WHY PEOPLE TWIST SCRIPTURE
" . . .
in which are some things hard to understand, which
untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do
also the rest of
the Scriptures "
( 2 Pet 3:16, NKJV).
There is a spiritual formula provided for addressing texts difficult to
understand.
"Give me understanding" (Psa 119:34,73,125,144,169). Jesus provided
this exalted
perspective of understanding. "If any man is WILLING TO DO HIS WILL, he
shall know of
the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself"
(John 7:17,
NASB). The driving compulsion that must precede true spiritual
knowledge is that of
desiring to do the will of God. James also spoke of the proper approach
to obtaining
wisdom. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to
all liberally
and without reproach, and it
will be given to him" (James 1:5). There is a wisdom that is "from
above,"
and it is to be sought by all (James 3:17). When the prophet Daniel was
confronted with
something he did not understand, it is written that he "sought for the
meaning,"
and it was given to him from heaven (Dan 8:15-19).
As rudimentary as this may appear, there is a class of religious people
who refuse to
approach spiritual understanding in this way. There are, indeed, things
"hard to be
understand." They are not impossible to understand, but "hard to be
understood." They are too difficult for the flesh. They cannot be
profitably probed
by academic methods. They extend high above the reach of the wisdom of
men. They are too
lofty for lexical word meanings, being of a higher order.
People in Jesus' day were offended by some of His sayings (Matt 13:57;
15:12; Mark 10:22).
On one occasion, the multitudes acknowledged what Jesus said was a
"hard
saying," and were offended by it (John 6:60). They did not bother to
inquire of
theirmeaning from the One who said them. They simply dismissed them as
absurd. Such things
frequently occur in our day, but men have developed convenient
explanations for the
condition that justify men and exalts their wisdom.
When men attempt to force God's Word into the mold of their stunted
understanding, they
have "wrested" the Scriptures. Rather than changing their way of
thinking, they
attempt to change the Word, manipulating it until it fits at last into
their variant way
of thinking. And what kind of men do this? Without hesitation the
Spirit replies,
"ignorant and unstable people" (NIV). They know neither the Scriptures
nor the
power of God (Matt 22:29), nor can they navigate in the mountain peaks
of Divine truth.
These are "double minded"
people, which is the cause of the instability (James 1:8). Their minds
have been infected
with the virus of this world's wisdom, and their hearts are alienated
from the life of God
(Eph 4:18).
And what is the result of them tampering with Scripture? They do so "to
their own
destruction"–not the destruction of Scripture, but their own
condemnation!
Scholar or not, those who manipulate Scripture will be destroyed by
God! As Peter said
earlier, these are bringing "upon themselves swift destruction" (2 Pet
2:1). Of
such men Paul wrote, "whose end is destruction" (Phil 3:19). Jude says
of such
people, they "were designated for this condemnation" (Jude 4). It is
evident the
Scriptures are to be approached in faith and sobriety. If they do not
fit into your way of
thinking, change your thinkin g--God will not
change His Word. That change begins by asking for the wisdom that comes
down from above.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name Jesus Christ, Who is Your own
"wisdom," give
me that wisdom that comes from above. Give me grace to comprehend Your
Word,
delighting in it, and walking in accord with it.
by
Brother Given O. Blakely
Work of Truth Publications
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