10/04/23 SPIRITUAL DUE DILIGENCE

10/04/23 SPIRITUAL DUE DILIGENCE

The Roman religion interpreted the Bible for their followers, but then came the Reformation, when the Reformers became the interpreters of the Bible.

Translators, printers and publishers have made it possible for individuals and the masses to read the Bible independently. While scholarship and accuracy are essential to proper interpretation, the Holy Spirit is the primary and best interpreter of the Bible, and the Bible is the best commentary on the Bible.

In the past it has been "experts" who have misinformed people concerning the Scriptures. I am constantly finding modern misconceptions about the Bible and about Christian living, based on misinterpretations from the past, which were rooted in previous errors of men.

Today the misinformation flows freely on the internet. Again, the experts are following the misinformation of previous men who had a misunderstanding of Scripture.

It is not always easy to know and understand the truth. However, a faithful and consistent commitment to what the Bible says, and restates and explains is a step in the right direction.

We can and we should appreciate scholarship, but we need to be personal students of the Bible, allowing it to interpret itself, rather than allowing people to explain why it does not mean what it says.