Let God be found true
Posted on March 10, 2007
Filed Under Bible 'Quick Notes'
You have no doubt heard the story about the husband and wife who were engaged in a dispute over who would get up early and brew the coffee. The husband claimed that it was the woman’s duty. The wife, however, said it was the man’s duty. And furthermore, she said, the Bible clearly says it’s the man’s duty! The husband was shocked. “The Bible says no such thing!†he shouted. “It does too,†she said, “and I’ll prove it!†The wife took out the Bible, turned toward the back and stabbed her finger at the title on one page: “Look, it says HEBREWS!†Of course, to follow up, she got him to do the dishes as well by showing him 2 Kings 21:13. (Look it up!)
These are humorous examples to be sure, but it brings up a more serious thought. When we go to the Bible looking to prove a certain point, we almost always can find a passage that says what we want it to say, taking the passage out of context. This is sometimes called “prooftexting,†or “reading into the scriptures.†The fancy word for this is “eisegesis,†which means to put meaning into.
Right away we should see a problem with this sort of approach. We do not want to put our own meaning and understanding into what the Bible says, but rather to get meaning out of the Holy Scriptures (fancy word “exegesisâ€). How do we do this? How can we be sure we are getting the “whole story†on a topic when we approach the Bible?
First, start with a question, and not an answer! For example, approach the Bible with questions such as, “Is baptism necessary for salvation?†Do not approach the Bible with an answer that you are seeking to justify, such as “I know it is,†or “I know it is not.†Let the Bible do the talking.
Next, find out everything the Bible has to say about a subject. Using our example subject, it would be “reading into scripture†to go to a passage like John 3:16 and thus conclude that baptism is not necessary. Instead, find out what the Bible as a whole says about baptism. Use a good concordance (Strong’s is a good one) to locate every occurrence of the word “baptism, baptize, baptized†in the New Testament, and read and study each passage.
To approach the Bible honestly, we have to have the mindset that God’s truth is the final authority, and my opinion, or what I’ve learned in the past, has to take a backseat if it conflicts with the properly studied Word of God. Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, Romans 3:4.
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