Part 1 of 24 –
Introduction to “How to Approach the Bible”
The Apostle Paul emphasizes the need for the
Ephesian believers to gain a proper understanding as he
writes of his prayer for them to receive “the spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him (Christ).”
“Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which
he hath purposed in himself” Ephesians
1:9
“I (Paul)… Cease not to
give thanks for you, making mention of you in my
prayers; 17That the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give unto you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him: 18The eyes of
your understanding being enlightened; that
ye may know what is the hope of
his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints, (Eph.1:17, 18).
We have so much more reason to
study the Scriptures now that God's great “eternal purpose…in Christ Jesus” and
God’s secret plan called “the
mystery” has been revealed through the writings of Paul, the Apostle. We can
now understand the Scriptures without contradiction and confusion by making use
of a few simple study tools that we will discuss in this study.
How can we believe what the Bible says unless we
first understand
what it
says? God would have us to understand what we read and believe it
intelligently. A true believer will want to know and understand more and more of
God's Word. One who does not care whether or not he understands what God
has said is not really interested in knowing what God has said at all. His faith
is based upon his own will and preference rather than on God's Word; regardless
of the meaning of Scripture, he will ignore the word or take any passage that
suits his fancy and use it as he wishes. He usually says “What I think is…”
God Himself puts importance upon
understanding His word. On one occasion, when our Lord Jesus saw the
multitudes, He "was moved with compassion
toward them because they were as sheep not having a shepherd:
and He began to
teach them many things" (Mark 6:34).
Personally, my desire is to help bring Christians to a
better understanding of God's eternal intention as we today live under the
dispensation of the pure grace of God. My prayer is that all Christians come to
see how it is that God Himself has made a way for us by giving His Son Christ
Jesus not only for
us, but also to
us, to be our all-sufficient life-supply. These truths, with
the liberty and enjoyment that they bring may only be seen in His written word
as we approach His written word intelligently and receive the light of “the Spirit of Truth.”
I
believe also that we can best enter the doorway to understanding these truths by
applying the critical instruction we receive from the Apostle Paul with regard
to the proper method of study of God’s written word. 2 Timothy
2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (Gk.,
orthotomeo, cutting straight) the
word of truth.
“Rightly dividing” in
Greek is “orthotomeo”; it means to make a "straight cut," which results in
dividing the word into pieces. We must divide the
Bible into its parts if we are to clearly see God’s intention and His
all-sufficient accomplishment by the offering of Christ, without confusion and
without contradiction.
Dividing the word is one thing, but “rightly dividing the word of truth” is
quite another. The phrase “rightly dividing the word of truth” implies
that there must be ways to wrongly divide the written word. Sadly, much of
Christianity travels a path of either no division or wrong division of the word.
Thus, they miss out on God’s intention and the benefits He has made available to
those who see and enjoy the truths put forth in His word. Both the undivided
word and wrongly divided word of God can only lead us to misunderstandings of
God’s intent and His message for “the
church which is His body” today.
There
are in fact God ordained divisions in the Bible that pertain to different times
and different peoples, as to how God deals with them and what is expected of
them. There are three kinds of people mentioned in the Bible – “the Jew, the Gentile” and those who are
of “the church” (1Cor 10:31,) which
is “the Body of Christ.” We can say
that the every word given in Scripture pertains to at least one of these, while
some Scriptures pertain to only one of these three classes of people.
How
can one align themselves with Paul’s instruction to Timothy -
“teach no other doctrine,” unless we first understand
the content and intent and Paul's unique doctrinal message of grace that He
received by direct revelation from the ascended Lord (Gal 1:12), concerning
Christ and His relationship with “the
body of Christ.”
1 Timothy 1:3-4 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went
into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no
other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless
genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly
edifying (building up) which is in faith: so do.
I want
to acknowledge at least some of the many sources for the content of learning
over the last 14 years of my study of “the word rightly divided.” My writing of
course is built upon the understandings that I have gained over these years
through the writings and teachings of many people, as the Lord has enlightened
my path by the grace of His “Spirit of
Truth.” In my writing I have often borrowed information, phrases,
paragraphs, terms, bits, pieces and parts, and thoughts from the writings
and/or verbal sharing of men such as Cornelius Stam, E.W. Bullinger, Charles
Baker, Richard Jordan, Paul Sadler, Ricky Kurth, Russell Miller, Casey
Groeneveld, Robert Brock and others. Yet, I do not ascribe the
understandings that I put forth in my writings as the exact understanding of
these men, since each of us may see certain aspects of the truth in various
shades according to the light we each have received. Nevertheless, the Lord has
used these and many other men to whom the Lord has led me in my seeking to
know Christ “according to the
revelation of the mystery” (Rom 16:25). They have helped open the truth of
His word to me, as gained only studying it “rightly divided,” according
to its ordained dispensations.
Unless
and until we acknowledge and study the word “rightly divided,” we will only have the
scantest and most shallow understanding of Bible truth. Otherwise, we
cannot fully appreciate the greatness of the grace-filled salvation that we now
have and may now enjoy due to the grace we receive in Christ and by the work of
His all-sufficient cross.
My
prayer is that this 24-part study will help some to gain a better perspective of
the import proper study and hermeneutics, (method of interpretation). We
should never play fast and loose with the Scriptures as I myself may have done
over my former years in ignorance. We must always let Scripture interpret
Scripture. God has not been slack in giving us His word as it has been preserved
through these 3,500 years of its writing that began with Moses.
There’s a need for us to be doggedly consistent in our
contextual study of the written word of God as we seek to know “the whole counsel of God,” as Paul, the
Apostle to the Gentiles, wrote of it.
Romans
11:13a For I
(Paul) speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I
am the apostle of the Gentiles…
Acts
20:27-30 For I (Paul) have not
shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. 28
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the church
of
God
, which he hath purchased with his
own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous
wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your
own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples
after them.
Arthur
J. Licursi