Posted on 01/06/2010 3:32:48 AM PST by Gamecock
The bible teaches that natural man will never be able to understand its truth on his own; for only the Spirit of God, who understands the mind of God, can reveal the truths of God, which are in direct opposition to the wisdom of the world (1 Cor. 2:10-16; cf. Acts 8:30-31). However, when the bible is read or heard, the Spirit works as he chooses, giving understanding and producing faith in many who hear (Jn. 3:4-12; 16:7-14; cf. Acts 16:14). Therefore, it is of great benefit for anyone who so desires to study the bible, knowing that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), and that God gives his wisdom liberally to all men who ask him in faith (James 1:5-6); indeed, no one who hungers and thirsts for God's truth will be turned away, if he cries out to the Savior and applies himself to study the bible, for Jesus has invited us all with these words, “If anyone thirst, let him come unto me and drink” (John 7:37).
For all true believers, who have come to Christ in faith, there is every reason to be confident in studying the bible, for the apostle Paul tells us that “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16); and elsewhere, the apostle John tells us that we all have knowledge, and understand the truth, because the Spirit has given us an anointing so that we might not be deceived by the lies of the enemy (1 Jn. 2:20-27).
For Further Study
Interpretation: Christians Can Understand the Word of God by J.I. Packer
What is theology?
Why is the study of theology important?
Where do we go to learn about theology?
What is the Bible About?
What Makes the Bible Unique?
Ok. Let’s rewind the clock back to, say, the year 1300, when books were handcopied and about as expensive in relative terms as a house is today.
Give me a convincing scenario by which your average illiterate Christian could follow this advice to read and understand the Bible on his own.
It seems a little odd to me that the church Christ founded would depend so heavily on the invention of the printing press which wouldn’t happen for a millenium and a half.
The Bible was read aloud in churches, and even before that, the Hebrew mom's and dad's would recite parts of the Pentatuch and the prophets to thier young'uns - thus, "faith comes by hearing".
I have worked the Bible cover to cover for a number of years, and always read things I have never "seen" before as the Holy Sprit lends new knowledge and insights as He sees fit.
I encourage all to read at least a few verses a day of scripture - be in the Word on a regular basis, that way we are not tossed about on the waves not knowing what to believe, or what to not believe.
But we aren’t talking about illiterate peasants in the 1300s, now are we?
But since you are arguing in the extreme...
When Scripture was penned literacy was much higher and the Torah was available in every Synagogue, and copies of the books of the NT were widely circulated, and no doubt read by members of the Apostolic churches.
Being illiterate does not keep one from Salvation, just like being literate and having a Bile handy doesn’t preclude you from reading and understanding Scripture.
1 Cor 2:9-14
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
While I accept this idea of “the mind of Christ” (very strongly in fact, based on personal experience) I think its more helpful to see people’s deepening faith as a journey. The more you read, the more you experience - in fact, the more you live - the more conformed you become to what God wants of you, which basically is that you should be the most complete “you” that you can be (I have come that you might have life in all its fullness).
Being able to read the Bible is very useful because it accelerates the process, but before the printing presses people still had the bible read to them. People had the bible illustrated to them, stained glass windows in churches for example, and of course there is a very, very strong tradition of having bible stories “acted out” to people (so-called “mystery plays”).
But I concur - there is a strand in modern Christianity that seems to believe the third person of the trinity is not the Holy Spirit but Holy Scripture. Reading the bible is good, but it is not the only way God reveals himself to creation.
Which is what the article plainly states in the first sentence.
“I encourage all to read at least a few verses a day of scripture - be in the Word on a regular basis, that way we are not tossed about on the waves not knowing what to believe, or what to not believe.”
Amen to that! I personally can’t see how any ‘believer’ isn’t in the Word daily.
True. Coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.
Hey Claud,
I hear that your shoes have velcro straps instead of laces. Can you confirm this report?
From Acts 8:
30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31”How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Little someone we Christians like to refer to as the Holy Spirit.
Categorically untrue. But I do have moccasins without anything.
Yes we are LOL
Look, I get that the argument doesn't apply now, with 90+% literacy and Bibles available for free practically. But I'm not talking about now. I'm talking about for 1500 years of Church history where the very idea of laymen personally searching the Scriptures would have been completely ludicrous.
And I think you make my point. People knew of the Scriptures because the texts were read to them and explained to them in church. And yet I so often hear the very silly notion that "Well, I don't need any church or pastor to tell me what's in the Scripture...I can read it on my own!"
Precisely!!!
Philip being filled with the Holy Spirit helped the man understand the bible in the book of Isaiah.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.