FULL BIBLE TRUTH

How many of you have heard this? Well if you have, please be careful with it. All too often they will say, "You're not reading it right" when they really mean, "You are not reading it the way that I want you to." One of the classic hallmarks of a self-righteous spirit lurking in the heart of man is the insistance that you read and interpret the scripture precisely the way they do. You are not permitted to expound on the scripture, you are forbidden to increase the fullness of understanding; exortation and edification are not wanted.

Now before I go on with this line of thought I would reassure my brothers and sisters that I am well aware that "no scripture is open to private interpretation" however; my friends, we are human. We are fallible. To be truthful, we are rarely ever capable of understanding ANY scripture with the fullness of understanding that is equalled only to the LORD's.

We often receive bits of insight, snippets of perception, breezes of inspiration, moments of understanding. Sometimes we even have an epiphany of divine revelation. God is good to be sure. None of this means that our understanding of any scripture is 100% complete by any stretch of the imagination. Even in those glorious moments when we experience the blessed RUACH breathing through us as we give utterance and He gives us this gift of understanding we often soon realize that really. . . there ARE NO WORDS to describe just what we have learned in our language to someone else. Is it any wonder then why we would speak in tongues? Is it any wonder why interpretors are necessary?

Beware of the self-righteous spirit that would teach you how to read the Bible their way.

I honestly believe that a prudent person would be wise to listen to what is uttered from the mouth of a newborn. The Lord just might have a Word or two that needs to be heard.

I have frequently seen the joy and bliss of salvation get quashed in such an ugly fashion just because the newborn said something that fell on deaf ears. Yes! Out of the mouths of babes.. PLEASE LISTEN. Jesus knows precisely what He is doing.

Indeed. No scripture is open to private interpretation. Not mine, and not yours, and not a pastor's either. The key is to determine whether the interpretation is actually private, or not, in the first place. If it is accordance with the other scriptures it likely isn't private. In the beautiful design of creation we can plainly see that there is a wonderous system of reliance built into each and every one of us. Everyone has a gift and everyone is able to contribute in some way to the Kingdom. Nobody has it all (Save ONE).

I cannot even venture to count the number of times my own understanding has been so expanded and strengthend that the fullness of it before a few words were shared with me from a sister or brother, or even a child, seemed miniscule in comparison. I still have allot to learn. Brother, YOU'RE not reading it right! -- Be careful. This is only another small snippet. Only our Master has the 100% fullness of complete understanding.

To be true.. there simply are no words in our fleshly tongues and/or minds that will make us capable of comprehending it all.

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A REPLY BY THE AUTHOR:

Greetings to you and you family. It has been a while since we last dialoged. I am so pleased to see that you are still here. You write:

"Either that, or they will post scripture upon scripture on something, condemn people for doing whatever they're doing, and say,"I'm not doing the judging, God's Word is". If it was God's Word doing the judging, there's no need to post scripture on something. Most of us know the Bible well enough to know what it says, and most of us are in a place with God where we can hear and feel what He says."

Here is my view:

Codemnation is God's department -- not mine. I do not mind at all if a brother or sister posts scripture upon scripture because this is the proper method of expounding on the word of God. It is when that person would become selective through omission and exclude those other verses in the scripture that are not so convenient to their position that concerns me. Why is it that all of a sudden those verses don't count anymore? Do they not have a genuine love for the fullness of the word of God?

Sooner or later, through the process of omitting and excluding specific aspects of FULL BIBLE TRUTH, I have found that they have a proclivity to slip in their private interpretation in order to fill in the gaps they created by omitting and excluding the fullness of the truth. This operation is as old as the serpent in the garden who slipped in his own private interpretation to say:

"Ye shall NOT surely die." One word was all it took to change the entire interpretation. What followed shortly thereafter was a false interpretation bolstered by an accusation without merit:

"For God knows that in the day that you eat...".

By implication the enemy then portrayed God as a selfish and tryanical dictator who's main directive was to keep Adam and Eve in ignorance and total submission rather than to portray Him as a generous and loving and protective Father. That Adam and Eve even had a "choice" to begin with should give some indication of His desire for Mankind to exercise liberty of action and thought. They were not robots or puppets.

Whenever one would omit (take away) from the Fullness of theTruth, one must then begin to fill in the gaps with something or the holes will begin to show and grow increasingly obvious and usually they become very unsightly. Adding to the word of God is to attach a private interpretation to the scripture that will not hold water. Taking away from the word of God is to censor the Holy Bible. Those who knowingly do such things will not escape the wrath that is to come unless they repent.

Sadly, most of us really do not know scripture well enough and I have seen several examples of that here, in this place, even to say that the seasoned church goers are also in great need of knowledge. It should be stated that I do not exclude myself from this group as it is evident that I still have much to learn. I'm learning that a considerable number of so-called "Holiness" churches do reject the word of God continually. This does not discourage me because my confidence is in Jesus.

"Most of us know the Bible well enough to know what it says, and most of us are in a place with God where we can hear and feel what He says."

Sister, I truly wish it were so. Yes, there was even once a time that I believed much the same thing - but not anymore. I have learned that just because a thing may be so for me, that this does not make it so for them. Believers are robbed of the word of truth on a daily basis and many have closed minds and hard hearts. Oh, they still believe but subscribe to private doctrines that are not supported by scripture. I find that the tradition of the Gentiles to the EXCLUDING and to the ACCUSING that we are warned of in scripture prevails in the churches to this day.

I am so glad that you, yourself, have found a place to feel and hear what Jesus says. I would submit that most of us have not and that many of us need to remove the wax from our ears and the plaque from our hearts before we will hear anything.

God bless you, sister

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