18. Understanding the Scriptures God's Purpose for Man

Chapter 18
Understanding the Scriptures

While there is much to say regarding understanding the Scriptures, it is important for the Church to know how to read and correctly understand the Scriptures properly in light of Jewish prophecy.

There are three classes of people the Bible is written about:

• The Jews 
• The Gentiles (unbelievers)
• The Church (believers)

There are two classes of people the Bible is written to:

• The Jews
• The Church (believers)

The Old Testament was written to the Jews – about the Jews - all under the Old Covenant. The Written Law of Moses, as distinguished in the Torah, is God's Word to His people on how to live.  To us New Testament believers, the Torah, or the Written Law, has been a teacher to show us right from wrong.  That will never change.

The Gospels were written to the Jews and the Church; however, the events covered the period under the Old Covenant of Christ's birth to His death. Therefore, even though the Gospels are listed in the New Testament, we must treat them as Old Covenant writings because the Church began on the Day of Pentecost - after the events of the Gospels. 

The Epistles, on the other hand, was written specifically to the Church, and about the Church.  It is the New Covenant revealed to us from the Old Covenant.  It is God's Word to us through His grace, and His desire is that we receive it by faith.  

The Epistles Are Written To the Church

While the Law has been our teacher to know right from wrong, the epistles explain the law in a way we receive by God's grace through faith.  We, the Church, then need to concentrate on the Epistles because they are God’s letters to the Church.

• The Old Testament is a history of the Jews to teach us the beginnings of God’s plan for mankind – beginning with His people the Jews.  God laid out the foundation of beliefs of right and wrong, which are eternal.  Along with the Written Law came the Oral traditions of the Elders, which were passed on down through the centuries as it became more and more corrupt.
• The Gospels are our foundation of Jesus as the Messiah - His teachings of love, what He did for us, and the continuing history of the Jews. In light of prophecy, much of the information in the Gospels were still under the laws of the Old Covenant - for Christ’s blood had not been shed at this point of time. We need to keep this in the context of how and what God is saying.

The Epistles are written to the Church as instructions on how to live the Christian life.  These instructions support the Written Law of Moses, which we primarily know them as the Ten Commandments.

Basic Instruction on Understanding the Scriptures

As you read the Word of God (using only authorized versions that is taken from the original Greek and Hebrew are:  King James Version, New King James Version, Amplified Classic, New American; Standard, New Revised Standard, Complete Jewish Bible, and the English Standard Version.  Other versions are either not as reliable or paraphrased, not going back to the original Greek or Hebrew languages.  While they may be nice for devotional reading, when you study the Scriptures, you need an authorized version of the Bible.

Take into account who the Word of God was originally written to, and understanding the culture of the times, such as political, sociological, and geological settings, the Bible should be read in the context it was written to keep a more proper interpretation.  We also need to take the Bible as literally as we can to avoid allegorically misinterpreting the Word of God.  The important question to ask is "what is the author truly saying in this scripture.  As always, we want the correct meaning of Scripture.

It is also important to read all around the verse or verses to obtain the correct meaning. Sometimes your research on the meaning of a particular verse may even take you through the whole chapter or even the whole book or more.

Never try to fit your thoughts into Scripture, but let the anointing of God’s Word put its thoughts into you. To understand Scripture, it is very important that you compare “Scripture with Scripture.” Scripture and only Scripture should always be your guide. Beware of commentaries, as they are the thoughts of a person or groups of people. Let the Word continuously teach you. There are some good commentaries, however, that do line up with the Scriptures, but you need to know the Word of God first to see if those commentaries run parallel to God’s Word.

As you read the Word of God, ask for the Holy Spirit’s revelation – then God will reveal to you His truth as you study His Word for yourself. You need not worry then about different interpretation, as you will have learned from the Holy Spirit to rightly divide the Word of God, and you will come to the knowledge of the truth – God’s truth.

2 Peter 1:20-21 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. NKJV

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. NKJV

God Is a God of Order

God is a God of order. In the beginning, God knew what He was going to do even before the creation of time and mankind. Every dispensation where God has tried to reach man, has a purpose - and that was and is to bring man to God, to eternally live and commune together with Him. God has a plan for His people – the Jews, and then the Gentiles - the Church.

Throughout the Old Testament, God was continuously speaking to the Jews of the coming of the Messiah – using Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and other prophets.  The Prophet Daniel received forthcoming knowledge through interpretations of visions and dreams of the kings in rulership. God also gave Daniel dreams and visitations of angels for future prophecies - even at the end of time.  But bear in mind that all this information from God was given for the purpose of the Jews. Keep it in Jewish perspective.

In the last chapter and this one, we have been discussing the Church age, which God said was the mystery age. Throughout the Old Testament, very little was said of the Church age, or the Age of Grace. That way, Satan did not have the information to change his diabolical schemes.

In light of history, knowing that the mysterious age of the Church is a parenthetical, we must not include it in Jewish prophecy, but take it out as if it had never happened. These last 2000 years then has been that mysterious age, and must not be included in Jewish history, in our search of prophecy.

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