How Do I Study the Bible?
Thank you Mike,
You have proven to be a very exact and trustworthy person, and proven to me that you are a very wise man and that you have an understanding of scripture that is extraordinary. Sir, if I may ask, how did you come upon your understanding of the scriptures? I would like to study in this way and be able to conclude the things that you have - to prove these things out for myself, but with what interpretational method? I hope you will share this with me.
I value your opinion and input and wanted to know what you thought about it, and with the thorough explanation and scriptural referrences that you provided - I believe you.
Thanks again
H____
Well thank you, H_____,
Have you read How To Rightly Divide The Word Using A Principle Only The Apostles Understood? I really need to update that paper and include the information which is included in our Commentary On The Book Of Revelation Chapter One. Christ and therefore His Word also"will never pass away." Once you see the nature of God's Word, it begins to open up to you. But this is not something you get from me. It comes only from the Spirit of God being in you.
1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1 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.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Spiritual things are foolishness to the natural man. It matters not how many degrees the man may possesses. This is especially true of theology degrees. Witness Dr. D. James Kennedy. Six degrees and absolutely no spiritual understanding. To Dr. Kennedy, Israel is a physical nation in the Middle East. And the Jews "according to the flesh" are still God's chosen people.
Read those papers, and let me know if you get anything out of them.
Mike
Hey Mike,
I am currently studying your paper: "Rightly dividing the word using a principle only the Apostles understood". Awesome! I have never heard of or seen this principle taught or applied before. I am truly amazed and humbled! I am studying your chain of logic and all the evidence that you provide and can only conclude that you have "rightly divided the word" and that you are obviously among the select few who know this method - chosen, if you will. The spiritual implications of this interpretational method go far beyond the "context only" method that I had embraced, but come to a dead end with. You have opened the "spiritual" side of the bible to me, and for this I am forever grateful - Mike, you are truly called of God.
Just wanted to share with you (you may already know) a couple of errors on your paper under the subheading: "How Peter Understood the Scriptures". In the second paragraph last line referring to Acts 1: 20, the complete scripture quote from Psalms 69: 25, IS actually all written - "For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, AND LET NO MAN DWELL THEREIN: and his bishoprick let another take".
The last half of Acts 1: 20, "and his bishoprick let another take" is actually Psalms 109 verse 8. I believe you have it written "verse 9", very minor things but I just thought you might want to know. The principle and context still stands regardless of the errors!
I knew that there was a another way (THE WAY!) to interpret the bible - unfortunately, I never found the simple truth of understanding and interpretation the way you so clearly explain it. I am beginning to understand it now - Thank you is all I have and all I can say.
Lastly, according to standard methods of exegisis and hermenuetics, the more I would apply them, the more intense and difficult the theology would become but I couldn't help but think to myself, "I know that the Apostles didn't have to go through all of this to gain understanding!" but I would continue to use the standard methods because that’s all that I knew. You have changed all of that. I now can appreciate both the natural and spiritual, and rightly divide the word myself.
Take care, H_____
Greetings, H____, Thanks for bringing these errors to my attention. The corrections will be made. Your comments have been a source of great encouragement to me. God bless, Mike
