Although it is good to start learning the scriptures - the Bible at any age, it is best to start learning as young as possible while our minds are most open to new things and before one's mind is crowded with ungodly or godless thoughts or views. Although it is good to know the scriptures, and that is necessary, what is indispensable is to have that knowledge of the scriptures mixed with or lead to faith in God, Jesus Christ and his salvation by faith alone in Jesus according to His word the Holy Bible. The scriptures leading to salvation through faith in the all sufficient death for our sins and resurrection from the dead to give us new and eternal life is the characteristic of true wisdom in God's sight. Although there is much good advice in writings of the world including other philosophy and religions they are all imperfect and at most show how humans can give their best effort to God and are inspired only by people or even by evil angels but the Bible is fully inspired or breathed by God by His Holy Spirit through its human writers from start to finish or Genesis through Revelation and shows God's salvation through being justified by His best in His Son Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection from the dead. The scripture or Bible is profitable in many ways especially including the following: for doctrine or teaching, for reproof (to show us how not to live), for correction (to show us how to live better for God), for instruction in righteousness (to show us how to live better or fully fully or consistently for God when we are already living well for him). The aim of these profitable things of the inspired scriptures is so the man (or woman) of God may be perfect (spiritually mature or complete) and well equipped or in abundant possession and experience or reputation of good works. The scripture passage from 2 Timothy 3 of the inspiration of the scriptures - God's Word - the Holy Bible and its profitability for salvation and Christian service is as follows:
And that from a child thou (you) hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee (you) wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ (Messiah) Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:15-17
I continue to notice more promotion on allegorical or symbolic interpretation of God's word the Holy Bible and less emphasis on a mostly literal interpretation of the Bible as the days go on and we approach the end of this current Church Age or Age of Grace. I and other dispenstational Christians who take the Bible literally take the Church Age or Dispensation as starting with the beginning of the Church at Pentecost 50 days after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ with the preaching of the Apostle Peter and lasting until the soon coming rapture or catching up to Heaven of all the true Church or all true Christians of this age. We believe this will make way for God to resume His emphasis of witnessing through and restoring His chosen earthly people Israel as well as restoring to Himself more of people of the Gentiles (other nations) in the tribulation and Messiah Y'Shua's or Christ Jesus' Messianic or Millennial Kingdom. This literal method of interpretation was practiced by the early Church including the writers of the New Testament including how they referred to Old Testament scriptures being fulfilled in the first earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and in some confirmation of the future Messianic Kingdom promises to restored Israel after the Church Age is completed. There are basically two different ways of interpreting the Bible God's word. They are exegesis which would be similiar to exposition and bases the interpretation, study or preaching on the scripture text itself and as much as possible lets the scripture say what it says from a mostly literal perspective in context with surrounding verse and with identical or related phrases in other parts of God's word and then secondarily with other literature, one's own perspective or the experience of oneself of other people other than what God recorded in His word the Holy Bible. This method of interpretation is also called the literal or grammatico-historical method of Bible interpretation. The other main way of studying, interpreting or preaching God's word is eisegesis which a meaning related to enter or in and features what is sometimes called reading in one's interpretation into the scripture text in order to get an interpretation usually that agrees to one's preconceived ideas whether they are very consistent with biblical Christianity or not. This method of Bible interpretation is also called the allegorical or symbolic method of interpreting the Bible.
Among other things it usually features calling the Church the new or true Israel and applying positive promises to Israel or Zion (Jerusalem) to the Church supposedly currently spiritually or ultimately in eternity to the new heavens and new earth for what is regarded as true Christians. This allegorical interpretation was started in earnest in the Church Age with the Jewish philosopher Philo of the first century who was greatly influenced by Greek philosophy including his interpretation of the Old Testament and by the 3rd century Greek philophy influecned Church Father Origen. Particularly Origen and some other so-called Church Fathers gave priority to develop an allegorical interpretation of the Bible particularly to call the Church the new or true Israel so they could apply God's promises of future blessing to Israel to apply spiritually now in this present Church Age or in eternity to the final blessed state of the true Church. This was done by him and other church fathers particularly to attempt to reach leaders of those in the upper strata of Greek and Roman culture to get them to become Christians. As a result of this many of them did become Christians but not a wholly biblical Christianity although some might have still adopted a true enough Christianity of the basic gospel with the virin birth, sinless life, death for our sins on the cross, bodily resurrection and then ascencion to heaven, current priestly work and eventual return of the Lord Jesus Christ to have true salvation, eternal life and a relationship with God.
Some main ways those that held to or promoted Greek plilosophy was that they thought spiritual was good and that physical is bad such as that eating physical food, drinking physical beverage, marriage, having children are physical and bad. However all these things are mentioned specifically in connection with an almost utopian society of the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom especially focused on Messiah Jesus' coming earthly rule through restored Israel and the restored to God of the nations and with the New Testament the true Church. Since Origen and others thought these two aspects of the near final form of the Kingdom of God (before the eternal form) were contradictory he and others spitualized them and denied a literal Millennial Kingdom (the amillennial position of bible prophecy) and taught the blessings to Israel especially in the Old Testament particularly in places like much of the prophet Isaiah and elsewhere were being realized spiritually through by God through His Church now in this Church Age and would be realized more fully in eternity for the true Church in the New Jerusalem, New Earth and New Heavens. Although there will be eternal blessings for the true Church in the New Jerusalem, the New Earth and the New Heavens these are directly applied to the Church (the saved of the nations and the saved of Israel in the last chapters of Revelation (chapters 21 and 22) in a much more genuine basis than the Old Testament promises of kingdom blessings that are more for and through God's chosen earthly people physical or earthly Israel. However these changes were made by Origen and others including by many professing Christians still through the Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant and the Kingdom Now Theology professing Christian groups to those that sympathize with Greek philosophy and later with those that support the idea of replacement theology that the Church has permanently replaced Israel as God's chosen people instead of what even the New Testament says that physical Israel is just temporarily spiritually blinded or laid aside by God until He finishes building His Church and brings us to heaven at the rapture.
There are many other examples of eisegesis in society from other groups such as New Agers trying to read things into the scripture to support their idea that Jesus was a guru such as saying He went to India for enlightenment in the silent years between when he was 12 and 30 years old according to the flesh or Muslims trying to use the term in the Gospel of John of Jesus talking about another counselor than Himself as referring to Mohammed rather than the Holy Spirit. However these and other ideas that people try to read into the Bible aren't supported by reading, studying or preaching the Bible as God's word in context and aren't the correct interpretation but they are in some cases becoming increasingly taught and received including by these groups as a sign of what the Bible tells of increasing deception and not hearing the Bible truly in the last days before Jesus comes again first for His Church and then to set up His Kingdom on earth.
In 2 Timothy 2 God through the apostle Paul encourages his disciple Timothy to personal study of God's word. This is something that is good to do to strengthen and guide all true Christians in our walk or life with God. Personal study of God's word, especially with praying to God in Jesus' name beforehand or in a careful and prayerful way, with a desire to apply what God shows us in His word to our lives is one of the best spiritual practices for fruitful or honouring to God Christian lives. Although it is good to hear faithful messages from God's word from a pastor or minister at a church or from a broadcast or the internet, not all of them are true Christians and from the ones that are the message is through what God has shown them whereas what we read personally from God's word carefully and prayerfully in our quiet time with the Lord God through His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit can speak to us and our heart and mind directly what He wants us to know from Himself through His word. Studying God's word for ourselves especially carefully and prayerfully with a desire to apply what God shows us where possible to our lives can help us to be Christian workers or workers for God that don't need to be ashamed either now or after this life and the rapture of the Church when we stand before Jesus to review our Christian life at the judgment seat of Christ for rewards or loss of rewards. Part of not being ashamed from our studying God's word is to rightly divide it that includes as one main thing to take it mostly literally in context rather than allegorically and out of context. When we divide or interpret God's word mostly literally and in the context of the surrounding verses and related words or phrases in God's word first we are more likely to get the right context of a scripture we are reading and rightly divide God's word and to be a workman that need not to be ashamed. The scripture reference from 2 Timothy 2 for Christians to study God's word the Holy Bible ourselves and to rightly divide it or take it foremost in scripture context so we can be more approved in God's sight is as follows:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
One of the first experiences of the Lord Jesus Christ after He was baptized by the Holy Spirit and started His public earthly ministry was to be tried of Satan - the devil. This trial took place in the wilderness, perhaps in the Judaean wilderness near the Dead Sea and Jordan River. There were not many plants or animals or sources of food or water there so it would be an area appropriate for fasting physically. Therefore, it was not inappropriate that the devil - the tempter would first tempt Jesus to satisfy his desire for physical food for his body as Jesus did have a human nature and body that had the needs for physical sustenance such as food and water and could experience the pangs of hunger when he didn't get enough food when He was on earth in the form of a man as regular human beings like you the reader and I do or would in a similiar situation. The desire for food for our physical body is part of the lust of the flesh. (In the New Testament sometimes in the English Bible the same or similiar Greek word epithumia or epithumeo is used for both lust or desire (or covet).) However, in response to Satan the tempter did Jesus even acknowledge his need for food in the way Satan suggested? No, Jesus replied (quoting from God's word in Deuteronomy) the greater need for him and for men (human beings male or female) the need for God's word - the Holy Bible. Jesus was saying He even at this time of great need for physical food for his body had a greater need and desire for the spiritual food to satisfy the spiritual need for his eternal spirit. What does the reader think that even in a time of great need for physical provision, in this case food, Jesus stated right to the devil that He had and other human beings should have a greater need for God's Word - the Holy Bible for our eternal spirits to feed that part of us. (The spirit is the part of us where we have some of our eternal and essential identity and heart sense of ourselves including our free will and that worships or adores God or someone or something else in this life and the life to come as it is part of human beings that is indestructible. Thereofore it is very important that we give good food and nourishment to our spirits which is best from God's word - the Holy Bible.) (Our first parents Adam and Eve were also tempted by the devil in the serpent in the Garden of Eden by means of the lust of the flesh with the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil when in the part when they saw that fruit was "good to eat".) The scripture reference from Gospel of Matthew 4 of the tempter - Satan tempting Jesus by means of the lust of the flesh (in this case for physical food when he was hungry in the desert and fasting) but Jesus refusing the devil's suggestion to make some of the stones bread but stating that for him (Jesus) then and for human beings in general it was and is more important to get good spiritual food of God's word - the Holy Bible for our eternal spirits is as follows:
Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred (he was hungry). And when the tempter (Satan - the devil), he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be make bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Gospel of Matthew 4:1-4
The Lord Jesus Christ said that he gave the words given him from the Creator God or God the Father (although Jesus also had a part in creating the world) to his apostles or disciples. He goes on to say that they received them and believed the Lord Jesus came from God from heaven and that God the Father sent Jesus on his mission to die for our sins and rise again and return to heaven. Jesus goes on to pray for Christians in general (those that would believe in him through the words of the apostles in the New Testament that are words from Jesus and then from God the Father.) Here Jesus is making it clear that the words of the New Testament aren't just from the human writers and many people say or believe these days but from God through Jesus to those human writers. Therefore we should give our utmost consideration to the New Testament as well as for this age secondarily the Old Testament scriptures as they are given also by God and we are accountable to God how we respond to them with only trusting in the Lord Jesus as the way to eternal life and a relationship with God. The scripture reference from the Gospel of John 17 that mentions that the words of the New Testament writers are words God has given them through the Lord Jesus Christ is as follows:
For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. ... Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. Gospel of John 17:8, 20.
It is stated here in the scriptures that the people in Berea in Greece near Thessalonica were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They were called more noble because, compared to the Thessalonicans received the word of God with all readiness of mind or not with a critical or faithless spirit and they searched the scriptures daily whether these things, (the things in their lives and the world), were so. That they were so means whether these things are true as claimed or presented or whether there was some bias or agenda or what we might call "spin" in some things that were said. This is also good even critical advice for everyone to do in the fast paced current days of the information explosion. Among other things that we should compare to the scriptures are politics, economic matters, religion, entertainment, military, history, science and technology, philosophy. Searching the scriptures to be done profitably should be done in a literal not symbolic or allegorical interpretation as the latter dismisses many of the legitimate biblical details or history, science and technology and prophecy. Although there is room for improvement this is what I have tried to do throughout this website and in Bible reading and life and would offer my website as a pattern how to apply these verses in Acts 17. This searching the scriptures should include holding professing or actual Christian teachers including myself who at best aren't perfect to a check of literal interpretation of scripture in context. For one to use this practice effectively a person should have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour so the Holy Spirit can give understanding to what we read or study in the Bible and what we compare other matters to the Bible. We should also pray and try to confess and forsake any known sin (as defined in the Bible) before reading or studying the Bible to best get understanding by the Holy Spirit although we don't have to wait to read the Bible until our lives are perfect but the more our lives are free or unconfessed sin the more God will likely help us get spiritual insights and understanding when we read His Word. We should as soon as we are able make serious effort to read all of God's Word the Holy Bible if we are a genuine Christian to be aware of all of its teaching so we will be able to better discern between truth and error in what we see and hear in the world as consistant Bible reading is expected by God and not an option for any faithful or healthy Christian or child of God as this is our spiritual food for our new or born of the Holy Spirit nature. The effect or receiving the word with all readiness of mind and searching the scriptures daily whether the things we hear of see claimed in the world are so is given in the next verse but note that this should be done daily for best effect. The effect of this upholding the word of God was that many believed in God and Jesus including well off women and men. God always honours Christians or Christian workers, preachers or evangelists who honour his word. The scripture reference in Acts 17 of how to honour God by honouring his word and his blessing this by bringing people to faith or deeper faith in Him and His only begotton Son the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is as follows:
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures of daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. Acts 17:10-11
One time Jesus spoke to some Jews that believe on him meaning he was giving instructions not for salvation but for growth in a life of faith in Jesus and in God through him. Jesus said to them and he would say to all Christians now that are true believers in him that if we continue in his word which means to at least continue reading and studying it and hopefully also putting into practice what God shows us in our reading and study of his word then in Jesus' sight we are his disciples indeed or in truth. Jesus then says if we continue in this course we will know the truth because when we read God's word with a careful and prayerful heart God's Holy Spirit indwelling the believer in Jesus will lead us into more and more especially spiritual truth and understanding. Jesus says that with this truth we will be free including from a lack of understanding about God our purpose in this life or our destiny after this life among other things and that we can be free from the enemies of the Christian the lust or cravings of the flesh, the desires for more of this world system or to be accepted by it more or by the temptations, lies, or opposition of the devil or demons. The scripture reference from Gospel of John 8 of Jesus' exhortation to continue in his word to be his true disciples and to know the truth and to be especially spiritually free is as follows:
The said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32
Some people might say that the written word of God is not eternal but the thoughts and even some of the words in it convey God's plans even from eternity past including his creation of the universe and his plan of redemption of mankind through a saviour. Here in Hebrews 11 the scripture says that by faith that other scripture says comes primarily from the word of God we understand that God planned or conceived the ages which means that the word of God must contain ideas or even words of God as old as any of the ages and as far into the future as them. This would also include the basic outline of the things visible and invisible that would characterize each of these ages. The statement that those things which appear might appear out of those things which are not seen means based on other scriptures that the ages and the things in them are created or planned by God's word as the book of Genesis as some other scriptures make plain in saying that certain things appeared after God spoke them into being. This aspect of God's word helps us mature as believers in God and Jesus Christ to help us understand or perceive that it is by his word that he creates, plans and sustains or develops the ages and the things in the universe and on earth in particular in each of the ages. The scripture reference from Hebrews 11 of the Word of God viewed as the means that God created and unfolds his plan for the ages is as follows:
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:3
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