Here’s what the Bible means.
You decide.
Did you want me to tell you what the Bible really means?
Even if I did you’d read it and decide.
I could spend years studying the Bible – learning Hebrew and Greek so I could pour over the original texts – visit the Bible lands to learn their culture – and write some amazing book about what the Bible means.
If you read it you’d decide what the Bible means.
Even if you agreed with everything I wrote it would still be your decision to believe it. So you still decide what the Bible means to you.
Scholars have studied the scriptures and argued its meaning for years and years with no conclusion.
Is all this bad? Absolutely not!
That’s just the way it is!
Understanding this phenomena helps us understand why there are so many different views about what the Bible means and what Jesus meant when he spoke.
This realization may even help temper our feelings about opinions that differ from our own.
Is it important that everyone who reads a book have perfect agreement about every aspect of it’s meaning?
I guess that depends on how you feel about it.
The fact is people aren’t in perfect agreement and choosing to make agreement important makes your life less than peaceful.
For myself I choose that it’s not important what everyone thinks about what the Bible means. That includes me too.
But you believe God told you what the Bible really means. Does that really change anything?
You still decided.
Maybe God did tell you. Maybe he told me as well.
We still decided.
But they say God told them what The Bible means and God told me something different. What happened?
You decide. (Did you really think I was going to give you that one?)
So, the Bible really means what you decide it means. That’s all it can mean to you.
Enjoy and appreciate what The Bible means to you. Be thankful for its’ meaning. Live by its’ meaning. Let it mean what it does to others.
Now you know the true meaning of The Bible.
And you know why there are so many different ideas about the meaning of The Bible.
And if you choose you can have an amazing peace fill your soul even when your understanding differs.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
The reason there is so many different interpretation (meaning) of the Bible is because we choose to have our own interpretation of the Bible. If we would accept the Bible for what it is – The inerrant, infallible, coherent word of God we would not have this problem. Man wants to interpret the Bible to suit their lives instead of changing their lives to suit the Bible. Jesus himself took the Bible literally and defeated the devil with the literal words of God and on many occasions quoted the prophets of the Old Testament. If Eve had taken the word of God literally she would not have been deceived by the serpent who misconstrued the very words of God.
1 Thes 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
Acts 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”. (Note: it said scriptures not their hearts or their thoughts).
Everything we need to know about God is in the Bible and if God wanted us to have our own interpretation of Him, then he wouldn’t have given us His word – the only truth.
Maybe the question I should be asking you is what part of the Bible should I take literally and what part should I interpret under the guidance of the Spirit – which spirit???? Your doctrine is straight from the pit of hell – Oh yes, you don’t believe in a literal hell. You should be very careful of what you propagate, for God will hold you responsible. All you are doing is helping the unbelievers who think they can withstand hell and God’s wrought to continue in their life of denial. Read the Bible, take it literally and watch God do wonders in your life. It’s not a matter of interpretation; it’s a matter of obedience.
2 Peter 1:20 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”
Jesus took the Bible literally? The Bible wasn’t compiled until after his death. Of course he did quote some of the OT prophets. But quotes do not defeat the enemy.
Even if the Bible is the infallible word of God, I do not believe that your interpretation of it is. Once I saw it just as you describe – but as it turned out, there were too many “unanswerable” questions.
In seeking the answers, it was essential to depart from some of the notions I held. Turns out that they were just that.
And to answer your question about which part of the Bible to take literally…. Allow the Spirit to lead you.
And examine your attachment to a physical hell. Why is it such a core part of your belief in God? Why is it so important to you that “bad” people are punished for all eternity – and that you get to walk the streets of gold? You will likely reply that it’s God’s plan and just the way it is… But seriously, you’d not have taken the time to comment on my blog if you weren’t really attached to the ideas you promote.
Blessings,
Robert
Robert, do you ever wonder the Devil sat, read and can quote the Bible better than you? Guess not, because like you, he read and interpreted it from his point of view but the WORDS are spiritual and he did not have a clue of its meaning. Their lies the greatest victory, because if he had a clue we would not be celebrating life, redemption of the cross, resurrection of Christ. Or do you really believe in the resurrection?
You should not be encouraging people to read the LIVING WORD/BIBLE/GOD’S WORD through a dark glass of their interpretation because only spirit can understand the spiritual things of the Bible. You’d rather be wrong with a million like you or right for the right things? Get a spiritual clue, and I’m praying that you understand the depth, width and breath of the LOVE of CHRIST! Hell is the ONLY single word you do not want to have a wrong definition about. If you are not in any way spiritual, quit while you can, you might just get a dream about the real HELL!! I heard some had those life changing experiences.
You decide, I decide or we decide so God says choose life or death. In life there are only two choices to every single situation/decision. In your greatest fallacy you are encouraging the norm of mind control. Then what is God for, why read the Bible? Let’s go out there and let our flesh enjoy life! I am glad to have met you because I have always ponder these words I read in the BIBLE where JESUS spoke, “..depart from me you worker of iniquity…” but it’s these words the victim(had the nerve to answer JESUS),”…but I have prayed in your name and heal in your name…” Who is this kind of person?
“I will shorten the days for my elect sake…” or “…even the elect will be deceived…” Judas was for a special time! Robert, are you heralding the end times signs as predicted in the BIBLE? Decide… live or hang life?
You decide?
You decide?
I decide COME SWEET JESUS!!
You are right I should have been more specific in my use of the word Bible. Jesus quoted the Holy Scriptures or Torah which are the first five books of the Bible as well as the Psalms and other prophetic books. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil, He resisted the devil (at least in part) by quoting the scriptures. The devil used a verse from Psalm 91:12, the account is found in Matthew 4:6 “And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone”, to tempt Jesus to throw himself from the mountain. The original text however, reads: “They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” The scriptures never said “at any time”. This is the typical “modus operandi” of the devil. He takes God’s words and fixes it to suit the situation. That’s what he did with Eve and that’s what he wants to do to us. Just imagine him saying – “God never said that hell is a real place and that so called bad people would burn forever” and we do the same when we put our own interpretation to God’s words. Please consider Jude 1:17-23
17 “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
If what I have said can help to save even one person from the terrible reality of hell, then I am glad. It is not the will of God that anyone should go to hell that is why God gave us his only begotten son. It’s a choice we are free to make and if you are wondering, Jesus did literally die on the cross for us.
Alexander,
I don’t encourage Bible reading. Too many people have died from reading the Bible.
Ok I’m being a little snarky there but have you ever thought about what reading the Bible does for most folks?
They get ahold of a verse or two, make judgments about how they apply to themselves and others, then build religions around them and the war is on.
This site is a great example of that very thing.
I offer some ideas here for people who are seeking God and every once in a while some avid Bible reader comes along quoting scriptures and telling me how I’m going to hell and my doctrine is from the Devil, etc…
My point in the post is that when you read something – anything – you place your personal spin on it based on your programming and training and upbringing. That’s just the way it is…. unless you’re willing to let all your own stuff go.
In the end, if people want a relationship with God, I think they should just get acquainted with God. Reading the Bible just creates confusion.
It’s like reading about marriage and trying to have a relationship with a woman without ever meeting one.
And that’s how I see it today.
Thanks Alexander for sharing your comments.
Blessings,
Robert
Libby,
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
I hope you’ve gained something from your time here even though you think my doctrine is from the pit of hell!
As you know, people can argue religious ideas all day long and joyfully kill to defend their beliefs.
I’m not that guy. I don’t offer this site to argue.
This site is about my journey and it’s here to help anyone who might gain help from it.
As such, it’s not for everyone. And it’s really not in alignment with mainstream Christian ideas.
So I invite you to enjoy what you can and ignore the rest!
Blessings,
Robert
Hi Robert,
Thank you for your honesty. People use the word “god” so loosely now that for a moment there I thought that you were referring to the God of the Bible. Since you have now cleared up that point for me, I realize why our opinions differ so immensely. In this life there are many paths but only one will lead to the God of Bible.
Hi Libby,
Personally I believe there is only one God. But people see God very differently as they focus on specific aspects of God to the exclusion of others.
A great example of this is the way my sister views my parents vs. the way I view them.
When I hear her describe our growing up years I begin to wonder if I was even there! Her view is completely negative – and yes I’m sure some negative events occurred, but to hear her tell it, nothing good ever happened. And she has now cut off relations with our parents.
Basically we do this in every aspect of our lives, and the human tendency is to focus on the negative. That’s just how the mind works. And mainstream Christianity pretty much focuses on the negative aspects of God – the austere, dominating, and demanding aspects. These characteristics require submission, servitude, slavery, and a constant working to maintain acceptance.
As an aside: Isn’t it interesting how we make our God up to be so similar to our physical relationships?
Anyway, what I’ve found is that when you shift focus from those aspects and begin to notice the more spiritual aspects of God, some amazing things begin to happen. This site is really about that.
And so I’m in a place where God doesn’t even resemble the God I preached as a Christian minister.
And I’ll have to say that I love it here!
Blessings,
Robert