The Importance of a Harmonious Bible to Profitable Study (Part 1)

The Importance of a Harmonious Bible To Profitable Study I. Consider some principles of communication and thought. A. In order for information to be profitably communicated, it must be in a language common to source and receiver. B. Information in written form is virtually useless to an illiterate man and is only useful in a literate man to the degree that he is able to understand it. C. Clarity and precision in language best express its intent and facilitate its profitable reception. D. Things that are different are not the same. E. To hold a thing as true while simultaneously holding a contradiction to that thing as true renders reasoning and conclusions invalid. II. Consider some rules for Bible study that facilitate its profitable reception. A. Attach to words their primary meanings. NEH 8:7-8. B. There are no contradictions in the Bible. 2PE 1:20. C. Heed the grammar. 2TI 1:13. D. Heed the context. E. Compare spiritual things with spiritual. 1CO 2:13. F. Distinguish between a proof text and a reference text. G. Heed the argument from silence. HEB 7:13-14. III. Consider the weightiness of the rule, There are no contradictions in the Bible. A. 2PE 1:20-21. 1. prophecy: The action, function, or faculty of a prophet; divinely inspired utterance or discourse... 2. private: Withdrawn or separated from the public body. 3. The public body is in context the Scripture. No part of Scripture is to be interpreted apart from or contrary to the rest of Scripture. 4. “...holy men (plural) of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (singular). a. All Scripture comes from a single source: the Holy Spirit / Holy Ghost. b. The various books of Scripture all have a single Author. ECC 12:11. (1) The words are “...as nails (plural) fastened by the masters (plural) of assemblies, which are given from one (singular) shepherd.” (2) The several writers of Scripture (the masters) all received their words from a single source (the Shepherd). 5. Therefore, all the parts of Scripture must fit together to form a single body of truth. B. There is only one truth, one doctrine of God. 1. The word truth is always in the singular in the Bible. a. (PSA 119:151) Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments (plural) are truth (singular). b. Jesus Christ declares that He is THE truth, not truths or A truth. JOH 14:6. (1) All Scriptures (plural) testify of Him (singular). JOH 5:39. (2) His testimony is the spirit of prophecy. REV 19:10. 2. The word doctrine, when referring to God's doctrine, is always in the singular. Whenever doctrines appears, it is always in a negative context or evil association. MAT 15:9; MAR 7:7; COL 2:22; 1TI 4:1; HEB 13:9. The Importance of a Harmonious Bible to Profitable Study 10-20-13 Page 1 3. Therefore, the Bible is not a collection of independent truths. a. It is a revelation of interconnected truth. b. Everything in the Bible must harmonize so as to form a single fabric of doctrine or truth. C. Consider ROM 12:6. 1. proportion: A portion or part in its relation to the whole, a comparative part, a share. 2. Each portion of Scripture must be studied and declared in relation to the whole of Scripture. 3. Each prophecy must accord with the whole body of faith, since there is only one faith. EPH 4:5. 4. DEU 13:1-4. Mark how a prophet was not to be regarded if his prophecy did not accord with other prophecy that had been established. D. All the words of God so harmonize as to be called collectively the word (singular) of God! 1. There is such harmony in the law of God that it can be expressed in a single phrase. GAL 5:14. 2. Note again that Jesus Christ is the Word of God (singular) of Whom the Scriptures (plural) testify. JOH 5:39. E. There is only one truth because there is only one God. DEU 6:4. 1. The whole of true religion is hinged on the oneness of God (MAR 12:28-34). All of the understanding, the will, the emotions and the strength are to be devoted to that fact. 2. God declares Himself in Jesus Christ. JOH 1:18. a. Remember, Christ is THE Truth. JOH 14:6. b. Since there is only one God, there could consequently only be one truth! c. JOH 14:6 is a tacit declaration of Christ's deity. 3. Therefore, there can be no real understanding of the word of God without the recognition of the unity of God and thus the unity of truth. a. A plurality of gods leads to a plurality of ways and truths. b. In the spirit of unqualified tolerance, any number of ways and truths are thus equally valid, though totally contradictory. NOTE: To hold a thing as true while also holding its opposite as true is not the height of intellectualism and tolerance, it is the height of insanity! c. The end of such chaos is the conclusion that there is no absolute, final truth or authority. Truth then becomes bendable and transitory, a chameleon that adjusts itself to its circumstances. 4. Blindness to the teaching of Scripture may well stem from a failure to recognize the singularity of truth. a. Many approach the Bible with the idea that each has the right to believe as he wishes and that it really doesn't make any difference what one believes so long as all are sincere and are sweet to one another. b. In such an approach, tolerance becomes the principal virtue and dogmatism the principal vice. c. Mind that the tolerance is usually not extended to anyone who does not subscribe to the party line of “flex-truth.” 5. Scripture does NOT teach that each man has the right to believe what he wishes. It rather asserts that each has the responsibility to believe what God has revealed. And, God forces this very issue in His judgements. The Importance of a Harmonious Bible to Profitable Study 10-20-13 Page 2 a. Consider the judgements that befell Israel because they followed their own thoughts instead of God's revelation. JER 9:13-16. b. A curse rests upon any gospel other than the ONE that God revealed. GAL 1:8-9. c. Judgement will be meted out on those who did not obey that ONE gospel that God revealed. 2TH 1:7-10. 6. Since there is only one truth, believers are exhorted to unity of mind and judgement. 1CO 1:10. a. One of the purposes for the ministry is to bring believers into this unity. EPH 4:11-14; PHIL 1:27. b. Where alien “truths” are entertained, division results. 1CO 11:18-19.