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Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles to understanding Scripture are preconceived ideas. We read Scripture in the light of certain ideas which are already in our minds and where passages are not apparently in accord with our ideas we explain the passages away or in some way force them to our view. Christ's disciples often could not understand what Christ was saying because of their preconceptions. They understood that Christ would come to reign and could no doubt have quoted Old Testament passages to support their view. Reigning in glory would have been attractive to them, but not suffering; hence their difficulty in understanding passages which spoke of a suffering Messiah (see for example Matthew 16:21-23 where Peter went so far as rebuke Christ for speaking of his coming sufferings). With us our preconceptions may be ideas we have been taught from |
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childhood, ideas popular among evangelicals such as that believers go to heaven when they die (because Christ is in heaven and Christians are said to be with Christ it is assumed that they are in heaven. However, using a similar line of argument it could be said that because Christ is with his people to the end of the age, Christ is now on earth !). People also still tend to be leavened with the dogmas as to the Person of Christ propounded by the ancient Councils of the Church of Rome, even where they have little or no real scriptural support. |
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Another obstacle to correctly understanding Scripture is the tendency when combating error to go too far in the opposite direction and at least in some degree fall into error ourselves. We must always seek to keep within the limits of the truth and this often involves ensuring that we don't extend the meaning of one verse to such an extent that our understanding makes it contradict other passages. We must not use a passage such as 2 Timothy 2:19 " Withdraw from iniquity " to tell a Christian man that he must leave his unbelieving wife, because if we do we come into conflict with 1 Corinthians 7:12 which says: " If any brother have an unbelieving wife, and she consent to dwell with him, let him not leave her. " Judgement has to be exercised in understanding Scripture as Paul says: "I speak as to intelligent [persons]: do ye judge what I say " (1 Corinthians 10:15). We should not force a passage of Scripture beyond its natural meaning, but neither should we water it down so that it has little or no force. We could do the latter if we were to regard iniquity as only very gross evil. In understanding what iniquity really is we might need to consider passages other than the one immediately before us. |
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Apart from what has been said above, it is a mistake to go to Scripture only. Many godly and intelligent men have pondered the words of Scripture and have recorded their thoughts in writing. These books should be read and consulted as well as the Bible itself. They are not, however, the final Court of Appeal on doctrinal matters. The Scriptures themselves are this and when contending with those we consider are in error we should always quote these, although we might if challenged as to our interpretations, point out that we are not alone in the views we hold. Paul refers, for instance, to what the Greek poets had said in order to persuade his hearers of the rightness of what he was saying (Acts 17:28). The situation is similar to that of secular law. Inland Revenue booklets put out for general guidance as to the tax law on a particular subject are not definitive as they themselves say: " These notes are for guidance only and reflect the tax position at the time of writing. The guide is not binding |
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in law and in a particular case there may be special circumstances which will need to be taken into account. They do not affect any right of appeal. " The actual Act of Parliament is the law; not the guidance notes. Similarly what the Scriptures say are the determining factor not a book about them. |
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The opposite mistake is to be continually reading books about the Bible but not the Bible itself. The Psalmist speaks of meditating in the law of Jehovah day and night (Psalm 1:2). The writer of Psalm 119 goes on at length about what the law meant to him. We should similarly meditate on the Scriptures; not just read them. We should also pray about what we read and perhaps do not understand. The Lord may draw our attention to something in another passage, or another writing, which throws light on the passage about which we have difficulty. The Lord can open our understanding, as it says: " Then he opened their understanding to understand the scriptures " (Luke 24:45). However, when we understand what the Scriptures mean we also need to put what we have learned into practice and, maybe, have it made good in us; thus Paul prays for the Ephesians so that they |