From: "Dick Stoddard" Subject: Understanding Scripture Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 16:16:23 -0400 Organization: Gospel Messenger Service MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_002B_01C44B18.75F36440" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_002B_01C44B18.75F36440 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE By Clinton White You cannot understand the Bible unless you can understand it = spiritually, for truth is spiritual. Jesus said, "The words that I speak = unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63), and "I am the = way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). One of the biggest = misconceptions people have is believing that they can comprehend truth = with their natural minds; but the Bible says, "The natural man receiveth = not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: = neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 = Corinthians 2:14). So, if the things of God that strengthen and = encourage and uplift people=92s hearts are spiritual, it is impossible = for you and me to receive these things with our natural mind. Truth is = spiritual. For instance, Jesus is called the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29). Wouldn't it = be absurd for me to say the Bible teaches that Jesus was an animal = because it says that He is a lamb? Then, obviously, there is a spiritual = meaning, a deeper meaning. The Bible says that Jesus is a "door" (John = 10:9), that He is a "Branch" (Jeremiah 23:5), and it also calls Him a = "vine" (John 15:1). We cannot take those things literally, so they must = have a spiritual meaning. Jesus came and He literally died on the cross and the spiritual meaning = of this is that He is the Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world. = If you and I are to understand scripture, to know anything of the truth = that is hidden in just about every word in the Bible, we are going to = have to understand it spiritually. People who miss the whole point of the teaching of Jesus miss it because = of their literal minds. The Bible says that God "hath made us able = ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: = for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). = What is this letter that is so deadly to understanding? The best way to = explain it is to show you people in the Bible who missed truth because = they struggled to comprehend it with their literal minds. They tried to = draw deep spiritual truths from the shallow puddles of the literal = undererstanding. Consider Nicodemus. Everyone who has read the Bible has heard of = Nicodemus, a religious man, a theological and spiritual leader of his = time. He came to Jesus and he said, "We know that thou art a teacher = come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except = God be with him." And Jesus told Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, = he cannot see the kingdom of God." Now, Nicodemus struggled with that = for a minute and this is the conclusion he came up with: "How can a man = be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's = womb, and be born?" (John 3:2-4). Jesus was talking about a spiritual rebirth, an inner experience of = regeneration and conversion that makes a man a new creation; but = Nicodemus, with his letter of the word mind, missed this truth = altogether, because he tried to understand it literally. What happened when Jesus said, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of = man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" (John 6:53)? Many = Jewish people were so offended that they stopped following Him = immediately; they turned and went the other way. Why? Because the Old = Testament, the Jewish scripture, said, "Ye shall eat no manner of blood = . . . Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that = soul shall be cut off" (Leviticus 7:26-27). Jesus was saying, "If you = will eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will be saved," and their very = scriptures said, "If you do this, you will be lost." So they felt that = Jesus was saying something totally contrary to these scriptures, and = they turned around and walked away. They were repulsed, for this was an = abhorrent thing to them, eating someone's flesh and drinking their = blood. But Jesus was talking spiritually. What does it mean to eat Christ's = flesh and drink His blood? It doesn't mean to open your mouth and eat = literal flesh and drink literal blood, because life is not of the flesh, = it is of the spirit. The words that Jesus speaks to you "they are = spirit, and they are life" and "the flesh profiteth nothing," so if we = are to understand truth, it has got to be spiritual. You might believe that Christ was a philosopher, a teacher, a good man, = or one of the greatest religious leaders of all times; but that is not = following Christ in the light of a person who eats His flesh and drinks = His blood. He is the Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world. He = led a spotless, sinless life, and offered that life up, a propitiation = for sin. You can have life in you only because of the sacrifice of the = Lamb of God on the cross. You must relate to God because of the shed = blood of Jesus. That is what it means to eat His flesh and drink His = blood. Eating speaks of taking in something that gives you life. When = you take in the truth about Christ=97in the light of who He said He was, = the Lamb of God=97then you eat His flesh and drink His blood. Remember, truth is spiritual, and you cannot comprehend it with your = natural mind. You must depend on God to reveal truth to you. ------=_NextPart_000_002B_01C44B18.75F36440 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
UNDERSTANDING  = SCRIPTURE
 
By Clinton=20 White
 
You cannot = understand the=20 Bible unless you can understand it spiritually, for truth is spiritual. = Jesus=20 said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are = life" (John 6:63), and "I am the way, the truth, and the = life" (John=20 14:6). One of the biggest misconceptions people have is believing that = they can=20 comprehend truth with their natural minds; but the Bible says, "The = natural=20 man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are=20 foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are = spiritually=20 discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). So, if the things of God that = strengthen=20 and encourage and uplift people=92s hearts are spiritual, it is = impossible for you=20 and me to receive these things with our natural mind. Truth is=20 spiritual.
 
For instance, = Jesus is=20 called the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29). Wouldn't it be absurd for = me to say=20 the Bible teaches that Jesus was an animal because it says that He is a = lamb?=20 Then, obviously, there is a spiritual meaning, a deeper meaning. The = Bible says=20 that Jesus is a "door" (John 10:9), that He is a "Branch"=20 (Jeremiah 23:5), and it also calls Him a "vine" (John 15:1). We = cannot=20 take those things literally, so they must have a spiritual = meaning.
 
Jesus came and = He literally=20 died on the cross and the spiritual meaning of this is that He is the = Lamb of=20 God, slain for the sins of the world. If you and I are to understand = scripture,=20 to know anything of the truth that is hidden in just about every word in = the=20 Bible, we are going to have to understand it spiritually.
 
People who = miss the whole=20 point of the teaching of Jesus miss it because of their literal minds. = The Bible=20 says that God "hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not = of the=20 letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth = life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). What is this letter that is so deadly to=20 understanding? The best way to explain it is to show you people in the = Bible who=20 missed truth because they struggled to comprehend it with their literal = minds.=20 They tried to draw deep spiritual truths from the shallow puddles of the = literal=20 undererstanding.
 
Consider = Nicodemus. Everyone=20 who has read the Bible has heard of Nicodemus, a religious man, a = theological=20 and spiritual leader of his time. He came to Jesus and he said, "We = know that=20 thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that = thou=20 doest, except God be with him." And Jesus told Nicodemus, "Except = a man=20 be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Now, Nicodemus = struggled=20 with that for a minute and this is the conclusion he came up with: = "How can a=20 man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be = born?"=20 (John 3:2-4).
 
Jesus was = talking about a=20 spiritual rebirth, an inner experience of regeneration and conversion = that makes=20 a man a new creation; but Nicodemus, with his letter of the word mind, = missed=20 this truth altogether, because he tried to understand it = literally.
 
What happened = when Jesus=20 said, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his = blood, ye=20 have no life in you" (John 6:53)? Many Jewish people were so = offended that=20 they stopped following Him immediately; they turned and went the other = way. Why?=20 Because the Old Testament, the Jewish scripture, said, "Ye shall eat = no=20 manner of blood . . . Whatsoever soul it be that eateth = any=20 manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off" (Leviticus = 7:26-27). Jesus=20 was saying, "If you will eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will be = saved,"=20 and their very scriptures said, "If you do this, you will be lost." So = they felt=20 that Jesus was saying something totally contrary to these scriptures, = and they=20 turned around and walked away. They were repulsed, for this was an = abhorrent=20 thing to them, eating someone's flesh and drinking their = blood.
 
But Jesus was = talking=20 spiritually. What does it mean to eat Christ's flesh and drink His = blood? It=20 doesn't mean to open your mouth and eat literal flesh and drink literal = blood,=20 because life is not of the flesh, it is of the spirit. The words that = Jesus=20 speaks to you "they are spirit, and they are life" and "the = flesh=20 profiteth nothing," so if we are to understand truth, it has got to = be=20 spiritual.
 
You might = believe that=20 Christ was a philosopher, a teacher, a good man, or one of the greatest=20 religious leaders of all times; but that is not following Christ in the = light of=20 a person who eats His flesh and drinks His blood. He is the Lamb of God, = slain=20 for the sins of the world. He led a spotless, sinless life, and offered = that=20 life up, a propitiation for sin. You can have life in you only because = of the=20 sacrifice of the Lamb of God on the cross. You must relate to God = because of the=20 shed blood of Jesus. That is what it means to eat His flesh and drink = His blood.=20 Eating speaks of taking in something that gives you life. When you take = in the=20 truth about Christ=97in the light of who He said He was, the Lamb of = God=97then you=20 eat His flesh and drink His blood.
 
Remember, = truth is=20 spiritual, and you cannot comprehend it with your natural mind. You must = depend=20 on God to reveal truth to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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