Can a fine leather-bound gilt-edged study bible become a negative influence?

[Xeno.of.athens]

I am thinking of TV religion where a Jimmy Swaggart Bible (study edition) or one of the many similar "study bibles" produced by a TV based "ministry" is spruiked mercilessly at the end of the TV show. Does that kind of religion and that kind of study bible run the risk of becoming a negative influence on its owner? I say, run the risk, because many will not be negatively influenced, and the study bible is not in and of itself a negative influence even if some of the notes in it may be.

I have one such bible, I bought it from Amazon.com for an exceptionally low price, it is from a TV ministry out of Atlanta, Georgia. The featured preacher is a quite elderly fellow (now deceased as of April 2023) who sits on a tall stool in front of a world map as he preaches. The bible is a "NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible [Second Edition, Brown]" and it cost $30.79 in Australia. It is Genuine Leather, the normal amazon price for it is $160. And the notes in the bible seem okay, as far as the ones I have read go. But I wondered if this sort of thing may not be a sort of personality cult and carry with it all sorts of risks.

 

[crixus]

It bothers me how some religious leaders put their name on the cover of the Bible. It seems very egotistical to me. David Jeremiah is another pastor who does that. The Jeremiah Study Bible is the name of it. I wouldn't buy one or even accept one if it were offered to me.

 

[Ceallaigh]

I am thinking of TV religion where a Jimmy Swaggart Bible (study edition) or one of the many similar "study bibles" produced by a TV based "ministry" is spruiked mercilessly at the end of the TV show. Does that kind of religion and that kind of study bible run the risk of becoming a negative influence on its owner? I say, run the risk, because many will not be negatively influenced, and the study bible is not in and of itself a negative influence even if some of the notes in it may be.

I have one such bible, I bought it from Amazon.com for an exceptionally low price, it is from a TV ministry out of Atlanta, Georgia. The featured preacher is a quite elderly fellow (now deceased as of April 2023) who sits on a tall stool in front of a world map as he preaches. The bible is a "NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible [Second Edition, Brown]" and it cost $30.79 in Australia. It is Genuine Leather, the normal amazon price for it is $160. And the notes in the bible seem okay, as far as the ones I have read go. But I wondered if this sort of thing may not be a sort of personality cult and carry with it all sorts of risks.

I'm not flowing your premise. It's just a bible. If one wants to show off a bible, it should be one that's falling apart and full of highlighting, underlining and written in side notes because that shows it's been read and studied a lot.

 

[bling]

I really do not like the people I study with using any commentary other than the Bible, so that is all I can use also. A concordance is good to have, but when a commentary is quoted, I am in a discussion with some dead scholar, who can't defend what he wrote. We can sincerely ask the Holy Spirit for help believing we will get help and the help will come (We have to have a real honest need and being willing to change).

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

I really do not like the people I study with using any commentary other than the Bible, so that is all I can use also. A concordance is good to have, but when a commentary is quoted, I am in a discussion with some dead scholar, who can't defend what he wrote. We can sincerely ask the Holy Spirit for help believing we will get help and the help will come (We have to have a real honest need and being willing to change).

It is a huge burden to be the pioneer interpreter of the scriptures for oneself. No commentaries, no view but one's own to decide a complex matter. How did you decide the canonical books of the bible for yourself?

 

[bling]

It is a huge burden to be the pioneer interpreter of the scriptures for oneself. No commentaries, no view but one's own to decide a complex matter. How did you decide the canonical books of the bible for yourself?

The Holy Spirit decided the canonical books and had men select only them for me. The indwelling Holy Spirit knows the exact interpretation to the verse I really can and will use.

 

[Strong in Him]

I really do not like the people I study with using any commentary other than the Bible, so that is all I can use also. A concordance is good to have, but when a commentary is quoted, I am in a discussion with some dead scholar, who can't defend what he wrote.

Not all those who write commentaries are dead.

We can sincerely ask the Holy Spirit for help believing we will get help and the help will come

Yes - but it's not the Holy Spirit's job to teach us Greek/Hebrew, explain the culture of the times, teach us Bible history or anything else.
We are blessed to have dozens of Bible resources available to us; Atlases, Bible handbooks, dictionaries, study guides, language courses etc. Why would we not use them?

 

[Ceallaigh]

The Holy Spirit decided the canonical books and had men select only them for me. The indwelling Holy Spirit knows the exact interpretation to the verse I really can and will use.

"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers" Ephesians 4:11

 

[bling]

Not all those who write commentaries are dead.

I have tried to be very nice and ask some sincere questions of these authors still alive with no answers.

Yes - but it's not the Holy Spirit's job to teach us Greek/Hebrew, explain the culture of the times, teach us Bible history or anything else.
We are blessed to have dozens of Bible resources available to us; Atlases, Bible handbooks, dictionaries, study guides, language courses etc. Why would we not use them?

I fully agree we have been given wisdom and lots of resources and need to equip ourselves for a deep study, but looking to humans who may not given an inspired answers is not the way to go. We will personally be held accountable for our answer.

 

[bling]

"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers" Ephesians 4:11

There are lots of false; prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers out there. It is up to us to find the truth.

 

[Ceallaigh]

There are lots of false; prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers out there. It is up to us to find the truth.

Of course, that's called discernment. You will know them by their fruits; Matthew 7:15-20. But that doesn't mean we should put every teacher into that category.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Sounds like hard work, @bling and @Ceallaigh

 

[bling]

Of course, that's called discernment. You will know them by their fruits; Matthew 7:15-20. But that doesn't mean we should put every teacher into that category.

Where does the power to discern come from?

 

[bling]

Sounds like hard work, @bling and @Ceallaigh

Being a Christian is full of hard work while here on earth, but it is extremely rewarding and it makes the rest in heaven all the more rewarding.

 

[Strong in Him]

I fully agree we have been given wisdom and lots of resources and need to equip ourselves for a deep study,

but looking to humans who may not given an inspired answers is not the way to go.

It depends what the issue is.
I've read posts on these forums from people who try to spiritualise texts and/or read stuff into them which isn't there.
I've seen posts from folks who say "don't trust human commentaries/input; this text means ......." and get their facts wrong. I've also seen posts from folk who say that all Scripture is to be taken, and applied, literally.
All that has been unhelpful/wrong.

We will personally be held accountable for our answer.

We will one day be asked to account for how we have lived our lives/used our gifts. We are not told that we will have to account for how we understand every verse of Scripture and whether we've used commentaries or been inspired in our interpretation.

 

[bling]

It depends what the issue is.
I've read posts on these forums from people who try to spiritualise texts and/or read stuff into them which isn't there.
I've seen posts from folks who say "don't trust human commentaries/input; this text means ......." and get their facts wrong. I've also seen posts from folk who say that all Scripture is to be taken, and applied, literally.
All that has been unhelpful/wrong.

We will one day be asked to account for how we have lived our lives/used our gifts. We are not told that we will have to account for how we understand every verse of Scripture and whether we've used commentaries or been inspired in our interpretation.

You make my point about false teachers being anywhere and everywhere. We can have the gift of wisdom James 1 praying and believe we can get the wisdom to discern truth from falsehood.
The way we interpret scripture influences what we do and say.

 

[Strong in Him]

You make my point about false teachers being anywhere and everywhere. We can have the gift of wisdom James 1 praying and believe we can get the wisdom to discern truth from falsehood.
The way we interpret scripture influences what we do and say.

Yes, but sometimes the facts don't leave it open to interpretation.
If Paul, for example, was writing to answer a certain problem that a church had, or correct a certain heresy or tell them how to act in a particular situation, that is the background of a particular Scripture - and we do not have the right, or authority, to interpret it to mean something else. There are false teachers who have said, "never mind the commentators/orthodox preaching, I have been inspired to interpret this passage in this way."

Interpretation is not the same as application. Even if a Scripture means X, and was written only to certain people, the Holy Spirit can still apply it to our lives in a certain way.

 

[Strong in Him]

Sounds like hard work,

2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Not, "sit back, let other people tell you what to think and accept anything you are told."

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Not, "sit back, let other people tell you what to think and accept anything you are told."

Never entirely trust the KJV alone for your theology.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
[2Ti 2:15]

 

[Ceallaigh]

Sounds like hard work, @bling and @Ceallaigh

You mean as opposed to letting an organization do all my thinking for me? When you're familiar with what and how Jesus and Paul taught, it's not all that hard.