False interpreters of God's Word

The original sin was reinterpreting God’s word, rebelling against God’s word, and putting our interpretation of the world, wisdom, good and evil above God’s word. We tend to do this as we read the scriptures. Often we don’t know we are doing this for we misinterpret scripture naturally do to our fallen nature. Here are some common fallacies when interpreting the scriptures:

 • Interpreting the scriptures through your own morality or truth, determining what is good and evil and what wisdom is and then manipulating the scriptures to fit your standard of morality and truth.
• Stating that the scripture or the writer is inconsistent and fitting that into an argument around your determination of truth. This is a pretty sure test that the person has poor scholarship and hermeneutics, is not open minded, and is trying to fit their interpretation into the text, instead of allowing the scripture to speak for itself.
• The facts are ignored either do to laziness or because they don’t like the truth and prefer to be closed minded.
• Ignoring the fact the scripture is God breathed and written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
• Ignoring the marriage of Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology.
• Ignoring the Gospel.
• Proof texting, taking scriptures out of context.
• Not being open minded and using and having poor scholarship. Good scholarship is not quoting “experts” and “papers” that in reality are horrible and have poor scholarship or do much of what is written here. A degree or paper does not make one a good scholar or open minded.
• Being a wooden literalist – both liberal and conservatives do this.
• Changing the Greek definitions of words to fit their perspective.
• Ignoring the perspective of proven and tested godly men throughout history.
• Thinking in extremes or in the middle. Scripture is holy, totally other; it does not fit on a scale.
• Taking the text out of the whole of the Bible.

Since, true interpretation of the scripture is against our fallen nature, we must die to ourselves, lay our bodies down as living sacrifices, turning away from comfortably to this world and our own interpretations, and instead look to the only true God, so that we come to understand and discern the goodness, beauty, and truth of God's will, through the testing of His word.

Jesus challenges culture

Jesus challenged the culture of his day. He will challenge your culture as well.

Polarized theological views

When it comes to theological conflicts, so many people can only see a jilted perspective on the issue. They become reactionary and polarized and full of false assumptions, even if they are right on a point. The actual truth is that truth is something totally "other", then the jilted perspectives often presented. God's view on this issue is "holy". The Bible fights against the polarization of point of views and the assumptions that so many make, presents something so much more. It is our holding on to our assumptions and "our side" which are often distorted that makes the scripture unclear. And it is letting go of "our side" of the issue, and then coming humbly face to face with His heart that we find that He has for us more than we can imagine that we understand. And as a father teaches his child, He teaches us His ways. We can no what is true and what is sound theology if we are willing to lose our selves and listen to the one who is sovereign over it.

 Thus says the Lord:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.

Lecrae Beyond Belief

Christians are not morally superior than non-Christians

"The Gospel is the only faith system I know that leads you to expect that people who don't believe like you believe will be better than you. What!? Yes! Because the Gospel says your not saved because your wise; your not saved because your good; your not saved because your virtuous; your not saved because your performing the truth. You are saved because Jesus performs the truth. And you can't get a salvation unless you admit that you are not any better than anyone else, that you are a sinner and that you need grace. And therefore the Gospel leads you to expect that the people who don't agree with you could easily be and usually are better people than you, wiser, nicer, more disciplined, more self controlled, kinder, less likely to fly off the handle; and they are. Every other system of thought leads you to believe that you will be better than the people who do not believe the right things, but the Gospel says if you believe the Gospel you are likely to see other people who don't believe the Gospel better than you. In other words, the Gospel humbles you before the people who don't agree with you. Humbles you! I don't know of any other system that would do that."

--Timothy Keller
Exclusivity of Christianity

He opens our ears to hear.

A friend of mine came to me and we were talking about how sometimes I get frustrated, not so much because people disagree with me, but because people won't listen. I have known him for years, and he is a much loved brother to me. He told me that it is not so much that people won't listen, as much as they can't listen. He said that has been the case with him. Many of things I have said he was not capable of hearing it at the time. This was good for me to hear, and I hope it will help me to be more patient. God reveals His word not me, as much as I desperately long for people to hear it.

Kazoo playing

When you look at this world from a humanistic perspective it is like mimicking a masterful music piece that is meant to be played by an orchestra and choir with a kazoo. It does not come near expressing what the artist meant it to be.