Study the Bible for Yourselves
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hearts, with self hid in Christ, with earnest prayer, you are to seek
wisdom from God. You should feel that you must know the revealed
will of God, because it concerns your personal, eternal welfare. The
Bible is a directory by which you may know the way to eternal life.
You should desire above all things that you may know the will and
ways of the Lord. You should not search for the purpose of finding
texts of Scripture that you can construe to prove your theories; for the
word of God declares that this is wresting the Scriptures to your own
destruction. You must empty yourselves of every prejudice, and come
in the spirit of prayer to the investigation of the word of God.
The great error of the Romish Church is found in the fact that the
Bible is interpreted in the light of the opinions of the “fathers.” Their
opinions are regarded as infallible, and the dignitaries of the church
assume that it is their prerogative to make others believe as they do,
and to use force to compel the conscience. Those who do not agree
with them are pronounced heretics. But the word of God is not thus
to be interpreted. It is to stand on its own eternal merits, to be read as
the word of God, to be obeyed as the voice of God, which declares
His will to the people. The will and voice of finite man are not to be
interpreted as the voice of God.
The blessed Bible gives us a knowledge of the great plan of salva-
tion, and shows us how every individual may have eternal life. Who is
the author of the book?—Jesus Christ. He is the True Witness, and He
says to His own, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” The Bible
is to show us the way to Christ, and in Christ eternal life is revealed.
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Jesus said to the Jews and to those who pressed about Him in great
multitudes, “Search the Scriptures.” The Jews had the word in the Old
Testament, but they had so mingled it with human opinions, that its
truths were mystified, and the will of God to man was covered up. The
religious teachers of the people are following their example in this
age.
Though the Jews had the Scriptures which testified of Christ, they
were not able to discern Christ in the Scriptures; and although we
have the Old and the New Testament, men wrest the Scriptures to
evade their truths; and in their interpretations of the Scriptures, they
teach, as did the Pharisees, the maxims and traditions of men for the
commandments of God. In Christ’s day the religious leaders had so