Introduction: My granddaughters are beginning readers. I watched a
video of one of them reading her Bible. When she faced a more
difficult word, she would sound out the letters, and then consider
whether that word made sense in that sentence. We should never get
over determining how the words of the Bible work together to make
sense. How is the best way to do this? Let’s see what the Bible
teaches us on this subject!
- Belief
- Read Luke 24:36-37. What would cause the disciples think
that Jesus was a ghost? (Dead people who visit are not
real.) - Read Luke 24:38. What is Jesus really asking? Drill down
to what is at the bottom of His question? (Why do you
presume that I am still dead?) - Read Luke 24:39-40. Let’s look at how Jesus goes about
changing their presumptions about Him. What is the first
approach Jesus takes? (He gives them practical proof. He
appeals to their sense of sight and touch. Jesus’ hands
and feet would show the marks of His crucifixion.) - What is an equivalent today for helping someone to
correctly interpret the Bible? (To show how the Bible
has changed you or changed someone else.) - Read Luke 24:41. Why did the disciples not believe their
sense of sight and touch? (They were overwhelmed with joy.
It was “too good to be true.”) - Read Luke 24:42-43. How is this different than showing His
hands and feet? (This is still physical proof, but it also
involves their understanding of the difference between
humans and spirits in terms of the life process.) - What is an equivalent today for helping someone to
correctly interpret the Bible? (Instead of a snapshot
of the life of a changed person, you would show how
they approach problems differently. Their thinking
process has changed.) - Read Luke 24:44-45. How is Jesus changing their
presumptions now? (He turns to the Bible to prove this is
what was supposed to happen to Him.) - The equivalent today would be teaching an unbeliever
through a Bible study. Why did Jesus not start His
proof with the Bible? - Is there a lesson in this for us today?
- Read Luke 24:46-48. Jesus is quoting the Bible. He seems
to have Hosea 6:1-3 in mind. Let’s read it. What new
element has Jesus added to His proof that He is risen? (He
points to a text that not only mentions the third day for
restoration, it sets out the path for the disciples – they
will “press on” to acknowledge Jesus’ work as His as
witnesses. What could be better than a prophecy that
mentions the work of the person that you are trying to
convince?) - Read Luke 24:49. What additional proof will the disciples
be given? (They will be “clothed” with the power of the
Holy Spirit!) - Have you considered adding this to your understanding
of the Bible? - Will the Holy Spirit reinforce (or challenge)
your understanding of the Bible? - Should you invite a nonbeliever to look for the
leading of the Holy Spirit? - Read Hebrews 11:6. What is the ultimate requirement for
interpreting the Bible? (Faith! A belief that God can
change things.) - Our Limitations
- Read John 9:1-2. What caused the disciples to believe that
blindness came about because of sin? (Their spiritual
understanding is filtered through their existing beliefs.) - Is this a problem for us in understanding the Bible?
- Read John 9:3. What is required to believe Jesus? (The
disciples would put away their belief that sin caused
this.) - Jesus gives the blind man sight. Let’s skip down a few
verses and read John 9:14-16. What prevented the Pharisees
from believing that Jesus healed this man? (It was their
understanding of the Bible and the nature of sin.) - What motivated others to argue that Jesus was not a
sinner? (Their understanding of the Bible that
sinners could not perform miracles.) - Do you see that we have two different understandings
of the Bible that result in different conclusions? - How should we avoid this problem? Can it be
avoided? (The Pharisees argue that their
understanding of the Bible prevents Jesus from
having performed this miracle. The other group
accepts the miracle and Jesus’ role in it. This
second group looks for a correct understanding.
Following the course of the second group helps
us to set aside prior thinking in understanding
the Bible.) - Read John 9:19-22. What motivates the response of the
blind man’s parents? (They are afraid of being “put out of
the synagogue.”) - Does this reflect a problem today when we try to
understand the Bible? Are we afraid to reach certain
conclusions because of the reaction of those within
our church? - If we read the views of early leaders of our church,
we find exhortations not to allow what we have
believed in the past to control our present
understanding. However, the established church tells
us to hold on to the “pillars” and to rest on the
“firm foundation” of current belief. Which is
correct? Are both wrong? - Read John 9:30-34. What was feared happened – the man is
thrown out of the synagogue. What do you think about the
logic of the formerly blind man? - How important is logic to understanding the Bible?
Can it be a trap? (While I understand the warnings
about pride and human reasoning, I believe that logic
is essential as shown by this formerly blind man.
Recall two weeks ago our discussion about the
dishonest servant ( Luke 16:8), and how the master
commended him for being “shrewd?” That counsels
common sense.) - What do you think about the formerly blind man’s lack
of deference to the religious leaders? (His lack of
deference arises from a combination of his
understanding of what happened to him and his
religious beliefs. That is much different than simply
being disrespectful.) - Read John 9:39-41. Do we struggle with blindness in
interpreting the Bible? How can we cure this? (In our
story Jesus intervenes to fix the blindness of those who
want a cure. Today, we can call on God in the form of the
Holy Spirit, if we are willing, to fix our blindness.) - Read 2 Peter 3:15-16. How easy is it to correctly
understand the Bible? (This text tells us that some things
written by Paul are “hard to understand.”) - What is at stake if we distort the Bible? (Our
eternal life. We must be very careful in studying to
try to reach the correct understanding.) - Is this a matter of intelligence? When you
think back to school, some students understood
the subject better than others. Are some, who
are less intelligent, at a disadvantage in
understanding the Bible? (We all have equal
access to the Holy Spirit. Those who think they
are smart, may be at a disadvantage because of
pride of opinion.) - Friend, will you approach the Bible with a mind open to
its truth? Will you ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into
a correct understanding of the Word? Why not resolve to do
that right now? - Next week: Language, Text, and Context.
