I have noticed Christians on this forum have different beliefs according to HOW they read the Bible. ie : HOW they determine truth from the scriptures.
I have noticed everything from 100% Spirit/spirit led interpretations to saying only a church can interpret scripture and every thing in between. I believe any ONE way excluding all others will lead to error. Therefore I pose three questions, feel free to answer one or all.
1) How do you read, interpret, glean truth, ie : How do YOU know what the Bible passage really means?
2) What is the correct way to interpret scripture?
3) The Bible is sometimes referred to as "living". What does this mean to you?
If what you say is true then I have a problem with your �church�. Your �church� (the Westboro Baptist church) has picketed Military Funerals and has desecrated the American Flag (amongst just a few outrages).
I don�t understand how your �church� can do that Chuck and call themselves Christian? Unless they are not your �church�? Is it possible Chuck that you misspoke? Maybe you need more �personal� time with The Holy Spirit?
Chuck, when a �church� applies for a 301c Tax Exemption Certificate, it receives just one Certificate (no matter how many �physical� buildings are involved).
For example The Catholic Church in America needs just one Certificate. If�as you say�your �church� is One Church (The Body of Christ)�then why do you need 38,000 different Certificates?
��you begin to know the person more and more, and hear better and better, recognizing His voice more and more.�
You should check out why you sigh so much Chuck�it could be serious.
I don't know anything about the Baptist church you speak of. What I can say is not everyone who is in a church is in the Body of Christ, and yes that includes the Catholic church.
The reason I sigh is because you don't read your Bible, rather you just parrot the Catholic church. *sigh*
*You know when you die and your spirit leaves your body the Catholic church isn't going with you. But if you have the Holy Spirit in you you'll have company on your trip and even a navigator.
I did not find my mind,yet i do know where the glasses are,hahahaha.
Here are some ways of interpreting the Word of GOD.
Remember the Word of GOD has been written into Hebrew,Aramaic and Greek languages.
First we will need a Hebrew and Greek Concordances or Lexicons,even a Bible dictionary.
Interpreting the Bible.........
Posted : 28 May, 2010 08:54 PM
Hello my name is Saint George.
Most Christians have never been taught how to read and meditate upon the word of the Lord.
A good portion of the Church does not even teach Doctrine today,which is important.
Without doctrine,can a believer be thoroughly equipped unto every good work.
2nd Timothy 3:16-17
If the Body of believers is not being taught how to read and understand the "Word"of the Lord;Are we being negligent to be BAPTIZING/IMMERSING the people into or with the names of the Lord.
Matthew 28:18-20
There are at least 7-10 ways to interpret and understand the Word.
1. Read according to the context
2.literal interpretation
3.Spiritually interpret
4.Parables and allegories
5.Hebrew poetry
6.Prophecy
7.Proverbs
8.Types of Christ
9.Symbolism and symbolic interpretation.
10.End times prophecy
All of this is IMPOSSIBLE without the Holy Spirit
1st Corinthians 2.... The whole chapter.
Sometimes we speak about things that we do not understand.
Love builds up,pride puffs up.
I too have the Holy Spirit of the LORD
A good book on Biblical Interpretaion is;
How to understand your Bible
By: T.Norton Sterett
This man was a Christian in INDIA,this book breaks the Scriptures down according to the rules of language.
Remember Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch.
This is just the ramblings from a truck driver.
Agape' and Shalom
St.George
ps:
Remember Teachers do not necessarliy have to be preparing to teach as much as they ARE prepared to teach..
The Lord is not looking for ones abilities as much as to ones availability.
A few simple things we could be asking ourselves while reading Scripture,are.
WHo
What
When
Where
WHy and How.
Remember one of the greates things the Lord did was to teach the people to think.
"It all starts with The Bible�it is from Scripture that Christ Speaks to us. Trying to be a Christian with out The Bible is like trying to fix your car without a manual. The Catholic Church is there to ensure that you do not alter that manual or Misinterpret it."
And if one disagrees with what the Catholic Church interprets to be the "truth" about something... Then what? Your Bible is the living Word, but you can't understand it without the approval of the Catholic Church and Her interpretation?
"As for God answering your petitions, God can do whatever He chooses. If He so chooses that is between God and yourself. The Catholic Church has never kept anyone away from God and She encourages a Personal Relationship with Our Lord."
But not personal enough to ask God to give understanding to Scripture, right? Only the Catholic Church has this 'authority'?
"Christ started His Church simply so that we would not have what we now have (look around this Forum) Christians that have their own interpretation of Scripture and what God wants us to do. Ask yourself this question
��when I have a question about what Scripture says, who do I go to�whom do I trust as having the final say?�
Is it your own personal interpretation or some other person or the Church that was given the Full Interpretation and Complete Deposit of Faith? The Church that Christ called His Bride?"
Personally, I don't trust 'man' for the answer. I pray. I seek God. If it can't or doesn't line up with Scripture, I pray and I seek God some more. I don't believe God is so limited that He can only answer us through a Church, or that we can only understand Him through a Church. What kind of personal relationship with God is that? I do believe that God uses other Believers, Pastors, Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, as a means to confirm what He might be telling me, but God has the final say through His Word, the Scriptures. And I believe He can reveal Himself to those who diligently seek Him.
Once again... the Church that Christ called His Bride is the Body of ALL Believers in Christ. To separate your Church from mine because you believe your Church has the greater authority or holds the "Complete Deposit of Faith" whereas mine doesn't, dismembers the true interpretation of the Body of Christ.
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. -Romans 12:4-5
�What I can say is not everyone who is in a church is in the Body of Christ, and yes that includes the Catholic church.�
So how do you know that you�re in The Body of Christ? I ask this because you say that those Christians in that Baptist church are not in The Body of Christ and therefore not in your church because your church is The Body of Christ. So�what do you suggest so that we can tell if a Christian is in The Body of Christ? Perhaps some kind of mark?
After all�your church is The Body of Christ�yet you say that those Christians are not in your church so that means that they must not be in The Body of Christ. I would even go so far to suggest that I am not in Your (sorry�The) Body of Christ�right�because I am not in your church (which is The Body of Christ, but not every Christian is in it (The Body of Christ).
Again�what would you suggest as a way of knowing whether one is in The Body of Christ?
Saved,
The Catholic Church does not Interpret�The Catholic Church has the correct Interpretation given to Her.
Of course God can give you the correct interpretation�He is God! My POINT AGAIN is when you do have questions who do you go to that you can be assured has the correct interpretation?
So�if you trust God then answer my question about where in The Old Testament you can find the Canon of The New Testament? Where in Scripture does it explicitly speak to the question about �selling your eggs�?
Or �test tube babies� or �invitro fertilization� or�?
You asked, "Again�what would you suggest as a way of knowing whether one is in The Body of Christ?"
I would suggest reading your Bible for a start. I would supply you with some good Bible passages to answer your question if I thought you were being sincere.
Arch, Still got more questions for ya... :winksmile:
"The Catholic Church does not Interpret�The Catholic Church has the correct Interpretation given to Her."
And no other Church has this privilege? God cannot reveal what Scripture says to any other Church but the Catholic Church? Is God that biased? Is the Church outside of the Catholic Church that retarded?
"Of course God can give you the correct interpretation�He is God! My POINT AGAIN is when you do have questions who do you go to that you can be assured has the correct interpretation?"
I answered that upstream, but..
If it can't or doesn't line up with Scripture, if it can't be supported by Scripture, then I pray and I seek God concerning whatever question I have. I trust He will show me in His Word exactly what I need.
"So�if you trust God then answer my question about where in The Old Testament you can find the Canon of The New Testament? Where in Scripture does it explicitly speak to the question about �selling your eggs�?
Or �test tube babies� or �invitro fertilization� or�?"
Does the Word have to speak "explicitly" or specifically to the question of selling eggs, IVF or test tube babies? Can we not find truth of this matter in God's Word without seeing the term "selling your eggs"? How about manipulating the natural process/creation of life? And for profit? Why? Greed? When does life start? When does conception begin for the test tube baby? When the egg is fertilized. So you mess with creation in a test tube [or in most cases nowadays fertilization takes place in a Petri dish] and you start life outside the womb. Many of these test tube babies do not live. In your attempt to create it, you've just destroyed life. What does Scripture say about that?
You don't need specific terms sometimes to find answers to life's questions. My thought is that if you can't find it in Scripture to support something that is controversial like "selling your eggs", then don't do it. You have no Scriptural support that allows it.
