Am I Rightly Dividing the Word of God? (pt. 2)

So the Scripture is the beginning, middle, and end of the church. For that reason, we hold to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Sola Scriptura means Scripture alone is authoritative for faith and practice. Scripture alone determines if your ministry is effective or not.  

DO YOUR HERMENEUTICS HOLD TO SOLA SCRIPTURA?  Are you rightly dividing the Word of truth in your personal bible study or when you share your convictions at a men's or ladies' bible study?  When you quote the Bible on social media are you accurately reflecting what God's Word has to say about such and such an issue?

One needs to consider three questions before arriving at a personal verdict (2 Tim. 2:15; James 3).  1) Have I done the hard work?  2) Am I trying to use biblical interpretation fine print?  3) Do I have a hermeneutic of surrender?

"Our commitment to Sola Scriptura leads to a commitment to hermeneutics—how we study the Bible. Hermeneutics matters because it determines whether we truly hold to Sola Scriptura or not. Here are three questions to help you determine if your hermeneutics hold to Sola Scriptura:

Do I have a hermeneutic of surrender?

God’s Word is His communication to us (cf. 2 Tim 3:16). God has made it clear and accessible via human language (Josh 23:14; Deut 30:11-14; Rom 10:5-10). He has also made it authoritative. We as readers do not have the right to argue with it or change it. It cannot be broken (John 10:35). Rather, we are empowered (Eph 1:17; Jer 31:33) and accountable (2 Pet 3:16) to understand and live out the Scriptures (Jas 1:22).We need to learn to stop struggling against the text and surrender

With that, we don’t have interpretative options when it comes to God’s Word. The Bible is not some platform from which we can pontificate our own theology and advice. Its assertions are also not that which we can shrug off and ignore. It doesn’t have to live up to our reason or sensibilities. Rather, we need to learn to stop struggling against the text and surrender. Its statements become our statements, its reasons our reasons, its categories our categories, and its implications/applications our own worldview and life. Anything else adds to or subtracts from Scripture. Anything else compromises Sola Scriptura.

So as we read Scripture we need to make sure we are surrendered to Scripture. Have I learned what the author has said for the reason he said it and with the range of applications he has ordained? Do I have Scripture’s intent alone? These are critical questions in making sure our hermeneutic upholds Sola Scriptura.

Am I trying to use hermeneutical fine print?

We know what fine print is. It allows you to say one thing and undermine it through a loophole. That’s exactly what some have done with God’s Word. The excuse is pretty standard. They may claim they have a high view of Scripture, but at the same time, claim we can never know what it means. And because we do not know what it means, we cannot be held accountable to an errant view. At that point, people have subverted the authority of God’s Word through the hermeneutical fine print.

To be sure, Scripture has tough passages and doctrines (2 Pet 3:16). Knowing what it means takes hard work (cf. 2 Tim 2:15). Nevertheless, such difficulties in Scripture do not provide an excuse or fine print to hold to any view one desires. Let’s be clear. The moment you do that, you don’t have God’s Word, but your word and you’ve abandoned Sola Scriptura.

Guiding Principles For Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

Personal Bible Studies and Group Bible Studies are wonderful ways to grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Christians need to be careful however that they have done the hard work of bible study before sharing (note 2 Timothy 2:15; James 3).  Too many "bible studies" turn into a well intentioned but biblically misguided "this is what this text means to me" share fest.  Wrong interpretations can lead to wrong applications- some errors are more damaging then others.

Every believer is a theologian and every Christian employs biblical interpretation principles when reading, studying, and/or teaching the inerrant Word of God.  So here is the important question: Do Your Hermeneutics Hold to Sola Scriptura? 

"THE ARGUMENT FOR SOLA SCRIPTURA

How does Christ build His church? Arguably, He builds His church by His Word (Eph 4:11-14; 2 Tim 4:1-2). To have a ministry that pleases God, we must be all about His Word—it is central to true ministry.  We could sum it up this way: Scripture is the beginning, middle, and end of ministry.

Beginning-  Ephesians 2:20, “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone . . .”

Scripture is foundational for the church. The book of Acts establishes the church’s origins (Acts 2) and its mission (Acts 1:8). The epistles articulate its role (Eph 1-3) and operations (1 Tim 4:13; Tit 2:1-15). Thus, you can’t even define the church apart from the Bible. We can see this in the American church today. We have left the standard of Scripture and pursued every distraction. The resulting chaos illustrates how central God’s Word is—without it, we are confused, dysfunctional, and purposeless. You can’t have church or ministry apart from the authority of Scripture.

Middle- John17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”

The Word of God drives the ministry of the church. As our Lord prayed, sanctification revolves around Scripture. However, people may wonder, “There are so many ways I can become a better and nicer person. Why do I need the Scriptures?” But, God is not just interested in making you a better and nicer person—He wants to make you like Christ. He doesn’t want you just to change so you please the world, but that you would please Him. That is our true destiny.There is no human manipulation on the planet that can transform you to fulfill your destiny

We can see this from the very beginning. In Genesis 1, we note that we are created in the image of God.  However, because of Adam and the fall, we observe that image is tarnished (cf. Gen 5:3). But there is hope because of the second Adam. Daniel 7 teaches that there will be one like a son of man, the true son of Adam.  He is like a son of man in that He is a man, but He is only like a son of man in that He is more than that. He is God.

For this very reason, Jesus is called the Son of Man in the Gospels.  In Romans 5, He’s called the second Adam. In Colossians 1:15, Paul proclaims He is the image of God.  And in Romans 8:29, we were predestined be conformed to His image.

At this point, Scripture ultimately reveals that the image of God in Genesis 1 is the image of Christ in Romans 8. When God made us in His image, He always meant for us to be like Christ. That is our destiny.

So yes, there are lots of human manipulations that can make you nicer. But there is no human manipulation on the planet that can transform you to fulfill your destiny. That belongs to the Word of God alone.

End-  1Timothy 3:15, “…the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

God’s Word is not only the beginning and middle of the Church, but also its end. As the support of the truth, it is up to us to preserve and uphold the truth for the next generation. That is our role in the plan of God and our legacy. Championing Scripture is mission critical for the church.

So the Scripture is the beginning, middle, and end of the church. For that reason, we hold to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Sola Scriptura means Scripture alone is authoritative for faith and practice. Scripture alone determines if your ministry is effective or not."

Are You Handling God's Word With Extreme Care?  Article to be continued.

This article was first published by Dr. Abner Chou.  Chou is a foremost authority on hermeneutics.  Dr. Chou is a professor at the Master's University and the Master's Seminary.   

How to Listen to a Sermon

How To Listen to a Sermon

The following article by Reagan Rose on How to Listen to an Expository Sermon was so helpful I wanted to share it with you on P.T.L.

It is a wise practice for pastors to read at least one book on biblical preaching each year.  Yet very few Christians have ever been taught how beneficial it would be to do the same thing with regards to expository listening.  Even if a believer desired to do this they may have a difficult time seeing their are not a ton of books that encourage this important spiritual discipline.  The best resources I know of are Ken Ramey's Expository Listening and Christopher Ash's, Listen Up! A Practical Guide to Listening to Sermons.  Rose's article will be added to my list of helpful works on this very important subject.

"The last couple of decades have seen a resurgence in expository preaching in churches—sermons which truly explain and apply the biblical text. But an expository sermon is hard work to prepare. That’s why Paul writes that faithful elders, and especially those who labor hard at preaching and teaching, are worthy of double honor (1 Tim. 5:17). With all that effort from faithful preachers, is there more that those of us in the pew can be doing to ensure we are being faithful listeners?