Monday, May 25, 2009

5-25 How Many Interpretations are there?

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Susan’s special day came… and went with sunshine, sunshine, sunshine. What beautiful weather we have been having! I took her to dinner at Kowloons Chinese Restaurant and then we came home and watched “Mall Cop,” a comedy that even I liked. The next day we had the Evie, the grandkids and Shaphen over for a birthday party. Ken had to work. We sang “happy birthday” in the worst possible way, the dog howled, the baby cried, a glass broke (I do exaggerate!). But Susan liked it! And that’s what matters. This year I gave a “recession birthday present.” It was cold hard cash. Not a huge amount… am I being too practical thinking she can spend it on needs or wants? She liked it!

Today’s Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 27; Joel 2; Mark 6:30-56

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Today’s thought comes from 2Peter 1:19-21 we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

How many interpretations are there? Some people believe the Bible teaches one thing… and some people believe the same verses teach exactly the opposite. I’ve heard that if you get two Professors of Theology in the same room you’ll have three opinions! It can be confusing. It’s like all of us are in a dark room trying to read the same Bible out loud in unison but since we can’t make out the words very well it sounds like everybody is reading altogether different books! It is a cacophony of confusion! It would be nice if someone would open the shutters so that we could see the light! Why are there so many different “interpretations” anyway? May I suggest that a lot of it has to do with human nature? We all see what we want to see. I have noticed that people have a high opinion of their own opinions. If I have a preconceived notion about some subject because it makes sense to me, I’m likely to impose my opinion on Scripture! I hate to say it, but that very thing happens with distressing regularity. That’s why we go on living our own way even though the Bible clearly teaches that we should do it God’s way. We justify our own actions by our own wisdom. But all those interpretations can’t be right can they? No way, José! In fact Peter firmly says “NO Scripture is of any private interpretation!” I don’t have the right to impose my own personal prejudices on the Bible. The way interpretation is supposed to happen is that I am supposed to ask the Holy Spirit to impose His interpretation on me! While there are many human viewpoints about what Scripture says, in reality there is only ONE interpretation… one and ONLY ONE! Do you think God knows what every Scripture passage really means? Of course He does! God’s interpretation is the only right one. That’s because the Bible came from God! If it were simply a human book, any human opinion would work. But since God is the author behind it, the responsibility of the interpreter is to discover what God meant by it without imposing any of his own prejudices on it. Now that is difficult to do! That’s why the understanding of the Bible takes great humility. I have to be willing to humbly change my opinions if I find that the Bible disagrees with me. No wonder we have so many interpretations. It’s much easier to walk away than it is to give up my strong opinion! That’s why we must submit our will to God and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom.

Dear Holy Spirit. Please enlighten my mind so that I can see clearly what you want me to see. Help me to have the humility I need to change when I do see the light. May my life be transformed by your truth!

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him

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