Monthly Archives: March 2021

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Faith, Hope, & Love, Part I: Faith

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Faith is something to which we belong or have. I am of the Christian faith, and I have faith. Many of us will say that we have faith, but what is it? How do we get it, and how does it relate to our relationship to God and people?

First, faith is belief – confidence. The apostle Paul tells us that it is why we hold on tight to the unseen things of our Christianity, whether of spirit or fulfilled prophecies (Hebrews 10:39 & 11:1).

Second, it is not meant to be blind faith! The Bible repeatedly teaches that we must learn wisdom and knowledge that lead to a healthy fear of God and salvation (2Timothy 3:13-17). Why? So that we can stand firm in persecution and confusion and walk in God’s ways and not be deceived, something that Paul warns will happen in the last days (1Timothy 4:1). Be forewarned: deceit can come from within our churches too, but we can stand firm by knowing the truth of God (Colossians 2:6-8).

Where does our non-blind faith come from? It comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17), prayer, the Holy Spirit (for illumination), meditation (Psalm 1:1-2), discipleship (Ephesians 4:11-16), testimonies, and applying what we learn or experience.

Finally, faith MUST lead to action! All knowledge is useless to God and others if it doesn’t move us to act. That action is the agape, unconditional love, that feeds, houses, clothes, teaches, doesn’t react in anger, listens and encourages, and is kind. Here’s what Jesus’ brother James says about faith-born action:

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? —James 2:17-20.

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. —James 1:22-25.

Next week, we’ll continue our faith, hope, and love journey by exploring how our confidence (faith) in what God has done and is doing assures us that He will do all that He has promised.

Blessings and peace,

Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

How to Read the Bible Part V: Change!

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So far, we’ve learned that regular Bible study is critical to understanding God’s nature and His desires, spiritual growth, and salvation – rescue from judgment at Christ’s future appearing. We’ve also learned techniques and tools to help us. This week, I’ll share a few approaches to reading and applying what we read to become like Christ as God intends.

First, approaches to Bible reading. Here are three ways to read or study the Bible. All three can be done at the same time.

  1. By Genre. Stuff in the Bible usually falls into one of several categories: history (e.g., the Chronicles or Kings); wisdom and poetry (e.g., Job or the Proverbs or Ecclesiastes); prophetic (e.g., Isaiah); apocalyptic (e.g., Revelation); epistles (e.g., Paul’s letters to specific churches); gospel accounts (e.g., the book of Mark, the first gospel written).
  • By Topic. We’re real people with real issues. Jesus knew this, so He addressed what his hearers needed and referred to specific scriptures (what we call the Old Testament) to accomplish His purposes. Apostles James, John, Peter, and Paul did the same. If you look for scriptures that address a specific topic or need, just make sure that you keep the original meaning using what we’ve learned (i.e., context, concordances, and commentaries).
  • By Book. Studying a single book, like the gospel according to John, can be rewarding! Again, use your tools to stay focused on the writer’s intended meanings.
  • Sequentially. Starting at Genesis and reading the entire Bible (even if it takes a year or more) can be rewarding. Begin reading sequentially and never stop! Do you know that the Israelites were required to experience the Law of God repeatedly? Why? Because we tend to forget stuff, and what’s important to us changes over time.

Second, Making it Stick! Reading for pleasure and head knowledge is one thing; living it is another! Knowledge that doesn’t move us to action is worthless to God and our fellow humans (cf., James 1:22-27; 2:14-26)! To truly be transformed as Christ-followers, we can use this process when we read or study the Bible:

  1. Read the text, perhaps a few related verses at a time.
  2. Consider what it means in its context (not what it means to us!).
  3. Assimilate the text by thinking about it (meditate) while pausing to pray for guidance in applying what you learn.

In summary, start reading and studying the Bible and don’t stop! Use your tools and don’t be afraid to seek guidance about specific life needs. To make it stick, Read, Consider, and Assimilate! Next week, we’ll begin exploring faith, hope, and love and their relationship to each other and our relationship with people and God in a new three-part series.

Blessings and peace,

Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

How to Read the Bible Part IV: Tools

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By now, you may be feeling as though understanding the Bible is hopeless. Don’t fret! Tools abound! You may not be familiar with Jewish idioms or cultural influences on scriptures, but commentaries can fill you in! So you’re not a biblical Greek or Hebrew scholar. No problem! Dictionaries, interlinears, and concordances are your friends! The following are the essential tools, along with a brief description of each.

Lexicon. These are dictionaries of foreign languages that can also help bridge cultural differences between today’s world and Bible times.

Dictionary. This contains important words (e.g., people’s names, topics, etc.) found in the Bible and is based on specific translations. Many Bibles have abbreviated dictionaries in the back of the book. A Bible dictionary can help us understand historical and cultural contexts, key people and events, and the original meanings of words written in other languages such as Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic.

Concordance. Key words in the Bible are listed alphabetically and can help locate scriptures related to them. If you can think of a word, the concordance can point you to the actual verse containing it. Strong’s Concordance is a popular version that also gives the original language wording and definition.

Interlinear. This tool is excellent for those of us who aren’t biblical Greek or Hebrew scholars! We often believe that the Bible is a word-for-word translation from original languages, which is untrue and impossible. The English language is severely limited compared to biblical Greek. For instance, our word ‘love’ must represent several different kinds of emotion or action mentioned in the Bible. An interlinear will show you the original wording alongside the English renditions so that you can see the intent of the passage.

Commentaries. Well-trained scholars write these to explain biblical texts. They inform of figures of speech, verses such as John 6:4 that have been added, and the context in which the scriptures were written. Because we are so far removed from the language, culture, and contexts of biblical writing, we should never consider doing serious Bible study without using commentaries! But here are a couple of warnings: 1. These are written by humans and, therefore, are often created through a personal religious bias; 2. Use multiple commentaries!!! No one is accurate and unbiased in everything. Using numerous commentaries will help provide a well-rounded understanding of the scriptures you’re studying.

Online Tools. Many Internet sites provide online access to Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, lexicons, and interlinears. Here are several good choices:

https://www.e-sword.net   (excellent downloadable Bible software with commentaries and Strong’s Concordance)

https://www.blueletterbible.org

https://www.biblegateway.com

https://www.biblestudytools.com

https://biblehub.com

https://www.studylight.org/bible-study-tools.html

https://www.bibleref.com/

Next week, we’ll add one more golden nugget to this series: change our life through what we read from the Bible. That’s a good thing since we’re to be transformed into the image of Christ!

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

How to Read the Bible Part III: Examples

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Last time, we learned several practices for giving Bible reading and studying our best shot. Here’s a quick review:

Grammar. Match personal pronouns to proper names carefully. If the text is “He …” then find out who “he” is. Does the text state “this?” What is “this?”

Literal Approach. Take Bible texts literally unless there’s a good reason to do otherwise.

Figures of Speech. Hebrew speech and writings were often very poetic and rhythmic. Sometimes, they contained figures of speech, as does English. Using a commentary can help identify these so that we don’t create prophecies or doctrines where they don’t exist.

Contexts. Keep biblical texts in its sentence, paragraph, chapter, and book. Always understand the writer, audience, purpose, and any problems addressed.

Consider the timeframe and culture. What was going on during the time of the writing? Was it meant to be a command – or just something from which you can learn?

Here are two examples of what happens when we don’t apply solid reading principles.

  1. “Where two or more are gathered, so is Jesus!” The misquote comes from taking Matthew 18:20 out of context. Matthew 18:1-9 and 15-20 deal with removing stumbling blocks to the Kingdom of Heaven and correcting Christians who insist on practicing sin. In 18:20, Jesus quotes the Old Testament requirement for multiple witnesses to a crime that requires a death sentence (Deuteronomy 17:6). Why? Any Christian practicing sin will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21) and has earned a death sentence. Church discipline (not for punishment!) and discipleship can help keep this from happening. So, why does Jesus say “. . . I am there in their midst?” The Spirit of Christ is present whenever justice and obedience prevail.
  • “God has a special plan for my life!” The misquote is a gross and dangerous abuse of Jeremiah 29:11, where God rebukes Israel through the prophet Jeremiah. Here, God reminds her (the nation as a whole, not specific individuals!) of her role in God’s plan to reconcile the world. Why is the misquote so dangerous? While God often includes and equips people to play a part in His plan, there isn’t necessarily a ‘special plan’ for each person. Automatically thinking that there is can cause someone to lose focus of God’s desires and forget that we’re meant to be servants of Christ, not spiritual rock stars! How wasteful it can be to sit around waiting for a ‘special plan’ to unfold! What is the proper focus? Vow to serve God and ask Him to lead you to help in His mission to win back what He created.

We now know why proper study is essential, and we’ve seen multiple examples of the damage flawed study can do. Next week, I’ll give you tools to aid your quest for biblical accuracy and spiritual growth!

Blessings and peace,

Ron

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

How to Read the Bible Part II: How??

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Last week, we learned that every Christian is responsible for growing spiritually through Bible study besides discipleship, prayer, etc. Not only that, we’re responsible for ‘getting it right.’ Putting someone else in charge of our spiritual development without our involvement is a horrible idea! So, together, we’re going to explore how to study effectively and find tools to help. To start, here are a few principles basic principles I present in greater detail in my book Finding the End of the World.

Grammar. The essential grammar-related thing to remember is to match personal pronouns to proper names carefully. If the text is “He …” then find out who “he” is. Does the text state “this?” What is “this?”

Literal Approach (when possible). Unless there’s a good reason to believe that biblical writing should be taken symbolically or ignored, keep it as written. The Bible does a great job explaining most symbols, so look before deciding that something is symbolic or that the text should be ignored or ‘spiritualized.’

Figures of Speech. I’m an end-times author, so I understand how important it is to be aware of Jewish idioms (figures of speech). A great example of careless theology is claiming, as some do, that the “budding of the fig tree” of Matthew 24:32-33 forecasts Israel’s becoming a nation in 1948. Here’s the text:

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.

Jesus is just telling His and subsequent disciples that “when you see the signs I mentioned, your redemption will follow.” It’s like another saying He made in the same context (Matthew 24:28): “Where there are vultures, dead bodies are near.” In summary, it’s a “when you see this thing, you will also see that thing” idiom (saying).

Contexts. Make sure that you consider verses within paragraphs within chapters within books. Always keep text in its ‘home’ to keep the intended meaning alive. And, answer these fundamental questions:

“Who is the author?”

“Who is the intended audience?”

“What was the author’s purpose in writing?”

“If addressing a problem, what was it?”

Consider the timeframe and culture. And, remember that some biblical text is prescriptive (e.g., a commandment – something you must do). Some text is descriptive, something that may not apply to you (as in descriptions of cultural challenges Paul often addressed in letters, biblical histories, etc.). We can sometimes benefit from using descriptive stuff, though.

In summary, be diligent Bible detectives through proper techniques, watching for symbols and figures of speech, and keeping contexts. Why? To understand the single, intended meaning (one meaning, many possible applications!). Next week, we’ll continue our journey by exploring examples of theology-gone-bad through flawed Bible study.

Blessings and peace,

Ron Braley