How Do We Understand God's Word?

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) ¹²  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

We must be careful in our biblical interpretations. It seems easy for us to support a doctrine when it is right next to other scripture that we dismiss as speaking to the culture of the day. Yet, we must take scripture in context of the culture, the scripture near it, the book it is written in and the whole of the Bible before we can get the best interpretation. Too often, I am afraid we only see scripture through the eyes of those who could criticize us for not interpreting it as they do. We parrot what has been said to go along with the party line.

For example, we say that women can't teach but they can braid their hair and wear jewelry. Not braiding hair or wearing jewelry is 1 Timothy 2: 9. Not teaching is 1 Timothy 2: 12. How did we determine that one is doctrine and the other is culture? There doesn't seem to be any indicator that tells us that Paul is switching from one to the other. If he is speaking in principles, then each principle is noted. Women should not flaunt their wealth or their looks. Women should not teach in a way that exercises authority over a man. I don't think of my teaching as exercising authority simply because I teach. It is the scripture that has the authority, not me. I can see how a person can be so forceful in their teaching that they oppress others. That isn't the purpose of biblical teaching.

I have read many arguments on these exact verses. Most want to leave out the scriptures they don't wish to speak of. That is generally poor biblical interpretation. And even those who say women can't teach at all rarely follow that principle. You'll find women teaching in their churches whether they call them teachers or not.

Let's be honest: our humanity prevents us from understanding the scriptures. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we truly understand. We reveal ourselves as immature when we give argumentative interpretations. That doesn't mean that we are wishy-washy in our interpretations. We should stand firm when there is a firm truth. We should be vague when the Bible is vague. Most arguments come from standing firm on something that is vague.

The Bible does not need our help. It is living and active. It will cut through our human arguments to reveal the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. This is the action of the Holy Spirit revealing the scripture's interpretation. I get to this point through prayer and study. I try carefully to let the scripture speak for itself without my manipulations. I am not always successful. I admit I have been wrong, at times.

So, often I cry out, "Fill me with your Spirit, Lord for I cannot know you otherwise. Teach me your word, Lord, for I am inadequate to know it without Your Spirit reading it to me."

1 Corinthians 2:13 (NIV) ¹³  This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 

The Yoke of Jesus Is Easy and His Burden Is Light

 Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) ²⁸  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Age has made me look back on the things I have done; the things I have preached, too. I have so often preached how hard it is to live the Christian life but Jesus says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. How could I have been wrong for so many years?

The truly difficult journey in the Christian life is a daily picking up the cross. It is dying to self each day so that you can live for the Lord. When that dying is complete, the burden that we take from Jesus becomes easy and light. Trying to take on what Jesus wants to give us is impossible while carrying the desires of the world. Saying that you are doing both at the same time is deceiving yourself. There is a war that goes on that only makes you weary and burdened.

James 4:1 (NIV) ¹  What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 

The Christian who has truthfully trusted in Christ and seeks to serve Him will constantly battle with his own desires if he does not take up his cross daily. The problem is, we preachers haven't told him that this is possible because we preachers aren't taking up our crosses daily either. 

That isn't to say that we don't occasionally take up our crosses and follow Jesus. It just isn't a daily thing for most of us. We fail to realize that the reason that Jesus could take up His cross when He was crucified was because He had taken His cross daily.

Most of the movies I have seen about Jesus never have Him laugh. He seems to carry the burdens of the world all the time. I have had people quote Isaiah 53:3 to me when I have said I believe Jesus laughed.

Isaiah 53:3 (NIV) ³  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

While this may be the overall characteristic of Jesus, it is hard for me to see Him as one who constantly frowned and gathered people around Himself. It is hard for me to understand why anyone would say, "Hey, you are sad. I'd like to be like you." I don't think it was all laughter but I simply can't understand how it could be all tears either. 

Honestly, would you call Peter the one who denied Jesus or the one who proclaimed Jesus? Of course, he had done both but he was characterized as one who would preach the gospel message for the rest of his life. So, would you call Jesus all sorrow?

So, today, I need to take up my cross and accept the yoke and burden that Jesus places upon me. They are easy and light.