I just finished the chapter on The Clarity of Scripture in Grudem's Systematic Theology as a part of my devotions last night and what I found interesting was how sin can affect our ability to properly interpret the Word of God. And I wanted to share the insight with you all.
On one hand, the Scripture is simple enough that we have the ability to understand it enough to teach it to our children, and discuss it wherever we go (Deut 6:7) and Paul talks about how he wrote nothing that the Corinthians couldn't read and understand (2 Cor 1:13-14). On the other hand, Peter talks about unstable and untaught people distorting the Scriptures of Paul and other Scriptures to their own detriment because some things within them are difficult to understand.
2 Peter 3:10-18
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
I just thought it interesting that properly understanding the Scriptures is so closely connected with morality. Godly men meditate on God's word day and night. The ungodly do not offer counsel from the Scriptures, since if they did, the psalmist could say that a man could both walk in the counsel of the wicked and the Word of God. Both cannot be done, though.
Psalm 1:1-2
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
Paul quotes from OT the following:
Romans 3:10-18
As it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
“THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
“WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;
“THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
“THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
Sin so corrupts us that we have lost (before our regeneration) all ability to understand.
Paul writes in 2 Cor 3:14-18
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (the glory speaking of the ministry of righteousness)
Christ takes away the veil when the believer reads the Scripture, but the unbeliever (who is unrighteous) cannot understand since they have not turned to Christ nor do they search for him.
So, I would like to encourage us all to live righteously before our Lord, and rightly understand his Holy Word which is able to even make us fools wise. (Ps 19:7)
Since sin causes us to misunderstand, and ignorance causes us to live not in accordance to God's law, we should learn to love both orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
Let us remove any roadblock that would hinder our relationship with God by using God's Word appropriately since bad doctrine produces bad living, and let us put aside any hindrance that would stand in the way of our right understanding of Scripture, by practicing what our God has taught us in Scripture since bad living produces bad doctrine.
My Prayer: "Lord, please remove the sinful habits in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to let us rightly understand you, and let us rightly understand you so that we can live rightly before you. Bless us this day. In Jesus' name."
I hope God blesses you as much as He has blessed me from this insight.
Have a great day, everyone.
On one hand, the Scripture is simple enough that we have the ability to understand it enough to teach it to our children, and discuss it wherever we go (Deut 6:7) and Paul talks about how he wrote nothing that the Corinthians couldn't read and understand (2 Cor 1:13-14). On the other hand, Peter talks about unstable and untaught people distorting the Scriptures of Paul and other Scriptures to their own detriment because some things within them are difficult to understand.
2 Peter 3:10-18
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
I just thought it interesting that properly understanding the Scriptures is so closely connected with morality. Godly men meditate on God's word day and night. The ungodly do not offer counsel from the Scriptures, since if they did, the psalmist could say that a man could both walk in the counsel of the wicked and the Word of God. Both cannot be done, though.
Psalm 1:1-2
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
Paul quotes from OT the following:
Romans 3:10-18
As it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
“THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
“WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;
“THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
“THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
Sin so corrupts us that we have lost (before our regeneration) all ability to understand.
Paul writes in 2 Cor 3:14-18
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (the glory speaking of the ministry of righteousness)
Christ takes away the veil when the believer reads the Scripture, but the unbeliever (who is unrighteous) cannot understand since they have not turned to Christ nor do they search for him.
So, I would like to encourage us all to live righteously before our Lord, and rightly understand his Holy Word which is able to even make us fools wise. (Ps 19:7)
Since sin causes us to misunderstand, and ignorance causes us to live not in accordance to God's law, we should learn to love both orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
Let us remove any roadblock that would hinder our relationship with God by using God's Word appropriately since bad doctrine produces bad living, and let us put aside any hindrance that would stand in the way of our right understanding of Scripture, by practicing what our God has taught us in Scripture since bad living produces bad doctrine.
My Prayer: "Lord, please remove the sinful habits in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to let us rightly understand you, and let us rightly understand you so that we can live rightly before you. Bless us this day. In Jesus' name."
I hope God blesses you as much as He has blessed me from this insight.
Have a great day, everyone.
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