HOW YOU CAN KNOW
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
A Call to Faith by
Gary Ray Branscome
They received the word with all readiness of mind, and
daily searched the scriptures to see whether these things were so (Acts
Five hundred years ago people were being burned at the stake for the high crime
of possessing a Bible. At that time, Satan was doing all he could to keep the
Bible out of the hands of the people. However, when he failed, when he could
not keep the Bible from being translated and published, he changed his tactics.
Today, instead of trying to keep people from having a Bible, he tries to keep
people from reading it. And, if they do read it he tries to confuse them with
many contradictory opinions and interpretations. So much so, that many today think
that what the Bible says is all a matter of opinion. However, the words, “If
you continue in my word… you will know the truth,” tell us that they are wrong
(John
Here are three reasons why many people find the Bible confusing. First, instead
of looking at what the words actually say they let their imaginations run wild,
looking for something beyond the actual meaning of the words. 2- As a result,
they read unscriptural ideas into the text, which lead them to conclusions not
warranted by the text. 3- Then they explain away any plain statements of
Scripture that contradict those unscriptural conclusions. That is the way of
the world (2Corinthians 4:4). Therefore, let me set forth this rule:
You can INTERPRET the BIBLE
to say ANYTHING, BUT if you want the TRUTH you need to set all interpretation
aside and LOOK AT WHAT THE WORDS ACTUALLY SAY.
I realize that many things the Bible says are hard to understand. However, the
solution is not to make up interpretations, listen to others who make up
explanations, or tolerate all sorts of interpretations. The solution is to
eliminate all interpretations, eliminate all doctrines based on interpretation,
and LOOK AT WHAT THE WORDS ACTUALLY SAY. And, we only do that when we
concentrate on those passages of Scripture that are so clear they need no
interpretation, and reject any doctrine that is not clearly and explicitly
stated in those passages. Therefore, let me set forth a second rule:
God has set forth the entire
BODY OF DOCTRINE, everything we need to know for our salvation, in words SO
CLEAR that they need NO INTERPRETATION. And, OUR DOCTRINE NEEDS TO CONSIST OF
WHAT HE HAS SAID on any topic, NOT what men say.
Learning What the Bible Says
The Bible is, first and foremost, a book of HISTORY! If it records poetry, then
it gives us an historical record of that poetry. If it records prophesy, then
it gives us an historical record of that prophesy. And, the words, “Search the
scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which
testify of me,” tell us that Bible history testifies of Christ (John
That being the case, if we are to learn what the Bible says, we need to begin
with its record of history, and with what it clearly tells us about that
history. And, that history begins with the book of Genesis.
Our Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning God created the heaven and
the earth” (Genesis 1:1). That is not just my interpretation, it is a fact. It
is a fact that anyone can verify simply by reading the first verse of Genesis.
The Bible goes on to say, “God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good: and God separated the light from the
darkness. And God called the light Day, and called the darkness Night. And the
evening and the morning were the first day,” (Genesis 1:3-5). Here again, that
is not just my interpretation, but a fact that anyone can verify simply by
reading those verses. HOWEVER, the point that I want to get across, is that the
actual words of Scripture are the Word of God while interpretations are the
word of man. And, God wants you to learn and believe what He has said, not what
men say. “No truth of Scripture comes from any man-made explanation” of its
words, “Because Scripture did not originate of old by the will of man: but holy
men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” (2Peter
In the Book of Exodus, God summarizes the first chapter of Genesis saying, “In
six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything that is in
them, and rested on the seventh day,” (Exodus 20:11). Again, that is not an interpretation
it is a fact that can be verified by anyone willing to read the verse. If men
challenge what is said, if they try to make the six days into long periods, or
invent some unknown literature type or figure of speech to get around what the
Bible plainly says, their word is the “word of man”. And, God wants you to
believe His Word, not their word. As it is written, “To the law and to the
testimony: if they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is
no light in them,” (Isaiah
After you learn what the Bible says about the creation of the world, you will
find that there are other passages that plainly tell us what significance that
record of creation has for you. For example: The words “God saw every thing
that he had made, and, behold, it was very good,” tell us that everything God
created was good (Genesis
The third chapter of Genesis tells us that the first man and the first woman (Adam
and Eve) disobeyed God. What is said is an historical record of what happened.
However, their sin has a deep spiritual significance that affects every one of
us. And, the Bible plainly tells us what that spiritual significance is. For
example: God’s words to Eve, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your
conception; in sorrow you will bring forth children; and your desire shall be
to your husband, and he will rule over you,” reveal part of it. As do His words
to Adam, “cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow you will eat of it all
the days of your life; Thorns also and thistles will it bring forth to you; and
you will eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of your face you will eat
bread, till you return unto the ground,” (Genesis 3:16-19). However, the
spiritual significance of their sin is also revealed in the words, “Just as sin
entered the world by one man and death by sin; so death passed upon all men,
because all have sinned”. Or the words: “through the sin of one judgment came
upon all men to condemnation,” (Romans
While the Biblical record of the fall condemns us, the
words, “This is a trustworthy statement, worthy of complete acceptance, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” tell us that Christ came
into the world to save us from that condemnation (1Timothy 1:15). And, the
historical record of Christ’s entry into the world is found in the first two
chapters of Matthew and the first two chapters of Luke. Those chapters tell us
of Christ’s virgin birth, and certain events surrounding that birth. Here
again, God wants you to believe the historical account of Christ’s birth that
He has given us in Scripture, not man-made fantasying about that birth; and
especially not satanic attempts to deny what the Bible says about that birth.
In addition, there are other passages that plainly tell us the spiritual
significance of Christ’s birth. Passages like, “Unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given: and the government will be on his shoulders: and his name
will be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Or, “We do not have a high priest who is unable
to sympathize with our weaknesses; but one who was in all points tempted just
as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). The first of those passages tells
us that Christ is God, the second that He was without sin. Here again, what the
Bible says is not a matter of interpretation, but a fact that anyone can verify
simply by reading the text. Moreover, the fact that Christ was the sinless Son
of God lays the groundwork for the next historical event in the Bible’s
salvation history, Christ’s death on the cross.
You can read the account of Christ’s death, and the events surrounding it in
Matthew chapters 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, and John 18-21. There are also
many other verses in the Bible that tell us the spiritual significance of Christ’s
death. For example: Colossians 2:13-14 tells us that, “God has made you, who
were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your
flesh alive together with Christ, having forgiven all of your sins. Blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which
was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross”.
First John 1:7 tells us that, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us
from all sin”. And, the Gospel itself is the good news that, “Christ died for
our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose
again the third day according to the scriptures” (1Corinthians 15:1-4). Here
again, we are not dealing with interpretation, but with the plain grammatical
meaning of the words that anyone can verify simply by reading those verses.
Furthermore, Christ’s death on the cross goes hand in hand with His
resurrection from the dead. That resurrection is described in the same chapters
that I cited in the last paragraph as giving the account of His death. And, the
spiritual significance His resurrection has for us lies in the fact that He
rose from the dead because He had triumphed over sin death and the power of the
devil. As it is written, “If Christ did not rise, our preaching is a waste of
time, and… your faith is worthless; and you are still in your sins… However,
Christ has risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of those who sleep.
For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead
also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made
alive. Yet each in his own order: Christ the first fruits; then those who are
Christ’s at his coming,” (1Corinthians
Following Christ’s resurrection from the dead, He ascended into heaven. And,
the historical facts surrounding His ascension are recorded in the first
chapter of Acts, where we read, “While they watched, he was taken up; and a
cloud received him out of their sight. And while they were looking intently up
toward heaven as he ascended, behold, two men in white apparel stood by them;
And they asked, Why are you men of
The words, “If I do not go away, the
Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you,” tell
us that because Christ ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent (John
16:7). The words, “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous,” tell us that because He ascended unto heaven we have Him as our
advocate before the throne of God (1John 2:1). And, the words, “The same Jesus,
that has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way
that you saw him go into heaven” assure us that Christ will return (Acts
In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul goes over the basic doctrines of the
faith, and they all relate to the historical events that we have just looked
at. In the third chapter of Romans, verses nine through twenty, he gives us the
Doctrine of Universal Condemnation. Because everything that God created was
originally good, and sin entered the world through the fall of Adam, that
doctrine relates to the fall. In Romans 3:21-28 he gives us the Doctrine of
Justification by Faith. Faith in God’s promise of the forgiveness Christ won
for us on the cross (1John 1:7). In the fourth chapter of Romans Paul explains
the righteousness of faith as an “imputed” righteousness, thus giving us the
Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness. In Romans chapter five, verses six through
eleven he gives us the doctrine of the atonement. In the rest of that chapter
he contrasts the sin of Adam with Christ’s atonement giving us the Doctrine of
The Fall and Redemption. In Romans 9:30-33 and 10:1-4, Paul contrasts the
Pharisees who sought to make themselves righteous and failed, with the Gentiles
who did not seek to make themselves righteous, but found righteousness in
Christ: in order to emphasize the fact that “Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to every one who believes”. And, the doctrine that God
wants you get from those passages consists of what He has said, not man-made
interpretations.
In addition to those doctrines, the Bible also tells
us many things about God. Bible history clearly reveals God as our Creator,
Redeemer, Sanctifier and Judge. He has revealed Himself as the God who created the
heaven, the earth and all that is in them in six days. Therefore, we worship
the God who created all things in just six days. We are also told that God is a
Spirit (John
The Bible also clearly sets forth the Doctrine of the
Trinity. For example:
1- Through the words, “Don’t we all have one father?
Hasn’t one God created us,” the Bible gives us the doctrine that the Father
is God (Malachi
2- Through the words, “We are in the one who is
true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God, and eternal life,” the Bible
gives us the doctrine that the Son is God (1John
3- Through the words, “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost… you have not lied to men, but to God,” the Bible gives us the doctrine
that the Holy Ghost is God (Acts 5:3-4).
4- Through the words, “There is one God; and there is none other but He,” the
Bible gives us the doctrine that there is only one God (Mark
In stating those four doctrines I in no way want to imply that those are the
only passages of Scripture that teach those doctrines. Nor do I wish to imply
that those four doctrines are all there is to the doctrine of the Trinity.
There is far more. Nevertheless, those four doctrines constitute the heart and
core of the doctrine of the Trinity. And, the point I want to make is that each
of them is clearly and explicitly stated in Scripture.
Conclusion
God has set forth the entire body of doctrine, everything we need to know for
our salvation, in words so clear that they need no interpretation. And, the
heart and core of that doctrine is Bible history.
There are many other things that could be added. For
example: The words, “We are confident, and willing rather to
be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord,” Tell us that when we
die our soul goes to be with Christ (2Corinthians 5:8). The words, “It is
appointed unto men to die once, and after that the judgment,” tell us that we
will all die and we will all be judged (Hebrews
The words, “Every one who looks to the Son, and
believes on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up on the last
day,” tell us that Christ will raise us from the dead on the “last day” (John
The point I have been emphasizing is that it is all
plainly stated in Scripture in words so clear they need no interpretation.
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