Which Bible, Part 3

In this series we have looked at what versions are and what makes them different.  We will finish by looking at translations, paraphrases, and answer the question which of these three is better.

Translations
A translation, like the Wuest or Phillips is the work of one person.  They may be working from the original languages or they may be translating from a different language.  The advantage of a translation is the consistency of one individual.  That is also the disadvantage.  That individual’s work is not checked by other scholars.

Paraphrases
Paraphrases are, according to my College Edition of the Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language, “a rewording of the thought or meaning expressed in something that has been said or written before.”  I cannot do better than that.  Paraphrases work off the original languages or the English translation of those languages.  Examples are The Living Bible and the Message.  The advantage is ease of reading.  The disadvantage is that it is much further away from the structure and language of the original.

Which is Better?
That depends on the purpose of the use.  For study I would stay with literal translations.  Further, I would use at least two to compare how the committees are handling the text.  If they are similar, you can be confident in the translation.  If, however, there are significant differences, that will alert you to the probability of either a difference in philosophy of translation or else some difficulty or obscurity in the original language.  There are some interesting ways to dig through this, even if you do not know the original languages, however that is beyond the scope of these posts.

If you are in a reading project, say to read through the Bible in a year, any of the above would be fine.  If during that reading a passage intrigues you and you want to go deeper, I would switch to a literal version.

Personally, I prefer literal translations.  Through my Greek classes at WKU and Dallas Seminary, I have translated all the New Testament from Greek to English.  I find that in most cases the NAS is closer to the Greek than other versions.

Let me know what questions you may have.

Which Bible, Part 2

Yesterday we started working through which Bible to use.  We broke off while looking at how the different versions are different and how we can tell.  We will pick this up from where we stopped yesterday:

Versions, Cont.
In some cases, for instance, the Douay-Rheims or the NASB, started with another version, the Latin Vulgate and the 1901 ASV respectively, and was then compared to the Greek and Hebrew to revise the earlier version.  Again, the introduction will tell you what process the committee followed.

Secondly, the committee works under a translation philosophy.  There are two: literal and non-literal.  The labels are not quite self-explanatory.  If you have any experience with multiple languages you know that a literal translation from one language to another is, if not impossible, it is definitely – well it would be difficult to read and understand.

A literal version tries to stay as close to the original languages as possible.  The introduction and preface will inform you how the committee will deal with the needs to make the translation readable.  Some well known literal versions are KJV, RSV, NASB, ESV.

Non-literal versions choose a different path.  They attempt to capture the idea behind the original text.  One illustration of this is the NIV.  This approach is referred to as dynamic equivalence.  Dynamic equivalence is a sense for sense translation (translating the meanings of phrases or whole sentences) with readability in mind (Wikipedia definition, 2020).  The advantage of this philosophy is its easier to read.  The disadvantage is that it can obscure the structure of the original more than the literal philosophy.

Tomorrow we will look at translations, paraphrases, and at least start on which is better.

Which Bible

In pretty much every seminar I do, someone will ask, “What is the best version of the Bible to use?”  Over the years I have developed a detailed answer to that question.  I will work thorough it here; it may take more than one post.  The focus here will be on English Bibles.  However, the descriptions fit all Bibles in whatever language.

First there are at least three types of Bibles available:

• Versions
• Translations
• Paraphrases

What are the differences?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Versions
At a top-level, versions are created with a team, a committee, of scholars who are working on translating the original texts into the language.  The committee works together to come up with the best translation based on at least two variables the choice of original texts, and the translation philosophy.

The first variable is the base texts on which the committee will base their work.  The decision is how much, if any, of the archaeological data they will consider and how they will use that data with the main resources of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.  Most modern translations will use the archaeological data applying the principles of text criticism to get as close as possible to the original texts as possible.  This is a well-established and scholarly discipline that has greatly benefited all believers.  The value to us is beyond the scope of this post.  Suffice it to say that we have an embarrassingly accurate base text for both the Old and New Testaments.  That said there are versions that have chosen to not use the archaeological data or were developed when that data was not available.  In all cases the front matter, usually the introduction to the version will indicate what texts were used by the committee.

There is more about versions.  We will pick that up tomorrow.

With Ordinary Means

Yesterday I shared a friend of mine says how we needed to engage successfully with the Bible:

• With the help of the Holy Spirit 
• With humble effort 
• With ordinary means 

I want to focus on the last. “With ordinary means”, today.  We talked briefly about this the other night.  Essentially, my friend was saying that we do not need secondary sources to engage with the Bible successfully.  All we need is a blank sheet of paper and a pencil and a pen.  His suggestion was to write down questions that one has as they are reading.  That is a great idea.

Earlier in the week one of our friends was sharing online in this series and he suggested that one write down their observations about the text as well as note any signposts that they saw as they read.  The signposts to which he referred are much like the structural markers that have been discussed in this blog.

Either practice is good for at least two reasons.  First, writing down your reaction to what you are reading in the text slows you down.  The simple act of writing down what you think will help you clarify your understanding of what you have been reading.  Second, and this is closely related to the first, writing down what you are seeing or what questions you have engages you at a different level of thinking than simply reading.  Try it, you will be convinced quickly.

You will note that neither of my friends mentioned using study Bibles or commentaries.  They were focused on being in the text of the Bible.  After all that is what is inspired.  The notes in the study Bible and the commentaries are not.  I have written on the use of commentaries a lot, you can skim that content by typing “commentaries” in the “search this blog” field on the top of the column on the right or by clicking here.

Barriers to Knowledge

A few days ago, in my quiet time the Lord took me to 2 Corinthians 10:5 – 6 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Note that I do not hear God’s voice, but there are times that He will bring a passage to mind.  I have learned that it is best to follow that lead.

Last evening, I was speaking to a friend about some sessions our church is doing online during this “interesting time”.  During our conversation we began discussing how to help those who may have been in the faith for a long time but do not have the confidence nor have they been equipped to engage in the Word of God for themselves.  We were thinking through how a believer would get into this state.

One of the ways seems to be addressed by Paul in this verse.  I have heard, and I would expect that you have as well, speakers suggest things in addressing a passage that are not in the text.  In many cases they may be inferences that they have thought about that they think may apply to the text.  Or, they may be something that they have read somewhere that they think may clear up the text.  In some cases what I have heard was essentially made up and had no relation at all to the text being presented.  In the case of historical information that sets a context, I will admit that at times that can be interesting and somewhat helpful.

However, in this passage Paul says that he is destroying everything that is raised up against the knowledge of God.  Think about that for a minute.  If I am a young believer listening to a speaker and he shares a theory, an example, or a “fact” that is not evident in the text, what does that communicate to me?  Wouldn’t it communicate that I need to know those theories, examples, or “facts” in order to understand the Word of God?  In a real sense when a speaker adds to the text, he is communicating that without his help, those who are listening cannot really understand the Bible.  In a sense he is taking the Bible out of their hands.

Speakers who do that are raising up barriers against the knowledge of God.  In that they are creating a dependency on themselves or other secondary sources as a necessary means to rightly understand the Word of God.

My friend had shared in a presentation that he made a week or so ago, that the Word affirms that we are able to understand the Word of God:

• With the help of the Holy Spirit – John 16:13 (here @ Bible Gateway), and 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 (here @ Bible Gateway) (all references added to support his points)
• With humble effort – Psalm 119:18 (here @ Bible Gateway), 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:4 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• With (he had “using” but I changed it to match) ordinary means – Ezra 7:10 (here @ Bible Gateway)

We had a short discussion about what he meant by ordinary means.  I will expand on that next post.

Peter’s View of the Bible – Part 2

Continuing to look at 2 Peter 1:16 – 21 (here @ Bible Gateway).

As I pointed out yesterday, this is the second of 4 passages in which Peter underscores the importance of the Word of God.  The passage is four sentences, 16, 17 – 18, 19, and 20 – 21.  I mention that because as we read and study our Bible, we should remember that while the paragraph is a unit of thought sentences are the building blocks of paragraphs.  Unfortunately, the chapter and verse divisions many times break up both paragraphs and sentences.  If we do not pay attention to that, we can focus on a part of a sentence and miss the point the author is making.

Verse 16
In this verse Peter is both substantiating why he is reminding his readers and setting up the contrast to the false teachers that follows in chapter 2.  He didn’t make up what he is sharing about Jesus, he was an eyewitness.  Specifically,…

Verses 17 – 18
Peter was present at the transfiguration of Jesus.  This shows up in our Bibles in Mark 9:2 – 8 (here @ Bible Gateway); Matthew 17:1 – 8 (here @ Bible Gateway); and Luke 9:28 – 36 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Peter state that Jesus received honor from God the Father, and there was a verbal affirmation of Jesus from God that Peter, James, and John all heard.

Verse 19
Peter declares that the result of hearing this verbal affirmation is the validation of the prophetic word.  Because of this, we are to pay attention to the Word.  Makes sense, but Peter does not stop there.

Verses 20 – 21
Peter emphasizes that no prophecy is a matter of an individual’s interpretation.  This is a tacit repetition of verse 16, Peter didn’t make up what he is sharing about Jesus, neither are the prophets.  Rather, the Holy Spirit move these men to speak from God.

Notice the parallel.  On the mountain of transfiguration, the verbal affirmation was from God.  In the written prophecy, the written Word, the Holy Spirit inspired men to speak from God.  The validation on the mount was from God, the written prophecy is from God through the Spirit.

Peter is comparing his experience on the mount to our experience when we engage in the written Word of God.  Both are from God.  This view of Scripture is a repetition of Peter’s first strong statement about the Word of God in 1:4 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Through the promises of God, which we find in the Word of God, we become partakers of the divine nature.  We encounter God in the Scripture as Peter encountered Him on the mount.

Peter’s View of the Bible

Since 2008, so for the last 12 years, 2 Peter (here @ Bible Gateway) has been the focus of all of the workshops I have done whether half-day, 10 day, or anything in between.  When we come to the exercises that include 2 Peter, I do them along with the participants.  As a result, I have studied 2 Peter, literally, hundreds of times in the last 12 years.  Additionally, the Tuesday morning group I participate in just finished a detailed study of the book.

One of the themes that runs through the book, is the elevation of the Word of God.  Peter has a high regard for God’s Word.

Twice in both chapters 1 and 3, Peter emphasizes the importance of the Word of God for us as believers.  For this post we will focus on the second passage in chapter 1, 16 – 21.  There is a lot in these six verses.  Take some time and read through the passage, shoot, read the whole letter, it is only 61 verses.  Make as many observations on 1:16 – 31 as you can and then come back to the post.

So if you read the whole letter you saw that this passage sits between Peter’s declaring his diligence to remind his readers of what they already know and his warning of the certainty of the rise and multiplication of false teachers.  1:16 – 21 serves at least three structural functions in Peter’s thought.

First, it substantiates, gives the reason, why it is important that he reminds his readers.  Second, it presents the reason that Peter is sure of what he proclaims.  Lastly, it sets up a vivid contrast with the false teachers that he describes in chapter 2.

Think through that.  We will further unpack this section in tomorrow’s post.

Interruption – Part 4

In the last post we looked at how the Word of God is representative of the person of God.  It reveals His nature and character.  To such an extent that Peter tells us that when we base our lives on His Word we become partakers of that divine nature.

One aspect of God’s nature and character is His immutability.  He does not change.  Further, He is eternal.  The Word of God reflects this aspect of His nature and character.  Consider:

• Isaiah 40:6 – 8 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Matthew 5:18 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Matthew 24:35 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Mark 13:31 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Luke 16:17 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Luke 21:33 (here @ Bible Gateway)

Both the Father’s and the Son’s Word is represented as lasting forever.  As the Father, Jesus is represented as immutable, Hebrews 13:8 (here @ Bible Gateway).

So the picture we have developed in these posts:

• The Lord has spoken
• He has revealed Himself in His Word, and Here
• His Word (including Christ’s) is eternal

With that as a foundation, it would be reasonable to suspect that those who identify themselves as leaders of those who worship the Lord would revere and deeply engage in that Word.  We would expect to see the Word of God in a place of central prominence in all Christian ministries.

However, that does not seem to be the case.  Nor has it been.  We will explore some of the implications of that in the next post.

Interruption – Part 3

Last post we saw that the psalmist used language normally used to describe worship of God to describe his relationship with the Word of God.  So, he was essentially suggesting that he worshiped the Word.  How is this not idolatry?  How does the use of that language and that practice not raise the ire of a Holy God?

The answer, I believe, is found in 2 Peter 1:2-4 (here @ Bible Gateway).

Follow the logic of Peter’s presentation.

Verse	Thought
2	Peter prays that our knowledge of God and Jesus is multiplied through God’s grace and peace.
3	Through God’s power we have been granted all we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him mentioned in verse 2. That is given by the one who calls us by His own glory and excellence. That is a key concept that is explored in the next verse.
4	The verse starts, “for by these…” these can refer to all of 2 and 3 or more specifically “His own glory and excellence”. I tend to come down on the second option because of the content of this verse. Either way one takes the referent, the precious and magnificent promises are based on God’s nature. Described as glory and excellence, and if you choose, His power. If we are to base our life on His promises, we are basing our life on His nature and character. When we do so, we are in effect personally validating the divine nature in our experience as we see the Lord faithful in fulfilling His promise. We partake of His nature.

The implications of this passage informs our understanding of Psalm 119:48 (here @ Bible Gateway).  The Word of God reflects the nature and character of God.  It reveals Him to us.  In a real sense when we open the pages of the Book and begin to read, those words are reflective of who He is.  We are in His presence.

So the psalmist, is on solid ground when he worships, lifts his hands to the commandments.  For in so doing He is honoring and worshiping the Lord which the commandment represents.

There is more that supports this.  It will be in the next post.

Interruption – Part 2

The next passage that came to mind yesterday morning was Psalm 119:48 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Psalm 119 (here @ Bible Gateway) has a nearly irresistible pull on me.  I find myself continually drawn to the richness and creativity of this masterpiece.  The concept of alliterating ones meditation on God’s Word through the Hebrew alphabet is stunning.

Verse 48 (here @ Bible Gateway), though, always brings me up short.  I am taken aback by what the psalmist pens here.  Specifically, the phrase, “I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments…”

Why?

Lifting up ones hands is an act of worship.  Consider:

• Psalm 28:2 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Psalm 63:4 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Psalm 88:9 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Psalm 141:2 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Psalm 143:6 (here @ Bible Gateway)

Each of these deal with worship of the Lord or, in the case of Psalm 28:2 (here @ Bible Gateway), the Lord’s sanctuary.  The point is this level of worship, lifting up of ones hands is focused on the Lord.  One would think that to do so to His Word, His commandments, His statutes, would or should incite His jealousy.

But, here it is clear is does not.  Why?

I believe there is a very good explanation.  We will consider that in the next post when we look at the third passage that came to mind yesterday.

Hope you join me on this journey.  I am convinced it is vitally important.

Interruption

Normally in the morning, I get out my journal open my Bible program, open my copy of M’Cheyne Reading Plan, jot down the passages for the day, pray something like Psalm 119:18 (here @ Bible Gateway), and dive in.

Not often, but sometimes, God interrupts my routine.  He did so this morning.  Before I even got to my desk, there were issues pressing in on my thoughts.  I think it has something to do with things that are going on in our community of faith as well as multiple interactions I have had with pastors overseas in the past couple of weeks.

So what went into the journal today was vastly different than what normally finds its way into those pages.

After several hours of contemplation, it appears that I need to share some, if not all, of what I worked through this morning.

Part of this is probably driven by a need I feel to change the introduction to the seminar I do with men.  Well, here it goes…Not sure how many posts this is going to take.

Look in your Bible at Psalm 50:1 (here @ Bible Gateway).  In the original the text looks like this, right to left…

אֵ֤ל׀ אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֡ים יְֽהוָ֗ה דִּבֶּ֥ר

This is a powerful statement, and that does not do it justice.  We will consider this word by word.

אֵ֤ל – “El”, the mighty one.  This is one of the words that is used in relation to the Father.  This is the word that is coupled with other Hebrew words to describe God such as El Shaddai.  Books have been written on the use of this name of God, I cannot hope to expand on that here.  We will go with, “The Mighty One.

אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֡ים – “Elohim”, the first word that is used to describe God in the Bible, see Genesis 1:1.  The creator, the source, He with whom all of us will answer, He who created all of the elements that both make us who we are as well as all that we encounter.  By itself this is a word that should get our attention, but here it is paired with “El”.

יְֽהוָ֗ה – “YHWH.”  The Word that God chose to use as His name when commissioning Moses.  The children of Israel refused to pronounce it, instead choosing substitute the word Adonai (my Lord) when they encountered YHWH in the text.  Using the vowels in Adonai, with YHWH, we get the word Jehovah.  The best translation of YHWH is probably “He who is”, “I will be who I will be”, or simply “I Am.”  The last which Jesus spoke multiple times inciting claims of blasphemy from the leaders of the Jews.

Each of these words are incredibly powerful.  Here the Psalmist uses all three in succession.  To say that he would be making an emphatic point would be a massive understatement.  And what is the point of the emphasis?  Is the next word…

דִּבֶּ֥ר – “Has spoken.”  The mighty one, God, the Lord, has spoken…  The implications are vast but at the very top should be we better listen.  Listen closely.

Consider this.  For many treat the Bible, the Word of God, as a good, interesting book.  Based on the psalmist’s perspective, it is THE book.  It is the very word of God.

We will explore that more in the next post.

Dealing with the Hard Stuff – Conclusion

The point of all of these posts has been to bring to the fore observations from working with pastors, church planters, and laymen here in the US and in seven other countries.

We tend to think that the problems we face, regardless of our cultural context, are unique.  There is much literature about the need for us to be sensitive to culture in our ministries.  At some level that is true.  However, if Romans 12:1 – 2 (here @ Bible Gateway) and 1 John 2:15 – 16 (here @ Bible Gateway) are true; if how we see the ministry of Christ impacting the Jewish culture is any indication, then it seems that two things emerge as truth.

First, people are people.  By that I mean the struggles that they have, wanting their own way, fighting for what they think is right, whether it is or not, is universal or better, cross cultural.  The deeds of the flesh, Galatians 5:17 – 21 (here @ Bible Gateway) are omnipresent, permeating every culture.

Which truth, leads to the second.  The Bible is against all of man’s cultures, it is cross all cultures.

These have implications for those of us who are committed to put the Kingdom of God first.  We are all products of the environments in which we emerged, all of which are counter to the Kingdom.  We are wont to incorporate some of that from which we came into our understanding of the Word.

When we find Scripture that challenges those roots, we tend to either justify or morph the Word to fit.  That has to stop.  If we are going to have a significant impact; we need to be, as Romans 12:2 (here @ Bible Gateway) reminds us, transformed in our thinking.

We have to approach the Word allowing it to not only bring to light what we hold in error, but we have to be willing to release the error and allow Scripture to be true.  Further we have to equip all of those to whom we are privileged to invest to study the Word with the same skill and integrity.

If we do not, if we continue to hold the study of the Word in the domain of the “professional” Christians and dole out studies and tomes in prepackaged containers of homogenized milk.  We are crippling the Body and frankly committed to disobedience to the Lord’s clear commission.

Personally, I do not wish to be numbered with that lot.

Dealing with the Hard Stuff – Part 6 cont.

Last post, I shared a long quote from an article about the church in Ethiopia.  I suggested that the problems there were similar to what we face in the US.  I also suggested that the solution to their problem set was not translation of Bible study materials.

I am not against Bible study materials, per se.  I have used them.  I have written some.  What I am against is continual use of Bible study materials.  The problem with continued use of these is that they are secondary sources.  Like commentaries or books about the Bible or about a Bible topic, they are the result of one or more individual’s work on a topic or a passage.

When you are using a study guide you are being led through the author’s study.  By the questions you are answering and the passages you with which you are asked to interact, he or she is walking you through the work that they did moving you toward the conclusions, positions, and applications which they discovered during their time in the Word.

That can be and is helpful.  We can learn how to study using those types of studies.  We can begin to see the joy and benefit of studying our Bibles.  However, those types of studies limit us.  They make us dependent on another’s work.  As good as some of those are, unless we have develop the tools and confidence to question or expand what they have done, we are forever dependent on other’s work to engage with the Bible.

That does not seem to be the intent of the Lord when He gave us the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18 – 20 (here @ Bible Gateway); or when Paul essentially repeated the Great Commission in 2 Timothy 2:1 – 3 (here @ Bible Gateway); or his exhortation, which again aligns with the Great Commission, in Ephesians 4:11 – 16 (here @ Bible Gateway).  As leaders we are to equip disciples, followers of Christ, with all that we have been taught.  That would include, at a fundamental level, the ability to independently study the Word of God.

So rather than coming up with questions for small groups to use in going deeper in the Sunday message; rather than translating Bible study materials from English into whatever; perhaps it would be better to equip believer to come up with their own questions, to study the Bible with nothing more than a blank sheet of paper and a pencil.

Otherwise we continue to make those disciples dependent on our study.  Further, we rob ourselves of the benefit of benefiting from their insight as they engage with the Lord in His Word.  It is sure based on Ephesians 4:16 (here @ Bible Gateway) that those whom we equip with see things that will build us up and encourage us in the Lord.

Dealing with the Hard Stuff – Part 6

I have an on again off again subscription to Bible Study magazine.  The latest issue (March/April 2019) has an article about the current state of the Church in Ethiopia.  I was intrigued by the article because I have a trip tentatively planned there in the fall.

Some personal context.  The Lord has allowed me to be engaged with leaders in three countries in North Africa.  I meet most every week with a pastor of several underground churches in Morocco, I have met regularly with one of the recent graduates of the Bible College I visited last April in Togo, and I am still in contact with several of the men and women who were at the events in Cameroon.  That is in addition to meeting regularly with pastors and lay people at home.

The article, the conversations with the men overseas, and conversations with pastors and men here converged this week.

The article stated what was seen as a pressing need in the Ethiopian church:

Beyond Bible translation is the need to create and translate resource for Ethiopian Christians…to ensure the church is grounded in sound doctrine and teaching.  We have vibrant evangelical churches-very strong, committed, and large…However, misuse of Bible through questionable interpretation is a huge problem.  The prosperity-gospel movement has spread like wildfire across Africa.  Although many evangelical churches have the Bible available in their languages, they’re still relying on Sunday preachers for interpretation.  People are easily led astray.  So having Bible study materials available to people is essential for the church…Especially in semi-literate communities, you need the proper tools to read, understand, interpret, and apply the Bible. (emphasis added)

Later in the article…

…the uncertainties face by African Christians don’t have a clear parallel in the West… (how do they) make sense of the devastation of drought and famine, epidemics and civil unrest; how to deal with systemic corruption.  These things are not readily addressed by materials designed for the modern, middle-class Western church.

Both in the conversation with the leader and Cameroon and the pastor here, similar pressures to create material, guides for sermons or leadership development were discussed.

I do not agree that the development of materials is the primary need.  In fact the problem with that approach is evident in the article.

This is getting long.  What do you think I see as the problem?  I will finish this, maybe, in the next post.

Dealing with the Hard Stuff – Part 5

I have been struggling with how to end this series on Dealing with the Hard Stuff.  There are two things left to say, I may be able to get that done in one post.

In Matthew 15:8 – 9 (here @ Bible Gateway) and Mark 7:6 – 8 (here @ Bible Gateway), Christ, quoting Isaiah 29:13 (here @ Bible Gateway), rebukes the Pharisees by pointing out that they are teaching as doctrine the tradition of men.  That is closely similar to the rebuke of the leaders of Judah by the Lord in Jeremiah 23:16 (here @ Bible Gateway).  In both Israel and now in the Church, we tend to codify what works or what we understand and teach it or pass it on as important as the Word of God.  Spend some time in Jeremiah 23 (here @ Bible Gateway) and consider what the Lord thinks about that approach.

In the first year of this blog I wrote a post, “Glasses”, take a minute and read that and come back.

Too often we come to scripture with “certain” knowledge.  That is, we know what we believe.  Much of that “certain” knowledge has come to us through the messages we have heard in our churches, the Christian books we have read, or conversations we have had with other believers.  None of those things are bad in and of themselves.  They just are not the inspired Word of God.

That “certain” knowledge functions for us much like the tradition Jesus refers to in the passages above.  It colors what we read and study, in a sense it distorts the text.  We have to acknowledge these biases.  It is not easy to do so.  Still, we need to “take off the glasses” and allow the text to speak to us directly.

The good thing is that we have a promise, John 16:13 (here @ Bible Gateway), that the Holy Spirit will lead us into truth.  Further we have the model of David’s prayer in Psalm 119:18 (here @ Bible Gateway) to guide us.

There is an example I wish to share and on which I wish to comment.  So I will not finish in one post.  Probably two more.

Dealing with the Hard Stuff – Part 4

In these posts we have been looking at how we can deal with difficult issues – hard stuff.  So far we have said that we need to:

• Be willing to question what you believe
• Have a proper view of the Bible
• Commit to the authority of the Bible

But that is not all.  Further we have to decide if we are going to live and engage with the world in a manner consistent with that proper view of the Bible.  That step is a subset of the last one.  We have to commit to apply or incorporate what we learn in our examination of the Bible to our thinking and behavior.

That may seem obvious.  However, there are many who know much about the Bible whose behavior does not align with what they “know”.  In a sense they do not practice what they proclaim.

Romans 12:1 – 2 (here @ Bible Gateway) speaks to this does it not?  We are not to be conformed to the norms of the world but we are to be transformed.  Paul specifically speaks to the way we think.  If it is the case that the Bible is what it says it is, the revealed, inspired, Word of God, then the only way I know of to align my thought more closely with God is to study and apply His Word.  The entirety of Psalm 119 (here @ Bible Gateway) speaks to this.

However changing our thinking is not enough.  We are also to have the Word of God change our behavior.  James speaks to this in James 1:22 – 26 (here @ Bible Gateway).  We are to not just be those who hear or read the Word, rather we are to do the Word, apply it, follow it, and do what it says.  Otherwise, to echo James’, our reading, studying, or listening to others talk about the Word is worthless.

Peter reinforces this in 2 Peter 1:2 – 10 (here @ Bible Gateway).  He tells us first that we have been granted all that we need for life and godliness in the Word – which here he refers to as “His precious and magnificent promises”.  Which Peter emphasizes by explaining that the purpose of His Word is so that we can become partakers of His nature.  Spend some time considering Peter’s words here.  It is an overwhelming statement.  Then Peter goes into some detail on how to accomplish partaking in 5 – 9 (here @ Bible Gateway).

When we come to the Word, before we can deal with difficult passages well, we have to have committed to do what we find.  The Lord did not give us His Word to intrigue or interest us, or to make us smarter; He gave it to change us, to transform us more closely to His nature.

Dealing with the Hard Stuff – Part 3

In the last two posts we have been looking at how we can deal with difficult issues – hard stuff.  The last post suggested that the starting point of dealing with difficult issues in the Bible is to have a proper view of the Bible.  The conclusion was if we do not start there we are not going to get to the right place.  But starting there is not enough.

We have to commit to placing the Bible as an authority over and the source of what I believe and practice.  That is to say the Bible, not my current understanding of the Bible, not my church or denominations position on a particular issue, not what the culture or my friends think about an issue, not what my favorite pastor or author says but the Bible is my authority and guide.

I am still on some Social Media sites.  I am continually amazed – after all this time, I probably shouldn’t be – at the responses of self-identified believers to controversial questions.  Most of their comments start with some form of “I think”.  What follows those two words in most if not all of the cases has little or no relationship or reference to the Word of God.

In some cases people who I know, know better, do not clearly state what I know that they know the Bible says, probably because they know that the audience or person will react negatively.

In the past couple of days, a person I know in Africa posted an article that suggested a well know “Christian” personality had come out in support of homosexuals being a normative and acceptable lifestyle.  While that was an over statement of the individual’s position, he was not firm on the authority of the Bible on this issue.  He was being interviewed by an extremely liberal individual on an extremely liberal media platform.  On that same liberal platform however, another well know evangelical pastor was asked about the same issues and was direct, clear, and firm on the authority of the Bible on that issue.

The harsh reality is committing to placing the authority of the Word over our beliefs, practices, and stated positions will place us continually in conflict with the world regardless of the culture in which we find ourselves.

Not committing to the authority of the Word places us on a treacherous path on a slippery slope headed for eternal destruction.

Dead Serious

Choosing to engage with others in sharing God’s Word with them is dead serious.  Read Numbers 25:4 (here @ Bible Gateway).

The serious aspect of this – check that – the dead serious aspect, is that the leaders had abandoned the Word of God.

Rather than leading the people to the Lord through His Word, the leaders led them to worship false gods, idols.  The same theme permeates the book of Jeremiah (here @ Bible Gateway).  The climax of that behavior is recorded in Jeremiah 23 (here @ Bible Gateway).

As leaders, and note that as believers all are leaders, the core of what we share with our families, our friends, those in our communities of faith, and those outside the faith with whom the Lord allows us to share the truth, is His Word.

James 3:1 – 2 (here @ Bible Gateway), 2 Timothy 2:15 (here @ Bible Gateway), and 2 Timothy 4:5 (here @ Bible Gateway), support and remind us of this.

Sure there are really good Christian books as those that are really bad.  The Word of God, however, is always good.  It is always appropriate.  It is always true.

In this age there are many who are claiming to have the truth.  They are promoting themselves over the Word of God.  Churches and organizations that were once effective in spreading the Word of God, have abandoned it.

That is dead serious.

Full Exposure

Take a few minutes and reflect on Exodus 33:7 – 8 (here @ Bible Gateway).

Note the way that Israel communed with God.  One man, Moses, would go into the tabernacle.  The Lord would descend and talk with Moses.  One man.  Only one, spoke with God.  He then would relate what he learned to the nation.

Now take a few minutes and consider John 17 (here @ Bible Gateway); focus, if you will on John 17:21 – 24 (here @ Bible Gateway).

Now consider John 16:13 (here @ Bible Gateway).

Jesus, through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension has brought us into unity with Himself and the Father.  Further, He has sent the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.

We are unified with Christ, we have the Holy Spirit to lead us through the Book He inspired.  Through Christ we have immediate access to the Father.  Why would we want to revert to having one man meet with God and then tell us what He had learned?

Why would we insist on ecclesiastical layers of insulation between us and the Word of God?  Why would we turn to books about the Bible, when we have not only the Word of God, but resident in us the One who inspired it?

Is it fear?

If so, of what are we afraid?  We have a loving God who sent His Son to die for us while we were helpless, ungodly, sinners, and enemies (Romans 5:6 - 10 (here @ Bible Gateway)).  Do we think that He would react negatively to us trying to get to know Him better through His Word and His Spirit?

That seems to be either lack of trust, or maybe, just laziness.

Is it that we are not sure we know how?

That is easily remedied.  Contact me.  I will help you.

Continually Stunned

The workshops that the Lord has allowed me to conduct over the past 10 years focus on 2 Peter (here @ Bible Gateway).  Depending on the amount of time that is scheduled we cover from one to seven methods of investigating the text.  In the process of interacting with those who are participating in the various workshops, one of the points I share is that even though I have the book memorized, have read it more times than I can count, and have studied it over a hundred times, still, every time I read it, come to its pages, I see something I missed previously.

This morning 2 Peter 1 (here @ Bible Gateway) came up in the reading plan I have been following for the past three years.  True to form, the Lord showed me something I had never seen before.  This time, however, I did not make it much past the first 4 verses (here @ Bible Gateway); which depending on how the version you read deals with the Greek, is the first couple of sentences Peter pens to the recipients.

What I saw is not the point.  The fact that I saw it, that it was new to me after so much engagement and exposure to this letter is.  As I turned to the book I wondered if, in fact, my experience of seeing something new would again hold true.  As I shared, I didn’t make it past the first two sentences.

In Psalm 119:18 (here @ Bible Gateway), David prays that the Lord would open his eyes so that he could behold wonderful things from the Law, His Word.  That’s the point.  This Book, the Bible, is unique.  Inspired by the Holy Spirit, revealing the nature and character of God, with unfathomable layers of knowledge of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I am continually stunned at its depth.

Dive in.