![Text Box: Many claim to be ‘Bible believing Christians,’ therefore one needs to understand what true, Biblical faith and real Scriptural obedience actually mean.
Only cults claim to have ‘absolute truth’ and so-called ‘revelation knowledge,’ which other sincere believers ‘would not be able to understand,’ as one can take any verse from the Bible and make a false doctrine out of it, (2 Pet. 3:16-18.)
With deep humility we declare that ONLY the “entirety of Word is Truth,” (Ps. 119:160.)
This means that the Bible should be read and understood according to the entire context of the Scriptures.
The Old ceremonial Law, for instance, pertain to the ceremonial robes, hierarchical priesthood, sacrificial animals and legalistic rituals of the Old, physical, temple-dispensation and cannot be applied to New Testament believers, who are the spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit — the saintly, born again nation of God and the holy priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ! - 1 Cor. 6:19; Acts 7:47-53; 1 Pet. 2:9-10.)
During the Old Testament dispensation, the religious acts of Old Israel pertained to the physical temple. In the New Testament dispensation, however, all the acts of the born again body of Christ aught to pertain to the Spiritual temple of God, because God “does not live in a temple made with human hands;” just read the entire Book of Acts — in the light of all the other New Testament writings, of course!
Similarly, the traditional dress-code, customs, and conventional beliefs of 1st century, born again Jews and Gentiles cannot be forced upon the 21st century, born again body of Christ, (1 Tim. 2:15; 1 Cor. 11:5.) For instance: replacing the traditional, 1st century wearing of a veil with the wearing of a hat is simply ridiculous, (1 Cor. 11:10-16.) More importantly, the traditional but unbiblical belief that ’woman are saved through childbearing,’ (1 Tim. 3:15,) cannot fit anywhere in the contextual truth of the Gospel, which proclaims that every human on earth should be saved through personal faith in, and obedience to the contextual Word of the Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Jn. 1:12-13; Mt. 7:7-27.) Every believer aught to know that ALL sincere believers are “the children of God through their FAITH in Jesus, the Biblical Christ. Paul also wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are ALL one in Christ Jesus. And if you we Christ’s, then we are Abraham’s [spiritual] seed, and [spiritual] heirs according to the promise [of the Gospel — Jn. 1:11-13; Gal. 4:6.]”
Thus, the entire context of Scripture applies to the following questions: How does a particular verse, chapter, epistle, or book relate to the rest of Scripture? Was it written in the Old or the New Testament, (does it pertain to the Old or the New dispensation?) To whom was it written? What was the historical/traditional background at the time it was written? How did the particular book or epistle fit into their customs and mind-sets, and how is it relevant to the overall picture of the Scriptures today?
For example: One needs to ask the important question whether it is really Scriptural to believe that New Testament believers are blessed by paying tithes to an unbiblical replica of the Old Testament temple, (the physical church system.) Or can one simply personally accept that Jesus “became a curse” on the cross to atone for our state or position of cursedness without God, (Deut. 28:2-14,) so that we, (as born again children of God,) could “inherit” His entire position or state of blessedness, (Deut. 28:15-68,) and so, “inherit,” through our faith in Christ, “ALL the blessings of the believing Old Abraham?” (Gal. 3:10-14.)
In our continual growth in real Biblical truth, ALL teaching and EVERY spiritual manifestation must be tested according to the full context of Scripture. ‘Good feelings’ cannot lead us into ALL truth, nor can we test the spirits through our feelings. Rightfully, someone wrote that it would be foolish to test a spirit by asking God, “Father, if that manifestation is not of You, please do not to allow me to laugh hysterically, be slain in the spirit, etc., while they lay hands on me or pray over me.” That would be as foolish as to ask God ‘not to allow’ you to steal when presented with the opportunity, while the entire context of His Word forbids you to steal, because stealing, lying, etc., violate the second commandment of the New Testament, Moral Law of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Mt. 23:36-40.)
In discerning false teaching and allowing God to protect us against false teaching and false spiritual manifestations, we need only to obey the context of God’s Word, which commands us to ’FLEE from immorality; FLEE from idolatry; FLEE from the love of money…’ and FLEE from false teaching, false teachers, and false spiritual manifestations! (2 John v. 9-11; 1 Tim. 3-5; 11-12; Eph. 5:15-21; Col. 3:14-17; .)
John explained in 2 Jn. 9-10, ‘Whoever… does not abide in the [full contextual truth of the Bible,] in the [Gospel] of Christ, does not have God. He who abides in the [entire Gospel or Word] of Christ has both the Father and the Son.’
And in 1 Jn. 10 he commanded, ‘If anyone comes to you and does not bring [the full contextual truth of the Bible,] the [Gospel] of Christ, do not receive him into your house [as a fellow believer,] nor greet him [as a child of God,] for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.’
Find a list of our discussions in the Main Domain
Discover the apologetic discussions in our Sub Domain
Read our book summaries
Talk to us
Repent from false doctrine and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior
Testimonial](image763.gif)
|
1 Jn. 4:1, ‘Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, [according to the full contextual Word of God, the Bible,] to see whether they are of God; because many false prophets [and teachers] have gone out into the world.’
Someone wrote that it would be foolish to test a spirit by asking God, “Father, if that manifestation is not of You, please do not to allow me to laugh hysterically, be slain in the spirit, etc., while they lay hands on me or pray over me.” This prayer is as foolish as to ask God ‘not to allow’ you to steal when presented with the opportunity, while the entire context of His Word forbids you to steal, because stealing, lying, etc., violate the second commandment of the New Testament, the Moral Law of our Lord Jesus Christ, to love your neighbor as yourself, (Mt. 23:36-40.)
THE ONLY WAY TO TEST FALSE TEACHING AND FALSE SPIRITS, IS THE CONTEXTUAL TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD! Feelings will deceive us, manmade ideas will lead us astray, but if we truly follow Jesus, The Truth, we will never walk in darkness!
Eph. 4:8-17: “You were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light… And have NO fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them… See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise… Therefore… understand what the will of the Lord is.”
|
|
EXEGESIS- INTERPRETING THE BIBLE |
