02/23/2019

II Peter 1:19

¹⁹ And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

Very early as a Christian I became dependent on the Scriptures for my understanding of Christ, the Church, and my responsibility.  Both on the radio and in Bible School I would hear explanations I could not find in the Scriptures.  There was a pastor of a Bible Church in Houston, Texas who also had a radio program.  He was thought to be an excellent Greek scholar.  He once said a certain Greek word could only be translated by “emptying a slop bucket out a window”.  I did not then believe that, and know now it was an exaggeration at its best and deceit at its worst.

Because of this I made for myself certain rules I would follow in understanding the Scripture.  Both then and now they have served me well.  Let me give them to you.

1.      As much as possible understand the Scripture in its plain common sense.  Fanciful allegory and extreme prophetic interpretations do not interest me.

2.      Take the words of the Scripture in their plain natural sense.  “South to Israel” did not then and does not now mean China.  It has always meant Egypt.

3.      Always allow the context to govern the understanding of a word, passage, or book.

I’m sure that other rules are equally important.  These were simple correctives and great help to me.