CONTEXT - THE KEY TO ACCURATE BIBLE INTERPRETATION (1)

 

GOD’S PURPOSEFUL YOUTH (G.P.Y.) ONLINE TEACHING

‘CONTEXT (PART 1)’

So Here is the conversation

The person posted on her status Rom.8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Her emphasis was ...who walk in the spirit.

So I corrected her that that place was not in the original Greek Bible and that KJV added it.

This is it.

ME: Good morning Ma, a little correction... Original in the Greek Bible, the verse is just "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

KJV added d rest of which u placed emphasis on.

Cause that addition contradicts verse 9

HER: Please, do you have access to the original Greek Bible? I said yes!

Rom.8.9 - But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

I don't see how it contradicts. In my opinion, it actually emphasizes it. "When you are in Christ, you walk by the Spirit not the flesh!"

ME: U are in the spirit.

It has nothing to do with walking in the spirit.

We don't walk in the spirit at all times as Christians and that's y we do wrong or sin sometimes but it does not mean we are not in d spirit.

Walking in the spirit is an instruction given to Christians in Gal.5:19.

What I'm saying is, we have no condemnation cause we are in Christ Jesus and that means we are in the spirit, it's not based on how we walk in the spirit.

KJV adding those phrases was now making d no condemnation a condition, that is to say condemnation is for the one in Christ who walk after the flesh.

Cleared???

HER: I'd just say everyone has their different understanding of scriptures.

I'm not one to argue scriptures...

ME: U can check other translations to confirm that it was not there, d likes of NIV, TLB, THE MESSAGE, ESV, NLT even RSV and others that didn't use KJV to give their own version, likes of Amplified version or NKJV, it will surely be in those ones.

lolssss I'm sorry, I'm not arguing ma, I'm trying to show u what's right and what's not right.

And it should not be because God is not an author of confusion, he should not tell me one thing about a verse and tell another person different thing about the same verse.

We read scriptures in context ma and present it d way it is, not d way it occurs to us.

HER: He does, by His Spirit give us (even one person) different understanding and interpretation of one scripture to apply based on the situation or circumstance. Does not mean He's causing confusion. It's just that we Humans try to use our limited human thinking to understand the things of God and His ways are not our ways so, it's hard to comprehend except by His Spirit.

Based on your understanding sir. He gave us the Holy Spirit to do that...

ME: Hmmmmm...so if I read 'all things are mine' and I claim your money with it because I don't have money and I tell u that's how d holy Spirit interpret it to me, will u give me d money?

Or I read 'I can do All things through Christ that strengthen me' and I now go and try to carry a lorry with my hands, u think I'll be able to do that just because I was convinced my spirit interpreted it to me that way?

U see y we now have different Christians contradicting themselves?

U see y we err.

Ma, in reading Bible, CONTEXT is King.

We read according to what d writer is saying, that's exactly what the Holy Spirit will help u understand and it can never produce two different points.

We don’t read our minds to the Bible, it's English language, Paul said in Ephesians 3:3-4

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, (as wrote afore in few words) 4 Whereby when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.

It's until we read in context that we can understand by the spirit.

D spirit giving us different interpretation on a verse is a show that he is intentionally causing confusion.

D spirit that will give u another interpretation of a verse based on d situation on ground, that's a confused spirit and it can never be of God.

All God wants is to understand Him the way he presented himself to us in the Epistles, not give us a different understanding of a verse because of things happening around.

Again I say, reading verse in context is King, that's y Bible is not in tongues but in a language that we can understand.

HER: "The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life." 2 Cor. 3:6

ME: U see what I'm saying?

This verse was talking about the law of Moses, that's d letter that killeth not Bible reading.

Read d verse in full and d next verse.

2Cor. 3:6

AMP: [It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not [ministers] of the LETTER (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code [of the LAW] kills, but the [Holy] Spirit makes alive. 7 AMP: Now if the dispensation of death engraved in LETTERS on stone [the ministration of the Law], was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, [a glory] that was to fade and pass away.

The letter is the law not the written words of the scriptures.

Context is King ma

To read bible out of context is to miss what God wants to say to us base on that verse.

When I see an understanding of someone that debunks mine, I immediately unlearn what i know about the verse and relearn the person's own only if the person is not reading out of context.

Any other understanding out of context is an error and it causes more confusions in the Church.

I call you blessed ma.

HER: Let's just say we have different views.

ME: I Know that's what u are saying, but I'm saying it should not be.

D way Peter presented d gospel to people in Acts 2, is d same as Stephen presented the gospel in Acts 7 and it's d same way Paul did d same in Acts 13.

The gospel is not just to save the unsaved but it's also to grow the saved.

In Col.2:6-7 the same way we received Christ by hearing d gospel, d same way we are to continue hearing to grow up spiritually.

Col. 2:6-7

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

We should not have different view ma.

Acts 2:42 says 'And they CONTINUED steadfastly in the APOSTLES' DOCTRINE (TEACHINGS) and Fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers.'

The early church continued in the teachings that the apostles taught them, it's a show that the apostles never have different opinions or views of the scriptures.

See also Paul to Timothy in 2Tim. 2:2 'And the things that thou hast heard of me and among many witnesses (apostles), THE SAME commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

We are to teach exactly what the apostles taught us, not have different views or opinions that don't find its root from context of a verse.

SESSION BEGINS

A word of prayer: We ask tonight that light flood our paths and we understand clearly how to study the Bible in line with God's will in Jesus name we pray. AMEN!!!

So tonight very quickly, we want to examine the importance of context in studying Bible.

CONTEXT???

Who can remember vividly d mathematics calculation I gave context?

Anyone who remember???

Anyway, I'll say it later

Let's check d dictionary meaning of Context.

'The text in which a word or passage appears and which helps ascertain its meaning.'

Read it again and again...

It is a linguistics meaning of the word, not just a general meaning

Don't be looking for the word CONTEXT in the Bible o because it's not.

So that u won't be surprised that I'm using dictionary to find d meaning of a Bible word.

Lolsssss...no!

Tonight class is not really spiritual on deep Bible teaching, it's just to explain and show us how important context is in studying Bible to understand

Clearos???

Theologians said there are eight key studies in studying Bible well.

I'm not sure I know all but I'll mention to how much I know.

1. Bibliology - this is the study of bible as a whole. From cover to cover, from Genesis to Revelation as one book.

2. Epistemology - this is the study of Epistles. From Romans down to Jude. Studying All the letters written by the apostles basically to the church.

3. Ekklesiology - this is the study of the church. Everywhere that the church was made mention of, when u study all d places that mention it and understand what d church is.

4. Pneumatology - this is the study of Spirit. Holy Spirit, evil spirit, human spirit, and whatever spirit that exist in the bible, when u find them and study it together till u understand what it is

5. Escatology - the study of end time events. Be it rapture, second coming and last days etc, what happens and many things about end time.

Many might think I'm probably talking d book of revelation, well u might be correct but it's not everything in revelation that will be physically manifested. Dont forget d book is all vision and therefore subject to interpretation hence we can't take every thing written there literally, no! We use Epistles and other books to understand it. Meanwhile the Epistles also talk about the end time not that frequent anyway.

6. Theology - the study of God, his nature, his character, his personality and more.

7. Christology - the study of Christ. Everything Christ did on Earth, his incarnation, his ministry and his accomplishment.

8. Soteriology - the study of salvation. It was given to man by accomplishment of Christ.

I think there are more studies self in d likes of

Angelology - study of angels.

Gospetology - study of the gospel.

There may be Satanology or demonology sha but it's not our concern anyway.

Every other studies is subjected to CHRISTOLOGY.

That is, u can't successful understand any other studies except u pass through CHRISTOLOGY.

Coming back to Context.

One thing is certain.

If u put in mind all these studies, context might help u to understand verses clearly.

Dont forget I've said it here before that Bible were originally not written in chapters and verses.

All books were all written together and that's y its important to study it as a whole.

From Genesis to Revelation

Pastor Onayinka often says that if we all study Bible with no mindset and with an open mind, I'm sure we will all arrive at a point - CHRIST JESUS.

Who is following???

Now lemme tell u a small story: Story story oooo

There was a day I was arguing arguing with a rival fan of my club, I'm for Madrid, he's for Barcelona, and there is a match coming up d next day between our team. As we continued arguing I was now shouting something as a police man was passing by, do you know what I was saying: "Sebi it's tomorrow, I GO KILL YOU, I GO KILL YOU, U GO DIE."

And d policeman was hearing my angry voice and was like this guy is serious ooo. Then d policeman wanted to arrest me. Now, how will we vindicate ourselves from d police arrest? Who is at fault here?

Am I saying verbally that I want to kill someone?

Yes!

D policeman heard I GO KILL US and wanted to arrest the potential killer, is he wrong?

No!

But did he understands d who story?

Obviously not!

So what should he do at this time?

"Listen to the full story and discover that we are talking about football."

If he decided not to listen, then he will cause more harm to both of us and even to himself, because when we get to court, they will ask y I wanted to kill my friend.

And if they realize it's football, then after releasing us, they might even suspend d policeman.

CONTEXT SIR!!!

How do we know the meaning of I GO KILL U?

Get d topic and the explanation made earlier and d ones made afterwards.

Then you will understand that I GO KILL YOU actually refers to Madrid will defeat Barcelona in the forthcoming match.

Simple!!!

How did we know?

CONTEXT

I said before today that to know context in the Bible, here is the formular:

PRETEXT + POST TEXT = CONTEXT!

And d moment u remove context from a verse, u will surely be conned.

Because u will get d wrong message obviously.

Are u getting this at all?

Lemme tell u one more story:

Story story oooo

There was a day I entered my boss office very early in the morning and my oga alas: "I'm very hungry" Do you know my reply to him?

"THAT'S YOUR CUP OF TEA SIR"

Now, this is in two form:

It's either I have a cup of tea to offer him and I pointed to it and say "that is your cup of tea sir."

OR

I replied in abuse, and since there is no cup of tea around, it means I'm ready to start preparing my ajeri bags and start finding job elsewhere.

So it depends on what I mean from my mind.

CONTEXT!!!

2Peter 1:20-21

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

NO PRIVATE INTERPRETATION.

Don't assume this is what it might be saying...

Don't read your mind into it

The prophets didn't give the prophecy of the scripture by their personal mindset.

They were moved by the Holy Ghost.

So get it that u can't have your own understanding of a particular verse.

But to get the meaning of a verse, u need to read the previous verses and sometimes d ones afterwards.

That's what we call Context.

If a man cannot agree to someone else quoting him out of context, how much more God?

Selah!

Are u following this???

Now see this place again

The letter killeth...

Please are we talking about the letter and spirit here?

No!

We are only explaining Bible in the correct way but my sister believe I know Bible only by words and I'm using my brain to explain it and hence I'm not allowing d spirit to interpret it to me.

My mentor often say: “Jesus washed away our sins and not our brains!”

If we won't need our brains to understand God, then it should have gone when we got saved but if it's still there it shows we will use it.

Do u know that peter was not literate, Paul was, then Peter testified of Paul that he is able to explain some things he himself couldn't.

Let's see that place in context again:

2Cor. 3:6

AMP: [It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not [ministers] of the LETTER (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code [of the LAW] kills, but the [Holy] Spirit makes alive. 7 AMP: Now if the dispensation of death engraved in LETTERS on stone [the ministration of the Law], was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, [a glory] that was to fade and pass away.

So what's d letter that kills?

The law of Moses.

Simple Context

Heb. 12:29

For our God is a consuming fire.

And we use this verse to destroy enemies or use it to scare a believer who is be hypocritical.

God is a consuming fire.

Context will help us.

The word 'consuming' is the Greek word _'Katanalisko'_ and it means to consume utterly, that is, whatever is in view will not exist again, it will be brought to an end and won't be seen again.

So d question to ask is what is in view that he's talking about?

Pretext.

Let's see d previous verses

From verse 18-21, he was talking about d events in Mount Sinai, how d law was given and instructions were duly followed so as not to be destroyed near d mountain.

But verse 22 said "BUT u are come UNTO MOUNT ZION, the city of the living God and the heavenly Jerusalem..."

Verse 23 said To the general assembly and Church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

In Heb 11, we saw that the old testament folks were not made perfect without us (verse 39-40) please confirm.

Heb 12 back, 24. And Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things that that of Abel.

So those under d law were not made perfect by d law, because d law was all man-made.

I believe many will understand when I say it's man-made, John 1:17

The law came through Moses.

Jesus often says "The law of Moses" severally.

Angels gave it to man at Sinai for men.

Read Heb. 2:2 as well

So verse 18-21 and verse 22 showed us d distinction between MOUNT ZION & SINAI

It shows us differences of them

The law (in the Old Testament) a shadow

But today, Christ Jesus, d city of God.

If you notice well, the writer never made mention of God while explaining d event as Sinai.

Where did he now mentioned God?

From verse 22

Please follow closely

Now see verse 25: See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on d Earth, much note shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.

Who spake on the Earth?

Who spake at Sinai?

Hebrews 2:2-3

For if the word spoken by ANGELS was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Who spoke?

ANGELS

Are u following?

So coming back to Heb. 12, 26

Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Whose voice shook d Earth?

Angels!

Which kind can be shaken?

The Law

The Old Testament

Mount Sinai

Which one cannot be shaken?

The Grace

The New Testament

Mount Zion

So what is that thing that will be removed?

Simple thing

THE LAW!

The Old Testament!

Context oooo

Now see Heb. 10:8-10

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He TAKETH AWAY the FIRST, that he may ESTABLISH the SECOND. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

So the things that was shaken. The LAW leading to sacrifice and all those man-made or physical burnt offerings.

He TAKETH away the FIRST

What’s d first?

The Old Testament, he brought it to nothing.

So that he may ESTABLISH the SECOND.

He took away Mount Sinai which is physical and shaken and establish Mount Zion which is a kingdom that CAN NEVER BE SHAKEN!!!

So what did God consumed???

The LAW

The Old Testament

The physical Tabernacle

The man-made sacrifice and burnt offerings.

Simple!!!

Can u see how context helped us???

Can you see y we need to always read in CONTEXT.

Don't forget that consuming means to bring something to an end and won't be seen again.

What is that thing that was put to an end or consumed?

The LAW

It was put to an end that grace in Christ Jesus may be established!

Glorayyyy!!!

This night, pretext helped us to understand Context.

Tomorrow evening, I'll show us how Post text can also help us to understand Context.

I hope this has blessed us this night.

Come on, give God d praise!!!

Tomorrow we will see Romans 6:1-2, then see what it really means.

Sorry, there is one more thing I want to show before I close.

It's from our previous study from 2Tim 2:19, where we saw what iniquity is?

Lemme quickly paste them again for those who just joined us.

From verse 1, u will see that Paul was urging Timothy his son concerning ministry of the word.

Verse 2, that which u have heard of me and from other witness, entrust it to faithful men, who will also teach others.

Verse 3, endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ.

Verse 4, no man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life,...

So what were Hymenaeus and Philetus doing?

They were preaching Heresies

Which one?

That rapture already happened.

So many people had said covid 19 is killing those who are rapturable, that rapture has happened already and we didn't go. So it means to be rapturable now, u have to go and contact covid 19 so that u can die and enter heaven.

What a bunch of foolish jokers.

How to run his ministry in the correct way.

That was Paul's focus.

Then after another short teachings from verse 2 down to verse 13, he told him to put in remembrance the teachings and also use it to charge other brethren.

Then he's to rigorously and diligently study in verse 15.

Study is the Greek word ‘spoudazo’, we've explained it here before, it means to labour, to be eager, to do your utmost best.

Studying Bible is not easy, it's not special grace that I know more than anyone on this group, in fact that I'm teaching does not mean I know more than anyone,

Your attitude to studying determines your spiritual growth level.

We study with all diligence so that we can show ourselves approved of God unto man.

That means you are already approved by God but u have to study to rightly divide the word of truth.

See verse 16-18

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

Anyway, let's come back home.

Paul was now warning Timothy of those that preach Heresies. He said he should not argue or be discussing with them because it will increase ungodliness, and it will subvert the hearers.

Don't try to argue with them. Just accurse them which means to separate from them, don't listen to them at all.

Are u even aware that we have received news of people cured of covid 19 by the power of God?

There is no how much they can say it that will remove d truth from remaining the truth.

If a Muslim does not believe that Jesus died for him, it does not mean Jesus didn't die for him now. Jesus truly died for ALL the people but d guy said it's a lie, that's just him now, it does not stop d truth from being d truth.

Can u imagine?

So even them that are saying it are still left here and they don't want to get d virus oooo

That was y Paul now told Timo in verse 19 that irrespective of this errors flying around, God's truth stands forever that God knows those who teach the truth and Timothy and his disciples, the believers as a whole who believe the gospel should depart from INIQUITY.

In context, what's d INIQUITY here please?

Don't forget that Paul was warning Timothy to not accommodate heresies at all.

So he is instructing Timo that God knows those who teach d truth and they are to depart from heresies.

HERESIES!!!

Can u now see that this has nothing to do with being known of God or to know God?

Thank God for CONTEXT!!!

So the INIQUITY in context of 2Tim. 2:19 is HERESIES.

Note that forever!!!

Lemme now rewrite 2Tim 2:19 so that it will be clear:

Nevertheless, the truth about God stands sure, the Lord knows those who teach the truth (the ones who rightly explain God in CHRIST and his accomplishment), these ones are to depart from HERESIES (Wrong doctrine).

Please go through it again...

Thanks to those that followed well.

Good night Saints

QUESTIONS are welcome anytime any day.

I call you blessed!

K_Hosanna loves y'all

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© MAY 2020