Understanding the Bible

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<h1>Understanding the Bible</h1><strong> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Steve-0.aspx'>Steve-0</a></strong><br /><p>The Bible is God's love letter to mankind. It's a type of instructional and spiritual history book. Here are some tips to guide us all in how to gain a greater understanding of the word of God. Before anything else, we must pray for God's guidance and help in all matters whether they be little or great. (2 Chronicles 14:11) Although it's a historical document and can be understood in that perspective, it's also one that's spiritually discerning. "But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) This means that often many Bible truths are only perceived by the aid of the Holy Spirit enlightening the mind and influencing the heart. If you have obeyed Acts 2:38, then you already received the Holy Spirit inside you. Also, you have it if you have received the gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of unknown or other tongues. But if you do not have either of these, then pray to God for His guidance by faith and you will obtain it (Matthew 7:7-8; James 1:5). How can a person discover the truths of God? By searching for them diligently and constantly. "You call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 29:11-14) This agrees with what I have already said. But you must verify whatever a person says, to make sure it matches the Scriptures. "(The Bereans) These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:11) These people received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yes, if thou criest after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding; If thou seek her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding." (Proverbs 2:1- 5) God will give His knowledge to those who call upon His name. Sometimes we have to patiently wait for God before understanding what He has available for us. "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry." (Psalm 40:1) In your patience possess ye your souls. (Luke 21:19). Remain humble under God. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." (James 4:10) Do not become wise in your own eyes or fail to trust Him humbly and completely. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil." (Proverbs 3:5-7) Remember that the truth of God's word is the antidote to error (John 8:31-32). If we are poisoned, the antidote will be useless if it remains in the bottle. We must apply the antidote so it can combat the poison. Likewise, if we do not ingest God’s word daily, we may not be able to combat error in whatever form it comes at us (Proverbs 8:34). It's a certainty that the devil will attack anyone who seeks God, and it usually starts with doubt or fear (Ephesians 6:10-18; Mathew 4:1-11). When studying the Bible, always use common sense and logic. Allow the Bible to interpret itself. Jesus once told a man, "follow me." But he said, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their dead: but go you and preach the kingdom of God." What he meant was for those who were spiritually dead to bury the dead body for themselves, without that man. He was called to preach instead. His excuse was unacceptable to the Lord. John 6:52-68 speaks of Jesus telling His disciples to eat his body (bread) and drink His blood (wine). They thought he was telling them to be carnivores or cannibals. Many walked away from Him on that day. Instead, He was telling them to accept His sacrifice on their behalf, and hold communion in His name. Never would He ask someone to eat another living person in order to gain eternal life. These guys were thinking carnally, and thus an enmity (enemy) of spiritual things. "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." (Romans 8:5-7) Keep it simple. It's good to use a Bible concordance, or an original Webster's Dictionary but nothing fancy is necessary. "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty (craftiness), so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3) Read in context. Words and sentences often have meaning within a broader context. Don't try to force a word or passage to mean something not intended. Look at surrounding passages for understanding. "As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:16) If you do not try the methods already explained out then you too will end up inventing things such as the trinity, salvation by personal works and prayers to saints instead of God. Handle illustrations and idioms wisely. Sometimes writers of God were inspired by Him to use figures of speech, metaphors and other things to illustrate points. Do not make too much of symbols or apply them in ways in which they were not intend. Here's one example of such a thing. "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit." (Proverbs 26:4-5) Solomon is saying do not answer a foolish man according the deception that he's speaking, unless you wish to be in the same sin. But answer his question or respond by using spiritual concepts and correctness to show forth where he was wrong, and reprove or instruct that person. If not, then they will see themselves in a superior light. Often people will use loaded questions or phrases, to catch you even as they attempted catch Christ. "And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was. And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. (Luke 20:1-8) Here Christ completely confounded these false ones by using their own wisdom (or folly) against them. The word of God is light and lamp unto our path. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105) It's to be used for everything that we say or do. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) The Bible should be our final authority. It will be opened on judgment day to see if we have obeyed it. That along with the Lamb's book of life (and possibly others ones as well). "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelations 20:11-15) Finally, the Lord Jesus said that we all must live by each and every single word of God. "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) The traditions of men will mean absolutely nothing in that day. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Colossians 2:6-8) Except no doctrine or teaching that cannot be found in the word of God. "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." (Ephesians 5:6) For if you do, then God will see you as denying His message of truth and light. "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." (2 John 1:10-11) In fact, the Apostle Paul (who also was baptized in Jesus' name in Acts 22:16) said this very same thing around the year of 60 A.D. (almost 2,000 years ago) in Galatians 1:6-10. " I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Never back down or change the message for anybody if you expect to please God. Those who remain unto the end will hear these encouraging words. "Well, done my good and faithful servant" (Luke 19:17). </p><strong>About the Author:</strong><br />Wikipedia, King James Bible, Webster's Dictionary, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance<p> Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Understanding-the-Bible_87905.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Understanding the Bible_87905.aspx</a></p>

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Keywords : servant, pray, humble, good, faithful, instruction, message, lamp, light, doctrine, Holy, Spirit, Jesus, receive, judge, works, Bible, scriptu,

Category : Society : Religion