The Therefore and 20/20 Rules

[Isaiah 6:8]

I have found quite often, that people will use the Bible in a cut and paste style to prove their points. You see if you take any thing that is said or printed out of context you can make it say anything you like.

Satan even did when tempting Jesus in the wilderness. See Matthew 4:1-11

Now at times, one verse, or one chapter, may be used by the Lord to speak to us. However you should not make entire doctrines based out of one verse. Some verses are not even complete sentences. One needs to remember that the authors did not break up there books by chapters and verse, that was years later!

So how do we discern true doctrine? Well a simple way, is to use the 20/20 and the Therefore rules. They are similar to each other, and of course are not rules in the sense of you must always do it. They are more of guidelines to help with study, but its easier to say rule then guideline.

The first one is this

The Therefore rule.

When you start reading a chapter or verse in the Bible, and the sentence starts out with the word Therefore, you need to go back and read what it is there, for.

You see in English, the word therefore is a adverb. It is describing something. So if you see it, you need to look at what was said before, to fully understand the context!

The next one is this. The 20/20 rule.

As we all know 20/20 vision is perfect vision. That is where I think this phrase came from, but how you practice it is thus. Read 20 verses before and 20 verses after the verse you are studying. If you do that you will have a real clear context of what is going on with that verse and what it means!

Of course you may not be able to do this due to hitting the beginning or end of a book!

If you follow these two simple guidelines of Bible study, it will help you to really know Jesus' voice so that you may follow him more closely!

See John 10!

If anyone else has suggestions on good ways to study the word please add on!

[Guest]

Amen~!

Another Thought

Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, Psalms 40:7

Or Two

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Hebrews 10:7

Is To Ask

.... and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. John 12:21

Knowing God

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. John 14:12-14

Will Do

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Psalms 119:9

It

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalms 119:11

Amen~!

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23

___________

PS: For Me There Is Nothing Like A Prayerful Reading Throught The Big Book Of Jesus

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:1-3

With A Little First Testament (OT) And A Little Second Testament (NT) At The Same Time

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:1-5

To Fill This Child With Joy And With Thankgiving For His Burning Love

For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Exodus 34:14

That All Comsuming Love Of My LORD And My God

For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24

For He Is Faithful And True!

But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. Deuteronony 4:29-31

And With A Deep And Ever Growing Appreciation of The Trials And Of The Faithfulness

Of The Gentles And The Jews Found Therein

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. Ruth 1:16-17

Oh How I Am Thankful For HIS Beloved Bible Bearers And My Elders

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Hebrews 11:32-40

May He Bless Israel For Evermore

In Jesus

Amen~!

As A Child (Still)

[Fez]

I have found quite often, that people will use the Bible in a cut and paste style to prove their points. You see if you take any thing that is said or printed out of context you can make it say anything you like.

Satan even did when tempting Jesus in the wilderness. See Matthew 4:1-11

Now at times, one verse, or one chapter, may be used by the Lord to speak to us. However you should not make entire doctrines based out of one verse. Some verses are not even complete sentences. One needs to remember that the authors did not break up there books by chapters and verse, that was years later!

So how do we discern true doctrine? Well a simple way, is to use the 20/20 and the Therefore rules. They are similar to each other, and of course are not rules in the sense of you must always do it. They are more of guidelines to help with study, but its easier to say rule then guideline.

The first one is this

The Therefore rule.

When you start reading a chapter or verse in the Bible, and the sentence starts out with the word Therefore, you need to go back and read what it is there, for.

You see in English, the word therefore is a adverb. It is describing something. So if you see it, you need to look at what was said before, to fully understand the context!

The next one is this. The 20/20 rule.

As we all know 20/20 vision is perfect vision. That is where I think this phrase came from, but how you practice it is thus. Read 20 verses before and 20 verses after the verse you are studying. If you do that you will have a real clear context of what is going on with that verse and what it means!

Of course you may not be able to do this due to hitting the beginning or end of a book!

If you follow these two simple guidelines of Bible study, it will help you to really know Jesus' voice so that you may follow him more closely!

See John 10!

If anyone else has suggestions on good ways to study the word please add on!

The 20/20 is as a rule a good rule! There is no substitute though for reading the whole book in order to get the message (as you state).

Take Esther for instance. Full of gems, but the finished product is a perfect piece of jewelry!

[mizzdy]

Content! Context! Who the letters are written to are so often ignored, each one was written to and for a specific purpose(s) and groups. Finding out what was going on is better understood the way Isaiah suggested, heck go and read a couple chpts before and after to try and get the idea of whose it being written to and why. With so much of the NT being quoted and refered to I think its also important to go back and understand why its being referenced.

shalom,

Mizz

[Fez]

Content! Context! Who the letters are written to are so often ignored, each one was written to and for a specific purpose(s) and groups. Finding out what was going on is better understood the way Isaiah suggested, heck go and read a couple chpts before and after to try and get the idea of whose it being written to and why. With so much of the NT being quoted and refered to I think its also important to go back and understand why its being referenced.

shalom,

Mizz

To understand the NT in it's entirety, one has to have an understanding of the OT books the NT scripture often refers to, or stands on. The bible compliments itself, it is not a maze of books separated by the authors, it is seamless from beginning to end.

[winsomebulldog]

I love that "Therefore" rule, Isaiah! Also, as you said, some verses aren't even complete sentences. Yet I often see and hear them quoted as such. It's no wonder there are so many diverging doctrines and "interpretations" of Scripture!

[~candice~]

I'm a fan of reading whole books (of the bible) to gain understanding and understand the context / bigger picture.

I also HATE chapter breaks. Sometimes they are in the most awful position. Don't stop reading at the end of a chapter.

[Fez]

I'm a fan of reading whole books (of the bible) to gain understanding and understand the context / bigger picture.

I also HATE chapter breaks. Sometimes they are in the most awful position. Don't stop reading at the end of a chapter.

Yeah, but can you imagine reading the word in the original? No breaks at all.

How difficult that must have been.

[mizzdy]

Content! Context! Who the letters are written to are so often ignored, each one was written to and for a specific purpose(s) and groups. Finding out what was going on is better understood the way Isaiah suggested, heck go and read a couple chpts before and after to try and get the idea of whose it being written to and why. With so much of the NT being quoted and refered to I think its also important to go back and understand why its being referenced.

shalom,

Mizz

To understand the NT in it's entirety, one has to have an understanding of the OT books the NT scripture often refers to, or stands on. The bible compliments itself, it is not a maze of books separated by the authors, it is seamless from beginning to end.

Absolutely! Personally I don't like the terms 'old and new' to me its all Gods words. One of my fav teachers says about the NT, 'Theres nothing new in the NT just true!' or something like that. The bible itself witnesses itself, whats in the new was first wrote of in the old. Its a perfect book isn't it!!

shalom,

Mizz

[Fez]

Content! Context! Who the letters are written to are so often ignored, each one was written to and for a specific purpose(s) and groups. Finding out what was going on is better understood the way Isaiah suggested, heck go and read a couple chpts before and after to try and get the idea of whose it being written to and why. With so much of the NT being quoted and refered to I think its also important to go back and understand why its being referenced.

shalom,

Mizz

To understand the NT in it's entirety, one has to have an understanding of the OT books the NT scripture often refers to, or stands on. The bible compliments itself, it is not a maze of books separated by the authors, it is seamless from beginning to end.

Absolutely! Personally I don't like the terms 'old and new' to me its all Gods words. One of my fav teachers says about the NT, 'Theres nothing new in the NT just true!' or something like that. The bible itself witnesses itself, whats in the new was first wrote of in the old. Its a perfect book isn't it!!

shalom,

Mizz

Mizz, I don't know how to explain this, but I kinda don't look at it as a book. I can't explain it, it is like something awesome, eternity itself, is captured in what we call the bible. To me it is almost a living thing that sort of grows with me every day, but is also hugely bigger than me... As I said, I can't explain it....

To South I know, it is more like a mine that she, well, mines every day for gold. Then she gives away what she has mined to those who need it and goes looking for more....