|
Principal Point of Faith #1:
The Bible
4. How can we best understand the Bible's message?
(a) To understand and believe its message, we need to read the Bible
with a mind open to conviction, and with a prayer for God's blessing.
(See 1 Timothy 4:13; Psalm 119:103-105; Jeremiah 15:16; Jeremiah 9:24).
Note: Be careful not to read INTO the Bible what it is does not say.
(b) The Bible is its own best interpreter; i.e., the Bible defines its
own terms.
Example: Paul taught the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1). What is the gospel of God?
See Romans 1:16.
(c) Some parts of the Bible help us understand other parts.
Example: Jesus spoke a parable about a man who planted a vineyard (
Matt. 21:33). What is the vineyard of the Lord? See Isa. 5:7
(d) Not every statement in the Bible is to be interpreted in a literal
sense (see 1 Corinthians 2:13). The Bible uses different literary tools to
reveal the plan of God. These tools include parables, allegories, metaphors,
and symbols-which must be studied and understood according to the Bible's own
rule of “comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:13).
(e) When trying to understand the Bible, always start with the plain,
general teaching of the Bible, and try to harmonize the difficult with the
plain texts.
Example: Where is the future home of the righteous?
Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:5. The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 37:11.
 
Return to Table of Contents
|
