NewBibleTruths.com

1.      There exists one and only one perfect and infallible God who created all things seen and unseen.

Significance: If there were more than one God, then we wouldn’t know which God to follow.  The Bible would represent the word of only one of the many Gods instead of the word of the only God.  In addition, if God were not perfect and infallible, then, like mankind, He would be prone to error and we could have no assurance in His word.

2.      The nature of God’s character is unchanging.  That is, He is the same God today as He was in the beginning.  Throughout time, He has not and will not waver upon the moral issues for which He stands.

Significance: The unchanging nature of God’s character is of crucial importance if we are to derive the truth from His word.  If God were willing to change His stance on moral issues by making changes to His moral law, then we would have no assurance in His word because He could change them tomorrow without our knowledge.  If we are to have any assurance in His word, and consequently, in our own salvation, then this premise must hold.

3.      God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere at once/not limited to time and space).

Significance: If God is not both omniscient and omnipotent, then, once again, we would have no assurance in His word or in our own salvation because we could not put our confidence in His prophecy concerning Christ’s second coming or in His ability to resurrect and save us.  In addition, if God were not omnipresent, then neither would He be omnipotent because an all-powerful God would have the capability of omnipresence.

4.      The contents of the Bible are inspired by God; therefore, the Bible does not and cannot contradict itself.

Significance: Because we define God as perfect and infallible, then His word, in its original context, must also be perfect and infallible if we are to have any assurance in its truth.  His word is not prone to contradiction or error; however, errors may arise as men attempt to translate or interpret God’s word.  We must, therefore, attempt to reconcile any apparent contradictions in scripture and guard ourselves against errors which may arise in translation and interpretation.

5.      The contents of the Bible, when properly interpreted, represent truth.

Significance:  If the contents of the Bible, when properly interpreted, do not represent truth, then they represent lies.  If we are to have any assurance in the word of God, then we must accept that God’s word, when properly interpreted, represents truth.

6.      The entire Bible, including the seemingly obscure symbols of prophecy concerning events which have yet to transpire (such as the second coming of Christ and the events that lead up to that point), can be accurately understood when properly analyzed.

Significance: If this premise were false, then the book of Revelations and other prophecies contained in scripture concerning the last days are of no value.  We must assume, because they are included as part of God’s word, that He intended for us to fully understand them so that we can derive benefit from them and be prepared for what has yet to transpire.  Our study of prophecy, therefore, when properly conducted, should leave us with no doubt as to which specific events will transpire in the future.

7.      The New International Version of Holy Bible (or whichever version you choose to use for the purposes of this study) retains enough of the original meaning of the ancient Biblical texts to extract the truth from God’s word.

Significance: All translations, because they are the work of men, are prone to error, but if we are to have any hope of salvation and any assurance in the word of God, then we must have faith that enough of the original meaning has been successfully translated.  If this premise is false, then we can have no confidence in the conclusions we reach as we study God’s word.

These premises are the foundation upon which all of our conclusions will rest.  If any of these premises are false, then none of our conclusions will hold clout.  You must decide for yourself whether you accpet or reject these premeses and proceed accordingyly.

If you accept these premises, then before proceeding you must set your current beliefs aside for the moment.  You must not let them influence your course of thought as you study the Bible or you will run the risk of drawing false conclusions.  You must start with a clean slate upon which the truth of God will be written.  Then and only then will you know without a doubt that what you accept as truth is the result of your own interpretation of the Bible instead of accepting as truth what others have taught you.

When the Bible is unclear regarding the manner in which certain events transpired, as in the case of creation, the best we can do in our attempt to uncover the truth is speculate.  We must keep an open mind in those situations and ultimately realize that some truths, until all is made known, will simply remain unknowable.  In the event we are forced to speculate, we must ask ourselves if the subject matter is relevant.  That is to say, for example, that in some cases, how or why an event occurred is not as important as the simple fact that it occurred nonetheless.

In the event that the Bible seems to contradict itself, we must assume, because of our fourth premise, that it is our own understanding of the scripture which is at fault.    Likewise, because of our second premise, whenever it appears in scripture that God has changed the nature of His character, we must assume that is our own understanding of His character which is to blame.  In these situations, then, we must re-examine the issues involved and not rest until we have reached a conclusion which does not violate our premises.

Before you attempt to discover the truths contained in the Bible, you must be open to the possibility that what you currently accept as truth may be incorrect.  Not you, nor I, nor anyone who studies the Bible will ever learn the truths contained in its pages until we acknowledge the fallibility of our current beliefs.  If you do not accept this possibility, then your eyes will be blinded to the truth, and you will only see what you want to see—that is, whatever seems to confirm your current beliefs.  You should not hesitate to acknowledge the fallibility of your current beliefs, for if you are confident in their accuracy, then you will be proven correct.  If, however, you reach a conclusion from your study of the Bible which seems to contradict the “truths” which you have previously held, you will be tempted to resist its acceptance.  In those instances, take solace in the fact that God is leading you to His truth.  If you sincerely seek His truth, He will not fail you.  He will reveal it to you, but it is up to you to demonstrate the faith required to accept it.  In your search for His truth, God stands with an outstretched arm, only waiting for you to take hold.  Pray to God and plead for His truth, and it will be made plain to you.  Once He has shown you His truth, all which remains for you to do is to trust in Him by accepting it.

Should you discover God’s truth within these pages, be joyful and praise the name of God, for He alone is the revelator of truth.  Do not praise or exalt the author of this study, for I am only His tool.  Without His infinite grace, I know nothing.  If an artist paints a masterpiece, it is not his tools that hold the power of creativity.  Nay, it is the artist himself.  In the same way, then, God is the artist, I am His brush, and you are the canvas upon which He will paint the beauty of His truth.

The analyis and opinions I provide on this site are meant only to aid you in uncovering the truth for yourself.  You must take care not to blindly accept my conclusions as truth without drawing your own conclusions, lest you be guilty of the very thing we’re trying to avoid—accepting someone else’s word as truth instead of relying on our own interpretation as revealed to us by God!  You must decide for yourself whether God has revealed His truth through me.  If you think not, then draw your own conclusions, and lest you forget, record them just as I have done here.

No person can rightly claim that their beliefs represent truth if they have not personally undergone this very process of discovery.  Those who have not discovered their beliefs through their own study of the entire Bible have merely adopted, as I had done, the beliefs of those who taught them the meaning of the scriptures.  Consequently, they are not justified in their beliefs and have no grounds for asserting their accuracy.  Although it is possible to adopt the true beliefs of others, those who have done so will not understand their beliefs as fully as those who have formed their beliefs through personal discovery. In addition, those who have merely adopted their beliefs, regardless of their accuracy, will not have the ability to defend their beliefs as passionately and persuasively as those who form their beliefs based on a grueling process of personal discovery.  Only after analyzing and interpreting the scriptures for ourselves can we be justified in claiming that our conclusions, the grounds for which are indisputable scriptural evidence, represent truth.

Very few people will ever know the truths that exist in the Bible because they fail to take the time to study for themselves, and, as a result, they deprive themselves of a sense of the big picture.  They do not start with a clean slate and let God write His truth on their hearts and in their minds.  They simply accept as truth what they have been taught by others their whole lives, as I have done until now.  They are content to believe as their fathers believed and live as they lived, and they only search for truth inasmuch as it means they won’t have to change their character.  They don’t know in their hearts that what they have been taught is true—they just think they know.  They have a false sense of security in their “knowledge,” and they, like all, will be judged.

The Disciple

NewBibleTruths.com