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NASB | Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ. |
Subject: Joe, how do you know truth? |
Bible Note: Joe, This is my opinion (as is everything that I write, I'm sure you would agree):) God is truth. Truth is God's viewpoint. Unlike your criteria, I do not consider human nature reality. Human nature is born fallen and should not be considered reality. God is true reality. If we want to know the truth, we must consult God. He and His Word are the embodiment of truth. God, through His Word, is the primary revealer of truth. He did not leave us without an Interpreter. Christ said that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will lead us into all truth, which, obviously, always leads us back to God. I believe in interpreting the Bible by asking and then trusting the Holy Spirit to show me the mind of God behind the words. 'Who has known the mind of God? No one except the Spirit.' 'We have the mind of Christ.'- it's available to us because He lives in us. That is one of the primary reasons He dwells in us. He takes the things of Christ and makes them known to us. To do this, I try to let the scripture say what is says without 'reading' my meanings into it. I use other related scripture to ensure consistency. I try to interpret verses in light of the context, of the chapter, the book, and the whole Bible. I try to interpret scripture in the plain sense of the scripture making allowances for idioms, historical settings, literary devices (hyberbole, parables, poetry, etc.) I then compare my 'interpretation' against what my pastor believes, what other SS teachers believe, what some of my commentaries say (Believer's Bible Comm and various study Bibles, Ryrie, Nelson, NIV, NASB, etc), other books in my library. I also put my interpretation up before other forum members to get their opinions. I do have a few friends who know Greek to help me with passages that are, to my understanding, ambiguous. But, over the years, because I did not use these techniques, and simply trusted and believed everything I was told, here are some things that I used to hold to simply because that is what I was taught: You don't have the Holy Spirit if you don't speak in tongues. God will heal everyone if they have enough faith. God wants you to be rich. "If you don't send me X amount of money, God will take my life." "If you send me X amount of money, God will repay you 10-fold." Christians can lose their salvation. There is no way to know for sure that you are saved until you die. Not all of your sins are forgiven, only the ones you confess. True worship is lifting your hands and being slain in the spirit. If you have any sin in your life, God cannot use you. If you take communion and forget a sin, God could strike you dead. Being a good Christian is keeping the 10 Commandments. Every one of these statements have scripture to back them up. Those choice is eventually mine to make. I alone am responsible to God for my interpretation or my belief system. In light of the fact that all teachers have their 'pet' scriptures (even me), ultimately, I have to weigh everything and decide for myself who I listen to. And, ultimately, I have to trust that God can cut through all this 'garbage' that I have collect over the years to reveal Christ alone as my hope of glory. In Christ, Bill Mc |