CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE? PART 3 OF 4 II. The Old Testament Demonstrates that the Bible Can Be Understood. God gave the Old Testament to Israel using the same methods by which He gave the New Testament to us. Consider some lessons we can learn. God gave the Old Testament for the purpose of revealing His will; then He promised that men could understand it. Psalms 119:98,99 - You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies ... I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. Psalms 119:104,105 - Your precepts give understanding. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalms 119:130 - The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. Psalms 19:7-11 - Gods law converts the soul, makes wise the simple, and enlightens the eyes. In keeping them there is great reward. How could the law do any of these if people could not understand them? [Prov. 2:1-12] Even people in New Testament times were capable of understanding the Old Testament and were expected to do so. Acts 17:2,3 - Pauls custom was to reason from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that Jesus is the Christ. How could this prove anything if people could not understand the Scriptures? Acts 17:11 - The Scriptures give the average man a way to know whether or not they are being told the truth. People are not expected to take preachers word for what the Bible says. Rather, they should use the word to check out the preachers. How could the Bible accomplish this if people cannot understand it? [Matt. 15:14] Matthew 22:29 - Jesus told the Sadducees, You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. He expected them to know the Scriptures. When they did not, they were mistaken, and He held them accountable for that. For every argument anyone could offer why we today cannot understand the New Testament, the same argument would mean that people in the first century could not have understood the Old Testament. Yet they were capable of understanding it and were expected to do so. Likewise, we today can understand Gods word whereby we can be saved. [Acts 18:24,28] This is PART 3 OF 4 in the series: CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE By David E. Pratte c/o Gospel Way
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 21:04:40 +0000
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