Assurance of Truth

By John Henry

March 6, 2000

• How can we assure ourselves of acquiring TRUTH rather than the understanding of an individual, say a Bible teacher?

• Do you think that God anticipated the many opinions, interpretations, and understandings of scripture?

If you answered yes to the above then how do the many interpretations fit together to reveal the whole truth assuming that God is not hiding anything?

In answer to the first I included, one day we will die or the rapture will come and we will be left here or taken up, and at that time we will then truly discern the truth.  There is no assurance on earth, only questioning and faith.  through our faith comes our confidence in assurances that were alluded to in the Bible.  If we come to rely on any other individuals interpretation of the times, events, and facts of biblical teachings, we do indeed place our trust in man not in God, and the only way I see that any
interpretation can be valid is if it retains the truth as is written in the Bible, if it is not God's Word, then It is subject to the interpretation of Man, if it is Gods Word, then there need be no interpretation.  God's word is not complex, it is not impossible to learn, or to read, for many generations the Bible was the primary reading primer for people to learn to read, that is why we should teach the ten commandments in school. If we learn to read the ten commandments as the first words of printed text we decipher, it will stick with us...

See spot run, Run spot run. See Sally, see spot, run sally, run, See Dick, See Spot run Dick. Run Spot Run, run run.  Okay maybe I have run that one into the ground.  But imagine what would
happen if the first words a child reads is Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not Lie.  Thou shall not be jealous of others belongings (Covet).  If I still remember the blue book, I would still remember the 10
commandments.  that would be a good thing.

We seem to be more than willing to acquire truth from other sources, from newspapers, books, and television.  But when it comes to accepting the simplicity of the bible we falter, we say how can this be?  We insist that if he were here now he would accept (homosexuality, disregard of the laws of
society, failure to defend the faith, living for ourselves, failure to accept responsibility for others in our families,) or any other me oriented philosophy you want to include.  SO why would we not look for bible teachers willing to interpret things our way?  I admit that I have issues with very regimented, order based, rule based religions, Cathololocism even Judaism because I want the freedom that I love, that I have in my personal relationship with Christ.  Am I MORE right than they are?   I don't know, but I am living in the faith that I as at least AS right as they are. 

God has had many years of experience with Man, I don't think we really surprise him anymore... that is my response to the second question.

and for the third question.
God has sent his son to die for us, for our sins, this is free, all we pay for it is recognizing that we are not alone, and that there is a bigger picture, and if we want, we can be a part of it.  It is not our
responsibility to fit the interpretations together, we are called to join the group, to become followers of Christ, his disciples, we are asked to live our lives as salt of the earth, drawing others to us as a moth to a flame, sharing the goodness of the gift we have received, and loving Jesus.  We will interpret Jesus to others by our actions, we do not need to  match interpretations with any other teacher, we are not the teacher, we are simply walking toward the teacher, and inviting others to join us on the journey.

John Henry