Stand By Night

I believe in absolute truth. To say, “what you believe is true for you, and what I believe is true for me” is crazy. While reality is often determined by people’s beliefs, belief alone doesn’t make something reality. Bible interpretation is a VERY controversial subject. I could pick nearly any verse in the Bible and say, “it means this” and probably get half a dozen people who would immediately disagree. But as soon as you say that a verse can mean one thing for you and something else for me, you have crossed into the realm of relative truth. If the Bible is true that means it’s all true, all the time, for everyone. Or else it’s not true.

Now for the really controversial stuff…

I believe that each and every verse in the Bible has one primary meaning (that is usually quite clearly stated), and then varying numbers of implied and/or “double” meanings. I also believe that Bible meditation is an important part of the “Christian walk”; not so that God can show you the ’secret meaning’ of a verse or passage, but so that God can speak to you through His word. I almost never bring a verse before God asking, “what does this really mean?” However, I often come before the Lord with, “Is there anything else you want to say to me regarding this?” Then He can show me other verses, or give me personal revelation on a subject without me going and redefining scripture every time I meditate.

2 Peter 1 says, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.“

Read the Bible expecting God to show you things. But when He does, don’t think that He has changed what He said; He’s just adding to it.

-J