Knowing these things will help you understand your Bible

Hello and welcome to the women’s weekly Bible Challenge!  I’m Lisa Ann Spencer.  I was asked to participate in a Bible study collaboration with the topic, Things I have learned that helped me to understand my Bible, so I am sharing that with you today.

To begin with,  I gave my personal testimony of salvation.  You can read my testimony by clicking the About Page.  I encourage you to always ask every Bible teacher to share their personal testimony before you invest time in their ministry.  You may be surprised at the number of Christian teachers that are not saved.

THINGS TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR BIBLE

Denominationalism is a real hindrance to understanding your Bible.  Denominations are based on the doctrines of men.  There are hundreds of denominations, and to complicate matters even further, most use different versions of the Bible.  This is confusion!

#1 I can trust my King James Bible! 

The KJB has stood the test of time as the word of God.  The modern translations are corruptions that originated in the first century.  Even during the Apostle Paul’s lifetime, he warns us of corruption. 

2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:2 that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

The modern translations are based on corrupt Greek manuscripts which were rejected throughout history by true Christians.  Those who possessed the corrupt manuscripts were persecuting and murdering those who possessed the word of God.  The King James Bible is a blood-bought Bible.

The Bible version issue is about far more than removing thee, thou and ye.  It is a matter of Satan’s deception which began in the Garden of Eden:  Yea, hath God said?

The KJB has a built in cross-referencing system and a built in dictionary that will help you understand God’s interpretation of scripture.  These connections are destroyed in the modern versions, and tempt men to lend private interpretations to the word of God.  That is very dangerous! 

#2 Believe the exact words on the pages of your Bible.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received I not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the world of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

For example,

1 Corinthians 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

If we believe these words, it opens our understanding to two things:  Paul was the last to see Christ, which means that his second letter to Timothy before his death is the last book of the Bible.  (We know our Bibles are not in chronological order, and there is textual evidence that God has inspired the Bible to be in the present order of the canon.)  This also helps us understand that the book of Revelation was written much earlier than theologians claim, very likely before the Apostle Paul was saved. 

2 Timothy 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

If we will believe these words, it will help us to know that we must consider Paul’s letters.  Paul received abundant revelations from God (2 Corinthians 12:1-7), a dispensation of the grace of God for us Gentiles, called the mystery (Ephesians 3:1-7), which had been kept secret until it was revealed to Paul.

Paul wrote 13 letters to Gentile churches.  Those can be found in Romans through Philemon, in which Paul begins each letter with his name, just as he said in the holy word of God.

2 Thessalonians 3:17 The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.

God had Paul do this because of the corruption that was creeping into the word of God as already pointed out in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 above.

Study the Bible God’s way.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the world of truth.

The word study is removed from almost every modern version.  It is replaced with do your best.  Never does God tell a man to do your best because our best will never be good enough.  The word study is a command from God.  The reason is stated plainly, to show ourselves approved unto God.  We are commanded to be a workman, which means it will require work; if we do not follow these instructions, we will be ashamed.  To rightly divide the word of truth tells us how we are to study God’s word.

RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH

All the Bible is written for us, but not all the Bible is written to us.

First, there is a division in the Bible called the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The Bible uses this terminology, but man confuses it.  Most Christians think that the Old Testament began in Genesis 1:1 and the New Testament began in Matthew 1:1 because men labeled them as such.  If you will study and believe the words of your Bible, you can know that a testament cannot begin without blood. 

Click here to read Hebrews 9:15-22

This means that the Old Testament did not begin until Moses sprinkled blood on the people of Israel and the book of the law in Exodus 24:8; and the New Testament did not begin until the end of the four gospels when Jesus had shed His blood and died.

The New Testament was given to the same people to whom the Old Testament was given: Israel.  However, the Apostle Paul indicates that we Gentiles today are also under the New Testament because we have also been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6; and Acts 20:28.)

📔 NOTE:  A testament and a covenant are not the same thing.  A testament requires blood; a covenant does not.  While we are under the blood of the New Testament, we are not under the New Covenant.  The New Covenant is a special covenant between God and Israel.  The New Covenant is a future event that will be made with the same people with whom God made The Old Covenant.  (See Jeremiah 31:31-34.)

DIVIDING PROPHECY AND MYSTERY

By comparing Acts chapter 3:21 with Romans 16:25, we can understand that Peter and Paul are not preaching the same message.

Acts 3:21 whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

In early Acts, God is still ministering only to the nation of Israel.  Consider Acts chapter 2 and verses 14, 22 and 36 where Peter addresses “Ye men of Judaea” and “Ye men of Israel” and “all the house of Israel”.  In Acts 3:21 Peter tells them that these things that he is preaching to Israel had been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began.  There is no mystery in what Peter is saying.  We can go back into the Old Testament and read what God had promised to Israel.   But Paul says the exact opposite in Romans 16:25.  Paul says what he preaches is the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret since the world began.  These things are different, and we need to rightly divide the word of truth.

📔 NOTE:  Acts 3:21 that Jesus was to be received up in heaven UNTIL the times of restitution of all things; that is, He would stay in heaven until He came back to set all things in order and establish a kingdom on the earth.  This was a prophesied event.  However, Jesus made an unprophesied appearance to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus and gave him new revelation to give to the Gentiles, which He called a mystery. 

MORE THAN ONE GOSPEL

Click here to read Galatians 2:7-9 and Acts chapter 15.

In Galatians 2:7-9, if you have a King James Bible, you read about two gospels:  Peter’s gospel to the circumcision and Paul’s gospel to the uncircumcision.  The modern versions corrupt these verses in order to hide the truth of the two gospels.  By comparing Galatians chapter 2 with Acts chapter 15, we can easily understand that Paul was not preaching the same gospel that Peter and the 12 Apostles were preaching. 

RIGHTLY DIVIDE BAPTISMS

Click here to read and study a list which contains all the Bible references to 14 distinct baptisms in scripture: Some are wet, some are dry and some are hot.  Paul tells us Gentiles that there is only one baptism and it is spiritual (1 Corinthians12:13; Ephesians 4:4).

Jesus certainly sent the 12 Jewish Apostles to water baptize their followers, yet the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:17 that Christ sent him not to baptize.  None of the 12 could say this.  This is different and we must rightly divide the word of truth.

ALL SCRIPTURE IS WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING, BUT IT IS NOT ALL WRITTEN TO US

For example, Hebrews is a book written to the Hebrews.  It is not written to Gentiles.  Read Hebrews and learn what God is doing for the Hebrews, but do not apply it to Gentiles who are saved by the gospel of grace.  Hebrews is a letter to the Hebrews who will be going through the 7-year tribulation.  To apply the doctrine in Hebrews to Gentiles will only cause confusion.

The book of James is misapplied today.  Read James chapter 1 and verse 1 and you will realize that it is not written to you.  It is written to the 12 tribes of Israel that were scattered into the Gentile nations during a time of persecution.  Again, it has to do with what God is doing for and through the nation of Israel during the coming tribulation.  Rightly divide the word of truth.

GENTILE BLESSING

Isaiah 60:1-5  Under the Old Testament the Gentiles are blessed through the nation of Israel.  Gentiles are blessed when they bless the descendants of Abraham, and by coming to Israel’s light, which is the city set on a hill [Mount Zion] in Jerusalem.

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 11:11 that the Gentiles are now blessed because of Israel’s fall.  That is very different!  Rightly divide the world of truth.

CONCLUSION

God promised that Israel will be a great nation; He promised them a land and a righteous King to judge them.  When He sent them their promised King and Messiah, they murdered Him.  After God raised Jesus from the dead, the Holy Ghost was poured out on those in Israel who were faithful to Him.  They preached to the nation of Israel that they must repent of killing their Messiah and be water baptized, then God would send Jesus back to them to set up their promised kingdom.  A few thousand Jews believed, but the leaders of Israel and millions of Jews rejected Jesus Christ.  They blasphemed the Holy Ghost when they murdered Stephen, a man full of the Holy Ghost.  It was then that God cut off Israel from their special position.  He should have poured out wrath on Israel, but instead He saved the Apostle Paul by His marvelous grace and sent him to preach salvation by faith alone in Christ alone to all people without distinction.

We live in the dispensation of grace which began with the Apostle Paul (1 Timothy 1:16).  This dispensation will end with the rapture of all who have believed, beginning with the Apostle Paul.  Our inheritance is heavenly (see Ephesians 1 and Colossians 3).  After the Body of Christ is taken up to meet the Lord in the air, God will then resume His dealings with the nation of Israel, pouring out 7 years of wrath on them to purify a nation for Himself.  Then He will set up the promised kingdom on earth where Israel will rule the nations for a thousand years.

Our inheritance is Heavenly; Israel’s in Earthly.  That is different.  Rightly Divide the world of truth!

I hope this study has been enlightening, and that by believing the word of God, your understanding of God’s Holy Word will increase.

This material is covered in this YouTube video: