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Authority Of Scripture
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Our first and highest duty is to learn from the Scriptures what
is truth and then to obey what you learn and encourage others to do
the same. We should study the Bible diligently every day, analyzing
every thought, and comparing scripture with scripture. With divine
help we are to form our opinions for ourselves, just as we are to
answer for ourselves before God.
The truths that are most plainly revealed in the Bible have been
covered in doubt and darkness by some theologians, who, pretending
to be critical thinkers, teach that the Scriptures have a mystical,
secret, spiritual meaning beyond the mere words. These people are
false teachers. To this type of person Jesus declared, “You know
neither the scriptures nor the power of God.”
Mark 12:24
. The
language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious
meaning, unless a symbol or metaphor is used. Jesus has given the
promise, “Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know
whether the teaching is from God.”
John 7:17
. If young people
would take the Bible as it reads, if there were no false teachers to
mislead and confuse their minds, a work would be accomplished
that would make angels glad and that would bring thousands and
thousands to Jesus who are now wandering in error.
We should discipline our minds to concentrate when we study
the Scriptures. Even though we focus intently on understanding
(within our human limitations) the deep things of God, yet we must
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remember that the teachableness and submission of a child is the
true spirit of the learner. Scriptural difficulties can never be mastered
by the same methods used in grappling with philosophical problems.
We should not come to the study of the Bible with that self-reliance
with which many enter the domains of science, but with a prayerful
dependence upon God and a sincere desire to learn His will. We
must come with a humble and teachable spirit to receive knowledge
from the God of the universe. Otherwise, evil angels will blind our
minds and harden our hearts so that we will not be impressed with
the truth.
An understanding of Bible truth doesn’t depend as much on
intellectual ability as on the intent, the earnest longing to do right.
The Bible should never be studied without prayer. Only the Holy
Spirit can help us understand how important even the simple things
are or prevent us from misinterpreting the difficult passages. The