I was reminded of this verse of Scripture this morning as I was reading some ridiculous blog where another Christian was justifying his lifestyle with a passage of Scripture.
There seems to be a heightening of awareness about same sex relationships at the moment, given the current circumstances in the USA.
This blog was about same-sex marriage and homosexuality, but this was not the main issue for me.
The person had taken a small passage and because of a phrase in one Bible translation (actually the Good News version, whish is not a translation but a paraphrase) and also because of Roman practice of the day, he had justified his lifestyle.
In the time this was written Roman men were known to have young men as “partners” and in the Good News bible in Luke 7 the Centurion said the servant who was dying was “very dear to him” (Luke 7 v 2), so this was taken to mean that they were in a “relationship”.
And because Jesus healed the servant, Jesus was OK with same sex relationships.
This is nonsense in terms of decent Bible study.
In Bible study we need to verify our interpretation with other verses and we need to study the Greek and Hebrew; yes, we also need to study the context of when it was written but not to twist that cultural context to fit our views.
I am not going to get into a debate about same sex relationships but rather challenge you to “rightly divide the Word” with honest and integrity.
We have to come to the Word of God ready to learn and willing to have our understanding challenged and changed; in other words we need to come with a teachable spirit.
Do not take one verse or passage and make a doctrine out of it (as much of the church has done with 1 John 1 v 9 for example), but pour over the rest of Scripture to ensure that what you think or understand is confirmed.
Take time and effort to study the Scriptures to confirm your doctrine and even to change it if necessary.
I would think that every single one of us has some doctrine that is in error, so we have to be honest and have integrity and be prepared to change that doctrine if our understanding is wrong.
We study Scripture to determine our doctrine, we do not interpret scripture to fir in with our doctrine; can you see the difference.
Praise God, I have had to change points in my doctrine many times, and I’m sure I will have to in the future.
Let’s study Scripture with that attitude instead of using it to prop up any “dodgy doctrine” we may hold.
Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your Word, for the truths that it holds and thank you that you have provided us with the ability to study and rightly divide that Word”.
2 Timothy 2 v 15…..Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
Heilan Word Ministries 