RULES…we don’t particularly like that word do we? The rebel inside of all of us wants to find another way, even if the way that it’s supposed to be is best. Rules are not to constrain us, but to direct us. In school, you had rules. Your parents had rules for your home. There are rules in every business and corporation. Bible study is no different. There are rules to apply to how we interpret Scripture.
False doctrine is everywhere. The transgender movement distorts Scripture so terribly that they use the ministry and teachings of Jesus to promote LGBTQ indoctrination. “How do they use the Bible to do this”, you may ask. They ignore the rules and they create their own.
Every false teacher has a master’s degree in twisting Scripture. They say, “Jesus turned the water to wine so we can drink too”. They say, “James tells us that works are needed for salvation”. They say, “Peter preached that you have to be baptized to be saved”. I oppose all of these beliefs. But how do we respond? We respond by applying the number one rule for Bible study.
What is the #1 rule of Bible study? Context. What is the context? The context is the setting of the passage. It answers questions like, “Who is speaking?” “Who is being spoken to?” “What was this message all about?” “What was going on at this time that was so important?” Finding the context is unlocking the door to understanding Scriptural truth. It has been said, “A text without a context is only a pretext”.
Exhibit A: Did you know that the Bible says, “There is no God”? It’s true. The Bible says this. However, if I don’t just read that phrase in isolation, but take the time to read the whole verse, I can see the context. Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God…”
One of the easiest ways to find the context is to read the surrounding verses. Don’t just build a doctrine from one verse. Read the whole chapter. Better yet, read the whole book, or at least know the purpose of the book.
Exhibit B: Those that support the belief that Christians can drink alcohol in moderation might say, “Jesus turned the water to wine”, or they may quote the verse that says, “be not drunk with wine wherein is excess”. So, we just can’t get drunk, right?
Another way to find the context is to understand the theme of the passage. Ephesians 5 is not a chapter about alcohol. This part of the book is about the Holy Spirit. Alcohol is the analogy. Just as alcohol can overtake a body completely, so should we allow the Holy Spirit to overtake our lives. Using this verse to support drinking in moderation is sloppy and lazy at best.
Exhibit C: Every false religion in the world teaches the same thing. Don’t believe me? What other religion in the world teaches that you don’t have to do anything to have eternal life except receive the Saviour by faith? They all teach a works-based salvation. Some will use James’ epistle to defend this. James 2 talks about our faith being dead if it has no works. Sounds like works are required for salvation, right? I don’t think so…
A very important collection of questions you have to ask yourself is, “Who is speaking, and to whom are they speaking”? When you learn who the writer is and who the audience is, you gain clarity to the context. James 1 begins by addressing Jewish believers. The audience isn’t the lost, but the saved. James isn’t telling lost people how to be saved. He is probing believers to live out their faith with action.
Closing thought…
People are drinking the Kool-Aid poured out by these false prophets too often. The problem isn’t that we can’t know the truth. The problem is that we aren’t rightly dividing the Word of God by the rules of study that should be applied. Don’t fall prey to these wolves. What is the #1 to Bible study? Find the context first and then decide what the Word of God is truly teaching you.