Let The "Word of God" Explain Itself
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Any method of interpretation other than the Scriptural method of interpretation is private interpretation. Concerning the Holy Scriptures, private interpretation is the foundation of all doctrinal conflicts. Instead of allowing the Holy Scriptures to interpret themselves through Scriptural comparisons, many Christians often-times are guilty of subjecting the Holy Scriptures to their human minds for interpretation. Sometimes they make such statements as: "This is what it means to me"; "This is my opinion"; "This is what I get out of it"; or "This is the way I see it". None of these statements really matter. What matters is what God’s Word really means! There are many ways to wrongly divide the "Word of Truth", but there is only one way to rightly divide it. In other words, there are many methods of interpretation that lead to error, but there is only one method of interpretation that leads to truth. The "many methods of interpretation" which lead to error are private interpretations. The "one method of interpretation" which leads to truth is the Scriptural method of interpretation..."comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (I Corinthians 2:13), that is, comparing Scripture with Scripture, or the Word of God with the Word of God. It is not right to say that both "the Scriptural method of interpretation" and "the private methods of interpretation" should be accepted. Concerning this matter, I agree with the Apostle James: "My brethern, these things ought not so to be" (James 3:10). In II Peter 1:20,21 we find these words, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
Every Christian needs to understand that there is only one "Scriptural method of interpretation" of the Word of God. That method is found in 1 Corinthians 2:13, and is the Holy Spirit’s method of interpretation given unto the Church of Jesus Christ. While writing to the Church at Corinth, Paul states in I Corinthians 2:13, "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." Paul was in effect saying to the Corinthian Church, "Brethren, we are speaking some things unto you all, but the things which we are speaking are not derived from man’s wisdom, but from the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. And the method that the Holy Spirit uses to teach us these things is comparing spiritual things with spiritual, that is, comparing Scripture with Scripture, or the Word of God with the Word of God." Some of you may readily ask, "How do you know that the clause ‘comparing spiritual things with spiritual’ means comparing Scripture with Scripture, or the Word of God with the Word of God?" John 6:63 gives us the answer. In John 6:63 Jesus spoke these words, "...the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Here, Jesus himself declared that the very words that He spoke were spirit, or spiritual. Since Jesus is God, the words that He speak can be nothing but the Words of God. From this Scriptural evidence, we must conclude that the clause "comparing spiritual things with spiritual" means comparing Scripture with Scripture, or the Word of God with the Word of God.
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About the Book
Have you ever been reading the Bible and came to a verse or passage of Scripture that you did not understand, and therefore consulted various commentators, only to find out that each commentator gave a different interpretation of that verse or passage of Scripture? Do you recall being left in a state of confusion? This little book is designed to dispel such confusion. This little book is very helpful to Christians and Bible teachers in general. This little book is divided into three basic parts: The danger of Tampering with the "Word of God" Private interpretation Scriptural Interpretation
About the Author
I received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior on Sunday, June 1, 1969. That same day, the indwelling Holy Spirit instilled in my heart to search and to study the entire Bible, and as learned on it, to help other brother and sisters in Christ to learn it also. This is exactly what I have been endeavoring to do, day –in and day –out, year –in and year –out, until this present time. After being saved, I began to server the Lord, as a member of St. peter Primitive Baptist Church of Alcoa, Tennessee. I served as a Sunday School teacher for grade school children. I continued in this capacity until I moved to Columbus, Ohio in January 1973 to study Electronics Technology at Ohio Institute of Technology. In the spring of 1974, I became a member of Twelfth Avenue Baptist Church of Columbus Ohio. I served as Sunday School teach of the adolescent class. I continued in this capacity until I returned home in September of 1975. After returning home to Alcoa, Tennessee, I began serving once again at St. Peter Primitive Baptist Church. This time I served as Sunday School Superintendent until I moved to Dallas, Texas in July of 1980. In May of 1981, I began to serve at Pilgrim’s Home Primitive Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. I was appointed Sunday School Teacher of the Adult Class. I continued to serve in this office until I returned home to Alcoa, Tennessee in November 1991. In November of 1991, I began to attend New Hope Missionary Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, and became a member during February of 1992. in September of 1997, Reverend Jesse Gilbert, an associate minister at Mount View Missionary Baptist Church, began preaching ministry at Mount View Missionary Baptist Church in Middlesbarough, Kentucky. He invited me to come along and help him with his ministry. The following Spring of 1998 Reverend Gilbert became the Pastor. I am presently serving with him in the offices of Sunday School Superintendent and adult class Sunday School teacher.