Within the pages of Holy Writ, God has revealed
certain standards by which His Word is to be interpreted. Moreover,
because the salvation of souls may depend upon our adherence to those
standards, we need to know what they are and how they are to be applied
(1Timothy 4:16).
First of all, since God expects those who interpret
His Word to believe what He has said about that Word, what the Bible
says about its own origin, authority, truthfulness, purpose,
sufficiency, and clarity all factors into how we deal with what it
says. Furthermore, because the Bible was written to testify of Christ,
one cannot remain ignorant of what it says about Christ and expect to
understand it correctly (John 5:39, 1John 5:13). In fact, because Satan
has blinded those who do not trust in Christ, we must approach God's
Word as little children viewing all that it says through the eyes of
faith in Christ (2Corinthians 4:4).
As we study God's Word the Holy Spirit helps us to
understand what is said. However, He does not help us by adding to what
is said, but by opening our eyes to see what is right before our eyes,
while bringing to our remembrance other statements of Scripture that
clarify the one we are reading (1Corinthians 2:12-13, 2Corinthians
1:13). Thus, the statement, “All scripture is given by inspiration of
God” is explained by the statement, “Prophesy came not in old time by
the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost” (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21). In other words, the
statement, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” means that no
part of the Bible came “by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Furthermore, because God’s Word
is truth, those who read man-made ideas into Scripture, or explain away
certain passages, are corrupting what it says. For that reason, any
opinion that contradicts the written Word of God must be rejected as
false (Isaiah 8:20, John 8:31 and 17:17).
Concerning the source of doctrine, Christ said, “If
you continue in My Word, then are you my disciples indeed; And you
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John
8:31-32). In other words, we can only know the truth revealed in
Scripture if we do not depart from what it says. That being the case,
our teaching should come from Scripture alone, for we depart from
Scripture the minute we start looking outside of it for doctrine, or
reading unscriptural ideas into the text (2Corinthians 2:17, Proverbs
30:6).
There are a number of passages in Scripture that
relate to what Christ said about continuing in His Word. As we examine
them one-by-one I want you to notice that I make no attempt to explain
them. Instead, I allow them to explain what Christ said about
continuing in His Word, by simply pointing out that they are saying
essentially the same thing. For example, the relationship between the
words, “Add thou not unto His words lest He reprove thee, and thou be
found a liar” and the phrase “continue in My Word” lies in the fact
that all additions to God's Word must come from outside of His Word.
[Compare John 8:31 with Proverbs 30:6.]
The relationship between the words, “We are of God:
he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby
know we the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error,” and the phrase,
“continue in My Word” lies in the fact that those who refuse to hear
God's Word do so on the basis of something outside of God’s Word.
[Compare 1John 4:6 with John 8:31.]
The relationship between the words, “No prophecy of
the scripture is of any private interpretation,” and the phrase,
“continue in My Word,” lies in the fact that a private interpretation
always results from reading unscriptural ideas into the text [Compare
2Peter 1:20 with John 8:31.] Whenever, someone who refuses to accept
what a particular passage says looks for another interpretation, he
winds up reading his own personal (private) opinions into the Word of
God.
The relationship between the words, “My doctrine is
not Mine, but His that sent Me,” and the phrase, “continue in My Word,”
lies in the fact that if we continue in God’s Word, our doctrine will
not be our own, but God’s. [Compare John 7:16-17 with John 8:31.]
The relationship between the words, “Whom shall he
teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? … For
precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line,
line upon line; here a little, and there a little,” and the phrase,
“continue in My Word,” lies in the fact that if we continue in the word
of God our doctrine will consist of what the Bible itself says, “line
upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” [Compare
Isaiah 28:9-10 with John 8:31.]
The relationship between the words, “In vain do they
worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,” and the
phrase, “continue in My Word,” lies in the fact that those who teach
“for doctrine the commandments of men” have departed from the Word of
God. [Compare Mark 7:7 with John 8:31.]
The relationship between the words, “Thou hast said
in thine heart, I will ascend unto heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God,” and the phrase, “continue in My Word,” lies in the
fact that all who add to God’s Word, or set their own opinions over
what it says, are attempting to make themselves God by making their own
word into God’s Word. [Compare Isaiah 14:13 with John 8:31.]
The relationship between the words, “We write none
other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge,” or the words,
“We use great plainness of speech,” and the phrase, “continue in My
Word” lies in the fact those who truly “continue in” the Word of God
will find in it no teaching other that what the words explicitly say.
[Compare 2Corinthians 1:13 and 3:12 with John 8:31.]
Finally, the relationship between the words, “These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of
God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of God,” and the phrase, “continue in My
Word” lies in the fact that the truth that leads to eternal life is
found only in Scripture, and is obscured by those who depart from
Scripture. [Compare 1John 5:13 and John 5:39 with John 8:31.]
Concerning the standard by which we judge what is
taught, and determine which interpretations are false, Isaiah said, “To
the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word,
it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). In other words,
the explicitly stated truths of Scripture are to be the standard to
which all teaching must conform, and by which all interpretations are
to be judged.
Here again, there are a number of Bible passages
that relate to what Isaiah said about speaking “according to” the Word
of God. As I present them. I want you to notice how those passages
explain the words of Isaiah.
The relationship between the words, “be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind,” and the phrase, “if they speak not according to this Word,” lies
in the fact that the renewing of our mind goes hand in hand with
learning to think in accord with what the Bible explicitly says.
[Compare Romans 12:2 and 2Corinthians 10:5 with Isaiah 8:20.]
The relationship of the words, “Let God be true, but
every man a liar” to the phrase, “if they speak not according to this
Word” lies in the fact that we “let God be true” by accepting His Word
while rejecting any opinions that are not in accord with that Word
[Compare Romans 3:4 with Isaiah 8:20.]
The relationship of the words, “No prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation,” to the phrase, “if they
speak not according to this Word” lies in the fact that any
interpretation that contradicts what the Bible explicitly says, is a
private interpretation. [Compare 2Peter 1:20 with Isaiah 8:20.]
The relationship of the words, “Trust in the LORD
with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding,” to
the phrase, “if they speak not according to this Word” lies in the fact
that those who do not bring their thinking into agreement with the Word
of God are leaning to their own understanding instead of trusting in
God. [Compare Proverbs 3:5 and 23:4 with Isaiah 8:20.]
The relationship of the words, “There is a way which
seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death,”
to the phrase, “if they speak not according to this Word” lies in the
fact that the “ways of death” are not in accord with the Word of God.
[Compare Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 with Isaiah 8:20.]
Finally, the relationship of the words, “let every
man prove his own work,” to the phrase, “if they speak not according to
this Word” lies in the fact that we “prove” a specific interpretation
by making certain that it is actually something that the Bible says
(not something that is being read into the text), and that it does not
contradict anything that the Bible says. [Compare Galatians 6:4 and
1Thessalonians 5:21 with Isaiah 8:20.]
Because the Bible was written to testify of Christ,
all that it says must be understood in the light of what it says about
Christ and justification.
First of all, the law cannot make us righteous, for
it is written, “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be
justified in his sight” (Romans 3:20, see Psalm 143:2).
There is also no such thing as partial
righteousness! In the eyes of God, someone is either totally righteous
(because he has been cleansed of “all unrighteousness” by the blood of
Christ), or even his “righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (1John 1:7-9,
Isaiah 64:6, James 2:10). There is no middle ground.
Finally, true righteousness comes only through faith
in Christ! As it is written, “Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believes” (Romans 10:4). Through faith
in Christ we are absolved of all guilt and have Christ's own
righteousness given to us as a free gift (Romans 3:28, 5:16&19,
9:30-33). Therefore, if you are to rightly divide the Word of truth,
you must understand that it is forgiveness (not works) that makes us
obedient in the sight of God. In short, our obedience is not the
obedience of effort, but the obedience of faith (Romans 16:26).
Therefore, whenever the Bible speaks of keeping the “commandments,” you
will only be dividing the Word of God correctly if you understand that
only those who trust in Christ are truly keeping His commandments
(Romans 9:30-33, John 14:21).
Even though God has given us certain standards by
which the Bible is to be interpreted, because the heart of man is
“deceitful above all things and desperately wicked,” if we are to have
the truth we must be our own harshest critics (Jeremiah 17:9). In
short, you must be determined to find and eliminate your own errors
before anyone else finds them (1Corinthians 11:31, Proverbs 12:1). You
need to root out false opinions and assumptions, make certain that you
are not reading unscriptural ideas into the text, and then proclaim
with confidence those truths that are explicitly set forth in the words
of Scripture (2Corinthians 1:13).