UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE (2 Peter 3:14-18) Wrong: “How can you understand the Bible unless you know the author personally?” --First Baptist Church, Elk City, 1995 Right: “How can you know the author personally unless you understand the Bible?” --Earl D. Reed 1/04/1996 (John 5:39) “Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life: and these are they which bear witness of me.”
1. WHO IS SPEAKING/WRITING?
A. Bible not ONLY records God’s word, but also man’s and even Satan’s ---- Job’s wife (Job 2:9) “…curse God and die…” ---- Satan (Genesis 3) (Matthew 4)
B. Cannot “Mix & Match” Scripture ---- What if THESE verses were put together… (Matthew 27:5) “And Judas went out and hanged himself” (Luke 10:37) “Go thou and do likewise” (John 13:27) “And what thou doest, do quickly” ---- We must follow CONTEXT of verses (i.e. what comes before and after) Immediate context of passage Remote context of entire Bible (cannot pit one verse against another)
2. WHO IS THE INTENDED AUDIENCE?
A. Parts of the Bible were to certain people ---- Noah = (Genesis 6) Build an Ark of gopher wood ---- Israelites = (Exodus 12) Remember the Sabbath day ---- Apostles = (Matthew 10:19) “Be not anxious how or what ye shall speak; For it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak” ---- Evangelists = (2 Timothy 4:2) “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season: Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine”
B. Three Dispensations described in Bible ---- Patriarchal = God dealt directly with Patriarchs (Abraham, Job, etc.) ---- Mosaic = Covenant between God and Israel through Moses ---- Christian = Covenant between God and all of mankind through Christ
C. Meaning of Dispensations to us ---- People “this side of the cross” are NOT under Patriarchal OR Mosaic ---- Christ is SUPERIOR to Moses & Old Testament prophets (Matthew 17:1-5) ---- Old Testament is NOT meaningless (1 Corinthians 10:11) (Romans 15:4) ---- BUT, Old Testament is NOT binding today (Colossians 2:8-17) (Ephesians 2:11-17) ~(Hebrews 7:12) “For the priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the law”. (1) (2)
D. An Illustration: ---- Oklahoma: What law today? ---- When only Indian tribes here, THEIR laws ---- Then Spain and ITS laws ---- Then France and ITS laws ---- Then U.S. and ITS laws (the former laws are NOT binding today)
3. WHAT IS THE DESIGN, OR PURPOSE, OF THE PASSAGE?
A. Some Passages are Narrative (simply recording an event) ---- No Commands to obey ---- Story of Joseph is an example
B. Some Passages foretell events ---- Daniel foretelling the coming of the church (Daniel 2:44) God would set up a new kingdom. ~Beware of false prophets! (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 18:20-22) ---- Isaiah foretelling the coming of Jesus (Isaiah 53)
C. Some Passages are Commands ---- Such as the ten commandments to Israel ---- TODAY: Command to BELIEVE (John 8:24) ” REPENT (Luke 13:3) “ CONFESS CHRIST (Matthew 10:32-33) “ BE BAPTIZED (Mark 16:16)
D. Some Passages are FIGURATIVE and Some are LITERAL ---- Jesus called himself a door, a way, etc. ---- While Baptism represents the Death, Burial, & Resurrection (Romans 6), It is a LITERAL action, in LITERAL water, LITERALLY for the forgiveness of sins (c.f. 1 Peter 3:21)
1. DIRECT COMMANDS
A. (Acts 2:38) (1 Corinthians 16:2) (Hebrews 10:25)
2. APPROVED EXAMPLES
A. Lord’s Supper on First Day of week (Acts 20:7) ---- Paul waited until first day (vs. 6) ---- He was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem (vs. 16), why not a “special” service? ---- Paul knew God’s will; we follow his approved example.
3. NECESSARY INFERENCE/IMPLICATION
A. Necessary (i.e., must follow the known conditions/context) ---- (Acts 8:35-39) Phillip preached “Jesus” and Ethiopian wanted to be baptized ---- Necessary inference = “Preaching Jesus” includes immersion ---- Silence in the scriptures does NOT authorize (Hebrews 7:11-14) (3)
1. THREE Questions * Who is speaking/writing? * Who is the intended audience? * What is the design, or purpose of the passage?
2. THREE Methods of Instruction * Direct Command * Approved Example * Necessary Inference/Implication “Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22)