March 1, 2002, Vol.2, No.5.
Two new articles every two weeks.
Bible Question? E-mail
us.
THIS ISSUE: "Can
We All Understand the Bible Alike?" (see below)
and "Judge Not, That Ye
Be Not Judged"
Can We All Understand
the Bible Alike?
by Keith Sharp
How often have you heard someone cut off a religious discussion
by observing, "Well, you see it your way, and I see it mine"?
This leads us to an important question: Can we all understand
the Bible alike?
The Problem
In the United States there are over 3000 denominations. Most
claim to believe the Bible is the Word of God. But each has its
own creed, the statement of the fundamental beliefs of that religious
body. And those creeds often flatly contradict each other. Yet
Jesus prayed that all who believe in Him would be one (John 17:20-21).
Is it possible for all believers to have a common understanding
of the Bible?
Do Some People Misunderstand
the Bible?
Do some Bible believers, even people who study their Bibles,
misunderstand it? A logical argument will establish the principle
we will work from.
Major Premise: Truth is consistent, i.e., it does
not contradict itself.
This is self-evident. For example, If three children, given
the problem 2 + 2 = x, come up with three different answers,
we know that at least two of the three are wrong.
Minor Premise: The Bible is truth. "Sanctify
them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:17)
Conclusion: The Bible is consistent, i.e., it does
not contradict itself.
This principle has some important applications. First, if
we understand the Bible, we will understand it alike. This is
why Paul could write the Corinthian Christians:
"Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that
there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined
together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
(1 Corinthians 1:10)
We can all believe and teach the same thing only if we have
a common standard we can all understand.
What if someone said of me, You can prove anything by what
he says? Would he not be calling me a liar? What does that make
of God when people say the same thing about the Bible? Does God
lie? (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:17-18).
Thus, error is broad, you can be wrong any way you please,
but truth is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14). There is only one way
that is right (John 14:6). Just because someone sincerely believes
he is right does not insure he is (Matthew 7:22-23; 15:13-14).
Another important conclusion is: If we accept conflicting
answers, someone is wrong. We may both be wrong, but only one
can be right. This is an unpopular principle in this age of "I'm
OK, you're OK," but inspired writers did not hesitate to
claim that they taught the truth and that those who disagreed
were wrong (e.g., 1 Timothy 6:3-5; 1 Peter 2:1-2; 1 John 4:5-6).
There is a third fundamental conclusion: It is not just a
matter of opinion or interpretation. Our responsibility is to
teach God's Word (1 Peter 4:11). If I can put my finger on the
verse that teaches a truth, that's not opinion, it's faith (Romans
10:17). In a home Bible study, a Methodist woman asked why members
of the church of Christ believe baptism is essential to salvation.
The teacher simply quoted without comment Mark 16:16 (Please
read it). Her preacher, who was present, replied, "That's
just your opinion." He needed to learn the difference between
faith and opinion, between God's "say so" and man's
"think so."
Can We Understand the Bible?
The question should be, "Can we understand the Bible?"
The answer to this inquiry is: If not, either God could but wouldn't,
or He would but couldn't. If we cannot understand the Bible,
either God had the ability to reveal an understandable book but
chose not to, or He desired to make His will understandable but
lacked the ability. Which would you affirm?
God wants us to understand His will revealed in the Bible
(1 Timothy 2:3-4). He gave us an under-standable revelation of
that will (Ephesians 3:1-7). Paul declared of it, "when
you read, you may understand" (verse 4). Average people
are capable of understanding the Bible (John 6:44-45; Ephesians
5:17).
Furthermore, nothing has so radically changed since the Bible
was completed that it is no longer understandable. The Bible
has not been lost or corrupted (1 Peter 1:24-25), and human nature
remains the same (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10).
Yes, we can all understand the Bible alike.
Why Don't We?
If folks who believe and study the Bible can understand it
alike, why don't we? When Paul addressed the chief Jews of Rome,
he taught them Christ from the Old Testament. Some "were
persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved"
(verse 24). They "did not agree among themselves" (verse
25). Why?
"For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their
ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest
they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest
they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I
should heal them." (verse 27, Paul, quoting Isaiah 6:9-10).
They had heart trouble. They could see and hear but wouldn't.
So they couldn't understand. So they were lost.
How's your heart?
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