How To Understand The Scriptures

Great! Another thing is just ask God before you dig into the Word, "Lord, what do You want to say to me?" For my own devotions, I spend time in worship, sometimes I worship with piano or just listen to worship music, I journal, I pray, etc.

I'm excited for you! Let me know if you need anything :)


thank you.
 
Thanks. I downloaded a study bible. And Strong's. Is the JFB commentary good? I have that too.
I don't know the JFB commentary, which is not surpriing since I don't use a commentary.
Why?
Because all I'd be reading is someone else opinion and since commentaries can vary, they can't all be right can they? And if they all agreed then there would be no need for a whole bookshelf full of them.
 
I don't know the JFB commentary, which is not surpriing since I don't use a commentary.
Why?
Because all I'd be reading is someone else opinion and since commentaries can vary, they can't all be right can they? And if they all agreed then there would be no need for a whole bookshelf full of them.


Interesting brother. I like the jfb, so far.
 
Interesting brother. I like the jfb, so far.
Yes fine, I wasn't exactly advocating that you discard it, just putting my opinion out there for consideration and/or dismissal.
My late father was very put off by conflicting commentary in his youth. He was going to study theology (his dad was an ex-minister)
but found that there was too much conflict of ideas. So he gave up his studies. I sure wouldn't want that sort of disillusionment for anybody.
My problem with commentaries is that all too often the commentator uses one specific version and that version might lead people off on the wrong track.
By way of example, consider . The Niv reads: “Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds;
you said, ‘I will not serve you!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute.

whereas the Niv and many other read:
. "For long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; but you said, 'I will not serve.' Yes, on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down like a whore.

So the problem here is not the wording prostitute versus whore, it is who broke the egg?:)
If "you" (Niv) broke the yoke, then either they freed themselves from Egypt or the freed themselves from bondage to the Lord.
If "I" (Esv) then clearly The Lord set the Israelites free from Egypt, but they being a stiffnecked lot refused to serve Him with honor and integrity.
In this instance a commentator can not really claim a difference in manuscripts because both versions are based on the Masoretic texts.
A study of the context will favor the Esv.

My best advice if you can accept it is get to know the Lord on a personal level and rather than ask Him to reveal what a particular verse is saying to you, ask what that verse is saying..period. Personal revelation can and does take place sometimes, (I read your info page..nice :)) but the Bible just says what the Bible says. Scripture is not for personal interpretation.
Beyond that I'd recommend that you might investigate the availability of a correspondence course in theology at a certificate level would do
Go for a reputable main stream college/seminary rather than one who has a particular barrow to push.
 
Yes fine, I wasn't exactly advocating that you discard it, just putting my opinion out there for consideration and/or dismissal.
My late father was very put off by conflicting commentary in his youth. He was going to study theology (his dad was an ex-minister)
but found that there was too much conflict of ideas. So he gave up his studies. I sure wouldn't want that sort of disillusionment for anybody.
My problem with commentaries is that all too often the commentator uses one specific version and that version might lead people off on the wrong track.
By way of example, consider . The Niv reads: “Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds;
you said, ‘I will not serve you!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute.

whereas the Niv and many other read:
. "For long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; but you said, 'I will not serve.' Yes, on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down like a whore.

So the problem here is not the wording prostitute versus whore, it is who broke the egg?:)
If "you" (Niv) broke the yoke, then either they freed themselves from Egypt or the freed themselves from bondage to the Lord.
If "I" (Esv) then clearly The Lord set the Israelites free from Egypt, but they being a stiffnecked lot refused to serve Him with honor and integrity.
In this instance a commentator can not really claim a difference in manuscripts because both versions are based on the Masoretic texts.
A study of the context will favor the Esv.

My best advice if you can accept it is get to know the Lord on a personal level and rather than ask Him to reveal what a particular verse is saying to you, ask what that verse is saying..period. Personal revelation can and does take place sometimes, (I read your info page..nice :)) but the Bible just says what the Bible says. Scripture is not for personal interpretation.
Beyond that I'd recommend that you might investigate the availability of a correspondence course in theology at a certificate level would do
Go for a reputable main stream college/seminary rather than one who has a particular barrow to push.


Thanks. Great advice.
 
Boy what a dummy I can be!!
The passage I was referring to up yonder is Jeremiah 2:20....can't believe I omitted that.:(
 
Oh, no I don't know. I for one can't handle having my bible messed up with my notes. I make bad notes. lol
I used to highlight in my Bible and commentaries and well as scribble notes. But the problem became that as I read and highlighted in other bible translations, I had too many highlights and notes spread over too many books. So, I decided to try to leverage technology. I know this doesn't appeal to some, who may favor sticking with one Bible. However, I started with using the Kindle, but wasn't really satisfied and then jumped to OliveTree software, that synchs across all my resources (and devices), so if I am on a particular verse, it shows me which commentaries, dictionaries, outlines or maps are available for further study. I can then make notes and highlight by categories or topics that I set up. Anyway, sometimes it slows me way up because I research so deep, that I don't make as much progress through the Bible. I have organized footnoted excerpts on a website I established, so I can get to my notes quicker on a website I named Swordnotes (www.swordnotes.com). Anyway, leveraging tools in studying the Word is not for everyone, but it works for me and sorry I strayed a little off topic with study tools.
 
I think I have said this here before, but I will say it again. I have learned a secret to learning Wisdom and understanding from the Lord, and I learned this when I was very very young. I learned that if I would lift my voice and cry loud and long enough I could pretty much get anything I wanted!!! This kind of desire, and motivation must be had by every Christian if he/she really wants to understand God and His Word.

Pro 2:3= Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
Pro 2:4= If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Pro 2:5= Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
Pro 2:6= For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh and understanding.

Do you still remember how to cry?

To really know someone, you have to talk to them as you would anyone. Before we can understand the Word of God we must know the author, and only then will we be able understand his word, because he is the only one who can tell us what he meant when he spoke it.
The Father speaks to us, and then he confirms what he said to us in His Word, and then the Holy Spirit bears witness to the truth.

This is the only way to know truth. Any other way is just speculation and guess work on our part.

I feel the need to speak a bit on "crying" after knowledge. You DON'T have to be in tears, literally crying. But you do have to be at a point where there is NOTHING that you desire more. The point where you are literally begging God for understanding, and wanting that more than your next breath or your next meal.

You must need it more than anything, like a person who is starving for food and will die without a small ration. At this point, at this point when you are begging God to know and understand HIM because without HIM you feel as if you will die....

This is the point is when you will find HIM - and he will be talking to you in the way you will understand best.
 
Hi everyone. So, I want to study and understand the bible. What are some tips that will help me get the right interpretation?
There're so many disagreement over what scripture says, how does one find the truth?

Thanks.


I teach the uncut word of God according to the Prophets (Old Testament) and Apostles (New Testament). I observe the Lord’s Sabbath Day, the Lord’s Feast Days (as outlined in Leviticus 23rd chapter), and the Lord’s Dietary Law (as outlined in Leviticus 11th chapter). I teach and observe the Royal Law, which is the Ten Commandments.


I also believe in the resurrection and that Jesus is the King of Israel who will rule over the House of Jacob forever. We believe that Jesus is the God of all people and that his house “shall be a house of prayer for all people.” (Isaiah 56:7)


Also its written in Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Fill free to ask any questions
 
I teach the uncut word of God according to the Prophets (Old Testament) and Apostles (New Testament). I observe the Lord’s Sabbath Day, the Lord’s Feast Days (as outlined in Leviticus 23rd chapter), and the Lord’s Dietary Law (as outlined in Leviticus 11th chapter). I teach and observe the Royal Law, which is the Ten Commandments.


I also believe in the resurrection and that Jesus is the King of Israel who will rule over the House of Jacob forever. We believe that Jesus is the God of all people and that his house “shall be a house of prayer for all people.” (Isaiah 56:7)


Also its written in Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Fill free to ask any questions
So do you follow the Karaite teachings?
 
I teach the uncut word of God according to the Prophets (Old Testament) and Apostles (New Testament). I observe the Lord’s Sabbath Day, the Lord’s Feast Days (as outlined in Leviticus 23rd chapter), and the Lord’s Dietary Law (as outlined in Leviticus 11th chapter). I teach and observe the Royal Law, which is the Ten Commandments.


I also believe in the resurrection and that Jesus is the King of Israel who will rule over the House of Jacob forever. We believe that Jesus is the God of all people and that his house “shall be a house of prayer for all people.” (Isaiah 56:7)


Also its written in Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Fill free to ask any questions
Thank you. But are there not certain laws we don't have to follow anymore? Like the Sabbath?
 
As a newbie on this site ….it would probably be wise to take it slow …test the waters, become acclimated to the site and the people and have them get acquainted with me.
… …..well, nobody ever accused me of being wise ….and since this is a subject I have taught many times …and y’all are family, I’m just gunna let er rip. ...and hope that it is of some benefit to Patricia
Two separate posts …the one following this one will be on “Research principles”.
The Quick Start

The following is not designed to teach the Bible, but to show you the scope of the Bible and how…. in the most basic form it is laid out.
Please note: when I speak of the Church I am not referencing a structure. The word Church {ekklēsia} simply means “called of God” or “called out” We …you, me, all those who are born again of God make up the church of the body of Christ …Christ being the Head.

Genesis 3:15 to Revelation 22:21 The basic topic is Jesus Christ.
The Bible is always addressed to one of three groups of people → Jews, Gentiles and/or Church of Christ.
Church of Christ refers to those of us today who have accepted or wish to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. The period of time we now live is the age or administration (dispensation) of Grace. In this age of grace the believers are referred to as the “church of Christ” “body of Christ” “saints” “believers” “followers” “heirs” “of the household” …….etc. The entire Bible is written for our learning ~ but ~ not all is directly written to us, who are in this the Grace administration.


The book of Acts is the fulcrum point between the Old and New Testament. It shows the rise and expansion of the First Century Church (the church of the Body of Christ) It basically gives a synopsis of how the age of Grace (Church of the Body) evolved. As you go through Acts you can see how it correlates with the seven Church epistles.


Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and I & II Thessalonians
These arethe seven Church epistles in the New Testament that are addressed directly to those of us in this age of Grace, the Church of the Body; those of us born again in the body of Christ…in other words …y o u……...with this caveat.
In Romans Chapter 9 through 11 Paul (by revelation) turns his attention towards Israel, and then to the Gentiles in chapter 11.

To simplify matters
Romans, Ephesians and Thessalonians are doctrinal Epistles or right believing, written for the walk of the believers in the Body of Christ.
Corinthians & Philippians are reproof Epistles to show believers where they are off.
Galatians & Colossians are correction Epistles to get the believers back to the right believing of the doctrine.
Thessalonians although a doctrinal epistle deals primarily with the hope of the return of Christ for the church of the body, and touches on Him returning with the church of the body.

I & II Timothy Titus and I will include Philemon {although there is some disagreement with this} are called the Pastoral Epistles. These are written to the Church, but are directed towards leadership within of the Body of Christ.
.
Hebrews is not addressed to the church in the sense that we know the Church established on Pentecost. It is addressed to born again believers, but those who have never walked in the freedom of the new birth……. those who are still zealous for the law.

James
Much like Hebrews was written to the Christian Jews of the dispersion, “the twelve tribes scattered abroad”. Those born again who seemed to want to put themselves under the law.
I & II Peter, I, II & III Johnand Jude also closely align themselves to this category.
The reason so much of this seems applicable to many of us is that we find ourselves not believing the doctrinal Epistles of Romans, Ephesians and Thessalonians and desire to put ourselves under the law.

The four Gospels give the account, of the life and walk of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from four different perspectives.
Matthew as the King
Mark
as the Servant
Luke
as the Man
John as the Son

Although the Gospels are vitally important in our understanding of what Jesus Christ accomplished by his walk, death, resurrection, and ascension, it must be noted that Jesus Christ came to minister to Israel…. the Bride. Israel rejected him and killed their King, the Bridegroom. The church of the Bride (at this time) is held in abeyance ….and picks up again in Revelation.
Perspective– There is much emphasis put on the Gospels, because it was about Jesus Christ and the words of Jesus Christ. I am not devaluing the importance of the gospels, I am just putting it in the perspective that God laid it out. If we believe the Word of God….the Epistles are just as much the words of Christ Jesus Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel (speaking of the Epistles) which was preached of me is not after man. (12)For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
If we do not note the distinction between the two …..the bride of Christ in the gospels which is for our learning (and a different administration) and the body of Christ in the epistles written directly to us… it will cause us much confusion. These two are not the same, not if words mean things…. and if words do not mean things….then what is the point?

The gospels although printed in the New Testament are technically Old Testament, because it is still dealing with the law. Remember that chapters, chapter headings, number verses, punctuation, capitalization and division of OT & NT are man’s doing….although very helpful they are not God breathed.
For myself ….figuratively I would say the Gospels are the cohesive bond of the Bible; they stand alone, being neither in the Old nor the New…… but that is my private interpretation…not God breathed


The Old Testament books→ Genesis through Malachi are divided up into various categories or administrations depending on who you talk to, …..they are for our learning…… not written directly to us. (This is another topic for another time)


Revelations So many people want to talk about Revelation, so I will add this note. The book of Revelation is written about events that will take place after the first part of the parousia (coming of Christ) When He returns for us …the Church.
The only people Revelations is applicable to, is those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior… living or deceased and those all those {believers and unbelievers} prior to Age of Grace. I would suggest you spend your time learning about what is applicable to you, and not be too concerned at this time with Revelation until you have a good grasp on the rest of the Bible …but that is up to you.
 
keys to research:
Following are the keys to biblical that I have worked with for many years. I have done my best to be pure and honest before God in working His matchless Word. Some may not agree and that is fine, I do not stand approved before man. …only God. If I am wrong…. and you can show me I am wrong (from the Word of God) I will thank you in advance, because I want to be right and accurate as a workman who needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
The first key to research is laid out in John16:13a Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he (it) will guide you into all truth.(or one truth)
This verse denotes future tense, because the spirit of truth had not yet come; it was not available until after the day of Pentecost.
The thing about guiding….. it can’t be done without movement on your part; that is where researching the Bible to see how it interprets itself works …you have to move so the spirit can guide.
Truth by its biblical nature is singular - you cannot have two different meanings for one truth. Truth is Not relative, it is absolute…. what was truth yesterday, is truth today and will be truth tomorrow. It is not adaptive to opinions nor is it flexible to feelings ……truth is ……period.
The intrinsic nuance of the word “rightly dividing” (Gr.Orthotomeō)in II Timothy 2:15 is “right cutting of the Word of truth …..all other ways are wrong”.
God exhorts us to rightly divide the Word of Truth ….NOT to interpret. Interpretation spawns divisions (religions) Rightly dividing results in perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment (I Corinthians 1:10b).
The depth of the Word is immeasurable and without the spirit of truth to guide you into all truth, it is very easy to stray off course. We must always remember the Bible must fit together without contradiction or errors. If what we have surmised from the Bible is contradictory to the written Word at any one point, we change our thinking to fit the Word; we don’t adapt our experiences or conclusions and elevate them above what God has inspired holy men of God to write. This does not mean we make the Word fit, we see how it fits, with our attestation being “no contradictions.”

Researching the Word of God

Get to whom it is written correct

The Bible is written to one of three groups of people Jews, Gentiles or Church of God.

1.) In the verse

a.) 80% of the bible interprets itself in the verse where it is written.
b.) Words in the verse must be interpreted according to the meaning of the words at the time of usage
c.) Difficult verses must be understood in light of clear verses relating to the same subject
d.) Any one verse must always be in harmony with scripture relating to the identical subject
e.) One scripture may not tell all the details; other scripture may add to it without contradicting each other. Scripture build up {especially in the Gospels} helps to illuminate the complete message.

2.) In the context

a.) If the Word does not interpret itself the verse, context will determine the meaning of the verse or verses in question.
b.) Context as related to whom it is written or the specific subject can be determined by either the immediate context, or remoter context.
c.) The context relating to the same or similar subject must be kept within the administrative boundaries. You cannot correlate in part or in whole the same subject from two separate dispensations unless they relate directly and identically (i.e.) mixing the Gospels subjects with Epistles subjects.


3.) Previous usage

When you have a word that neither the verse nor the context determines its interpretation, going back to the first usage of that word will generally illuminate its meaning. Checking the first use of that word (with a concordance) in the verse should determine its meaning; the meaning will remain the same throughout….unless God applies a new meaning to it later.

Other considerations


Little words with big meanings prepositions and conjunctions are especially important when directing the flow of thought in context.

a.) The use of the article “the” must be carefully noted especially when dealing with the subject of holy spirit
b.) The word all is used just as it is used today, context will determine its meaning, whether it is all without exception, or all with distinction.
c.) The use of but and not must be recognized for the degree of contrast or negation they signify in a passage


Time words must be carefully noted in regard to whether an event occurs in the past present or future.

Customs and cultures
The bible is riddled with references to the everyday life and customs of the time in which it was written. We should become familiar with the manner of life, idioms, orientalisms, customs and culture to properly understand scripture. There are many books available on this.

Figures of Speech
There are 219 figures of speech known in the world 214 of them are used in the Bible. It is not imperative to know these, but helpful in research and study. The book I use for this is called “Figures of Speech” by E. W. Bullinger who has documented all 214 with scriptural reference, which makes it easy to look up.
 
Thank you. But are there not certain laws we don't have to follow anymore? Like the Sabbath?


I agree there are certains laws we don't have to follow, buts its not the sabbath! You see, in the Council of Trent (1545 A.D.), the church leaders ruled that "tradition" is of as great authority as the Bible! They believed that God had given them the authority to change the Bible any way they pleased. By "tradition" they meant human teachings.

The sun was the main god of the heathen even back as far as ancient Babylon. Since they worshiped the sun on Sunday, the compromising church leaders could see that if they changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, it would accomplish several things. Number one - it would separate them from the Jews who were hated by many of the Romans and who, along with Jesus, (Luke 4:16), had been worshiping on Saturday from the beginning (and still do today). Number two - it would make it much easier for the pagans to come into the church if the Christians met on the same day that the pagan world did.

It worked well. Pagans flocked in by the thousands. Satan's plan of compromise was doing its baleful work. The change was attempted gradually but many of the true hearted, loyal Christians were alarmed. They came to the leaders and wanted to know why they had dared tamper with the law of Almighty God! The church leaders knew this would happen - and they had an answer ready. It's a masterpiece. If a person doesn't know the bible well it sounds good.

The people were told that they were worshiping on Sunday now because Jesus rose from the dead on that day.

There's not even one verse in the Bible that tells us to do this, but that's what they were told. Isn't it amazing! Maybe you've even heard that yourself!

When Emperor Constantine became a Christian, Christianity became the state religion you remember. As thousands of sun-worshipers flocked into the church, it wasn't long before they had a dominating influence. Most of his top officials had been sun-worshipers. Because the Roman government was getting shaky, Constantine consulted with his aides and with the church officials in Rome.

"What shall we do? How can we unite and stabilize the government?"

The counsel of the church leaders was timely.

"Pass a Sunday law. Force everyone to cease work and honor Sunday."

That was it! It would satisfy the sun-worshiping pagans, and unite pagans, Christians, and the Roman empire as never before.

The year is 321 A.D. Constantine, yielding to the suggestion of church leaders passes the first Sunday law! Here it is, straight out of the record:

"Let all the judges and town people, and the occupation of all trades rest on the venerable day of the sun" Edict of March 7, 321 A.D. Corpus Juris Civilis Cod., lib. 3, tit. 12, Lex. 3.


The Christians who would not compromise and dishonor God found themselves in a dilemma. Satan had worked things around so that you were forced to honor the pagan "day of the sun" or pay the penalty. Even after the Emperor's Sunday law, many Christians continued to honor and keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath that their Saviour had kept. God knew what was going on and had predicted that the man of sin would "think to change times and laws." Satan was about to pull off a world-wide hoax.

Bibles were forbidden by the priests. As the years went by, the new generations (without Bibles) would forget all about the Sabbath of the Lord.

Not only that - from time to time, great church councils were held. In nearly every one, the Sabbath which God had given as a memorial of His creation of the world was pressed down and Sunday was exalted. The pagan festival finally came to be regarded as the "Lord's day" (by Pope Sylvester, 314-337 A.D.) and the church leaders pronounced the Bible Sabbath a relic of the Jews, and those who honored it, in obedience to the fourth commandment of God, were pronounced to be "accursed."

To rip out the commandment right in the center, put in Sun- day worship as a counterfeit, take the Bibles away, and command the whole world to accept it - this was the king of all swindles!

Keep in mind that our God is kind and fair. Those who are keeping Sunday and breaking God's fourth commandment ignorantly are not under condemnation. It's only those who know what God commands and willfully disobey who are committing sin. God's enemy knows that to break one of God's commandments is a sin which hurts our Saviour and robs us of eternal life with Him if not repented of.

Satan laid this plot so deep that even many ministers are not aware of it. Many religious leaders are putting forth desperate efforts to keep the facts on this subject away from the people. Shocking but true, many ministers have not learned at school anything different than their teachers have learned before them. Then they teach their congregations what they learned from their teachers. It is perpetuated for generations. This is why even your own parents or grandparents may not have understood what God's word teaches about His seventh-day Sabbath. But when people honestly study the Bible for themselves - their eyes are opened. Many people take the preacher's word and just don't study God's word for themselves.

The Biblical Sabbath, however, is and has always been on the seventh day of the week, or Saturday. Despite the prevalence of Sunday worship in Christendom, we must look to the Bible as our authority and keep the seventh day Sabbath ordained by God. Now go into your history books and prove me wrong, I challenge you to do so.

So sisters and brothers read your bible for yourself and pray for understanding. Don’t let some unlearned or false preacher deceive you. The Sabbath of the Lord has, and will always be the seventh day of the week (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) and has not been changed.
 
As a newbie on this site ….it would probably be wise to take it slow …test the waters, become acclimated to the site and the people and have them get acquainted with me.
… …..well, nobody ever accused me of being wise ….and since this is a subject I have taught many times …and y’all are family, I’m just gunna let er rip. ...and hope that it is of some benefit to Patricia
Two separate posts …the one following this one will be on “Research principles”.
The Quick Start

The following is not designed to teach the Bible, but to show you the scope of the Bible and how…. in the most basic form it is laid out.
Please note: when I speak of the Church I am not referencing a structure. The word Church {ekklēsia} simply means “called of God” or “called out” We …you, me, all those who are born again of God make up the church of the body of Christ …Christ being the Head.

Genesis 3:15 to Revelation 22:21 The basic topic is Jesus Christ.
The Bible is always addressed to one of three groups of people → Jews, Gentiles and/or Church of Christ.
Church of Christ refers to those of us today who have accepted or wish to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. The period of time we now live is the age or administration (dispensation) of Grace. In this age of grace the believers are referred to as the “church of Christ” “body of Christ” “saints” “believers” “followers” “heirs” “of the household” …….etc. The entire Bible is written for our learning ~ but ~ not all is directly written to us, who are in this the Grace administration.


The book of Acts is the fulcrum point between the Old and New Testament. It shows the rise and expansion of the First Century Church (the church of the Body of Christ) It basically gives a synopsis of how the age of Grace (Church of the Body) evolved. As you go through Acts you can see how it correlates with the seven Church epistles.


Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and I & II Thessalonians
These arethe seven Church epistles in the New Testament that are addressed directly to those of us in this age of Grace, the Church of the Body; those of us born again in the body of Christ…in other words …y o u……...with this caveat.
In Romans Chapter 9 through 11 Paul (by revelation) turns his attention towards Israel, and then to the Gentiles in chapter 11.

To simplify matters
Romans, Ephesians and Thessalonians are doctrinal Epistles or right believing, written for the walk of the believers in the Body of Christ.
Corinthians & Philippians are reproof Epistles to show believers where they are off.
Galatians & Colossians are correction Epistles to get the believers back to the right believing of the doctrine.
Thessalonians although a doctrinal epistle deals primarily with the hope of the return of Christ for the church of the body, and touches on Him returning with the church of the body.

I & II Timothy Titus and I will include Philemon {although there is some disagreement with this} are called the Pastoral Epistles. These are written to the Church, but are directed towards leadership within of the Body of Christ.
.
Hebrews is not addressed to the church in the sense that we know the Church established on Pentecost. It is addressed to born again believers, but those who have never walked in the freedom of the new birth……. those who are still zealous for the law.

James
Much like Hebrews was written to the Christian Jews of the dispersion, “the twelve tribes scattered abroad”. Those born again who seemed to want to put themselves under the law.
I & II Peter, I, II & III Johnand Jude also closely align themselves to this category.
The reason so much of this seems applicable to many of us is that we find ourselves not believing the doctrinal Epistles of Romans, Ephesians and Thessalonians and desire to put ourselves under the law.

The four Gospels give the account, of the life and walk of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from four different perspectives.
Matthew as the King
Mark
as the Servant
Luke
as the Man
John as the Son

Although the Gospels are vitally important in our understanding of what Jesus Christ accomplished by his walk, death, resurrection, and ascension, it must be noted that Jesus Christ came to minister to Israel…. the Bride. Israel rejected him and killed their King, the Bridegroom. The church of the Bride (at this time) is held in abeyance ….and picks up again in Revelation.
Perspective– There is much emphasis put on the Gospels, because it was about Jesus Christ and the words of Jesus Christ. I am not devaluing the importance of the gospels, I am just putting it in the perspective that God laid it out. If we believe the Word of God….the Epistles are just as much the words of Christ Jesus Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel (speaking of the Epistles) which was preached of me is not after man. (12)For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
If we do not note the distinction between the two …..the bride of Christ in the gospels which is for our learning (and a different administration) and the body of Christ in the epistles written directly to us… it will cause us much confusion. These two are not the same, not if words mean things…. and if words do not mean things….then what is the point?

The gospels although printed in the New Testament are technically Old Testament, because it is still dealing with the law. Remember that chapters, chapter headings, number verses, punctuation, capitalization and division of OT & NT are man’s doing….although very helpful they are not God breathed.
For myself ….figuratively I would say the Gospels are the cohesive bond of the Bible; they stand alone, being neither in the Old nor the New…… but that is my private interpretation…not God breathed


The Old Testament books→ Genesis through Malachi are divided up into various categories or administrations depending on who you talk to, …..they are for our learning…… not written directly to us. (This is another topic for another time)


Revelations So many people want to talk about Revelation, so I will add this note. The book of Revelation is written about events that will take place after the first part of the parousia (coming of Christ) When He returns for us …the Church.
The only people Revelations is applicable to, is those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior… living or deceased and those all those {believers and unbelievers} prior to Age of Grace. I would suggest you spend your time learning about what is applicable to you, and not be too concerned at this time with Revelation until you have a good grasp on the rest of the Bible …but that is up to you.
Thank you. Your advice will be helpful. I never thought about the bible speaking to different groups.
 
I agree there are certains laws we don't have to follow, buts its not the sabbath! You see, in the Council of Trent (1545 A.D.), the church leaders ruled that "tradition" is of as great authority as the Bible! They believed that God had given them the authority to change the Bible any way they pleased. By "tradition" they meant human teachings.

The sun was the main god of the heathen even back as far as ancient Babylon. Since they worshiped the sun on Sunday, the compromising church leaders could see that if they changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, it would accomplish several things. Number one - it would separate them from the Jews who were hated by many of the Romans and who, along with Jesus, (Luke 4:16), had been worshiping on Saturday from the beginning (and still do today). Number two - it would make it much easier for the pagans to come into the church if the Christians met on the same day that the pagan world did.

It worked well. Pagans flocked in by the thousands. Satan's plan of compromise was doing its baleful work. The change was attempted gradually but many of the true hearted, loyal Christians were alarmed. They came to the leaders and wanted to know why they had dared tamper with the law of Almighty God! The church leaders knew this would happen - and they had an answer ready. It's a masterpiece. If a person doesn't know the bible well it sounds good.

The people were told that they were worshiping on Sunday now because Jesus rose from the dead on that day.

There's not even one verse in the Bible that tells us to do this, but that's what they were told. Isn't it amazing! Maybe you've even heard that yourself!

When Emperor Constantine became a Christian, Christianity became the state religion you remember. As thousands of sun-worshipers flocked into the church, it wasn't long before they had a dominating influence. Most of his top officials had been sun-worshipers. Because the Roman government was getting shaky, Constantine consulted with his aides and with the church officials in Rome.

"What shall we do? How can we unite and stabilize the government?"

The counsel of the church leaders was timely.

"Pass a Sunday law. Force everyone to cease work and honor Sunday."

That was it! It would satisfy the sun-worshiping pagans, and unite pagans, Christians, and the Roman empire as never before.

The year is 321 A.D. Constantine, yielding to the suggestion of church leaders passes the first Sunday law! Here it is, straight out of the record:

"Let all the judges and town people, and the occupation of all trades rest on the venerable day of the sun" Edict of March 7, 321 A.D. Corpus Juris Civilis Cod., lib. 3, tit. 12, Lex. 3.


The Christians who would not compromise and dishonor God found themselves in a dilemma. Satan had worked things around so that you were forced to honor the pagan "day of the sun" or pay the penalty. Even after the Emperor's Sunday law, many Christians continued to honor and keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath that their Saviour had kept. God knew what was going on and had predicted that the man of sin would "think to change times and laws." Satan was about to pull off a world-wide hoax.

Bibles were forbidden by the priests. As the years went by, the new generations (without Bibles) would forget all about the Sabbath of the Lord.

Not only that - from time to time, great church councils were held. In nearly every one, the Sabbath which God had given as a memorial of His creation of the world was pressed down and Sunday was exalted. The pagan festival finally came to be regarded as the "Lord's day" (by Pope Sylvester, 314-337 A.D.) and the church leaders pronounced the Bible Sabbath a relic of the Jews, and those who honored it, in obedience to the fourth commandment of God, were pronounced to be "accursed."

To rip out the commandment right in the center, put in Sun- day worship as a counterfeit, take the Bibles away, and command the whole world to accept it - this was the king of all swindles!

Keep in mind that our God is kind and fair. Those who are keeping Sunday and breaking God's fourth commandment ignorantly are not under condemnation. It's only those who know what God commands and willfully disobey who are committing sin. God's enemy knows that to break one of God's commandments is a sin which hurts our Saviour and robs us of eternal life with Him if not repented of.

Satan laid this plot so deep that even many ministers are not aware of it. Many religious leaders are putting forth desperate efforts to keep the facts on this subject away from the people. Shocking but true, many ministers have not learned at school anything different than their teachers have learned before them. Then they teach their congregations what they learned from their teachers. It is perpetuated for generations. This is why even your own parents or grandparents may not have understood what God's word teaches about His seventh-day Sabbath. But when people honestly study the Bible for themselves - their eyes are opened. Many people take the preacher's word and just don't study God's word for themselves.

The Biblical Sabbath, however, is and has always been on the seventh day of the week, or Saturday. Despite the prevalence of Sunday worship in Christendom, we must look to the Bible as our authority and keep the seventh day Sabbath ordained by God. Now go into your history books and prove me wrong, I challenge you to do so.

So sisters and brothers read your bible for yourself and pray for understanding. Don’t let some unlearned or false preacher deceive you. The Sabbath of the Lord has, and will always be the seventh day of the week (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) and has not been changed.
Thank you. I have much to pray and think over.
 
I too am grateful for your very thoughtful and helpful posts.
As to your thoughts on the Sabbath, I perceive inconsistencies which I hope you will assist with. In your first post you shared the fact that the OT was written not Gentiles who live in the dispensation of Grace. In addition , my recollection is that Jesus informed that the Sabbath was made for man. While He never suggested the Sabbath be disregarded, His words seem to indicate something different than those things you explained in your second post. How does one go about reconciling all this?
 
Hi everyone. So, I want to study and understand the bible. What are some tips that will help me get the right interpretation?
There're so many disagreement over what scripture says, how does one find the truth?

Thanks.


Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” - Bruce Lee

You cannot interpret the bible, to do so is to come up with "we are the only ones, and Jesus only died for us and we are the only ones going to heaven" This is how 33.500 denominations came about from interpreting the bible. You never interpret the bible, you let the bible interpret itself.

If I was to give you a coloring book and you opened it up to connect the dots and their was dots 1-100 and you started with your pencil and you connected dot 1 and then dot 2 and then dot 3 and then dot 4 and then dot 5 and then dot 6 and so on and so forth till connecting and reaching the final dot numbered 100, and the image shown in the dots was mickey mouse. Then in comes bill and bill throws out 10 dots because he doesn't like them and draws a picture of Popeye the sailor man, then in comes Steve and Steve throws out dots 20-47 because he thinks dots 20-47 are errors and instead draws Bugs Bunny,

So what do we do and whom do we agree with ? Do we agree with Bill or Steve or do we go with the book and its dots ? Most people would say I'm for Bill and if Bill says something then I'm backing Bill all the way, others say I'm for Steve and I'm backing Steve all the way because Steve is a good guy and I like Steve. Well what about the book and the dots ? Well who cares about the book and its dots I'm from Bill and I'm for Steve. This illustration is a classic example of what is going on in the churches, people throwing out the bible saying this verse is in error and only the verses I like are the true verses, either the bible is the 100 % word of God or it can not be trusted. Remember the bible comes first and it will always over rule Bill, Steve and the rest of them !


1. Don't force religious dogma into passages, let the bible interpret itself

2. Be aware that the bible has connectors all through the bible, examples are (grapes,wine, vines, blood, wrath, cup, wine press, drunk) - revelation 14:19, genesis 49:11, John 18:11,
,Deuteronomy 32:32 , Revelation 19:15, Revelation 16:19, Isaiah 51:22,
Jeremiah 25:15-17, Psalms 75:8, Jeremiah 51:7 etc.

Another one is ( serpent ,dragon, heads, water) Revelation 12:9, psalms 74:13-14, Ezekiel 29:2-3, Isaiah 27:1, Revelation 12:3, revelation 12:9. It should be noted that modern versions get rid of the word dragon, that is why I stick to the KJV.

I watched Steve Gregg on youtube teaching revelation from a bible and he had to constantly refer to the King James because modern translators got rid of the
Apocalyptic literature in modern translations that the apostle John wrote. Just being honest here, I myself own a KJV, ESV, and NKJV.

3. You could buy a wide margin bible which allows you to write notes on the side of the verses for example, I took my pen and beside Genesis 1:2 I drew an arrow and about 20 connecting verses to the side, like I typed up above

4. A highlighter is also a good tool to highlight bible verses that stand out to you, I use a dry highlighter so it doesn't smudge the paper up, I use Sharpie gel Highlighter you can get it out walmart for about $3 and it doesn't bleed through the pages.

5, Bible commentary what I do is pay attention to the bracketed verses. And have my bible close by to look up all the bracketed verses, this has really helped me understand the bible, I also have learned how to leave the man's opinion behind in the book. I can do the same thing with any denomination, most people state "My momma was a baptist, my daddy was a baptist grandpa was a baptist, I'm baptist born and baptist bread and I'll be a baptist till I'm dead. Insert any denomination in there whether it be Pentecostal, Methodist, church of Christ etc. most people only listen to a certain denomination because we have been trained to do so.

However I can listen to independent fundamental baptist preach, southern baptist preach, Pentecostal preach, church of Christ preach, as well as various other denominations and take the knowledge from the sermon while leaving the man's opinion behind. I quoted Bruce Lee up top, because he was one of the first training MMA, he knew that one style was not enough and no one martial arts denomination had total truth and that in a real fight Karate alone wasn't enough or boxing alone wasn't enough so he took from the styles, kicking from karate, finger jabs from wing chun, legs strikes from muay thai, grappling from Judo etc. And all martial arts denominations had worthless techniques one example is Kata which is worthless for fighting so he through Kata out.

6. I use blue letter bible on the internet to look up words, for example if I don't understand a word being used such as "iniquity" I go to blue letter bible and look the word up and it shows me the Hebrew or Greek word and then lexicon below it, I do own a strong's concordance but I find blue letter more quicker and sufficient

7. using a free online dictionary like thefreedictionary or Websters dictionary also pays off for example I once done a word study on 2 Timothy 3;2-5 and started looking up words like boasters, disobedient, heady, traitors etc. and ended up spending 2 hours messing round with it, the dictionary is a great tool, in fact there is a baptist seminary close by me that they have all students buy and bring to class a dictionary to use, and I can see why, it's an invaluable tool

8. Pay attention to things you wouldn't normally pay attention to in the bible, especially the 12 tribes in the old testament. For example most people don't know that Israel split into two nations the southern kingdom and the Northern kingdom, The southern kingdom is called "The House of Judah" which consist of the tribes of Judah, Levi, Benjamin. "The Northern kingdom" is called "The House of Israel" which consists of the other 9 tribes. You will see those words "The House Of Israel" in the new testament, whenever you see either of these houses take a mental note, "The House Of Israel" is used all through the new testament. It should also be noted a Jew does not mean any Hebrew Israelite, a Jew is one who comes from Judah, whether it be from the tribe of Judah or The House Of Judah this is why Paul calls himself a Jew in the new testament because he was a Benjaminite of the House of Judah.

9. Pay close attention to who is speaking and who the audience is
 
Hi everyone. So, I want to study and understand the bible. What are some tips that will help me get the right interpretation?
There're so many disagreement over what scripture says, how does one find the truth?

Thanks.

Read it literally at first. Then when you don't agree with something you can interpret it differently to alleviate any cognitive dissonance that you may experience. Soon you will have a version of Scripture that suits you.
 
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