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The Clarity of Scripture: Difference between revisions
→What the Bible teaches
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=What the Bible teaches= | =What the Bible teaches= | ||
The Bible’s clarity and the responsibility of believers generally to read it and understand it are often emphasized. In a very familiar passage, Moses tells the people of Israel: | The Bible’s clarity and the responsibility of believers generally to read it and understand it are often emphasized. In a very familiar passage, Moses tells the people of Israel in Deut. 6:6–7: | ||
:''And these words | :''And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), Dt 6:6–7.</ref> | ||
All the people of Israel were expected to be able to understand the words of Scripture well enough to be able to “teach them diligently” to their children. This teaching would not have consisted merely of rote memorization devoid of understanding, for the people of Israel were to discuss the words of Scripture during their activities of sitting in the house or walking or going to bed or getting up in the morning. God expected that all of his people would know and be able to talk about his Word, with proper application to ordinary situations in life. Similarly, Psalm 1 tells us that the “blessed man,” whom all the righteous in Israel were to emulate, was one who meditated on God’s law “day and night” (Ps. 1:2). This daily meditation assumes an ability to understand Scripture rightly on the part of those who meditate. | All the people of Israel were expected to be able to understand the words of Scripture well enough to be able to “teach them diligently” to their children. This teaching would not have consisted merely of rote memorization devoid of understanding, for the people of Israel were to discuss the words of Scripture during their activities of sitting in the house or walking or going to bed or getting up in the morning. God expected that all of his people would know and be able to talk about his Word, with proper application to ordinary situations in life. Similarly, Psalm 1 tells us that the “blessed man,” whom all the righteous in Israel were to emulate, was one who meditated on God’s law “day and night” (Ps. 1:2). This daily meditation assumes an ability to understand Scripture rightly on the part of those who meditate. | ||
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Similarly, most of the New Testament epistles are written not to church leaders but to entire congregations. Paul writes, “To the church of God which is at Corinth” (1 Cor. 1:2), “To the churches of Galatia” (Gal. 1:2), “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons” (Phil. 1:1), and so forth. Paul assumes that his hearers will understand what he writes, and he encourages the sharing of his letters with other churches: “And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea” (Col. 4:16; cf. John 20:30–31; 2 Cor. 1:13; Eph. 3:4; 1 Tim. 4:13; James 1:1, 22–25; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:2; 2 Peter 1:19; 1 John 5:13).<ref>Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 106.</ref> | Similarly, most of the New Testament epistles are written not to church leaders but to entire congregations. Paul writes, “To the church of God which is at Corinth” (1 Cor. 1:2), “To the churches of Galatia” (Gal. 1:2), “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons” (Phil. 1:1), and so forth. Paul assumes that his hearers will understand what he writes, and he encourages the sharing of his letters with other churches: “And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea” (Col. 4:16; cf. John 20:30–31; 2 Cor. 1:13; Eph. 3:4; 1 Tim. 4:13; James 1:1, 22–25; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:2; 2 Peter 1:19; 1 John 5:13).<ref>Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 106.</ref> | ||
Paul states | Paul states clearly in 2 Cor 1:13 that nothing (including a prophet) is necessary to understand what he has written: | ||
:''Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand.<ref>Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation, (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2013), 2 Co 1:13.</ref> | :''Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand.<ref>Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation, (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2013), 2 Co 1:13.</ref> | ||