The Bible

I have said it before, and I'll say it again. It is impossible to truly understand the Bible without the Holy Spirit. I just read a few testimonies of ex-Christians who for 1. went their whole life spoon-fed doctrine by their churches and didn't once read the Bible for themselves, and 2. when they finally did decide to pick up their Bible to see what it really said - did so reading it naturally, through human wisdom, and their own limited experiences. The conclusion.... confusion and offense. How tragic that a lack of understanding God's Word pushed them away from God.

The Word of God is our written authority by which we know and understand God and His ways, ourselves and our purpose, the world and what is to come. However, the Word of God from which the Spirit of God imparted to us - is spiritual - and therefore must be interpreted and taught to us by the Author Himself, Who is Spirit. God is the Highest Authority. He reveals the truth behind the words. God's Word is to be honored as an extension of God, but we cannot hope to truly understand it without His guidance. Especially when Gentiles try to understand God's Word when reading a translation in their language from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, there is a depth of meaning they will automatically miss. Different languages can carry unique meanings for the same wording translated. Our Bible scholars do the best they can to accurately convert either wording or meaning or both over into a modern and local language to be best understood by the masses - but even then it seems commentary is required.

Each of us is quite able to adequately read and understand God's Word if we are in Christ and led by the Spirit, despite the language barrier. It requires study, seeking to hear and submit to the Holy Spirit's teaching, and meditation on the truth revealed - but it's possible. In order to properly study, we need to do historical and cultural research, as well as understanding the intent of the original languages. Prayer is absolutely necessary - not only to seek the truth of Scripture, but also to truly listen to what the Holy Spirit says and have our hearts and minds open to receive what He says over what we may want Him to say.

I do understand that not everyone has the time to invest into in-depth Bible study - God certainly understood this and gave teachers and teaching gifts to the church, they are necessary in the Body of Christ. However, human teachers in general tend to pass along the learning they have received from human interpretation of God's Word, rather than directly from God. They also tend to leave stuff out - and don't cover or explain every corner of the Bible. Then the gapping holes become soft areas of attack from within and from the enemy in the hearts of those who come to know God from their teaching. The church is responsible for teaching, but the majority of churches have fallen to human error and have set up the local church as a one man show. The fivefold offices of overseers: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher are not found, so that the one pastor, or the one pastor and some associate pastors, have to do the jobs of all these offices - whether they are gifted and called to do so or not. Sometimes some churches are blessed to have a multi-talented and workaholic pastor who actually serves his or her congregation with several of these responsibilities in combination, much to the detriment of their families. However, that is not how it is intended to be. Most congregations do not have a pastor who teaches, or a teacher or pastors, much less does any of the other roles. When the job becomes too much, many pastors will preach only what they know well from long ago study, or what they consider applicable or beneficial for their church or situation. It becomes a lot of talking and not nearly enough doing; education quickly can become a method of control rather than imparting truth. In this case, every believer is left to read God's Word on their own. At the very least, pastors should teach their people how to correctly handle the Word of Truth, which would prevent a lot of the misunderstand and offense.

When we each pick up the Bible and start reading it without relying on the Holy Spirit, we will each reach our own conclusions and interpretations. We read out of it what we can reason in our minds or what we have experienced in our lives - we don't read out of it the truth. This is why we have division and denominations within the body of Christ. But God's Word is not up for human interpretation, it belongs to God alone to communicate His heart and will through it. If we are all taught Scripture by the Holy Spirit (directly or through believers who are taught by the Holy Spirit), we will all reach the same conclusions and interpretations, and a unity of faith is cultivated. When approaching God's Word, we must commit to tear down our own expectations, experiences, reason, and will, so that we can freely receive the Truth of God's Word from the Holy Spirit. It is our job to submit to the Holy Spirit, and not to conform God into our image through His Word. We are to conform to Him. It is not our place to judge, be offended, or explain away God's Word based on our experiences or lack of thereof, but rather to seek out the Truth of God, worship Him for it, and strive to line our lives up with that Truth!