When We Need Right Discernment in Bible Study

 

For the first time, I feel like I have a tough assignment in making a blog post. So many issues are rising up over the Bible word now, that it's difficult to know what to try to address first.

Some folk are bold enough in error now, that they'll forbid Christians to dispute wrongs, despite how Jesus tells us to take wrongs to your brother and reason it out, and to go to good witnesses and the church if your brother won't listen, and to know you've gained a brother if he is willing to listen and reason together.

God's word doesn't tell us not to dispute wrongs. Instead, Heaven says to

• reason together;

• take matters to the church;

• be peacemakers;

• suffer a wrong if the wrong doesn't have consequences that ruin our witness in Jesus;

• let all you do be for God's glory;

• commit everything you do to the Savior we have in Jesus, even if that means correcting or rebuking;

• avoid foolish arguments and godless mockery;

• never argue with a foolish person;

• run from evil when there isn't any way to bring truth and healing;

• know that God doesn't intend for any one person to help reach every single person who has been in his or her life or who has crossed paths with him or her (Luke 10:4; Jude 1:22, KJV; and other scriptures);

• correct in a Spirit of gentleness;

• know what the word is truly saying;

• recognize biblical error, and rebuke it;

• know that God's New Testament word is a "sword" that may divide even families or households, or that may make shake up a household's thinking; but know that that does not mean the Bible is a literal weapon that murders (not at all!);

• seek Jesus through His word, and seek a good Shepherd to help open up and translate, to give background, and to guide you through difficult Bible books and passages;

• know that, as a Christian, it's okay if your Spiritual feelings and insights are different from how the world sees (for example, the scripture that says we shine like starry light in this error-prone world, isn't about being above others, being known, having notoriety, nor celebrity; it's about being a quiet light, among millions of other quiet, guiding lights, no matter how troubled and perverse the world);

• and know that God's word to us isn't understood by a person outside of faith, not until that person's heart of faith begins to know the love/Salvation we have in Jesus. (That's what the Bible says. So, try not to give a person outside of faith a Scripture that says we "go forth and jump about like calves in the stall"! The person outside of faith might not see right away, that the word isn't saying faith is restless and rambunctious, that what the word is saying is that we have inner joy in Jesus, like a new calf that's just discovering the world around him, even if we're confined to some small way of living.)

Also know that not every Bible translation is clear and accurate to God's meaning, which is why we need to study and pray about our and others' discernment of God's word. One translation says "do everything without grumbling or arguing," which means without grudges and quarrels. But the meaning is not "without dispute." "Dispute" is a word that some Bible translations mistakenly use.

And, here again, Jesus has told us how to handle disputes when we have to or need to.

When the Holy Spirit Speaks

 

When the Holy Spirit says something, we ought to hear His meaning. In Hebrews 13:5, for example, God isn't saying to be okay with not having what you've trusted Him for (Matthew 6:7-8).

Instead, He always says to be patient, even in affliction. And He says that, while waiting on Him to move,

"Be very thankful for and respectful about what you have, not wanting what someone else has" but only what Grace has given you at this time.

Hebrews 13:5

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Just be sure never to misquote what the Spirit of the Lord has said to you! If you know it's only your own way of talking, not exactly what the Spirit has said, say I'm in agreement with Heaven but this is me talking, like the apostle Paul did.