him after watching over me whiles I was looking for the Truth in all the wrong places.
Jesus was introduced to me at the beginning of the bible study. I pleaded with my Heavenly Father to explain to me why Jesus should be included in our relationship. For a long while, I resented that inclusion and did not know what to do with him. As far as I was concerned, my Father and I were doing well without Him.
What a difference the Holy Spirit's influence made in my understanding about Jesus whiles I diligently studied God's word. Now, I understand that nothing about our faith-relationship with our Heavenly Father can stand without personally knowing Jesus and His relationship with our Creator - I in Jesus and, hid in Jesus, God is Father to both of us.
This understanding brought a fundamental change to my relationship with Jesus and my Heavenly Father. Now I can love Jesus and know/understand how, by first loving me, He made it possible that I can love my Heavenly Father and Him.
The setting right and maintaining my relationship with both, increasing in love, gaining wisdom - insights and understanding - being able to walk by faith with my heavenly Father through the Faith of Christ Jesus, is all I live for.
He brought me through the valley of the shadow of death. His Light shines bright; He is the morning star - Rev.22:16. There is nothing that can separate me from the Love of God:
For my Father is with me always; it is HIS rod and staff that comfort me - my cup runnes over!
John 3:16-17
Who needs to have an explanation to this text? The scripture clearly demonstrates the love of God. We don’t have to get into the theological debate. Once you fall in love with the savior, everything else you do will be aligned with Him.
It is impossible for me to send my son to die, yet God did it because He loved us more than himself.
He gave. Once you give something, you don’t have ownership. When the Father gave us the Son it was not for 33 ½hrs but He gave him for eternity. He gave the only Son. The humanity Christ assumed will be retained forever. What heaven lost by giving us His son could never be replaced. God looks at this not a loss rather He gains the whole world through His son.
His salvation is available to all. One who rules the land to the one who is considered an outcast by the world will be saved if you believe in Him.
In Adam we were all sentenced to die. His purpose in sending His son was not to convict you guilty because we were already guilty born to die but Christ saved us from the death sentence.
Can it get any clearer than this in regards to the salvation of humanity?
If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself.
However, as Paul had said, in Acts 20:30, everyone is working to draw people unto themselves.
It is all of Christ none of me.
I rejoice with you, Newbegin !!
Our Creator has reconciled the world with him through His immeasurable Grace and the act of the self-renouncing Love of our Savior Jesus Christ.
All the redeemed can now praise HIS Name and talk about the POWER of this Love that was able to redeem mankind. He saved His Creation from everlasting destruction and fulfilled His promise to give us everlasting life.
What I get from this lesson is encouragement to read the Word of the LORD, whole books at a time, (concentrating on the NT) and allowing the Holy Spirit to impress me with His message for me at this stage of my journey with the LORD. When I have immersed my self in the big picture then I can start discovering individual kernels of truth and comparing scripture with scripture on specific issues.
I have found that I need to be careful which additional input I allow to influence my understanding. Just because bible texts are quoted does not mean the interpretation is correct, remember Satan misused scripture in tempting Jesus.
As we live we gain experience. Gaining experience makes us all think differently. As we read the Scriptures and gain experience, new meanings come out them. Eventhough we might have read a passage before, a new reading may mean a new understanding. Also, the reality we are experiencing can make a profound difference. As humans, we are totally influenced by our emotional state too, and perhaps this can be more important than anything else!
If the heart is the center of our emotions, we should "Trust in the LORD with all (our) heart, and do not depend on (our) own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)
May God fulfill in us what is promise in Ezequiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
Without the Spirit of God a knowledge of His word is of no avail. The theory of truth, unaccompanied by the Holy Spirit, cannot quicken the soul or sanctify the heart. One may be familiar with the commands and promises of the Bible; but unless the Spirit of God sets the truth home, the character will not be transformed. Without the enlightenment of the Spirit, men will not be able to distinguish truth from error, and they will fall under the masterful temptations of Satan
Yes, Kabugo, I agree - the Holy Spirit is essential and illuminates the understanding when searching the Scriptures and to direct our path.
1 Cor.13:9-13 speaks to that - 'now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. Eventually, we will be fully in the presence of the Light of God.
Heb.4:12-13 - we are called to trust the word of God because it can 'pierce even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It is given to us for the renewing/cleansing of the heart, mind and soul.
With the Light of the Holy Spirit 'illuminating' our heart, mind and soul, we will be able to stand up against the "masterful temptations of Satan".
I have met so many people who think taking the bible literally is plain crazy and call us who believe this extremists. Is it because they find the doctrines too restricting and too hard to abide by?
Help me to walk daily in thy precepts
Lourdes what you say makes sense. There are those who are born of the flesh and those who are born of the spirit.
When Saul was born of the flesh he acted such, when he was born of the spirit he acted differently, even name changed to Paul. But if someone says they are born of the spirit and acting differently, the Spirit judges. Roman 12:19-20 How many SDA Christians are able to call their enemies or even sent something to feed their enemies? How many of us are able to leave ourselves and families undone to make sure our enemies are taken care of. There are certain sins some people can forgive others, but some we held on to. This text is plain.
If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15
The author asked about texts that we did not understand but now we have a clearer understanding.
I must admit, there are several texts in the bible that I do not understand the true meaning.
Many of the things I know now as an adult I did not know before. I asked the Holy Ghost daily to guide me into the true understanding and clarify the bible to me. When I was young I asked myself why are we so poor? Then I would read or people will tell me the bible says Matt 5:3. As I got older I realize, living in poverty had nothing to do with that text.
Cont along in Matt 5:1-48 Jesus stated what the people heard that was said of old but now he is explaining what those texts really meant. Jesus expounded what he meant to their fathers in the Scroll. Thou shall not kill, thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not swear, an eye for an eye, and thou shall love thy neighbor and hate your enemies.
Matt 5:29-32 We read about removing our eyes or arm to prevent us from committing adultery but is that what the text really meant. Can't blind people or people without hands commit adultery?
What about marriage and divorce that is sweeping throughout the churches. I knew about an SDA couple who were married and had approx 4 children. The wife was very "heavy set". She decided to lose weight and became approx one-third of her former size. The brother decided to divorce her for another woman in the church who had her former size with more children. The Pastor of their church remarried him. According to the text, did anyone committed adultery? Is adultery an unforgiving sin? Should people willfully commit adultery, get remarried then ask for forgiveness?
It is the power of the Holy Spirit that will guide the church into the true interpretation of his word. The bible says the wheat and the tares with grow together until the day of harvest. Why? Because the wheat looks just like the tares.
My grandparents met and fell in love in Holland at the age of 17. However she had pledged herself to 7 years of missionary service in Africa so he had to wait it out. She studied at the Huguenot Seminary in Wellington under the great preacher, writer and teacher Dr Andrew Murray.
She served in Bechuanaland at a DRC mission. She became convinced of the Sabbath by Bible study and prayer and had never heard of Christian Sabbeth keepers.
She wanted to keep the Sabbath but had teaching duties. She had to teach sewing to the women at a distant village. So she asked for a sign. When she arrived at the village not a single woman had turned up for the class.
In fact the entire village was deserted. Her sedan chair beaters went looking and eventually returned, shepherding a trembling village elder. He nervously told of how a leopard who due to some disabling wound had begun preying on humans and had been terrorizing the village. When asked where the beast had last been seen he pointed out a low tree branch hanging over the path leading to the village, saying this was its usual spot. Sure enough the yellow and black was just discernible through the leaves Abruptly becoming aware of the cause of the elders’ tremors the bearers fled into the bush in the opposite direction with the elder hot on their heels. They had passed right under that branch with my grandmother (at their shoulder height in her chair) mere inches below the branch and the leopard.
I never did hear how she got home, but after that she kept Sabbath despite opposition from the DRC elders. It was only on returning home to civilization that she discovered SDAs. And that is how we became Adventists.
While I have personally found a perfect unity in the Word of God, I do not find this among Christians. We are warned that the greatest opposition to truth will come from those who think they serve the Lord.
Disunity in the churches has no relation to the unity of Scripture.
I have come to enjoy Bible studies with children, they bring out the simplicity and plain meaning of the word very easily, it is quite refreshing.
Adults sometimes over analyse or suffer paralysis by analysis.
My biggest problem with most who study scripture even in the SDA Church is they pull scripture out of context to fit their agenda. This should not be. I attend an SDA and when I have tried to show verses that say the opposite sometimes of what is interpreted, there's is contention. People need to search for God's truth ABOVE ALL ELSE and not their own. Do I believe in Sabbath, absolutely do I believe in all the doctrines of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church absolutely not. Replacement theology is not accurate. That's major. I believe that there is definitely spiritual Israel but there's also the land and the people Israel which was used as a marker to know when the Lord Jesus was to come. SDAs need to go back to the basics Jesus Christ crucified for all men sins and study from there. Maybe then they will get it totally right. Anti semitism is a problem in any church or religion.Jesus said, And other sheep(gentiles) I have, which are not of this(Israel) fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
John 10:16
But new wine must be put into new bottles; and BOTH are preserved.
Luke 5:38