A Fellowship in Christ Jesus, IN the World, Not of the World
All Scripture Reference are KJV unless otherwise noted
Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Malachi 3:16
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
Psalms 119:4
In the realm of Christianity there are several frameworks that maintain a bias when studying the Scriptures:
Calvinism(Reformed),
Arminianism,
Neo-Arminianism,
Covenant Theology,
Dispensationalism
New Covenant Theology,
Universalism
Each framework or sect infuses a belief or bias in which all else is filtered through. When they read the word of God everything is interpreted to fit within their particular mindset. There is nothing more reliable than human nature. Many whether misguided or deceiving rely upon man’s nature to propagate their stated belief or bias.
One error many people make is to learn something the wrong way and stick to it no matter what.
— Harry Lorayne, Secrets of Mind Power (1961)
“People are more likely to believe what they first heard, even if it’s later proven wrong.”– Unknown
“Once a belief is formed, it is very hard to change.” – Unknown
This nature is an impediment to the truth as finding truth is dependent upon a willingness to change.
“To seek truth is a journey, and every step requires change.”– Unknown
To study God’s word without an open mind and willingness to change is futile.
There is another segment of human nature that hinders as much or more than unwillingness to change—human emotions.
Jeremiah 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
The flesh, untamed, dictates my emotion. Man’s nature produces an emotional response first in opposition to reason. Emotions flow effortlessly; reason requires effort to be expended. Emotions by themselves contrive thoughts, reason forms and guides them.
“We are not thinking machines that feel; rather, we are feeling machines that think.”
— Daniel Kahneman
We are all emotional beings, but emotions have to be controlled by reason. Emotions react to, reason opens the Scriptures. There are many issues that are so charged with emotion the the truth is rejected as blasphemy.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Another error made is to interpret the Scripture philosophically.
Colossians 2:8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Philosophy is to interpret a difficult, confusing, or seemingly contradictory passage of God’s word not by diligently studying the Bible and waiting for more light, but by dreaming up, contriving a meaning that seems to make sense. How Christ could have died for all, and all not be saved, is such a case. A philosophical meaning rather than of diligent study gave us limited atonement and universalism. Philosophical interpretations have given us many errors.
As in all my articles, it will be assumed that I am speaking to Christians; they that believe that salvation is in Christ Jesus alone, that he was the virgin-born Son of God, died for the sins of the world, was buried, and rose again the third day.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
This leads us to what I call Preceptualism. Preceptualism teaches that correctly interpreting the Bible requires recognizing and understanding its universal general principles, its precepts. Precepts are a fundamental rule, truth, or guideline for action or conduct. Preceptualism requires reasoned thought and limits our imagination. As the Bible is read the precepts or universal general principles should be sought and collected. No interpretation, belief, or teaching can be correct if it violates any of the biblical precepts.
Psalms 119:100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
A few of the precepts are listed here:
All Things Are Possible: The approach to Bible Study must be that nothing is impossible for God.
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Men being what they are, faithless and doubting, reject the Bible based on what they consider to be impossible; they limit God.
Psalms 78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
The Great Precepts: the two great precepts that all the law and prophets stem from: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Following these two precepts ensures a perfect life: not a painless life, a perfect one.
Salvation is only through Jesus: Christ Jesus is the sole path to salvation.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Acts 4:12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
By Grace, Not Works: The plan of salvation is designed to glorify God not man. Grace and works are mutually exclusive.
Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
No Christian denomination, sect, or teaching, can be correct if it requires man to perform some action, no matter how small or easy, as necessary to obtain or maintain eternal salvation. It is a gift from God.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Men/Whosoever: Salvation is open to all men. Christ Jesus is the life line thrown to all men; whether we take hold of it or not is up to us.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The Wrath of Man: Our anger, righteous indignation, holy wrath, or whatever one might want to call it, has no place in ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ or in serving God. Man’s wrath is inappropriate in our lives as a whole.
James 1:19-20 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
There is one that is a bit enigmatic, not overtly clear and understandable, but if not adhered to gives us errors such as Christ Jesus being a created demigod rather than as the Scriptures proclaim, God manifested in the flesh.
The Trinity: For the purpose of understanding the Bible, it is a precept that God is one but exists or is manifested as three distinct entities or individuals. To relegate Our Lord to be a lover created being, a demigod, is an egregious error.
1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
The Father should be considered the first among equals: the Father, the Word, the Holy Spirit. To understand the Scriptures, this description of God is the extent and limit that we should go in any interpretation of the three persons of God until more light is given.
This list is not exhaustive, not that if should be unwieldy or cumbersome. There are a few others or different ways of expressing them. They should be looked for as study proceeds.
Preceptualism
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
Psalms 119:4
In the realm of Christianity there are several frameworks that maintain a bias when studying the Scriptures:
Each framework or sect infuses a belief or bias in which all else is filtered through. When they read the word of God everything is interpreted to fit within their particular mindset. There is nothing more reliable than human nature. Many whether misguided or deceiving rely upon man’s nature to propagate their stated belief or bias.
One error many people make is to learn something the wrong way and stick to it no matter what.
— Harry Lorayne, Secrets of Mind Power (1961)
“People are more likely to believe what they first heard, even if it’s later proven wrong.” – Unknown
“Once a belief is formed, it is very hard to change.” – Unknown
This nature is an impediment to the truth as finding truth is dependent upon a willingness to change.
“To seek truth is a journey, and every step requires change.” – Unknown
To study God’s word without an open mind and willingness to change is futile.
There is another segment of human nature that hinders as much or more than unwillingness to change—human emotions.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
The flesh, untamed, dictates my emotion. Man’s nature produces an emotional response first in opposition to reason. Emotions flow effortlessly; reason requires effort to be expended. Emotions by themselves contrive thoughts, reason forms and guides them.
“We are not thinking machines that feel; rather, we are feeling machines that think.”
— Daniel Kahneman
We are all emotional beings, but emotions have to be controlled by reason. Emotions react to, reason opens the Scriptures. There are many issues that are so charged with emotion the the truth is rejected as blasphemy.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Another error made is to interpret the Scripture philosophically.
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Philosophy is to interpret a difficult, confusing, or seemingly contradictory passage of God’s word not by diligently studying the Bible and waiting for more light, but by dreaming up, contriving a meaning that seems to make sense. How Christ could have died for all, and all not be saved, is such a case. A philosophical meaning rather than of diligent study gave us limited atonement and universalism. Philosophical interpretations have given us many errors.
As in all my articles, it will be assumed that I am speaking to Christians; they that believe that salvation is in Christ Jesus alone, that he was the virgin-born Son of God, died for the sins of the world, was buried, and rose again the third day.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
This leads us to what I call Preceptualism. Preceptualism teaches that correctly interpreting the Bible requires recognizing and understanding its universal general principles, its precepts. Precepts are a fundamental rule, truth, or guideline for action or conduct. Preceptualism requires reasoned thought and limits our imagination. As the Bible is read the precepts or universal general principles should be sought and collected. No interpretation, belief, or teaching can be correct if it violates any of the biblical precepts.
Psalms 119:100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
A few of the precepts are listed here:
All Things Are Possible: The approach to Bible Study must be that nothing is impossible for God.
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Men being what they are, faithless and doubting, reject the Bible based on what they consider to be impossible; they limit God.
Psalms 78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
The Great Precepts: the two great precepts that all the law and prophets stem from: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Following these two precepts ensures a perfect life: not a painless life, a perfect one.
Salvation is only through Jesus: Christ Jesus is the sole path to salvation.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
By Grace, Not Works: The plan of salvation is designed to glorify God not man. Grace and works are mutually exclusive.
Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
No Christian denomination, sect, or teaching, can be correct if it requires man to perform some action, no matter how small or easy, as necessary to obtain or maintain eternal salvation. It is a gift from God.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Men/Whosoever: Salvation is open to all men. Christ Jesus is the life line thrown to all men; whether we take hold of it or not is up to us.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The Wrath of Man: Our anger, righteous indignation, holy wrath, or whatever one might want to call it, has no place in ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ or in serving God. Man’s wrath is inappropriate in our lives as a whole.
James 1:19-20 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
There is one that is a bit enigmatic, not overtly clear and understandable, but if not adhered to gives us errors such as Christ Jesus being a created demigod rather than as the Scriptures proclaim, God manifested in the flesh.
The Trinity: For the purpose of understanding the Bible, it is a precept that God is one but exists or is manifested as three distinct entities or individuals. To relegate Our Lord to be a lover created being, a demigod, is an egregious error.
1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
The Father should be considered the first among equals: the Father, the Word, the Holy Spirit. To understand the Scriptures, this description of God is the extent and limit that we should go in any interpretation of the three persons of God until more light is given.
This list is not exhaustive, not that if should be unwieldy or cumbersome. There are a few others or different ways of expressing them. They should be looked for as study proceeds.
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