Thursday, March 18, 2010
Speculations?
how do you actually make your font bigger? i think i totally ruined the start of my post. so just ignore this whole paragraph. its mainly for AHEM who reads this to like, do something about it or something. ha.
Speculations. Something that the Bible calls us to refuse! And what could be worse about speculations of the bible! Today I've come to realise something. As teachers of the word, it is very easy to mislead MANY just by one speculation and it is no wonder that teachers shall be judged more strictly!
I shall not name names, for the purpose of this post is most definitely not to shoot people down. Rather, it is to make aware of the importance of accurate interpretation of scripture. Let me give some background of how this happened.
Someone today talked to me about the old testament. and some how reached the point on Gen 15:13-14(the part where God tells Abram that his descendants are going to be in a foreign land, enslaved and oppressed for 400 years). He basically raised the possibility of it refering to the blacks in America. And this he heard from someone who most definitely heard from someone somewhere who was a preacher. Of course they had their "reasons" for saying so. For example, we dont know for sure that they were enslaved for 400years. But we can count how the Negroes were/are oppressed for 400years in America.
I mean, the first thing which came to my mind was, NONSENSE! and then i began going about so many different approaches to debunk this. i went on to say how slavery was abolished long long ago. we even have a black president in America! PLUS, in the context of that passage, the descendants obviously referred to that of the promised child- Isaac. However he was still not convinced.
One preacher preached this. and caused many people to "open up" to other ideas. to "not be so closed up! Especially in the end times that we are living in! for this has great significance to us". but really. To take that promise out of context and put it in this situation is the first i've heard, and it can cause dire consequences! This actually linked on to many other side topics which i shall not share at the moment. But really, i made one mistake. I tried to debunk this speculation with my intellect. what i should've done right from the start, was
interpret scripture with scripture. Going to Acts 7 after quite a long "debate" immediately the "shady area" was made clear. everything was explained. but imagine, how many people have thought of this if can even call, heresy! And to be disguised as "opening up to other possibilities" when things are clear in the context. It is such speculations, or maybe even myths that would be intriguing to people of the world. But what are we called to do? Not deliever messages that people want to hear, but we are called to preach the word! to preach the gospel! That man are sinners can cannot save themselves! God sent His son to die for OUR SINS, that we may be made righteous IN CHRIST.
And again i now say,
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound [1] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Tim 4:1-5)
And this i can say in full assurance for it is the word of God. and i am merely speaking the word.
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 tim 2:15)
Preach the Word. not "foolish and ignorant speculations." Know His word, that you will be ready to identify false teachings(and not be a false teacher!), that you will fulfill your ministry as an evangelist.
Sola Scriptura!
(i realised this post is somewhat messy and hard to understand. so if you want to clarify anything, feel free to ask me! Soli Deo Gloria!)
came at11:01 PM
