A great number of people have slowly moved away from the historic positions concerning the nature of the Scriptures. Big or small, deliberate or not, when anyone takes such a step they court disaster in their lives.
That kind of step will result in a loss of mission, loss of evangelistic zeal, theological defection leading to more of an emphasis on the material and temporary rather than the eternal.
This all means simply this: The mind of modern man has convinced himself that his thoughts and ways are better than those of God's Word.
I am interested in what you think and I hope you will respond.
The problem, as you say, is not the Word, but our reasoning of it. Primarily, our reasoning of scripture is founded on theology. Theology is itself the same pride you mention above. This IS the problem, yet it is also the answer. The entire point of the Bible is missed by most people because of fear. Fear dares not challenge authority. Given what we are told our presuppositions should be, we blindly obey and continually hit contradiction and cognitive dissonance.
Let me give you an example: We are told to believe that Jesus IS God, with no others beside. We are told that Adonay Yahweh is the same as Adonai Jesus, the risen Christ. When we pray, "Lord save us," there is no distinction in our mind regarding who we pray to for this salvation. This poses many problems. The names have been washed out of scripture, so when we read LORD in the OT, we assume this is Lord of the NT. When we read God throughout the Bible, we do not realize the difference between God the Father (ELOHIM) and Jesus. If we forget theology and the presuppositions we are told to cling to, we can then simply read what the word actually says.
1 Corinthians 15 - 28 But when God puts everything under Christ’s authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, since God had put everything under the Son’s authority. Then God will be in control of everything.
Is Jesus the Father? Theology Jesus IS God. No, he is the Son of God.
Genesis 1. In the Beginning, ELOHIM! Ruach Elohim over the waters. Genesis 1:26. Let US make man in OUR image. Man and human in Genesis 1 is ALWAYS the name Adam. Did you know this? You didn't, because they did not translate it as it was from the Hebrew. Again, they changed the names on purpose. You must work from this first foundation: the nations ARE deceived. When? In the book of Revelation, where we meet ourselves at the end of the story. We WERE deceived can be implied. By who?
Here again, we are told that Satan is our primary enemy and all evil is due to him. What is the truth?
Genesis 3
3 The snake was more clever than all the wild animals
Yahweh Elohim had made.
If you believe theology, then you must conclude that Lord Jesus made Satan. All is blamed on Satan, but have we stopped to ask the question, "WHY was he made?" For what purpose did Yahweh make Satan, and who is the destroyer of nations named Yahweh? Do you see how your self-righteousness just kicked in? How dare I call the Lord a self-righteous killer, desiring to make war on Heaven. WHAT! Is your heart now pounding, wanting to now cast stones my direction? How dare I say Yahweh will make war on heaven so he can rule from Earth for all eternity. "What" you say. This is not true. Is it?
Isaiah 24
21 On that day
Yahweh will punish heaven’s armies in heaven
and earth’s kings on earth.
22 They’ll be gathered like prisoners in a jail
and locked in prison.
After a long time they’ll be punished.
23 The moon will be embarrassed.
The sun will be ashamed,
because
Yahweh Tsebaoth will rule
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem.
He will be glorious
in the presence of his respected leaders.
Again, presuppositions are founded on theology and not what your fear keeps you from reading. This IS the deception to overcome. Jesus said, "DO NOT FEAR." He also said this:
John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Theology (and Revelation) calls the Snake, that serpent of old, the devil and Satan. You already know who made the Devil. Who is the father of the devil? Who shed the blood of Adam, naked as he was (lacking knowledge of good and evil)? That was Yahweh, taking the rib to divide the image Elohim had created. Theology has not told you this, yet it is right there in the Names of God Bible and in your own Bible if you read and remove your fear of the Accuser / Adversary. This IS what we are to overcome--Judgment.
If you are wanting to know why people are confused and confounded, it is for one reason. We have not overcome our enemy by being clothed in knowledge / Love and peace. Before you crucify me, know the truth.
Yahweh is the ruling mind of Adam. Adam fell. Satan is the accuser, the conscience of Adam. For all of us, we each have this self-righteous adversary and accuser. They shed blood and cause us to continue this practice. We must overcome, just as Jesus did and Just as Yahweh did.
Zachariah 3
3 Then he showed me Joshua, the chief priest, standing in front of the Messenger of
Yahweh. Satan the Accuser was standing at Joshua’s right side to accuse him. 2
Yahweh said to Satan, “I,
Yahweh, silence you, Satan! I,
Yahweh, who has chosen Jerusalem, silence you! Isn’t this man like a burning log snatched from a fire?”
3 Joshua was wearing filthy clothes and was standing in front of the Messenger. 4 The Messenger said to those who were standing in front of him, “Remove Joshua’s filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken your sin away from you, and I will dress you in fine clothing.”
Yahweh silenced Satan, the clothed Joshua / Yeshua the high priest. Just as you must be born again, so must Jesus be fully human. The temple foundation was set in place by Joshua. It was then torn down by Elohim for this verse:
Genesis 9
6 Whoever sheds human blood,
by humans his blood will be shed,
because in his image,
Elohim made humans.
Elohim stated this and not Yahweh. The Father said what would happen if Adam allowed his Self-righteous mind to rule mankind. By this, we are all given the truth in like manner. Satan was made by this selfish animal nature to judge. Did Yahweh Judge? Was Jesus a peacemaker, forgiving enemies? Theology cannot answer this for you. I just did.
You can judge me all you want, but you are giving in to the pride of your enemy. Instead, Overcome with love. War is Yahweh's department against the Satan he made.
This is the problem we face. Read the Word and let it speak the names clearly. By this, you recognize the NAME above all others, including that of Yahweh / Satan. By this truth, you are set free from the accuser.
I do not fear this enemy. Jesus overcame this enemy when telling Satan where to go at his temptation in the desert. It was the same message Yahweh told Satan. Who made Satan? Lord Jesus? No, Yahweh (self-righteousness) made Satan (need for accusation). The fallen mind of the Son of God is raised by the Father, just as Jesus stated. He spoke the word of the Father and not his own. So must we look back and find the words of the Father from scripture. Genesis 1 is the place to start with the Names of God Bible. Deny the pride of theology.