Private Interpretation of His Word

[nebula]

You've just mentioned one thing that I struggle with a lot. It bothers me sometimes to hear people speaking in tongues, yet it is one of the spiritual gifts outlined in scripture, along with prophecying, healing and many other great wonders. There are many various view points on this, but ultimately we must cast aside what we have been taught by man in whatever denominational background we come from and look toward His Word for the truth.

Well, it would be nice if the Bible included a detailed outline instruction on the use of spiritual gifts, but it doesn't. Luke in Acts only recorded what happened. PAul only addressed abuses and misuses of the gifts exercised by one church. I am guessing all the instruction was transferred word of mouth by the apostles to the new Christians as they were being bestowed them.

I know the gift of speaking of tongues gets abused and misused quite a bit, as do other gifts and "manifestations," if you will. This shouldn't mean one should proverbially throw the baby out with the bathwater. There is a purity in the gift that if you can find and glean from, you will be suprised at how blessed you will be from it.

[Guest shiloh357]

I know the gift of speaking of tongues gets abused and misused quite a bit, as do other gifts and "manifestations," if you will. This shouldn't mean one should proverbially throw the baby out with the bathwater. There is a purity in the gift that if you can find and glean from, you will be suprised at how blessed you will be from it.

Very good insight Neb!! Good way to put it.

[Guest charlie]

I always thought speaking in tongues meant, as an example, if you spoke only English and you were telling a crowd that spoke only Spanish, about God/Jesus that you would speak in English but they would hear you in Spanish. I've heard that this has happened in China in our day and age.

I went to a church once and people were crying and moaning and speaking in a strange language. Several months later I was at the home of a lady and she started speaking in tongues just to show me that it could be done. Maybe it was from God but I got the "willies" in both instances and never returned to that church or to that ladie's home.

I used to attend a Baptist Church and I remember specifically the preacher saying that anything "miraculous" was over and done with.... I just do not believe that and I don't think it is scriptural.....but I have "qualms" about the modern day pentacostal form of "speaking in tongues". I won't go "too far" in condeming it because the only unforgiveable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. I'm just given you my idea of what speaking in tongues "is".

[Guest charlie]

BTW - in the past year I've come to the conclusion that we are NOT suppose to rely on private interpretation. The Bible speaks against it, other posters have quoted the verses. Using the common sense that God gives us it's obvious that the only people that REALLY interpret the Bible privately are those who start their own church. i.e. David Koresh, Jim Jones, Campbell, Stone, Calvin, etc. etc. That's why there are thousands of churches today, ALL claiming to be led by the Holy Spirit.

Most of us, including me, have always said we interprete the Bible for ourselves, BUT, when examining it closely we don't. We interprete the Bible the way we're taught to interprete it whether it be Baptist, Church of Christ, Prebysterian, or Catholic. According to the Bible we're suppose to adhere teaching, we've just got to make a decision as to "who" actually has the right interpretation and "authority" to teach.

At this point in life I've reached the conclusion that there are only two visible Churches around that have any claim to apostolic authority and that is the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Those two are the only ones that can trace their church back to the apostles. At one time they were one and the same.

Anyway, that's just my personal evaluation and I'm obsessed with these things.

[Guest Strservant]

At this point in life I've reached the conclusion that there are only two visible Churches around that have any claim to apostolic authority and that is the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Those two are the only ones that can trace their church back to the apostles. At one time they were one and the same.

Anyway, that's just my personal evaluation and I'm obsessed with these things.

Charlie, I hope you will not take this offensively as it is not meant to be so. I have graduate level study on church history and have studied all the claims different faiths have to Apostolic origins and I can tell you none of them hold water. The church described in the first century did not hold to any denomination that is known today. I have researched the oldest documents including those from church fathers and the term catholic church is used in a generalized term to mean the church in general. Catholicism as we know it today started with Roman Catholicism which started with Constantine. I realize there will be many people here who will debate this and I have found that these forums bring about heat not light.

It is sad to say that Christians must try to one up their denomination or church over that of another. My premise is this, first the foundation must be Jesus Christ. Secondly, one must be trying to live in accordance with God's word. What I mean by this is someone can be a Christian if they speak in tongues or if they don't. However, the Bible is plain about homosexuality, therefore, a person who believes they can be a Christian and a homosexual and that is not living in sin is not a true religion.

I have been Southern Baptist all my life and yet I recognize that people feel comfortable worshipping God in different ways. I don't see a problem with this as long as it does not openly oppose God's teachings. I prefer to worship with hymns and southern gospel. Many people these days like what they call contemporary worship. As long as God is at the center of this worship and they don't teach things that are openly opposed to God's teachings then I say AMEN!.

One last thing if I may. I don't know any one in my denomination that believes miracles or miraculous things have ceased. We believe God still performs healings and touches lives in a miraculous way. You will see I don't tend to post much because much of what I read on here as I said earlier brings about heat and not light. Brothers and sisters should not do this. We are to edify one another and build each other up not tear each other down.

Respectfully,

Strservant

[Adstar]

Hi Strservant

Good post i wish you would post more.

One last thing if I may. I don't know any one in my denomination that believes miracles or miraculous things have ceased. We believe God still performs healings and touches lives in a miraculous way. You will see I don't tend to post much because much of what I read on here as I said earlier brings about heat and not light. Brothers and sisters should not do this. We are to edify one another and build each other up not tear each other down.

But that Heat is something anyone who delivers the message of Jesus will face, no matter if it is in an internet forum or out there in the streets. As long as your prepared to absorb the heat from others and can continue without giving heat then what

[Guest Strservant]

Hi Strservant

Good post i wish you would post more.

One last thing if I may. I don't know any one in my denomination that believes miracles or miraculous things have ceased. We believe God still performs healings and touches lives in a miraculous way. You will see I don't tend to post much because much of what I read on here as I said earlier brings about heat and not light. Brothers and sisters should not do this. We are to edify one another and build each other up not tear each other down.

But that Heat is something anyone who delivers the message of Jesus will face, no matter if it is in an internet forum or out there in the streets. As long as your prepared to absorb the heat from others and can continue without giving heat then what

[Guest shiloh357]

And that is EXACTLY what I believe.  So, when two Christains read the same scripture and get two totally different meanings out of it, one of them is reading it out of context and has missed the boat.

You know, reading the Bible is very much a subjective thing. All of our life experiences, all of the books we've read, the sermons we've heard, etc., color the way we read and understand it. We each have theological traditions that we were either raised in, or aquired at a later time after we were saved. That plays a part in how we understand the Word. We each have particular leanings, and we should not ignore that. Even the men that work on Bible translations admit that their personal theology plays into how they tranlsate certain words. It is a part of our humanity that we should not pretend isn't there.

Two people can approach the same verse or passage and walk away with two different understandings because God may have used the passage to minister to needs that were unique to them at a given time in their life. I cannot count the number of times that I have been to a Bible study, and someone will share something that the Lord showed them in the Word. It was something that He ministered to them at a low point in their life. I may have read that passage a million times, and I NEVER saw what the Lord revealed to them!! It is always amazing when the Lord works that way. Eph 3:10 talks about the manifold wisdom of God. There is way more to any given verse or passage than any of us are aware of. You cannot exhaust the Word of God.

[Guest Strservant]

And that is EXACTLY what I believe.

Edited June 3, 2004 by Strservant

[VRSpock]

And that is EXACTLY what I believe.

Edited June 10, 2004 by vrspock