Discerning the World

The Whole Counsel of God – Interpreting Scripture Correctly

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Magnifying Glass - Image by Claudia1967The Whole Counsel of God – Interpreting Scripture Correctly:  Interpreting Scripture Correctly

And Commonly Used Tactics of False Teachers

Biblical illiteracy – the ‘dumbing’ down of the sheep – has become a virus. The shallow understanding of scripture most Christians have is quite astounding. Equally painful to listen to is how most Christians interpret their bible. This brief article is just a quick reference on the very basics of interpretation, if it gains any interest I will post more information.

What is extremely annoying is that false teachers hide behind hermeneutical language. (‘Hermeneutics’ is the scholarly method of interpreting scripture.) Some also claim to use the ‘grammatical-historical’ method for interpretation – which is correct – but if you analyse closer they do anything but actually follow the very principles they claim to use. Heretics are very familiar with biblical interpretation methods and think that by claiming to use them it somehow gives them more credentials.

The grammatical, historical method of interpretation is simply this; every word, vowel etc is important. The grammar is of utmost importance, change one word, comma, vowel and the meaning changes. The historical context that the particular text was written in must be taken into account as well. It’s that simple. The problem I have with scripture twisters is that they hide behind layers of deceit, yet biblical interpretation is not very difficult. It is quite straightforward to expose error; all you need is a good bible translation and common-sense. All these methods are worthless without the Holy Spirit, the author of the book, of course.

Sleight of hand

I have seen false teachers do this – they give you a kind of historical-grammatical interpretation with some really alluring illustrations but then use a bible version that no scholar worth his bean would touch with a ten foot pole….

Another trick is to use scripture without staying anchored to the text – after all he ‘used’ scripture so it must be true.

Another tactic is to throw so much scripture at you at such a pace that you cannot keep up.

Here is a quiz for you;   which best-selling Christian book used 21 different translations to collaborate its views?

If the same book used only the ESV or the KJV the very fabric of the message would come apart. Also note that a ‘translation’ such as ‘The Message’ is not actually a translation but a paraphrasing of the bible.

Another commonly used tactic is false teachers sounding really smart by telling you the original Greek or Hebrew word of the translation. But then… sleight of hand; they will tell you ‘therefore what this verse REALLY MEANS’ is actually this or that. Yes, the King James English can be very polite when it could be a bit more explicit, etc… and yes, having a deeper understanding can add more resolution to what we already see but there are trustworthy and reliable translations that don’t require meddling with the Greek unless you wish to do advanced studies.

The whole counsel of God

There is no accurate view or interpretation of scripture without taking the whole counsel of God into account – that means the whole bible from Genesis to Revelation. The bible, believe it or not, anticipates attack so it uses all available bandwidth. This means that any critical doctrine is spread out across the whole book. You could rip out most pages out of the bible and still come to the same conclusion. Even if we took out the whole of the New Testament we still have a tremendous amount of description of Christ’s penal substitutionary atonement and his resurrection from the Old Testament alone.

For instance, there is not a single scripture that uses the word Trinity, neither is there a single proof text on the subject but every major scholar agrees on the doctrine of the Trinity because of the amount of references, allusions and the way scripture is written – it does not defend the doctrine but assumes it.

There are two ways that scripture is generally interpreted

  1. Exegesis
  2. Eisegesis

Exegesis is reading FROM the text, Eisegesis is reading INTO the text. For example, if we read the whole counsel of God and come to a definitive conclusion that would be an Exegesis. If we say that ‘God told me so’ and then find scriptures here and there to back it up that would not necessarily yield accurate interpretation – you are approaching scripture with a pre conceived idea and making scripture fit that idea. That is an Eisegesis.

Interpret scripture with scripture

Here is a classic one. How do you interpret this scripture?

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

What is this scripture saying? I have heard some really creative interpretations but all of them fall short. You have to ask what Paul had in mind when he wrote this scripture. Here, it is – applying the whole counsel of God principle to get the fuller picture; let’s go to Genesis 50:20, Joseph addressing the same brothers that tried to kill him but somehow God worked the situation for good so that the whole family is spared from famine.

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

This is a very simple principle, whenever you read any scripture look for a cross-reference; most bibles outline them on the side of the page. This is not to say that Romans 8:28 is referring only to Genesis 50:20, it has a slightly wider application but we also understand how inter-dependant and interwoven scripture is.

Context

The most fundamental principle of biblical interpretation is context. You can disprove most scripture twisting and mangling by context alone. For instance, someone says to you; the bible says we must not do xyz. You reply;’ yes it does but what is the context’? Suddenly a whole different picture emerges when you ask these questions.

  1. Who is being addressed in the text (audience)? Is it the church, Israel, is it a person?
  2. Why is this being addressed? Is it a particular issue?
  3. What was going on at the time of writing? What is the Historical context?
  4. Cross reference to other scriptures.

Note: There are places where the purely context rule is actually a limitation because the passage is prophetic, therefore using the same context principle does not necessarily apply. However, as a general rule context must be applied.

Applying the just the principle

What if something is written i.e., to Jews living in the promised land? What on earth do we do with certain civil rules that do not apply to us today? You apply the principle.

Allegory versus Literal?

The bible uses many metaphors, idioms and puns. There is quite a bit of allegory as well. But these are just what they in their context (allegory, metaphors and puns) and should be treated as such. Literal is literal and allegory is allegory – we CANNOT mix the two. If you allegorize the book of Revelation you have a massive fairy tale with no real meaning. Besides, Revelations uses 500 quotes from the Old Testament, the book presumes the reader is familiar with the OT. Many Christians get so blown away that they don’t touch the book for years.

Few people realise that the Reformation was a war on bad hermeneutics – on rightly dividing the word of truth. What was the method of interpretation in the Catholic Church? The allegorical method! This method allows the imagination to run wild and is prone to the worst exaggerations. With this method there is nothing true or false.

Being led by the Holy Spirit or Ideals?

You cannot be led of the Holy Spirit and come to radically different conclusions from the same scriptures as other Christians. That just does not exist. We can, by all means, have differences on the minors but never on fundamental doctrines. This is what the whole council of Nicea was about. This is why ministries have statements of faith (although some of them just copy and paste nice sounding stuff from other ministries – this is not proof that a ministry is abiding in truth).

You cannot be led of the Spirit and have zero desire to study scripture, if that is so you are led of the flesh. We don’t dictate to others what we think or how ‘we see’ that scripture; we stand corrected by God’s word because it is forever established in heaven.

Building on false precepts

Another commonly used tactic of false teachers is that now that we have determined we have x we can establish y when in fact nothing was conclusively determined to begin with.

Assumptions to begin with before interpreting scripture:

  1. A = A Law of non-contradiction. There are no flaming snowflakes.
  2. There is such thing as truth.
  3. There is such thing as sound doctrine and it must be taught and defended.
  4. Any interpretation that makes ANY doctrine possible is not a valid method of interpretation because it contradicts the first three assumptions.

Therefore:

  1. Emotions and feelings don’t tell us what it true – God’s Word Rightly interpreted does
  2. Angels do not tell us what is true – God’s Word Rightly interpreted does
  3. Signs and Wonders don’t tell us what it true – God’s Word Rightly interpreted does
  4. We only listen to teachers and preachers who bring us God’s Word rightly Interpreted.

Biblical Interpretation must be….!

  1. Historical
  2. Grammatical
  3. Theological

Historical

Since the books of the Bible were written at certain times over a 1550-year period of history and at certain places on earth and for various purposes and groups of readers, biblical interpretation must be historical. Accordingly, the exegete must carefully consider the historical circumstances under which each Bible book was written, as well as the historical contents of each book.

Grammatical

Since the books of the Bible were written by men in certain ordinary, human languages, no interpretation of Scripture is to be accepted which does not agree with the established rules of grammar. Here the term grammar is employed in a broad sense, signifying the study of all aspects of language. An interpreter’s primary and chief aim should be to ascertain the meaning of words according to the meaning in actual popular usage. The etymological meaning of a word may or may not have been retained in popular usage.

Theological

Because the Scripture is of divine origin and is the verbally inspired Word of God, it is wholly without inconsistency of thought or speech, without contradiction, without the slightest error (in the original manuscripts). The Bible is the inscripurated Word of God, and as such presents the truth in ordinary language in all matters of which it treats. The kind of truth the Bible claims for itself is correspondence to reality (the correspondence theory of truth)

The interpreter MUST see to it that his interpretation of the text has CHRIST as its center, teaches HIM, and glorifies HIM as Savior and Lord.

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25 Responses

  1. Amanda says:
    2 January, 2010 at 2:32 pm

    Here is a quiz for you; which best-selling Christian book used 21 different translations to collaborate its views?

    I have purposefully forgotten the title, but the author also delivered that awful ‘Jesus came to give you a Mulligan’ sermon.

    Chris Rosebrough published a doctored book cover that does proclaim the Gospel.

    This brief article is just a quick reference on the very basics of interpretation, if it gains any interest I will post more information.

    Yes!

  2. Amanda says:
    3 January, 2010 at 4:18 am

    Another contribution, this time from the Master, Dr. Stephan Joubert:

    “And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly.” That was Jesus’ words about that remarkable woman who poured a bottle of very expensive perfume over his head at a dinner in Bethany (Mark 14). It was more than a year’s income for the average person in Palestine that she “wasted” on Jesus. But it was exactly the right kind of wasting! It was the right kind of thing to do since Jesus was the Recipient thereof.

    To pour out your life on the Lord, by giving your money, talents, time and energy to Him in an overly generous way, might seem like a useless waste in the eyes of those around you. However, that’s not the case when the Lord is the Recipient. In this festive season, learn from this woman where unnecessary wasting of earthly things is in order. Learn from the Lord’s contemporary heroes who are wasting to perfection in the proper way. Go and practice the art of over-the-top wastefulness in such a way that heaven and earth will start noticing.

    You can join the Lord’s contemporary heroes on tour to Greece, Germany, Oberammergau @ R36 500.

    There you go! Earth has noticed.

  3. Amanda says:
    3 January, 2010 at 2:36 am

    Michael

    Read it and weep:

    Righteousness? Ooh, that’s a wicked freebie! Can I get two please?

    Ever thought of the saving power of Christ as a detergent / washing powder? Oh, come on! It’s in Revelation (7:14). With a little bit of imagination, one could easily imagine the whole process as an advert – how it dissolves all the little dirty cookie-jar sins and roll-in-the-mud stains we’ve had from childhood on. Close up on the fabric – whoops, there it goes! Up, up and away! This is a SUPERpowder!

    So, what now? Guess we can chill! We have received ab-so-lution! In fact, this SUPERpowder is so effective, it might have just dissolved our response-ability.

    Guess again.

    Paul writes in Philippians 3 about absolution – by talking about righteousness. Almost as if it was a court case, and God, the Judge, has to deliver the verdict. And He simply declares us righteous (i.e. we have no sins) because we believe in Christ.

    Guess again.

    Rather, for reasons I have set out in my previous post, Paul thinks that righteousness means

    to know Christ,
    to share in the power of his resurrection and
    to share in his suffering.

    Paul has just upheld Jesus as the ultimate example (Phil 2:5-11) – and he wants to follow Christ’s way even if this means that he, too, must die. In fact, Paul is not saying: “I am free of sin, thanks to what Jesus did for me!” but rather: “I wish I could be like Jesus – and put other people’s needs before my own!” (Phil 2:1-5).

    Paul is not really into chilling on a sofa with his new sparkly white clothes. Or a synagogue, for that matter. He wants to live a life of sacrifice – which means that he needs to put other people’s needs before his own. That is how he will have the right relationship with God.

    OK, so what crappy SUPERpowder is this, then? (If you are affronted by my use of the word “crappy” – well, Paul used it too – in Phil 3:8). Is … Revelation … wrong … or lying? Definitely not. Paul still views Christ’s death (and life) as the way through which we get righteousness. Especially the faithfulness of Christ (3:9). Through Christ’s faithfulness – and his obedience (2:8) – the way has been opened so we can live a life of righteousness – that is, consider other people as more important than ourselves.

    Bottom line: belief in Jesus Christ is not the point at which we receive righteousness, but rather the starting point of a righteous life. Which means, incidentally, daily sacrifice (3:7ff).

    I live in South Africa. We have one of the greatest divides between rich and poor – with reference to money AND power – and many of the rich consider themselves to be Christians (and therefore, of course, absolved of sin and righteous). Why? Because they believe in Jesus and confess Him as Lord. Methinks Paul would hotly disagree with them. Methinks Paul would rather say that if they do not step away from their riches – or help other people with these riches, they would be failing in living a righteous life!

    This was written by Ronald van der Bergh:

    I am busy with a DD (Doctor Divinitatis) degree at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. I’ve already obtained the BTh (Baccalareus Theologiae), MDiv (Magister Divinitatis), MA in Ancient Languages and Cultures, and finished this year with an MTh (Magister Theologiae). Although I am rather busy with my studies, I am also a part-time lecturer in Hebrew, Greek and Ancient Cultures at the University of Pretoria. For all it’s worth, I’m also eligible for ordination in the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa, as well as the Uniting Reformed Church of South Africa.

  4. Deborah (Discerning the World) says:
    3 January, 2010 at 4:42 am

    Amanda

    No way, that is exactly what Rhema Church are going to do. They are going to re-build the church that is going to blow people away with an over the top wastefulness of money. Restaurants, Amphitheatres, top of the world architects will be brought in to build the church. It will be hi-tech, best of everything. why?

    Because the CHURCH will save the world. It all begins with YOU (your money that is) and they are building the Kingdom right here in South Africa.

    So I have NO idea why Stephan Joubert is going to Greece and Germany etc when he can dump his money into Rhema, as THEY have the rights to building God’s Kingdom in RANDBURG.

  5. Yolandi says:
    3 January, 2010 at 3:32 pm

    Amanda I studied at UP and Im still a born again Christian even if it tested my faith. A 19 year old def knows what is right and what is wrong …Therefore I just wanna add people in emerging churches cannot possibly just sit there and not know that something isnt “right”. As for Joubert the Greece tour was planned with Dr Steyn I personally know the Steyn’s. The tour (if its the same one we are talking about) in its self isn’t emerging as far as I know its prob just a nice little holiday at the expense of NG Moreletta and Mosaiek…

    And come on guys people don’t have so much money to give as an offering..Considering some don’t even bother to give a tithe…Ever asked yourself how a small little student church can grow within a few months? Mosaiek cost over 24 mil to build and 90 % of the congregation consists of students. Rhema consists of all types but many people who attend come from rural areas…mmmm…I smell a rat!

  6. Amanda says:
    3 January, 2010 at 7:33 am

    Deborah

    Please. You are confusing the issue. How I am now supposed to discern whom the Lord’s most heroic hero is in his wasting to perfection in the proper way? Unless I learn from a contemporary hero the way to practice the art of over-the-top wastefulness, how will heaven ever notice me?

    Joubert or Rhema? Mmmm. You know what? I will cast my vote for the most over-the-top wastefulness to parents who send their sons to UP to become shepherds and they come back good atheists or Hindus and/or Buddhists and/or socialists and/or Roman Catholics and teachers of Christianity that can say things like:

    Bottom line: belief in Jesus Christ is not the point at which we receive righteousness, but rather the starting point of a righteous life. Which means, incidentally, daily sacrifice (3:7ff).

    Too bad for the criminal on the cross next to Jesus Christ, I guess. But, hey, I am sure Rome is thrilled with the progress of the DRC.

    For Christians only:

    Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it– the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Romans 3:19-28)

  7. Deborah (Discerning the World) says:
    3 January, 2010 at 4:07 pm

    A very very very big rat…

  8. Amanda says:
    4 January, 2010 at 12:12 am

    Yolandi

    Amanda I studied at UP and Im still a born again Christian even if it tested my faith.

    Ouch. Have you read The ‘died-again’ Christian syndrome Its etiology as manifested among fundamentalist students of the Old Testament in South Africa?

    The tour (if its the same one we are talking about) in its self isn’t emerging

    The tour leader is Dr. Stephan Joubert and he is bringing a “new spirituality” into the church:

    Session 3: Being a radical pilgrim and prophet – Stephan Joubert

    No, tour away. I have no problem with that. I am not the one preaching that rich Christians must “distance” themselves from their wealth in order to live a righteous life. Stephan preached that we should give everything, even if it pushes us into the red. My transcription:

    KLIPKERKBYEENKOMSTE
    HEILIGE WEEK
    SPREKER: STEPHAN JOUBERT
    DATUM: 2009-04-07 – DINSDAG

    [min 10:23] Sy [Maria Magdalena] het alles gegee wat sy gehad het. Wat sy kon het sy gedoen. Dit klink half ironies. Sy het baie gedoen. Sy het te veel gegee. Dit is al wat sy kon doen. Sy het tot op die rooi, in die rooilyn in gegee. Niks anders nie as die weduwee wat nou die dag in Luk 21 toe Jesus by die tempel was, wat ook haar laaste
    muntstuk gegee het, gee hierdie vrou al haar geld. Dit is wat Jesus
    bedoel. Sy het twee jaar se geld gegee in een oomblik op Jesus uitgegooi. Wat sy kon het sy gedoen.

    [min 11] Dit is die boodskap van Paasfees dat as jy met Jesus in aanraking kom, dit wat jy kan doen, doen dit.

    [min 11:36] Maar wat jy kan moet jy doen vir Jesus. En jy moet dit doen totdat dit jou in die rooi indruk. Totdat dit jou vat tot by die punt van geen omdraai. Totdat dit jou vat tot op ‘n punt waar jy nooit gedink het jy sal kom.

    [min 12:18] Jesus herinner ons aan hierdie vrou. Miskien is dit die hoogtepunt. Nie Sy groot lering oor die eindtyd nie. Nie Sy groot gelykenis oor die boer en die wingerd nie. Nie Sy gelykenis oor die meisies met die olie in hulle lampe en die wat nie het nie. Miskien nie Sy groot wederkoms gelykenis oor die skape en die bokke nie. Die eenvoudige daad in die binnekring, die vrou wat alles gegee het, wat
    haar lewe gegooi het op Jesus se voete, wat haarself gegee het. Miskien is dit die Evangelie.

    [min 12:53] Miskien is jy en ek blind, miskien, ek definitief. Wat ek partykeer nie verstaan hoekom mense sekere dinge doen nie. Soos die dissipels nie verstaan het hoekom sy dit daai aand gedoen het nie. Dat daar juis in die dwaasheid van die Evangelie wysheid is.

    [min 13:23] Miskien in ‘n mens wat alles het en dan dwase keuse maak om vir veel minder agter Jesus aan te stap. Wat ‘n groot werk het en dit los, of beter beter kanse het in die lewe en dit los om agter Jesus aan te stap. Maak nie saak wat dit ookal is nie, Paasfees, die laaste Dinsdag sê vir jou: ‘Wat jy kon, moet jy doen vir Jesus. Wat dit ookal van jou vra.”

    [min 15:50] ‘n Ruk gelede voordat Jesus in Jerusalem aangekom het, het Hy op ‘n dag daar in Mat 10 vertel dat diegene wat Sy helde is, wat op Sy pad loop, dat die Engele en Hy van hulle kennis neem. Dat hulle name bekend is in die hoogste raadsale van die hemel. Sal dit nie wonderlik wees nie as ons by die Here aankom, dat ons soos ou vriende ontvang sal word. Dat die engele en die Here sal sê: “Ons weet al lankal van jou. Wat jy kon, dit het jy gedoen. Ter herinnering aan jou, swaai ons die deure van die hemelse sale oop< .”

    Did you catch the different Gospel, the legalism and the worksrighteousness? What do you smell now?

  9. Discerning the World says:
    4 January, 2010 at 12:04 am

    Amanda

    >> How I am now supposed to discern whom the Lord’s most heroic hero is in his wasting to perfection in the proper way?

    You know, there are many answers to ONE Single question. Or is that One Single answer to many questions. So I think you need to give your first years money to TD Jakes cos he says that God is doing double-portions this year. If you hit the jackpot you can then split your cash between Stephan Joubert and Ray McCauley. NOW that’s using discernment AND I am very sure heaven will notice. lol Ok I actually can’t guarantee any of this but so I am going to use discernment again and say that maybe we should let Stephan and Ray decide who between the two of them gets your money and can influence God more. You do want a return on your investment surely? lol

  10. Amanda says:
    4 January, 2010 at 12:31 am

    Debs! I can’t get my nofollow links to work! What am I doing wrong?

  11. Deborah (Discerning the World) says:
    4 January, 2010 at 1:58 am

    target=”_blank” 🙂 I fixed it for you.

  12. Deborah (Discerning the World) says:
    4 January, 2010 at 2:03 am

    Then again I’ve always wanted to go to Greece. Hmmm decisions, decisions haha

  13. Amanda says:
    4 January, 2010 at 7:58 am

    give your first years money to TD Jakes cos he says that God is doing double-portions this year.

    That is NOT what Patricia King prophesied. Her lord in the heavenlies told her there is going to be a financial shaking this year. You must align yourself [with whom?] and tithe. She and her husband started with giving 10% and, once they were comfortable with that, they moved to the next 10% and the next! But Rick Warren will not let ANYBODY outgive him. He re-invests, I mean, gives 90% of his earnings to his church. And Stephan is in rhythm with God. These contemporary heroes of God know. They know.

    I am so toast. There is no ways that the doors of the heavenly halls will swing open on account of me and that the angels and God will praise me for doing all that I could. I need Good News, not what I must, should, have to do for God, but what He has done, is doing and will do for me. He died for me, not because I am worthy, but because I am a wretched sinner who does not love God with all of my heart and who does not love my neighbour as myself. I sin daily and I sin much by what I do and what I neglect to do. And that is just on the outside! I deserve to be judged in God’s wrath.

    Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24)

    How strange that the contemporary heroes of God all scream: “Save yourself. Do what I do. I know. I know!” No, thank you. I would rather trust the Word of God:

    For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
    (2 Corinthians 5:21)

    For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person–though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die– but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
    (Romans 5:6-10)

    It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
    (Romans 3:26-28)

    Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you–unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
    (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

    Now that is Good News! It is not up to me! Praise God!

    So why do Christians tolerate this un-Christian works righteousness proclamations?

  14. Michael Anthony says:
    5 January, 2010 at 12:29 pm

    Amanda,

    Here is a basic overview of hermeneutics.

    http://www.gotquestions.org/Biblical-hermeneutics.html

    Have a look at the related topics on the page.

    I have not listened to this but I trust Walter Martin (the real bible answer man). I see some mp3s on hermeneutics – should be good

    http://www.gotquestions.org/Biblical-hermeneutics.html

    Now…this is probably the best stuff – Chuck Missler, but you have to pay.

    Now look at this

    http://www.theword.gr/en

    You can download the free-of-charge Bible study application

    Further free modules for it can be downloaded from:

    The software includes the Bible in many languages, commentaries, maps,charts, dictionaries and much more…The Calvary Chapel group have given a fair input to it as well.

  15. Michael Anthony says:
    5 January, 2010 at 12:38 pm

    Amanda, et al

    http://www.theword.gr/index.php?

    Or just

    http://www.theword.gr/en

    You can download the free-of-charge Bible study application. Further free modules for it can be downloaded from:

    The software includes the Bible in many languages, commentaries, maps, charts, dictionaries and much more…The Calvary Chapel group have given a fair input to it as well. It’s well worth a look.

    I have not listened to this yet but trust Dr Walter Martin (the real bible answer man). Have a look at the mp3s on hermeneutics.

    http://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2006/12/08/walter-martin-mp3/

  16. Amanda says:
    6 January, 2010 at 12:24 am

    Michael

    I see some mp3s on hermeneutics – should be good

    It is! Listening to it now. Thank you!

    I am using an old version of e-Sword. I don’t think my computer can handle anything grander than that.

  17. Michael Anthony says:
    26 January, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    Amazing how the post-modernists and emergents never commnent on an article about rightly interpreting scripture. They can only exegete an article I wrote about a topic of a topic about scripture.

  18. Linda says:
    6 April, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    Exactly WHERE in the Bible does it say that the Bible is the ONLY authority for truth and doctrine? Since there was NO written word for over three hundred years, and yet thousands of Christians were baptized, loved Jesus, and died horrific martyrs’ deaths, how could that be possible if no Bible existed then?

    Did Jesus ever tell the Apostles to write down anything, or did He tell Peter that He would build His CHURCH on Peter’s confession?

    Did St. Paul not say to hold fast to “tradition, both written and oral?”

  19. Deborah (Discerning the World) says:
    6 April, 2010 at 3:53 pm

    Linda

    Exactly WHERE in the Bible does it say that the Bible is the ONLY authority for truth and doctrine? Since there was NO written word for over three hundred years, and yet thousands of Christians were baptized, loved Jesus, and died horrific martyrs’ deaths, how could that be possible if no Bible existed then?

    Did Jesus ever tell the Apostles to write down anything, or did He tell Peter that He would build His CHURCH on Peter’s confession?

    Did St. Paul not say to hold fast to “tradition, both written and oral?”

    Linda, um… ok, so tell me, what else do you read that you consider to be ‘Godly’? Or don’t you read at all because if the bible is not truth then nothing is.

  20. Elmarie A says:
    6 April, 2010 at 5:31 pm

    Linda

    Remember when Jesus left the earth, He said he would leave the Holy Spirit (Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) for his apostels and us. So all the teachings of the apostels was by and trough the Holy Spirit which filled them before the Word was written. They did not need written word then while they where preaching the Gospel. Can you imagine how wonderfull that must have been to be an apostel of Jesus in those times. It brings tears to my eyes, the privilage was way beyond what we can comprehend. Now in these times we can only rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us the way of the narrow path.

    John 15:26
    But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me.

    Some Bible verses that I pray could assist you here.

    Titus 1:9
    He must hold fast to the sure and trustworthy Word of God as he was taught it, so that he may be able both to give stimulating instruction and encouragement in sound (wholesome) doctrine and to refute and convict those who contradict and oppose it [showing the wayward their error].

    Acts 5:20
    Go, take your stand in the temple courts and declare to the people the whole doctrine concerning this Life (the eternal life which Christ revealed).

    Luke 1:4
    [My purpose is] that you may know the full truth and understand with certainty and security against error the accounts (histories) and doctrines of the faith of which you have been informed and in which you have been orally instructed.

    Luke 1:2
    Exactly as they were handed down to us by those who from the [ official] beginning [of Jesus’ ministry] were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word [that is, of the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God],

    Proverbs 4:2
    For I give you good doctrine [what is to be received]; do not forsake my teaching.

    Matthew 15:9
    Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men.

    Linda this is a very important verse to tell us how to use the scripture and why we have the Word of God the Bible. This is truly the only way we can live by and no other. We cannot depend on any teacher or preacher any more, the world have become to apostate and there are way too many false teachers out there. We must only depend on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God the Bible.

    2 Timothy 3:16
    Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

    I truly hope this could help you somehow.
    God bless and love

  21. Robbie says:
    6 April, 2010 at 5:40 pm

    “In the beginning was the WORD, And the Word was with God, And the Word was God….”
    Ye shall have NO other Gods!

    That was an easy one Linda.

    And a couple like this one….
    1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

  22. Elmarie A says:
    6 April, 2010 at 5:46 pm

    Linda

    Did St. Paul not say to hold fast to “tradition, both written and oral?”

    Here is a good link to read.

    Question: “What is Pauline Christianity?”

    Answer: Pauline Christianity is a term applied to what some perceive as the religious teaching unique to Paul’s writings and distinct from the gospel of Jesus. That is, Jesus taught one thing, and Paul taught something completely different. Those who believe in a separate Pauline Christianity believe that the Christianity of today has little to do with Jesus’ teachings; rather, it is the product of Paul’s corruption of those teachings.

    Any time a skeptic finds a “disagreeable” doctrine in the Bible, he is likely to say, “That passage has been corrupted,” or, “Paul wrote that, and we know he was a liar.” Where the Gospels teach a “Pauline” doctrine, such as Jesus’ atonement for sin in John 1:29, the skeptic dismisses it as “inserted by devotees of Paul.” In reality, the skeptic’s only basis for such a selective approach to Scripture is a personal bias against the idea of Jesus’ atonement.

    READ FURTHER HERE PLEASE. http://www.gotquestions.org/Pauline-Christianity.html

    Blessings and love

  23. Deborah (Discerning the World) says:
    7 April, 2010 at 8:50 am

    To explain Linda’s comment above, to understand Linda you will clearly see that she is Roman Catholic based on her comment here: http://www.discerningtheworld.com/2010/03/25/vatican-ii-and-the-new-evangelization-world-wide-take-over/#comment-6325

  24. Deborah (Discerning the World) says:
    7 April, 2010 at 9:26 am

    Elmarie

    >> Pauline Christianity is a term applied to what some perceive as the religious teaching unique to Paul’s writings and distinct from the gospel of Jesus. That is, Jesus taught one thing, and Paul taught something completely different. Those who believe in a separate Pauline Christianity believe that the Christianity of today has little to do with Jesus’ teachings; rather, it is the product of Paul’s corruption of those teachings

    And you know what? This is based on serpent seed teaching. They believe Paul was of the serpent seed line and a deceiver. So the bible is no longer the truth as per this demonic doctrine.

  25. metal says:
    9 September, 2010 at 5:41 pm

    Genesis 34.1-29.
    1. Samuel 18:14-29.
    2 Samuel 12:11.
    2. Samuel 13:11.
    Numery 31:15,17,18., Matth.1:1., Matth.5:48., Num.31:15., Matth.11:6., Matth.18:6., Lk.3:9.
    Lk.19:27.

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