The Spirit of the Word

[marcstinebaugh]

The Spirit of the Word​

This is a long study, not a quick read.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before engaging in this study.
It might help to write down your answers so you can review them at the end.

1.)Have I thoroughly studied everything that I say I believe?
2.)Have I always studied with this standard in mind?
Psalms 119:160 The sum of thy word is truth;
3.)Are we given a new spirit when we become a believer?
4.)If yes, who's spirit?
5.)What does the word "fruit" refer to in the spirit?
6.)Do I believe that the naturally born man can understand the things of God?
7.)Do I know the difference between the letter and the spirit?
8.)Do I have Gods’ spirit?
9.)Do I have Christ’s spirit?
10.)Do I have my own spirit?
11.)Am I dead or alive?
12.)If I’m dead, how am I dead?

That’s probably good enough.

I do ask first that everyone respect others' beliefs, no matter how crazy you think they are. Just as you are entitled to your belief, so are others. God does not reveal everything to everyone at the same time, so bear with each other as we are all still growing and learning; keep an open mind, allowing the Words of God to speak to you, instruct you and lead you to the truth on an individual level.



First, a couple of foundational verses for this study, which everyone is welcome to join and debate, adding scriptures and personal understandings/perspectives.

1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural man does not accept the teachings of God’s Spirit. He thinks they’re nonsense. He can’t understand them because a person must be spiritual to evaluate them.

Jas 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain.

Are we given a new spirit as believers, and is this why we are called born-again?

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

We're probably all familiar with that concept already.
But if not, try to let that sink in.
So, what else does he say?

He said twice in Ezekiel...(I'm only posting it once.)

Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.

What spirit are we given then, if we are given a new spirit?

Ga 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

So Paul here says that he is dead, and it is not him that is living in his flesh anymore, but instead it is Christ that is living in him, according to his faith!
Interesting.

That seems to be fine for Paul to say, Jesus himself did say,

Matthew 9:29 According to your faith be it done unto you.

So it would seem to me that if Paul is dead, and Christ is living in him, that Christ must be living in him in a spiritual way, not all cramped up inside of him.

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. 16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are God's children:

Okay, well that cleared it up for me. He pretty much said the same thing though. If Christ is in you, the body is dead. Did you catch how he said Christ is in you? If you have Christs' Spirit in you.

So what is fruit, according to the bible?

Well, there are two ways I can see looking at it.
One way is in the letter, (physically, like apples and oranges that you eat), and other way is in the spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:6 who (God) also made us sufficient as ministers of a new testament (promise); not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Yeah, I know that didn't explain it. Here, let me show an example.

Romans 2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly (letter); neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly (spirit); and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Here's another example.

Matthew 13:13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because seeing (the do see physically, in the letter) they see not (spiritually by understanding the meaning), and hearing(letter) they hear not (spirit), neither do they understand.

So here we are told the meaning of the word fruit in the spirit.

Gal 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 meekness, self–control; against such there is no law.

Well, physically, what is fruit?
Well, trees and vines grow fruit. It's the produce, or, what is produced by the plant.
And by the fruit of a plant, we know what kind of plant it is.
After you learn what kinds of fruits there are, it’s pretty easy to tell what kind of tree you’re looking at.

Luke 6:44 For each tree is known by its own fruit.

So, fruit grows on what? Branches right? And branches grow on vines and trees right?
Here’s Jesus speaking.

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me you can do nothing.

He used the example of a vine, its’ branches and its’ fruit.
He said he is the vine, and a vine grows branches, and us the branches, we grow the fruit.
So what do you do with a vine or a tree that doesn’t grow any fruit, or one that grows bad fruit?
Well, simple, you either cut off the unproductive branches, or you chop down the tree.

John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away:

 

[marcstinebaugh]

Matthew 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.

Well, what if you mistake a tree that you think is good for a bad one?
Jesus said,

Luke 6:43 A good tree doesn’t produce rotten fruit, and a rotten tree doesn’t produce good fruit.

That doesn’t seem to be an issue.
Now, where do plants come from?

Luke 13:19 It is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his own garden; and it grew, and became a tree;

You have to plant a seed in order to get a tree.
So if there are good trees and bad trees, they must come from good and bad seeds.
A good seed is the kind of plant you want to have grow, a bad seed is a seed that’s going to grow a different kind of plant that you don’t want.

Matthew 13
24 Jesus used another illustration. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field.
25 But while people were asleep, his enemy planted weeds in the wheat field and went away.

There he gave an example of a man planting good seeds of wheat and the enemy plants bad seeds of weeds in his field.
There’s another problem too, you’ve got to make sure you plant a seed on good ground, or it won’t grow.
Jesus said,

Mark 4
3 "Listen! A farmer went to plant seed.
4 Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and ate them.
5 Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn’t deep.
6 When the sun came up, they were scorched. They didn’t have any roots, so they withered.
7 Other seeds were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up and choked them, and they didn’t produce anything.
8 But other seeds were planted on good ground, sprouted, and produced thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted."

So, depending on the condition of the ground where you plant seeds, the seeds could grow up and be unproductive or have varying levels of production.
In the first example, which is in the letter, we see regular old seeds and a farmer, but in the spirit, we understand the seeds to be something else.

Luke 8:11 The seed is the word of God.
Matthew 13:37 The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man.
38 The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one.
39 The enemy who planted them is the devil.

So that’s what it means to see something in the letter and see something in the spirit. There’s something that you can see when you read it, anyone can see that, but there’s a deeper meaning behind what is being said, that you have to see in the spirit.

So what is the point?
Why do you have to have this, fruit?
What was the fruit we have to have again?

Gal 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 meekness, self–control;

Let’s keep looking.

Ro 8:29 For whom he (God) foreknew (Gen. 4:1,Jer. 1:5), he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:

He says that people are ordained to be changed into the image of his Son, Jesus.
What does he mean by image? And what is the image of his Son?

2 Corinthians 4: Christ, who is the image of God

Col 1
15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;

Heb 1
2 hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds;
3 who being the reflection of his glory, and the very image (exact likeness/reproduction) of his being (substance), and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

The image in the greek is the word eikon, where we get our word icon, like on your desktop!
An icon is just like on a typewriter also, it is what produces the character on the page. Up above, where it says “very image”, that word in the greek is charakter, which strangely enough is where we get the word character! On a typewriter, the icon on the striker creates a character on the page, like a letter or number or question mark. So the ICON creates the CHARACTER on the PAPER. We are the PAPER, Christ is the ICON, and we are having that CHARACTER image of the icon reproduced on us.
Also notice, if you already have text on a page, you can’t just type over it and get a clean document, you’ve got to get rid of whatever is there. Just like Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ”, his page was wiped clean and “It is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me”. It’s the spiritual qualities of God that Christ has himself as the ICON and he is impressing those qualities upon us.

2Co 3:18 But we all, with uncovered faces beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image with ever-increasing glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.


Here he shows us that it’s as if we should be looking in the mirror (of the word), and not seeing our own sinful selves, but instead seeing Christ, and by doing that, we’ll be impressed upon by him (the icon) and changed from a blank page into the same image (character). He’s saying to keep our eyes on him and his word, and off of ourselves. He talks about it again in James.

James 1
23 If someone listens to God’s word but doesn’t do what it says, he is like a person who looks at his face in a mirror,
24 studies his features, goes away, and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But he that looks into the perfect law of freedom, and so continues, being not a hearer that forgets but a doer that works, this man will be blessed in his doing.

So, we have one image already that needs to be taken care of.

1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Col3:10 put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Ro 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

 

[marcstinebaugh]

Now maybe you can more clearly understand what the “image (eikon) of the beast” is. And the “mark (charagma) of the beast”, from the same root word as charakter.

Re 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image (eikon), and received not the mark (charagma) upon their forehead (mind) and upon their hand (works); and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Now we know what the image is, it’s the nature or character.

Remember the verse up above a ways that said, we have born the "image of the earthly"? and we know that (Gen. 2:7) ...Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground. Flesh is from the earth (dust). So natural man worships the flesh and the image of the flesh, and has that mark (charagma) in his mind (forehead) and in his works (hand).

Gal 5
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties,
21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Okay, so those are an example of ROTTEN FRUIT!
That trees getting’ cut down, you can count on that.

So at the end of everything, what is it God is looking for? Fruit.

Luke 13
7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also cumber the ground?
8 And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9 and if it bear fruit thenceforth, well; but if not, thou shalt cut it down.

So when he comes to pick fruit, at the day of the rapture/resurrection, he is coming to (think of it this way) pick Christ.
He's coming to pick those that have been born again with the Spirit of Christ, though the seed, the Word which is Christ and have produced fruit as a result.
Without the Spirit of Christ, you have no way of being with God.
Remember what he said,

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Interesting isn't it. We see that we have the Holy Spirit that dwells in us, but we are also given the Spirit of Christ, which without, we are not one of his (children obviously).

Remember the harvest in Revelation, where he sends his angels to harvest the fruit?

Revelation 14
18 And another angel came out from the altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great winepress, of the wrath of God.

To make wine in the old days before machines did it all, they would trample or stomp grapes in a winepress to mash them down and extract the juices.

(Christ speaking here)
Isaiah 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment.

Revelation 19:15 And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.

Revelation 19:13 And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Joel 3:13 Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

So there we saw grapes being used to describe people. What are grapes? Fruit.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can you, except you abide in me.

So we can see the terminology being repeated everywhere can't we?
The vine grows branches, the branches are what make the fruit.
He uses great examples doesn't he? Maybe he planned it all that way?

So we have to be attached to the vine, because we are branches, and in order for us (the branches) to bear fruit, we must be attached to the vine, we can't just fall off and do our own thing. What happens when a branch falls off of a vine? The fruit and the branch are going to die, then the fruit becomes rotten, because it’s not abiding in the vine.

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.

So, what does God do for us to help us with that?
He gives us HIS Holy Spirit, and he helps to make that happen.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me:

 

[marcstinebaugh]

Gods’ spirit leads us to the truth and does many other great things for us.

Luke 12:12 for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

The list goes on, but that’s a few of the things.
With the Holy Spirit giving us power from God our Father, Christ’s spirit will grow up inside of us and we'll see the fruit being evidenced as trials come our way.
Trials and temptations are what show us that we have grown and what cause us to grow.

1 Peter 1
6 You are extremely happy about these things, even though you have to suffer different kinds of trouble for a little while now.
7 The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God.

We have been ordained or appointed to manifest the character of God and of Christ; we are his body are we not?

1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof.

Ro 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God.

So that’s why trials are good, they show the power of God and show that your flesh is dead and Christ is living in you doing many great works.

So here we have the contrast between those that are unrepentant sinners or people that fell away from the faith they had in the beginning. And you have to endure to the end, with what was taught from the beginning, by Jesus.

1Jo 2:24 As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father.

Heb 3:14 for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end:

You know what he says about those that bring a different gospel and not the one that he taught?

Galatians 1
6 I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel;
7 which is not another gospel only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be accursed.

So really this is a comparison of good fruit (spirit of christ) and bad fruit (antichrist spirit/spirit of the world).

1Co 2:12 But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God.

Mt 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

If we are to abide in Christ, how do we do that? We have to stay close to him. Stay close to him by putting his word (seed) inside of you (field) and allow it to grow up and grow fruit. If you need to make sure you are open to the word (seed) and don’t turn into rocky ground or a ground with thornbushes or hard ground where the seed (word) cannot grow. Hard ground is called fallow ground, we need to keep ourselves open and rototilled, ready to accept the word and let him do his thing. If you try to do things your own way, it’s not going to work.


Mark 4
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth;
27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how.
28 The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.


So we have a number of things, that are all the same thing.

The seed is the word.
Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

And the Word is Christ.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us

Christ is the vine.
John 15:5 I am the vine,

The fruit is Christ growing again with more seeds inside.
Genesis 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.

 

[marcstinebaugh]

The fruit comes from the Spirit (of the word/of Christ)
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self–control;

Remember the “Spirit of the Word (Christ)” and not of the letter?
It’s the Spirit of Christ that allows us to learn what the natural man cannot.

Romans 8:6 For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:

1 Corinthians 3
14 Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.
2 I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it: nay, not even now are ye able;
3 for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?

We’ve got to get past these things before we will be able to get off of the milk that many of our churches teach these days, and even the lies. Later, once we learn some of these foundational truths, and believe them by faith, then we can move on to the meat and learn the deeper things and Christ will grow in us more.

Hebrews 5
12 For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food.
13 For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.
14 But solid food is for fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.
1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.


I know it wasn't very good, there's a lot more I could have said. But, I did what I could do, and even that only by the grace of God. Feel free to copy and use this if you'd like.

Now it's up for debate, if there is anything you would like to add or if you have any questions, here is the opportunity to do so.

- Marc Stinebaugh

 

[martymonster]

Hey there Marc.

This could be very interesting!
You sound like you are genuinely interested in what the Bible has to say.

Maybe though We could discuss one point at a time?

I'll start.

What do you think it means that the natural or carnal man cannot recieve the things of God and what do you know of how to understand the scriptures?

 

[marcstinebaugh]

Hey there,
I really did end up covering a lot more ground than I anticipated, I just kept coming up on another point and another point and it gets hard to stay on track, but I guess the more that I put in there, the more it helps to connect the dots ya know. So it's good.

I guess that the study doesn't exactly answer your question the way you're asking it. All it says is that the (natural) mind you are born with is incapable of understanding the spiritual meaning of the word, but it can understand the letter (what's on the surface). Reading through will help you to understand the terms I'm using if you're not already familiar with them.

What I've learned about the Bible is that it is a very deep and complicated book, beyond that of any other one in existence I'm sure. I mean, it even has a mathematical pattern running through the entire thing in the original languages in the original text. Wow, and talk about complex.

To try to answer the second part of your question, "what do you know of how to understand the scriptures", I really don't know anything at all, haha. All I know is that people are blind to a lot of things, and we'll only have those things revealed to us and understand those things when God takes the blinders off. I know that understanding comes through more than just study. It's absolutely imparitive that someone is born again with the Spirit of Christ in order for them to understand what the Spirit of Christ is saying! That I do know.

Asking God to open your mind and to reveal things to you is a good idea also. I've done that in the past. I also asked him that I would be able to remember the meaning of his word, even if I couldn't quote it. Quoting the words isn't as important as understanding the spirit of the words, in my opinion. God says,
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

We also know that we are kings in Gods' kingdom. I'm pretty sure it's not talking about kings here on earth, not those guys, us. He wants us to search him out, search out his words and find the meaning of what he says. So, if you'd like to learn more, the best way to do it in my experience, is to ask and believe he has already done it by faith, then study, study, study and talk to him about what you're reading and experiencing in your life. Pray, throughout your day. And when I say "pray", I don't mean, stop and bow your head. When you talk (pray) to a friend, you don't stop and bow your head, that's just a tradition, it doesn't make God hear you any more or less if you do or don't. I just talk to him as a friend and let him know what I'm thinking, and feeling and I don't hold back any language at all.

What's the point? He already knows what I'm going to say and what I'm thinking, it's stupid to try to hide it, as if it were possible.

John 15:15 No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends;

If he's your friend, like he says he is, treat him like he is. We're building a relationship with the greatest person you possibly can, God himself. What an opportunity we have, we are so, so fortunate. Many are called, but FEW are chosen. Even of those who ARE called, FEW people really get to know him. So in conclusion, my own experience is exactly what the word says. In the natural, I have no capability to understand the Word of God, but in the Spirit, now having the spirit, he has opened many things to me that I never would have know about.

And it's a wonderful thing.

- Marc Stinebaugh

 

[martymonster]

So maybe We need to establish what it means to understand the word first.

What does it mean to compare spiritual to spiritual and does the context context context rule that christian's harp on about even mentioned in the bible?

We should establish this first otherwise we could be quoting scriptures at each other totally invain!

 

[marcstinebaugh]

The question you proposed was "What does it mean to understand the Word?"

My answer:
What it means to understand the Word to me is to comprehend what God wants me to know through what I am reading. There are different layers of comprehension available in the text of the Bible. There are multiple things to be learned from each statement, and the more statements you combine, the more there is to learn.

What can we learn?
Things about the past, about the future, about the spiritual realm, about the physical world, about our responsibilities, about God, about ourselves, about each other and more I'm sure.

Is the context rule everyone talks about mentioned in the Bible?
Not that I'm aware of.

Is it a valid argument?
In some cases yes, mostly in the letter learning about elementary truths or things relating the the physical.

What does it mean to compare spiritual to spiritual?
What that means to me is that in order to understand something spiritual, (which the physical senses do not recognize and the natural mind attempts to make excuses for) you must be enabled by the source of the spiritual realm, God. For instance, how could a dead person understand what it means to feel, smell, hear or see? They couldn't. Just the same, how could a physical person that cannot interact with the spiritual do so without being given the ability by the spirit it is trying to interact with?

God has given us a physical book, with physical illustrations and stories (parables, etc.) yet below the surface, there is a spiritual realm existing not within the book itself, but within the meanings of those things. Can the natural mind comprehend and believe that? No, it is spiritual and in order to even recognize that as a physical being, you must have been given the spirit of truth that tells you that there is a spiritual force that can do something of that magnitude and also help you to interact with and comprehend it.

The mind can logically come to the conclusion that there is an outside force, but it is not able to interact with and comprehend it. When given the spirit, you enter into a situation like this one...

Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit

Only once we have experienced this can we move from the position of being left with no other answer, to the position of experiential knowledge.

Did that help at all or am I retarted?
lol
I'll just re-read it after I post it.

 

[marcstinebaugh]

I'd really like to know what you think about the whole thing after reading it though. That would be cool.

 

[Chickapee]

awesome!!! this is great!! a real good study , one of the best I ever read!
Thanks Marc! in your efforts ............
I am going to copy it and read it all together if its ok with you bro ?

the spiritual mind is ready to recive the Things of God , being prepared by the Lord of course

God love ya ,, C

 

[calluna]

I'd really like to know what you think about the whole thing after reading it though. That would be cool.

I have no desire whatever to be impertinent, but I cannot think of a reason for anyone who does not have time to kill to read all of this. So often, one finds that internet posts have little serious scholarly or spiritual content, even when published authors are quoted, and there is no reason to suppose that this will be any different. Then in this case there is the red typeface, which is hard to read, and the KJV translation, which is hard to read also. I would not expect many to read anything presented like this if I was to post in a similar way. People need to get the main point early and clearly if they are to spend more than a few seconds on an OP.

 

[Chickapee]

Its a good study Calluna ! I love it when someone takes the time to feed me spiritually Blessings to Marcus for being obedient
I love King James many hidden meanings in it , most folks think are errors and contradictions
but to me it is their ability to discern it and really look into it deeply with the greek and hebrew word meanings They will find that it has some faults like lucifer for instance is a added latin word for the King of Babylon , King Nebchadunezzer in Isaiah 14 ;12 , that is someting to look into ..
I dont want to come off as rude either to anyone
but am grateful for the brothers /sisters who are willing to Share their Bread of Life with us

Life and peace to you and yours C

 

[calluna]

Its a good study Calluna !

Tell us what you have learned.

I love King James many hidden meanings in it

Well hidden, mostly. That's why it's used by non-Christians such as the press and atheists.

, most folks think are errors and contradictions

Including the scholars who replaced it. And that was after many years of complaints from language scholars that it was not fit for purpose. I have heard several whole sermons based on erroneous KJV texts, but not had the nerve to stand up and tell the guy that he was talking nonsense.

but to me it is their ability to discern it and really look into it deeply with the greek and hebrew word meanings

That's why use of only the Greek and Hebrew is of any use for serious study.

 

[Chickapee]

Tell us what you have learned.

Well hidden, mostly. That's why it's used by non-Christians such as the press and atheists.

Including the scholars who replaced it. And that was after many years of complaints from language scholars that it was not fit for purpose. I have heard several whole sermons based on erroneous KJV texts, but not had the nerve to stand up and tell the guy that he was talking nonsense.

That's why use of only the Greek and Hebrew is of any use for serious study.

Yes Thanks ,,I do agree with you brother ....
your a good man ! God love you ........... C

Ps. I have so prayed for the Spirit of the Lord to Teach me His Truth

, I have faith that is what the Spirit is doing

I am willing to learn

 

[marcstinebaugh]

Hey you can do with it whatever you'd like. Other than messing with it. I'm putting a copyright on it right now Feel free to distribute and copy it, in full or in part and please do study it out for yourself. Just please don't change the words, that's all.
Enjoy!
Marc Stinebaugh

 

[marcstinebaugh]

I have no desire whatever to be impertinent, but I cannot think of a reason for anyone who does not have time to kill to read all of this. So often, one finds that internet posts have little serious scholarly or spiritual content, even when published authors are quoted, and there is no reason to suppose that this will be any different. Then in this case there is the red typeface, which is hard to read, and the KJV translation, which is hard to read also. I would not expect many to read anything presented like this if I was to post in a similar way. People need to get the main point early and clearly if they are to spend more than a few seconds on an OP.

It's the American Standard Version, Numeric English New Testament and Gods Word translations, no KJV at all.

If you don't like to study your Bible, that's fine. If you don't want to read it, don't. Just don't come on here an complain about it. Here's why I didn't get to the main point early.

It's a Bible STUDY.

Psalms says, "The sum of your words is truth."
Not just a verse here and a verse there with a bunch of talk and nothing to back it up.

The red font color makes the verses stand out from the rest, I can use blue next time I guess.

Read it and then comment, it's the right way to go about things.
Why do you come on a Christian forum if you don't want to study anyways?

 

[marcstinebaugh]

Calluna, you seem to have a divisive spirit, I'll pray for you right now.

 

[calluna]

Hey you can do with it whatever you'd like. Other than messing with it. I'm putting a copyright on it right now Feel free to distribute and copy it, in full or in part and please do study it out for yourself. Just please don't change the words, that's all.
Enjoy!
Marc Stinebaugh

"Self-praise is no recommendation."

 

[calluna]

It's the American Standard Version, Numeric English New Testament and Gods Word translations, no KJV at all.

My apologies. I can't say that I looked very hard. But imv the ancient ASV takes some justifying, these days.

If you don't like to study your Bible, that's fine.

Now I know that the OP is not worth reading.