Pastor Dan
Eddy
2 Peter
1:16-21
Your Neighbors’ Question
#2:
How do you know the Bible is the Truth?
Can’t you interpret it any you
want?
8-14-11
I.
Introduction – CLC Thespian Theatre
Pastor:
It’s time now for
CLC Thespian Theatre
Charlie
Good morning
neighbor.
John:
Well good
morning, Charlie.
Charlie:
What’s that you
got in your hand?
John:
Well I just
reading something I printed off the Internet about a fanatical church group that
protests at
Charlie:
Boy, that’s
really sad when people act that way.
John:
Well they claim
they’re following the Bible in the views that they hold and in the way they
act.
Charlie:
I would think
that it would be hard to justify their actions based on Scripture.
John:
Can’t you just
interpret the Bible any way you want to? Come on, how do you know the Bible is
the Truth?
Charlie:
Good questions.
So let me ask you “Why would you like to know?”
Pastor:
Let’s give praise
to God by giving them a round of applause.
This is part two
of our summer sermon series “Your
neighbors’ questions about God.” If you missed last week’s I can get you a
manuscript or audio copy, or it will soon be on our website.
Last week’s
question was “How can a perfect God
allow an imperfect world?” To begin answering that question, some
conversation starters are on your sermon insert in your bulletin.
Okay let’s get to
this week’s question: “How do you know
the Bible is the Truth or is true? Can’t you interpret it anyway you like?”
Now after you
respond with “Why would you like to
know” listen for the real objections they have about the Bible.
Do they think
most events in the Bible are myths or fairy tales? Are they trying to interpret
Scripture through a scientific lens? Are they basing their questions on somebody
who claims to have interpreted the Bible correctly and then spews hatful speech?
Discover what the real objections are.
The
Apostle Peter in his second letter to the early Church was teaching his
listeners how to combat the false teachers who were apparently exerting pressure
on the churches to depart from the true knowledge of Christ.
So
take what your neighbor tells you, use this morning’s biblical principles from 2
Peter 1: 16-21, and offer a thoughtful response.
II.
All Scripture
points to Christ and reveals the Truth
First biblical
principle of interpretation is “All Scripture
points to Christ and, therefore, reveals Him as the Truth.”
When He was on
trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus said in John 18: 37 ESV, “I have come into the
world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my
voice.”
I don’t think
Pilate was listening, because in the next verse he said: “What is truth?’”
Christ has always
been the source Truth and will always be essence of Truth, because He is God and
therefore is the Word of God. It’s the truth that Jesus said in John 8:32 that
will set you free from sin, death, and the power of the Devil.
John 1:1, 14, and
17 ESV 1 “In the beginning” of time
“was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God.”
14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among
us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full
of grace and truth 17”
For the law was given through Moses; grace
and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
So these
verses connect Christ to Truth throughout all of Scripture…not just to the New
Testament.
And Christ is
connected with the Holy Spirit when it comes to how Scripture was written:
2 Timothy 3:
16-17 ESV:”All Scripture is God-breathed…” The
Greek and Hebrew words for “wind,” “spirit” and “breath” are essentially all the
same. So this is a reference to the Holy Spirit… “God-breathed” and all
Scripture “is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
So these verses
not only tell us how Scripture was written but for what purpose.
It’s important to
connect the dots to Christ on Truth…Word…Scripture...and the Holy Spirit. That’s
what Jesus was doing in our Gospel reading tor this morning (from Luke 24:
13-35). He was taking all the Old Testament dots and connecting them to Him, His
suffering and death on the cross for you, and His resurrection from the dead for
you. He was confirming that all the events and prophecies of the Old Testament
were real. He needed to do that
because there will be many in the world then and as well as today who will try
to take all I told you and tell you that the Bible is a bunch of
myths.
For example, many
historical critical scholars will say that the Holy Spirit didn’t inspire
Scripture but it formed out of the Hebrew community. Moses didn’t write the
first five books of the Bible...various groups did.
And over time,
Scripture was redacted from a series of manuscripts. And that the miracles and
spectacular events of Creation, the Great Flood, the Israelites crossing the Red
Sea on dry ground, and Jonah living inside a big fish or even the miracles of Jesus in the New
Testament, including His resurrection, really didn’t happen. They are, in
essence, all myths…like the stories of Greek, Roman, or Egyptian Mythology.
That’s why Peter
said in verse 16: “For
we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
“
Peter understood
there would be skeptics then as there are today that who think this stuff was
all made up. So Peter wants to assure the Church that he was there when Jesus
walked the Earth, heard what He said, and was an eyewitness to spectacular
events like the Christ’s Transfiguration where when Jesus was a supernatural
white. Peter heard God the Father speak from Heaven that Christ Jesus is Who He
says He is. Peter heard with his ears and saw with his eyes.
In fact the idea
of personally being a witness to Jesus was one of the criteria the New Testament
used for canonizing many of its books. Contrary to popular misconceptions…most
of the books of the New Testament were considered part of the Canon by 100 AD.
All of the books were written by eyewitnesses or by people who hung around the
eyewitnesses of Christ Jesus. Even Paul with his road to
How do you know
the Bible is the Truth? Jesus said so. And from that Truth comes true love, and
true faith to believe that. How did we sing it with this morning’s Hymn of
Praise? “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible
tells me so.”
I
think it takes more “faith” to believe in the historical critical theories than
just to believe that the Holy Spirit really did write Scripture through men, and
that the Bible really is the inspired Word of God, the Truth. The historical
critical theories have never been proven using their own scientific and
historical methodologies. And there are over 5000 Greek manuscripts that verify
the New Testament (from a couple of verses to the whole New Testament)…not to
mention thousands of other manuscripts in other languages, making it one of the
best documented books in the history of humankind.
And don’t forget
Scripture’s purpose?
John 20:31 ESV:
“… these are written so that you may believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have
life in his name.”
How do you know
the Bible is the Truth? Christ said so from the beginning of time and He said it
incarnate as Jesus. The Prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, and other Disciples are
witnesses to it. They confirm and affirm it.
III.
Can’t you interpret the Bible anyway you
want?
So, the remaining
question is “Can’t you interpret the
Bible anyway you want?”
To answer that
let me ask you this: Parents – spouses have you ever left what you thought were
clear instructions and they were taken out of context or
misunderstood?
The reason I
bring this up is know you have an idea of what God must be thinking when He sees
churches, like the one who protests at U.S. Servicemen’s funerals, takes His
Word out of context.
Well the reason I
bring this up is I will get people who will ask me… “Do you interpret the Bible literally or
symbolically?” And my response is “yes.”
And people will
look at me... “Well which is it?”
I respond: “It depends on the
context.”
Verses 20-21 of
our text: “…no prophecy of Scripture
comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by
the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy
Spirit.”
In other words,
always interpret the Bible in context and use Scripture to interpret it.
Let me
illustrate: Ever heard people say
“Judge not lest you be judged.” Well that comes from John 8:7. That verse
if often used to bully people into not pronouncing judgments of right and wrong
on them. In other words, “you can’t tell me I’m doing something
wrong, because you do sin yourself.” And that’s taking the verse out of
context.
In John 8: 3-11
the Pharisee brought a woman caught in adultery and wanted to stone her. They
were justifying wanting to stoning her on Old Testament Scripture, which by the
way, they were misinterpreting because at the very least they didn’t bring the
other half of the adultery relationship to account. And
And the reason
why Jesus said, “Let him who is without
sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” was not because Jesus
doesn’t want us to point out sin to others. There are too many other accounts in
Scripture where we can do that…under God’s terms and conditions. No, the reason
Jesus made this statement was nobody was willing to offer the opportunity for
this woman to confess her sin and receive God’s forgiveness. Jesus was not
condoning her actions but instead forgave her… “Go and from now on sin no more.” How
do we know? We take Jesus’ statement and we lay it alongside of 1 John 1:8-10
where the Word of God said if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just
will forgive us from all unrighteousness.
You see why it’s
important to believe that God’s Word is the Truth, written through the Holy
Spirit by men? Those forgiving words of Jesus apply to you.
The Bible doesn’t
contain the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God. Otherwise you won’t
get the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth. Deuteronomy 4:2a ESV
“You shall not add to the word that I
command you, nor take from it…”
The Bible ends up
being God’s last will and testament. And to not take it as the Truth, or take it
out of context, or not allow Scripture to interpret itself would be a kin to if
you were to die and God gave you a chance to see the reading of your will. And
as the lawyer is reading your will…your children start to fight over your words,
taking them out of context, interpreting them anyway they like, and dishonoring
your memory. How would that make you feel? How is that any less when we do the
same with God’s Word as His children with His Word, His last will and testament
for your life?
That’s why it’s
important, because of our faith in Christ; to know Scripture is the Truth, and
can’t be interpreted anyway we want. There’s just too much at stake.
IV.
Conclusion
Psalm 18:30 ESV:
“This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord
proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in
him,”
In answering
today’s sermon question for people my prayer is that the Word of God becomes a
powerful witness when people see that it is more than a historical document or
great piece of literature. The Word of God becomes credible and believable when
people see us living it in our lives everday, not just quoting from it. If the
Disciples actions did not match God’s Word do you think the early Church would
have grown as much as it did?
God’s blessings
as you more thoughtfully answer your neighbors’ questions about Him, believing
that all Scripture points to Christ as the Truth in having the Holy Spirit
helping us interpret His Word properly in context, to apply to our life today.
Amen.