A gracEmail reader writes concerning faith and understanding. His comments are in italics; mine are not. * * * Man in his study of Scripture comes to differing conclusions and understandings of the same Scripture. Exactly when does our misunderstanding or misinterpretation become condemning? (a) When it has to do with Jesus? (b) When it has to do with "salvation issues" (of course we don't agree on what "salvation issues" are and the noble answer is, "What God says is salvation" or when there is a "thus saith the Lord"). This is getting at the point, as I see it. One is not condemned for … [Read more...]
FAITH AND UNDERSTANDING (1)
A gracEmail reader writes concerning faith and understanding. His comments are in italics; mine are not. * * * I have been musing over the difference between inspiration and interpretation. We understand and believe that Holy Scripture is God's divine revelation to humanity through the Holy Spirit and human agents. God's greatest revelation is Jesus Christ himself, to whom all of Scripture points, leads, and bears faithful primary witness (John 1:9, 14; 5:39-40; Heb. 1:1-2). We therefore read and study Scripture, not standing alone as a mere book, but in light of Jesus -- his identity, … [Read more...]
APPLYING SCRIPTURE TODAY (2)
A gracEmail subscriber in South Korea asks, "To what degree do we take the Bible literally? You can take most issues and make arguments for both sides using scripture. One example is homosexuality. How do we know what is written from a certain cultural perspective? Another example is women's role in the church. How do I know what still applies to our lives in today's world?" * * * How do we distinguish between what is merely cultural and what is universal? As an example, consider what the Bible says concerning homosexual practices. Scripture clearly forbids non-marital sexual interactivity, … [Read more...]
APPLYING SCRIPTURE TODAY (1)
A gracEmail subscriber in South Korea asks, "To what degree do we take the Bible literally? You can take most issues and make arguments for both sides using scripture. One example is homosexuality. How do we know what is written from a certain cultural perspective? Another example is women's role in the church. How do I know what still applies to our lives in today's world?" * * * Clearly, the Bible was written long ago, in ancient languages, to people and by people whose culture differed greatly from 21st-century western democratic cultures. Most Christians therefore consider culture when … [Read more...]
APPRAISING CHRISTIAN TEACHING
A gracEmail subscriber writes: "I am spiritually confused. If you surf the net, you will virtually see a Holy War between Christians and Christians. [One particular website] contains exposes of most of the better-known Christian teachers both past and present, including established pillars of the faith. I am not sure whom to believe. How do we effectively wade through the sea of information that is out there? How do we know what is doctrinally safe and accurate?" * * * I appreciate your concern and I understand your confusion. Jesus himself said we are to test teachers and that we can do … [Read more...]
THE APOCRYPHA
Several gracEmail readers have asked about the Apocrypha, books found in the Catholic Old Testament but not in most Protestant Bibles. * * * The term "Apocrypha" is a Greek word meaning "hidden (books)," and it usually refers to 13-15 books of Jewish origin, written between about 200 B.C. and A.D. 120. The Palestinian rabbis did not include these books in the Hebrew Bible (which Christians call the "Old Testament"). The Egyptian Jews did include them in the Septuagint, however, which was the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made in Alexandria a century or two before … [Read more...]
JESUS FULFILLS THE OLD TESTAMENT
Someone asks why Matthew selected and arranged his Gospel material as he did, and why we believe that Matthew was written especially for the Jews. * * * Just as the Old Testament begins with five books of Moses (Pentateuch), Matthew structures his Gospel in five sections -- each consisting of a teaching by Jesus (chaps. 5-7, 10, 13, 18, 24-25) followed by a piece of the Gospel story (chapters 8-9, 11-12, 14-17, 19-23, 26-27). Matthew introduces these five sections in chapters 1-4, and he follows them with an epilogue in chapter 28. All five teachings of Jesus concern the Kingdom of God. He … [Read more...]
CHRIST IN THE PSALMS (2)
Psalm 118:22-23 foretells Jesus' rejection by others, as it portrays the rejected building stone which God selects and uses as the cornerstone for his Temple (Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11-12; Eph. 2:19-22; 1 Pet. 2:4-8). Psalm 16:7-11 expresses the faith of a righteous man that God will have the final word over death, and it is fulfilled in Jesus' resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:31-32; 13:34-37). Although the New Testament does not make the point, Jesus' ascension and entry into heaven then fulfill the scene portrayed in Psalm 24:7-10, which is the reward of the godly life described in Psalm … [Read more...]
CHRIST IN THE PSALMS (1)
New Testament authors quote the Book of Psalms more than any other Old Testament book except Isaiah (Deuteronomy has third place), echoing at least 101 of its 150 individual Psalms. Small wonder that Jesus taught his disciples about himself from the Psalms (Luke 24:27, 44-45). If we read the Psalms as Jesus' disciples did, with the Savior in our minds, we will see even more "fulfillments" in Jesus which are not quoted in the New Testament. Read Psalms 1 or 23, for example, and notice how Jesus best personifies these portrayals of God's faithful.servant on the earth. The imagery of "Son of … [Read more...]
CHRIST IN THE PROPHETS
Someone has said that the New Testament is the Old Testament plus Jesus. Jesus "fulfilled" the Prophets' inspired predictions, but he also filled full the highest prophetic dreams, ideals, aspirations and hopes. For example, the virgin Mary conceives a son (Isa. 7:14 in Greek), who is born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-5). Jesus is born to be the consolation of Israel and a light to the nations (Isa. 42:6). The infant Jesus escapes from Herod, then returns from Egypt (Hosea 11:1). Bethlehem's infants are slaughtered amidst great weeping (Jer. 31:15). Thirty years later, John announces in the … [Read more...]