Applying Scripture (Part III) – What Does it Mean?

Three questions need to be answered when we seek to understand and apply Scripture:

1. What does it say?
2. What does it mean?
3. How does it apply to me?

#2 – What Does it Mean?

One source estimates there are over 4,000 religions, churches, denominations, groups and movements in the world. The Bible has been misquoted, misunderstood, and misinterpreted so often for so long that it’s no surprise many have thrown up their hands in disgust and rejected it completely. That’s one of the main reasons for starting The Church Where You Live.

There are many reasons for so many varying views. Among them are:

• Tradition
• Ignorance
• Fraud
• Control

There are specific pitfalls we should diligently watch for and avoid:

• Taking Scripture Out of Context (the parts of a discourse which precede or follow the quoted passage). Context may include:
  • A Passage – James 2:14, 21 would seem to indicate that we are saved by our works. However, the context reveals that works are a natural outgrowth (and therefore verification) of true faith in Christ.
  • A Book – Ecclesiastes 9:3-5 says the dead are not aware. It also says (many times) that everything is useless and life is pointless (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:11, 2:17, etc.). But the context of Ecclesiastes is ‘Man Under the Sun’, that is, man’s viewpoint on life without God.
  • A Group – to whom the passage is referring to or addressed – Romans chapters 9-11 is misused by many to promote their peculiar views on predestination. In this context, Paul is referring to God’s relationship with the children of Israel.
• Building Doctrine around One Verse – Mark 16:18 (snake handling) is a prime example, as is Isaiah 53:5 (physical healing in the atonement). Acts 16:33 is used by those espousing both baptismal regeneration and infant baptism.
• Ignoring Parts of The Bible – Some do not use the Old Testament. Some read only the Pauline epistles, ignoring the Gospels. Still others limit the Bible’s scope to specific passages, such as pet doctrines on polygamy or speaking in tongues.
• Approaching Scripture With Preconceived Notions – It has been said that ‘No one ever became a Calvinist by reading the Bible’. Calvinism’s premises must be read into Scripture. Another preconception is that the Bible cannot be understood by anyone other than the church hierarchy.

How Do I Find Out?

• The Holy Spirit – (John 14:16-17, 16:12-15). You cannot grow until you are born. I Corinthians 2:10-14 points out the fallacy of teaching Biblical doctrine to the unsaved. They may understand the words. They cannot understand the meaning.
• Preaching (Proclaiming) – Titus 1:3, I Corinthians 1:18, II Timothy 4:2. Preaching is not self-promotion or selling a product. Many famous “preachers” are in reality false teachers.
• Resources:
  • Strong’s Concordance
  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
  • Bible Atlas
  • Bible Commentary
  • Internet Resources
  • Other Christians (Friends, mentors)
  • Etc.

What Should I Watch Out For?

That said, there are dangers in relying too exclusively on these resources:

• Assimilation – The Bible becomes just another reference book, instead of what it is – the Word of God. The Bible is where we go to find out what God has to say to us. Everything else is a distant second.
• Bad Information – Bible Study helps are not inspired. There will be errors present for the simple reason that they were written by humans. Also, God’s Word is timeless; human commentary is not. Portions of older commentaries have been proven incorrect by time. Lastly, some commentaries are built on foundations of preconceived notions (see above).
• Laziness – If we rely on one source too heavily, our theology will naturally begin to look like theirs. This will happen regardless of who it is – John R. Rice, Dave Hunt or Peter Ruckman. Such thinking often results in cult-like behavior, as the foundation shifts from the Bible to man.
• Paralysis by Analysis – Spending too much time in study, and no time in actually living. We’re ‘too heavenly minded to be any earthly good’. Basic Christian conduct becomes foreign (after all, we know better), and Sunday morning finds us paneling our basement instead of assembling with fellow believers.