Question: How are you handling the most important material that you’ve been entrusted with…What is this? THE WORD OF GOD.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “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”

…”perfect, thoroughly furnished unto ALL good works” If the scriptures is handled the way it’s meant to be this is the result unto the individual, the church, the nations, and wouldn’t we hope…the world.

4 PRACTICAL WAYS OF HANDLING SCRIPTURE WITH CARE:

1. Be sure to interpert scripture WITH SCRIPTURE as the Holy Spirit brings the revelation. (This requires you to STUDY the bible like you would any other material.)

As it says in 2Peter 3:16: “As also in all his (Paul’s) epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (aka “twist”), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

These people do not take the time to examine the scriptures and nor do they seek the Holy Spirit to bring revelation to them. Therefore they twist the Word of God by their own human understanding. One primary definition of this is Eisegesis (I’ll get back to this word in a minute)

Is scripture hard to understand? Sure, some parts may be quite difficult to understand, by your own means.

In book 2Peter ch3 Peter writes this, “…Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the WISDOM GIVEN UNTO HIM hath written unto you…”
If it took the wisdom of God for one of the great apostles of Christ to write the inspired scriptures, then sure enough, it will take that same Spirit of God to interpret it to us.

The Holy scriptures will do this to those who handle it: It will save and complete you OR will reap you judgment and destruction, depending on how you handle it. Wouldn’t this be so, for the Lord puts above His own name, His Word. Psalm 138:2(KJV)

2. Get a Concordance.

Why? Let see…You have two books the Old Testament and the New Testament, which were translated from the original languages Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT). The language back then is not the same as it is today. Very simply, like in our own vocabulary today, one word may have two different meanings. Wouldn’t you want to know their meanings? Not knowing them can cause you to misinterpret the scripture text.

Which one should you get? Do your research, ask around. I use Strong’s Exhaustive. There are other reputable ones out there.

If you only have one version of the translated bible (like the NIV or New King James, I’d suggest you get the King James Version)

From my studies, in my opinion, I’ve found the NIV to be lacking in scripture substance compared to the King James. An individual may get lost in the thous and thys and doest and that entire old king’s language so I’d suggest the New King James and compare scriptures. If you can flow with the KJ then praise God! Practice makes perfect.

Listen, I won’t get caught up in the debate of which translation is the best and how men have tempered with God’s word. If the Lord said that heaven and earth will pass away but HIS WORD WILL NOT PASS AWAY, I believe that! God is and has been more than able to keep his Word in the earth inspite of human error or satan’s attempt to get rid of it. (But still some translations out there are straight garbage.) My point is for you to understand the text of what you are reading and ask the Lord to illuminate you.

So you might be thinking, “Are all these things really neccessary? “I’m just a stay-at-home mom” or “I’m just high school teenage or “I’m no preacher” or whatever thought that may be going through your mind. Well if you’re not a “closet christian” than you should be sharing your faith, being a witness of God’s love, defending the gospel when it’s being attacked by vipers, etc. How are these things accomplished with not much knowledge of the very foundation of your faith?

3. Preach only 1 Gospel!

Galations 1: 6-10

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

What is the Gospel? You heard it a million times before. It’s simply the Good News. What is the Good News? It’s the life, death, and ressurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (1Corin. 15:1-4)

You don’t have to be in a position of leadership in a church to preach the Good News. As it says in 2Tim 4:5 we all must do the work of an evangelist.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: Prosperity, Healing, Eschatology (end-time events) are NOT the Gospel. Although these are themes in the Bible, these “main attraction” teachings will not save any lost souls. The Gospel of Jesus Christ saves souls. This is why he came {Luke 19:10}. No other “gospel” can bring salvation to the Lost.

AND MAY I ALSO WARN YOU OF THIS: The “feel good”, I’m a good person because I pay my taxes, mind my business and haven’t murdered anyone”, “I was made to live a comfortable life”, “We must find out who the anti-christ is”, “I can draw to myself whatever I desire if I mediate on it long enough or say it often” are all phrases of false teaching, which false teachers like to use scripture to support their nonsense. If you have itching ears then these things will appeal to you. Here is what scripture says concerning this:

2 Tim 4:3-5 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry

This is where I’d like to bring the word Eisegesis up again. This is regards to reading a text ,and in this case, the Holy Scriptures. The person’s own ideas, opinions and understanding are put INTO the text that is being read. The danger of this is, when it comes to the word of God, it may produce false faiths to arise and/or legalism. The opposite of Eisegesis is Exegesis where the reader draws out the meaning from the text NOT reading in his or her own understanding. This is what ought to take place. Be an exegete NOT an eisegete.

4. Don’t sit under a teacher or preacher and accept any and everything that you are hearing if you’re not familiar with their teachings or their doctrine.

Check out what Luke wrote concerning Paul and those in Berea in Act 17:11

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

They SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY to see if what Paul was teaching them was the truth. Searched: meaning “to sift up and down, make a careful and exact research”.

Yeah I know, sometimes you may not have a bible handy to be able to search right there and then…but this is why we must do our own personal bible study. Reading, understanding, memorizing the scriptures.

When this is done on a daily basis you feed your spritman and when you hear the true word of God being taught or preached the Holy Spirit will bear witness to your spirit and you’ll get that “Yes” in your spirit or that small nod to your head. The opposite will take place if the word of God is falsely spoken.

But I ask you this: Can the Holy Spirit bear witness in you if you haven’t given him anything to bear witness to? In other words, study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The apostle Paul tells us that proper Bible study leads to approval from God (we are not in it for the approval of men). The same verse also speaks of other benefits.

I didn’t mean to be so long with this note but I’m glad you read this far.

I leave you with this: When handling the most important material that you’ll ever come in contact with remember first and foremost to rely on the Holy Spirit, for he is the Spirit of Truth and will teach us all things as Jesus said. If you are not yet a born again believer in Jesus Christ then you do not yet have the Holy Spirit in you to do what only he can do; so start by accepting him into your heart today as your Lord and Savior. You don’t need to “get yourself right” just come as you are into the family of God and he’ll do the rest as you trust in him.