963. Thou Shalt Read Your Bible (And Like It!)

Never mind the millions of opinions, interpretations, and thousands of church corporations and denominations about what is inside the pages of the Bible ... there is also an immeasurable number of thoughts and assumptions just about the Bible itself and what it is or isn't. Some of us were instructed to make it required reading on a daily basis. Others may have been told it is our daily bread and without ingesting it as frequently as eating food, we might starve spiritually.

Of course, we're thankful for these writings (we talk about them every week on the podcast). But anything—even something as potentially beneficial as Bible reading—can become a lifeless religious exercise that can sadly feel like a burdensome activity because of what others have told us. And everyone will have a different viewpoint on how to read it, how often, etc., without any guarantee of walking away with a better understanding of the gospel. Knowing we can pick up the pages because we want to instead of being guilted into it will make things more enjoyable ... and probably more profitable.



   
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927. The Word of God Is Alive (His Name Is Jesus)

The problem with taking lengthy passages of scripture and chopping them into individual Bible verses is the frequent attempt to interpret the meaning of each verse. Context gets missed, which can have a domino effect on other interpretations regarding the writings. We give an example from Hebrews 4:12, which states the word of God is living and powerful. Many of us were taught this is a reference to "the Bible." Keep in mind, these people who were receiving this message would have had no idea what a Bible was ... and most of their knowledge about the law and the prophets came from hearing it in the synagogues or other sources not associated with their bookshelf.

We take a closer look at not "what" the writer was referencing ... but "who" they were highlighting in this passage and throughout the letter.



   
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824. New Covenant Context: Believers Righteous - Unbelievers Not

Imagine receiving a lengthy letter containing many pages and then focusing on just a couple of sentences. This is what happens frequently with individual Bible verses. It’s commonplace to set aside a few verses contained within a New Testament letter from an apostle—which are assumed to be saying something that gets translated into a doctrine or some type of religious theology.

In the meantime, the bigger point is missed because we’re thinking in terms of a lone verse or two instead of the bigger picture, which is the gospel of grace. We continue the emphasis on context in 1 Corinthians Chapter 6 … as we look at a couple of verses used by those on the legalistic side of the fence to bring doubt and uncertainty into the hearts and minds of believers in Christ.

   
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823. New Covenant Context: Galatians Chapter 5

It becomes very easy to be misled or to misunderstand the truth of the gospel when becoming fixated with a Bible verse or two. Quite often we assume there is a complete thought encompassed within a verse or a short passage, and then we try to tie it into other solitary “island verses” within the pages of the Bible … which are surrounded by an ocean of other passages. Copy and paste them together and POOF! You’ve got instant indoctrination. The goal becomes trying to “prove” one’s pre-assumed mindset about the dogmatic doctrines they have been taught. Regardless of what one believes, anybody can do this … and it’s a common practice in the world of religion.

This week, we look at a short passage contained within the 5th chapter of Galatians that is often considered by covenant clashers as a not so veiled threat by the Apostle Paul regarding their eternity and their works. Considering the new covenant context about everything he said in his letter up to this point over several chapters, Paul is attempting to reassure people, not to suddenly shift gears and scare them into going from grace back to trusting in their works.

   
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822. Memorizing "Verses" While Missing the Context of the New Covenant

“But what about this verse!” It has become common practice to view the Bible through individual Bible verses. What was meant as a method to reference the writings more easily can often turn into tunnel vision when it comes to the complete truth contained within the New Covenant of Jesus. A verse or two by themselves can turn into being used as a memorization technique, which sounds like a good thing to do—but the context is more important than any one verse which can often lead people into false assumptions and misunderstandings.

Individual verses can be used as “topics” for sermons, while the pastor may have little or no understanding about the gospel from a New Covenant perspective. We’re working toward a short passage containing a few verses in Galatians chapter 5 which is often used to bring people back into a works mentality … and leaving them in a state of confusion when it comes to God’s grace.

   
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