Properly Handling
the Word of Truth
INTRODUCTION
Without a
doubt there is no greater, or more valuable possession that we can hold in
our hands than the word of God — The Holy Bible. And while we hold, and
read, and study God’s word, we have no greater need than to know how to
handle it as God has intended that we handle it. For only then will we
handle the Bible properly, and only then will it be able to
effectually and fully function for us as "the word of truth" that it is, and
thereby be able to accomplish what God has designed it to accomplish in our
minds, and hearts, and lives.
Now there are a number of factors involved in properly
handling God’s word, including such things as simply being honest with what
God says by keeping all verses and passages in their respective contexts,
and by not ignoring or dismissing the context of anything God says. However
the specific focus in these twelve lessons is upon one of the most
fundamental and vital principles of proper Bible handling that there is,
while at the same time being one of the most ignored. This vital, yet often
ignored principle is this: That even though all of what God says in the
Bible is for us to understand and appreciate, not everything in the Bible is
expressly talking about what God is doing with us today. Or to say it
very simply, ‘Not everything in the Bible is expressly TO us and ABOUT us
today.’
There are two main reasons why this is so. The first is
the simple fact that from beginning to end — i.e. from Genesis through The
Book of The Revelation — the Bible covers all of God’s dealings with
man, from the beginning of creation on into what will yet come to pass in
"the ages to come." Therefore in view of the full scope of what the Bible
covers it is only logical for us to recognize that it is not possible for
everything in the Bible to be about what God is doing today.
The second reason, however, is much more specific in
nature. It has to do with the fact that God has two distinctly different
programs that He is working out in His overall and eternal plan and
purpose. The first of these two programs pertains to God’s nation Israel and
to His purpose for the earth; while the other program pertains to us today —
i.e. God’s "new creature," the church the body of Christ — and to His
purpose for the heavenly places. And since these are two different programs,
they do not necessarily have the same features to them, or the same kind of
instructions, or promises, or provisions. What’s more, God is not
administering these two programs at the same time. For they are two separate
programs. Only God’s program for His "new creature," the church the body of
Christ, is in effect today.
Therefore since God has these two different and separate
programs, it is all the more obvious that not everything in the Bible is
specifically about what God is doing today, nor does it all pertain to us
today.
However all too often we mistakenly think, or assume,
otherwise. Or, sadly, we are even taught otherwise. But what is worse is
that when we think that everything in the Bible pertains to us today, we not
only misunderstand God’s word, but we also end up mishandling it. For we end
up both misapplying and misusing the Bible. We do this primarily by taking
things such as promises, instructions, injunctions, doctrines and the like,
which strictly pertain to God’s program with Israel, and we mistakenly apply
them to us today. What’s more, in doing this we not only dishonor God and
His word, but we actually disobey Him. For we endeavor to follow
instructions that He never gave to us today.
Wherefore if we are going to properly handle the
Bible and honor it, (and also not dishonor God or disobey Him), then it is
imperative that we clearly recognize the reality of God’s two distinctly
different programs. Likewise it is equally imperative that we do not confuse
them or mix them together, but that we keep them separate, as God Himself
does.
In these twelve lessons we will address and examine the
basics regarding God’s two distinctly different programs. Whereby we will
not only ensure that we understand and appreciate the reality of them, but
we will also ensure that we properly handle the word of truth in
accordance with them. So that we do not make the common, but also damaging
and costly mistake in our Christian lives of applying things from the Bible
to ourselves that do not pertain to God’s program with us today.
IMPORTANT NOTES
This publication is essentially a transcription of the
Enjoy The Bible Ministries® video series entitled Basic Bible
Comprehension. However it has been extensively edited and modified to
reduce, or remove, many of the difficulties that are often encountered when
reading a transcription of oral teaching. Hence it is easy to read and
follow. Yet at the same time the original ‘talking-to-you-style’ and caliber
of teaching belonging to the oral lessons have been preserved. Even many of
the visual aids and charts that are used in the video series have been
reproduced and are included in this publication. Therefore while you are
reading these lessons, in essence it should be the same as if you were
attending, or watching, the oral teaching.
Along with preserving the oral and personal style of
teaching, the individual lesson format used in the video series has also
been retained. Wherefore not only have many of the remarks and comments
which are common to oral and personal teaching been retained, but so also
have the lesson-to-lesson recaps, as well as the exhortations to read
certain portions of Scripture in preparation for an upcoming lesson.
In addition, since oral teaching is often a ‘looser’ or
less structured style of teaching, (even easily lending itself to
spontaneity and to roaming); and since it does not provide the listener with
a ‘built in memory’ for readily recalling what has been taught, as is the
case with written teaching; this means that it not only moves from issue to
issue with a less strict structure than that of written teaching, but it
naturally employs frequent repetition of key information in order to keep it
vital and fresh, as well as to maintain a clear sense and sequence to the
overall teaching presentation. In this transcription these features have
been reduced or adjusted in order to minimize roaming and redundancy.
However since they are common features belonging to the personal style of
oral teaching, they have not been completely removed.
The majority of all of the Scripture verses and passages
that are cited, or referred to, in the lessons are quoted within each
lesson. However since the surrounding context of any verse, or passage, is
also essential to understand and appreciate, (and since you are often asked
to take note of something that is in the surrounding context), you should
not rely solely upon the Scripture quotations found within each lesson. But
you should also use your own Bible as you go through each lesson.
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