Showing posts with label how to read the Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to read the Bible. Show all posts

Thursday, 26 November 2015

Is That What That Verse Meant?

Who is God?

God is a poet.

The Bible is full of poetry, allegories, songs, images and symbols. This is why there are so many different interpretations of scripture. Take hell, I think the "flames" of hell are not real flames that burn you; I think they represent the mental suffering you go through on Judgement Day when you are shown your sins and why you cannot come to heaven.  Most people would not agree with me, but it doesn't make sense to me why God would burn people's skin and body. What would that prove? What would be the point? Revenge? I don't think so. I think the verse below explains the mental pain of people who are lost.

Jesus said, "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out."  Luke 13:28

A lot of the things Jesus said confused his disciples. He would talk in similies and metaphors and they misunderstood what he meant. I think that happens all the time with Biblical scholars. That's why we have to figure things out between ourselves and God. Ask him to show us what certain verses mean. We can read the scholars; but we can question if they are right.

Who am I?

A little confused. It seems strange to me that God doesn't just come right out and say what he means in a PowerPoint Presentation, holding a pointer and saying, "No, no, you've got that wrong!"

But God says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55:9 I always have to remind myself that God knows what he is doing. We will never understand everything in this life. That's where faith comes in.

One thing about it, it is sure fun to finally have an epiphany about something in the Bible. I really enjoy that but then feel upset I didn't see it before. Like I just heard a sermon on the verse, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” John 19:37 I've always thought that meant the wicked people who crucified him. But the preacher said in the context in the original verse, it means us - the ones who love God. We have pierced him with our sins. We have caused him pain and we will mourn for him.

"Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him." So shall it be! Amen. Rev, 1L7

"They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died." Zechariah 12:10

To be honest, I don't know if that guy is right. I'll have to study some on it. I don't think it is vital to know the answer to this, but it just shows how interpretations can be wrong and can skew what God meant to say.

I think the whole arguement about creation and evolution can be explained. The earth as an orb in space was here for billions of years, like the rest of the universe. God created it long ago. He decided to populate a world, came here and did that 6,000 years ago. The trinity moved on the "face of the waters." Water was alread here. "The dry land appeared." It was under the water. 

I didn't know other people believed as I do about creation until I researched it. I'm an "old earth" believer! People who think God created this entire world 6,000 years ago are, "young earth" believers. Huh, I never knew that. Apparently, there are many ways Christians believe God created the earth. I think C.S. Lewis believed God used evolution.

I used to think it was awful there were so many denominations of Christianity. But then I thought maybe it was a good thing because then people can find a church they feel at home in. I don't know. It is pretty crazy we can't agree on some of the simplest things in the Bible. I actually think this shows how stupid we all are.

So, what was the point of this post? Study for yourself. Ask God to show you what the Bible means. Don't take a preacher's word for what the Bible says or what God is like. Search with all your heart and you will find out by yourself.

"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."  Acts 17:11