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Our views on Scripture and interpretation
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Grace Alive Ministries
c/o Grace Bible Fellowship
1845 E. 12th Street
National City, CA 91950

 

Our Views On Scripture

Since God has communicated with us by means of the Scriptures, this means that we can, with due diligence, understand them! The Scriptures were written to be understood: God speaks to us by means of the Word, provided that it has been correctly interpreted and then correctly applied. Everything that we need to know in order to mature spiritually is to be found in a careful examination of Scripture; no outside source written by man is necessary (2 Timothy 2:16-17).

All graphe, the written word of God, is inspired of God and therefore God-breathed. Since Scripture is communication from God and has the quality of God-breathed truth, then it is authoritative, and guides us in the ways by which we can please God provided that we are the ones to whom the passage is directed. We challenge you: is this also your view of Scriptural authority?

Keys To Analysis

In analyzing the Word of God, careful consideration is given to:

  • the author;
  • the conditions and historical context under which the passage was written;
  • the original recipients of the passage;
  • how they would have understood the passage;
  • the various meanings of the original Greek and Hebrew;
  • the literary context in which they were written, and thus their meanings in context;
  • the grammatical elements used by the human authors, which may not match another language's, or even the same language's later in time;
  • and the cultural elements surrounding the writings, including clearly obvious contemporary figures of speech.

In interpreting the Word of God, we note that:

  • none of the writings of Scripture have been addressed directly to today's New Testament believers;
  • all Scripture of both Testaments is clearly profitable for all believers (2 Timothy 3:16), but --
  • not all Scripture is necessarily applicable to Christians of today.

We do not "fill the shoes" of all recipients of Scripture; for example, we are not Apostles. However, like the Gentile believers of Corinth, there are "shoes" in the New Testament that we do "fill" and Scripture that correspondingly can be applied to us. Careful, reasoned and thorough study and prayer will help us to understand where such contrasts lie.

It is not sufficient merely to read Scripture and let it just flow over you, hoping that God will somehow "speak to you." Instead, Paul himself says that we are to be diligent to study the Word (1 Timothy 4:13). It is this ideal that we hope to reflect in our fellowships. Please join us in the careful study that God's Word so plainly demands.

We invite your comments and questions.

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