Sunday Sermons
Bible Study - Part 1
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This text infers that one should be ashamed of mishandling the text of Scripture or not studying it at all. It also clearly teaches that the Bible can be understood correctly, it can be taught accurately, and thus a true interpretation is not a hopeless quest, but rather is commanded. The expression “accurately handling” means to cut straight, as in road making. “The word of God is to be handled strictly along the lines of its teaching” (Vine p. 192). “The conscientious Christian teacher wants to so present the Word of God that the travelers on the road may get to their destination without becoming lost or taking side-roads to nowhere” (Reese p. 475). This is vitally important, because the Bible can also be mishandled and twisted, which results in condemnation upon the person who so perverts its teaching (2 Peter 3:16). “Let it be said at the outset—and repeated throughout, that the aim of good interpretation is not uniqueness; one is not trying to discover what no one else has ever seen before. Interpretation that aims at, or thrives on, uniqueness can usually be attributed to pride, an attempt to ‘out clever’ the rest of the world)” (How to read the Bible for all its worth, Fee and Stuart, pp. 13-14). In this lesson I want to assist the reader in understanding the Scriptures and avoiding the pitfalls that the unlearned and unstable often fall into when they read the Bible.
Understanding the Old Testament
Paul noted that the Old Testament was written for our learning (Romans 15:4), and he also noted that the covenant that started at Sinai, called the Law of Moses, ended at the cross of Christ (Colossians 2:14-16), a truth that even the Law itself noted(Jeremiah 31:31-34). This means that while homosexuality is still wrong, because it is condemned in the New Testament, a law to which all men are accountable (Mark 16:15; John 12:48; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11), such laws as the food laws in Leviticus are no longer binding, because they are not repeated in the New Testament. In fact, the New Testament reveals that they ended (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:14-15; 1 Timothy 4:1-4). Thus the food laws in the Old Testament were not caused by some sort of scientific ignorance on the part of the Hebrews. They were laws for a specific nation, for a specific purpose, and for a limited period of time. God never reveals the rational behind these laws (Deuteronomy 29:29). One possibility is that “God was teaching the Israelites self-discipline and submission to Him even in the most routine affairs of life” (Smith p. 374). This distinction between the Law between God and Israel in the Old Testament and the New Covenant for all nations explains why God’s people worshiped on the Sabbath prior to the cross, and yet after the cross Christians worshiped on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1). This is not an indication of confusion among the Biblical writers, but the result of having two completely different covenants in the Bible, one succeeded by another.
Narratives not Allegory
A temptation in reading the Old Testament is that of wanting to find a hidden meaning in the various accounts: The truth of the matter is that much of the Old Testament is simply inspired history (2 Timothy 3:16), and not allegories filled with hidden meanings (1 Corinthians 10:1ff; 2 Peter 2:4-9; Matthew 24:37-38). The only additional meaning that we should ever look for is the application that the New Testament at times makes of such accounts (Matthew 12:40; Galatians 4:21ff; Hebrews 7:1-10).
Check other passages
All the information concerning a particular issue is not found in one context or one passage. For example, if people feel that the God of the Bible is pictured as ruthless, cruel, and blood thirsty because He commanded the destruction of the Canaanites(Joshua 7:21), then they need to read all the information leading up to such an action. God had already given these nations 400 years in which to repent (Genesis 15:16), they were thoroughly corrupt, being involved in all sorts of perversions (Leviticus 18). From the standpoint of an all-knowing God they were beyond restoration, except for a few exceptions like Rahab(Deuteronomy 7:4 “For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods”). This last statement has demonstrated its truthfulness time and again in the history of God’s people (Judges 3:1-6; 1 Kings 11:5-8; Nehemiah 13:23-26). Thus the feeling that the removal of the Canaanites was too harsh is exactly that, a human, yet fallible feeling. In contrast, God’s decree has been vindicated by the history of the Jewish race when they failed to carry out this command, “but they will become as thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you” (Judges 2:3). In addition, when you study the Bible you need to keep the big picture in mind, that is, the purpose of man is to serve God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). For example, the flood of Noah would not make any sense if everyone simply goes to heaven regardless of how they live, but that is not the case (2 Corinthians 5:10). In addition, false doctrines, beliefs and practices have a corrupting effect(1 Corinthians 5:6; 15:33; 2 Timothy 3:13). If sin condemns us to hell, and if sin spreads like leaven, then all of the Bible’s judgments upon unrepentant and hardened sinners, in order to preserve the human race, make perfect sense.
Also remember that at times the Old Testament simply records an event without giving any moral statement of approval or condemnation, yet other passages assist us in determining whether what was done was right or wrong. Solomon had many wives, and even in the context of 1 Kings 11 he is rebuked, but he is also condemned by such passages as Deuteronomy 17:17. Abraham lies about Sarah being his wife, and Noah gets drunk after the flood, but the reader is making a mistake if he or she thinks that the Bible is endorsing such behavior, for both lying and drunkenness are condemned in no uncertain terms(Revelation 21:8; Proverbs 20:1). God often permitted or allowed certain things to happen for all mankind to learn a valuable lesson. Some men might think it might be easier in life if they had more than one wife, but the example of Jacob and his problems with Leah and Rachel, or Abraham and his problems with Sarah and Hagar should teach them otherwise. “Narratives record what happened—not necessarily what should have happened or what ought to happen every time. What people do in narratives is not necessarily a good example for us. Frequently, it is just the opposite. We are not always told at the end of a narrative whether what happened was good or bad. We are expected to be able to judge that on the basis of what God has taught us directly and categorically elsewhere in the Scripture” (Fee and Stuart p. 84).
A particular chapter in the Old Testament may not contain all the details for the event that it describes; this should not surprise us (John 21:25; Deuteronomy 29:29). In First Samuel chapter 31 the death of Saul is described (31:3-5). Yet we are given more information about this event in 2 Samuel 1:1-11. We need to be impressed that God treats us like adults and He expects us to put together two sections of Scripture together, that is, He expects us to reason and think. If Saul was truly dead as his armor-bearer observed (31:5), then the story given by the Amalekite must have been a fabrication probably from the motivation to gain favor with David. This is confirmed by the fact that the Amalekite says that Saul was leaning on his spear (2 Samuel 1:6), while the previous account noted that Saul took his own life with his sword (1 Samuel 31:4). The Bible commands us to put some “work” into accurately handling the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15), for the sum of God’s word is truth (Psalm 119:160).
The mistakes of the unlearned
In this section I want to answer some of the criticisms leveled against the Scriptures and demonstrate how just a little bit of study would have prevented such a criticism in the first place:
· Two contradictory accounts of Creation? Genesis 1:1; 2:4-25
Actually Genesis chapter 1 is the creation of the entire universe and man, while chapter two goes back to the sixth day and reveals the precise details about the creation of man, his placement in a garden designed for him, and the creation of Eve.
· Did Adam die on the day he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Genesis 2:17; 3:6; 5:5
Adam actually began to die physically (Genesis 3:19), yet the primarily meaning of the term “die” in these passages is spiritual death, that is, when Adam ate he sinned and was as a result was separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Ephesians 2:1).
· Does God respect anyone? Genesis 4:4
The Lord had regard for Abel’s offering, because it was what He had commanded (Hebrews 11:4; Romans 10:17). God has already told us He will reward the faithful and punish the unfaithful (Romans 2:6-11), and that such will be without “respect of persons”, that is, all men are expected to obey Him, and none are exempt. Obedience is demanded of all nationalities, all races, both genders, the young and the old, the slave and the free, and the rich and the poor. The only path to heaven is one of obedience (Hebrews 5:9), and nothing else counts, such as wealth, fame, power, race, nationality, earthly status, and so on.
· What is the human lifespan? Genesis 6:3
This text is not talking about the human lifespan, rather it is talking about the length of time that man will be given before the flood comes.
· Does God repent? Genesis 6:6-7
God does not need to repent of any sin He has, in this context, the word repent means that God was sorrowful that the human race He created has become so wicked (6:5). If God truly loves mankind (John 3:16), and if we are created in His image, we should not be shocked to find that God is emotionally moved when people either become wicked or when they repent (Luke 15:7). Those who criticize a God who creates man, then sorrows when man uses all his resources and abilities for evil, need to reflect a little bit. Would they rather have Genesis 6:6-7 read that God was apathetic about man’s wickedness and violence towards others? (6:11).
· Has there ever been a just or perfect person? (Genesis 6:9
As most Bible students know, the term “blameless” or “perfect” here does not mean sinless (Romans 3:23; Genesis 9:21), and the text does not use the term sinless. The term “perfect” when used in the Bible does not mean “perfection”, but complete and whole and the idea of blameless often means the type of person who so repents of their sins that they are no longer open to censure.
