How to determine what is right?

[GimpyGeek]

I am getting so confused about some of the teachings of the bible and I'm trying to figure out what is right and what is not. When I read what different Christians have to say about some of these things, it is more confusing, as there are often opposite views. Without getting into specifics, how do you determine the correct meaning of the bible when it seems to back up opposing views and when different teachers have opposing views as well? Is there a method to use? 

I am guessing that you will want specifics, but I'd really like to know a method to use instead of triggering a debate.  

[missmuffet]

6 minutes ago, GimpyGeek said:

I am getting so confused about some of the teachings of the bible and I'm trying to figure out what is right and what is not. When I read what different Christians have to say about some of these things, it is more confusing, as there are often opposite views. Without getting into specifics, how do you determine the correct meaning of the bible when it seems to back up opposing views and when different teachers have opposing views as well? Is there a method to use? 

I am guessing that you will want specifics, but I'd really like to know a method to use instead of triggering a debate.  

It all depends on the interpretation. There is a good website to go to if you have questions. It is a good Biblical resource.

https://www.gotquestions.org/

[Michael37]

3 hours ago, GimpyGeek said:

I am getting so confused about some of the teachings of the bible and I'm trying to figure out what is right and what is not. When I read what different Christians have to say about some of these things, it is more confusing, as there are often opposite views. Without getting into specifics, how do you determine the correct meaning of the bible when it seems to back up opposing views and when different teachers have opposing views as well? Is there a method to use? 

I am guessing that you will want specifics, but I'd really like to know a method to use instead of triggering a debate.  

I ask the Holy Spirit to guide me. It's difficult to agree on everything, and often people who are in error believe they are getting revelation from the Holy Spirit,  but it's important to respond to those who disagree with your chosen point of view in a mature way, without engaging in fruitless arguments.

Joh 16:13  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
 

[Neighbor]

On 5/4/2019 at 1:10 AM, GimpyGeek said:

Is there a method to use? 

Yes, and there are entire courses on hermeneutics . Yet scholars of Hebrew and Greek still find much stuff to disagree upon.

In general I favor relying upon prayer after reading the word of God and thinking about the word. I try to find additional context within the Bible that will further confirm  any conclusion that I am starting to form, and also importantly any that will refute what I am thinking. I seek out how I might make application fo the word of the Bible too. I pray asking for the Holy Spirit to bring the word of God to mind and confirming text with undertanding so that I may apply it and live by it for one purpose to please and to glorify God.

And no I do not need to know of any specific situation of yours in order to share of that. It is how I try work out my own issues.

 

Biggest help for me is to read the Bible for the pleasure of it so that then the Holy Spirit may  bring what I have read to my mind when I need specifics from the Bible to be my guiding principle on any matter at all. Just read, and read some more, ignoring verse notations. Don't isolate phrases and sentences from their greater context, get the fuller presentation.

May God bless your efforts to read, and to glory Him in all that you do.

[Jayne]

17 hours ago, GimpyGeek said:

I am getting so confused about some of the teachings of the bible and I'm trying to figure out what is right and what is not. When I read what different Christians have to say about some of these things, it is more confusing, as there are often opposite views. Without getting into specifics, how do you determine the correct meaning of the bible when it seems to back up opposing views and when different teachers have opposing views as well? Is there a method to use? 

I am guessing that you will want specifics, but I'd really like to know a method to use instead of triggering a debate.  

No, I don't want specifics.  They are not necessary for this discussion.  The question you have asked is a great one.  I love discussing things of this nature.

And ….. it is a  problem as you have encountered.  It was a problem in Jesus' day.  The very men who handled the  scriptures the most, had copied over and over, had enforced it, had memorized sections, had TAUGHT it...….guess what.....a large portion of them didn't "know" it at all.

Jesus said so in Mark 12.  He told them that they were wrong on a particular issue because "they did not know the scriptures nor the power of God."

The Apostle Paul told Timothy, the young preacher, to be DILIGENT in making sure he was "rightly dividing" God's Word - in other words, make sure he was correctly interpreting the Bible.  I think that goes for all of us.

Some steps to a clearly understanding of even the hard parts of the Bible and yes, there are hard parts.  [And sometimes Christians make it hard ]

•  Pray before reading.  Pray before hearing a sermon.  Pray before any handling of God's Word.  Pray AFTER, too.  Pray what?  For understanding and   your life to be transformed by God.
•  When reading, remind yourself that this is not rocket science.  Remember I said some Christians MAKE it hard?  Don't do that.
•   Sometimes, you have to read short bites and meditate in between.  Sometimes clarity doesn't come until you've read an entire chapter or several chapters.
•  Take notes to yourself.  That may not work for you, but it works for me.
•  Use a resource that will show you other parts of the Bible that say the same thing or reference that thing.  Biblehub.com does that, but only verse by verse not passages.  But it's a start.  At the right hand bottom of the page, it will direct you to other verses that relate to the verse in question.
•  Ask another Christian whom  you trust as knowledgeable what he or she thinks.
•  If you are not sure if a passage is literal or figurative try this.  I go with literal unless something would be absurd.  Jesus said he is the bread of life.  Jesus is NOT a loaf of Wonderbread.  Psalm 91 says God will protect us with his feathers and his wings.  God is NOT a chicken.  Genesis says God created the universe and everything in it in six days.  Is that absurd?  No, God could have done that in six nanoseconds.  Ergo, I take that as literal.
•  Get to know the flow and genres of the Bible and how they intertwine with each other.  https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-genres.html

 

Edited May 4, 2019 by Jayne

[George]

On 5/4/2019 at 1:10 AM, GimpyGeek said:

Without getting into specifics, how do you determine the correct meaning of the bible when it seems to back up opposing views and when different teachers have opposing views as well? Is there a method to use? 

Shalom GimpyGeek,

Honestly, the very best method is letting the Bible interpret itself!  But remember that in the voice of 2 or more witnesses is a truth established.  So you find a passage and then do a cross-reference search of that same passage.  For example, let's say you wanted to know what John 1:1 said.  In the Beginning was the Word ... 

I would use a Cross Reference bible ... such as ...

https://www.openbible.info/labs/cross-references/

So then you type it in John 1:1 -- and you get like 20 verses ... read those verses ... and then cross reference into more depth.

Remember that the Bible will not CONTRADICT itself ... the contradictions you find is actually in the means of "interpreting" what is being stated!  So you have to work out your "theology" understanding that you are searching for the truth ... and EVEN in your own quest of the truth ... YOU'RE GOING TO BE WRONG IN SOMETHING!     It's okay ... you're human ... I'm human ... WE'RE FALLIBLE!  Which means ... as Paul stated ...

1 Co 8:2  And if any man thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.

So in conclusion ... be a BEREAN ... one who studies the Scriptures ... and study yourself to be approved by God!  And don't worry ... if you haven't figured it all out ... because the reality is this ... the more you study ... the more you will realize how much you really DON'T know! 

God bless,

George

[Who me]

On 04 May 2019 at 6:10 AM, GimpyGeek said:

I am getting so confused about some of the teachings of the bible and I'm trying to figure out what is right and what is not. When I read what different Christians have to say about some of these things, it is more confusing, as there are often opposite views. Without getting into specifics, how do you determine the correct meaning of the bible when it seems to back up opposing views and when different teachers have opposing views as well? Is there a method to use?

I am guessing that you will want specifics, but I'd really like to know a method to use instead of triggering a debate. 

There are some teachings that are vital and many others that are important but not vital.

The need for salvation, and the means of salvation arenot negotiable.

Just about everything else is up for debate.

You will have to read what the bible says, what other Christians say and make up your mind about issues like creation, the flood, spirotual gifts, baptism, and second comming.

[Tzephanyahu]

On 5/4/2019 at 6:10 AM, GimpyGeek said:

how do you determine the correct meaning of the bible when it seems to back up opposing views and when different teachers have opposing views as well?

Shalom GimpyGeek,

It can be tricky to sift through so many teachings out there these days.  You should read the Bible alone (reading other texts for historical context and understanding the background). 

In terms of opposing views, be sensitive to this matter also: sometimes, both parties are right!  Even though two parties can appear to have an opposing point view, we can sometimes see that they both believe in the same "coin" but are each seeing a different "side" of it.

For example, party 1 may have an understanding in one way, and party 2 in another.  Party 1, in their zeal to share their revelation, can deny Party 2's interpretation - feeling threatened by it.  Party 2 does likewise, holding strong to their revelation even at the detriment of further revelations.  Suddenly, there are two apparent opposing views, with no synergy between them. Then, you come along, and feel you need to choose between the two reasonable, scripture-backed views  

Basically, sometimes the truth can be a mix of two opposing views, which doesn't stray into the outer reaches of each view, but walking finely between at the path of convergence.

Hope that makes sense!

Love & Shalom 

[warrior12]

In simple terms, you have to study to be approved.  The Lord said he would send a helper "The Holy Spirit" to help us in our walk and to live a sanctified and Holy life. These are the tools and gifts to believers and we have to use what we are given.

2 Timothy 2 King James Version (KJV)

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

A believer has to spend the time to search out the scripture and with prayer and meditation the Lord would bring the truth of his glorious gospel to light.  It does not come overnight and not by only listening to other men.  You have to be a foot soldier too and beat the sidewalks.

Matthew 7 King James Version (KJV)

⁹ Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

¹⁰ Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

¹¹ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

[GandalfTheWise]

On 5/4/2019 at 12:10 AM, GimpyGeek said:

 but I'd really like to know a method to use instead of triggering a debate.  

Here's my approach which I will present into two parts, prioritization and authority.

The first thing is that I try to determine the level of importance.  I put things into three rough categories.  Is it absolutely essential for salvation?  Is it necessary for a spiritually sound life?   Is it for preference or expediency?     One of the challenges is when different Christians or sects or churches put a particular doctrine or behavior into difference categories.  I think it safe to say that all Christians would agree that forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ alone is essential for salvation.  I think it safe to say that most Christians would agree that the time and place we carry out regular prayer and Bible reading is a preference issue.   However, ask Christians which version of the Bible to read, and a potential firestorm will erupt.  A few Christians strongly believe that only one version of the English Bible is the actual word of God (and use the term perversions to describe others).  My take on it is that some are convinced that this is an issue necessary for salvation.  My sense is that most Christians take this as a choice of expediency of which version provides the best understanding and most spiritual benefit for a particular individual.   I used to be convinced there was a huge list of proper doctrinal beliefs and behaviors that all "real" Christians should adhere to and was rather zealous about this.  Over the years, the list of things I hold to as essential has shrunk considerably.  I find that I hold these more strongly and understand them more clearly than when I was zealous for a giant list of things.  At this point in my life, I will rather pointedly defend those things I consider essential to salvation and then try to get Christians to stop wasting their time fighting over other things.

The second thing is I tend to think of doctrinal authority as a tripod with 3 necessary parts:   1) what is my current and best understanding of scripture, 2) what does my conscience tell me, and 3) what do other Christians (individuals, leaders, people I respect, various sects, etc.) think and teach.    When all 3 are in agreement on a particular issue, I'll hold that view with a high degree of confidence.  When there is disagreement among these three, I'll keep an open mind and ponder what is really going on with something.  I fully hold to scripture as our final authority; however, I'm not convinced there is any individual Christian or group that perfectly understands it in all aspects.  This is why I have three different things I look to as sources of authority without elevating one of the three to being completely dependable.  If I primarily trust only my understanding of scripture or my conscience, I am making myself the primary authority.  If I primarily trust a particular teacher or church or book or website or whatever, I am putting my trust in someone else other than scripture itself and God.   Over the years, I've come to the conclusion that God ultimately wants us to trust him.  If we choose a particular person, method, or whatever, as being completely reliable, we will start to trust in that method or person over God.   I've found that many changes in my thinking on various things over the years has come when one part of the tripod is out of whack with the others.  I might be studying and see something in scripture that doesn't match something I've believed.  I might run across something and I just have a gut sense that something is amiss.  I might hear a sermon or read a book that points out something.  I tend to be a patient person on such things so I don't mind pondering things and keeping them in the back of my mind until I'm comfortable with their eventual resolution.  I personally would rather not know an answer for a time than jumping to an erroneous answer just to have an answer.

The biggest transitions I've seen in my thinking over decades of being a Christian are these.  First, my respect for another Christian is now based primarily on the fruit I observe in their life, not their stand on particular doctrinal items.  When I was a young Christian, I would primarily choose what church and groups and Christians to hang around with based on if they believed the right thing on various issues.  Now, I choose what Christians I want to hang around with primarily on how much spiritual fruit is in their life.   Second, I've come to see that being a fruitful Christian is about walking with God and being transformed, not about holding the right opinion about each and every question that comes up.   I'm now convinced that believing the right things is more a result of being transformed and changed and simply knowing God more from walking with Him on a consistent basis than it is about trying to find the church with the best doctrinal stance to join.   Third, I find I learn more from listening to people's testimonies about what God has done in their lives (with appropriate discernment in play of course) than I do from them giving me a doctrinal lecture.

I've personally used a combination of different study methods throughout my life.  I've read the Bible through several times with various English versions and a few different languages.  I've read many references books (e.g. Bible dictionaries, maps) to fill in background details.  I've read much about particular books in the Bible and read them several times while studying them.  I've done simply devotional reading.  These things all work together to produce better understanding.  They also provide a better context for understanding what I hear others say.

Overall, it's a long process.  It's a marathon, not a sprint.   Learning about God is like growing a garden or grove.  You plant, water, tend things, and the fruit gradually grows.