UNDERSTANDING THE INTERPRETATION OF THE HOLY BIBLE

       Interpreting a word or deed out of a given phenomenon using reason is the most critical function of a judge, an investigator, or even to a normal day to day existing human being.  Interpretation is  a proof of our being sentient in the world of language. A word spoken or an act done needs to be rightly interpreted by everyone for smooth interpersonal relations.    

       Moreso, interpretation has become the crux of all matters of disagreements on the existence of God among all believers putting into the fore the question on, Who is God? Additionally, the perception on God as almighty strengthened the stand of the atheists that they will only believe that God is true unless they see an amputee grow its lost part by the power of God. Also, the thoughts of a God who is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent has become the very measure of a God that they imagine of.  Can anyone really measure God by human knowledge, much less, human imagination?    

       Needless to say, interpretation is one of the source of problems of human consciousness.  Just this morning my wife Manel picked up a box of my newly bought Taclight flashlight online.  She told me to throw the box to the bin.  In reaction, I said, why throw  the box when the flashlight is inside the box? She replied, I just saw your flashlight hanging beside the refrigerator. Realizing she had the wrong assumption and interpretation lest she throw away my small personal investment I told her that I took the flashlight from the refrigerator and placed it back into the box.  One can just imagine what a wrong assumption and interpretation can do.  Seeing a thing and giving an interpretation out of an assumed fact could spell destruction and a great difference of the truth which is a matter of the present.  

       Translating this experience into the spiritual, many among the present day scholars and churches have adapted many ways of interpreting the holy scriptures.  Each way, however, have their own flaws and weaknesses and by virtue of bias some prefer to adopt one method over the other.  

       What is being exposed here are the ways of interpreting the scriptures by exegesis, eisegesis, metagesis and hermeneutics.   Exegesis is the manner of interpreting a written piece based on the author's perspective.  Eisegesis is otherwise called by some as "poor exegesis" because it is coming from the perspective of the reader.  Hermeneutics is a way of interpreting a script using the inputs of history, tradition, culture, language, sociology, and other factors surrounding the writing of the text while metagesis is the other than usual technique.   

       In whatever manner the scripture is being interpreted today one has to bear in mind that these are all private interpretations. What is not private, however, is interpreting the scriptures by the Spirit.  The Spirit has the mind, character, and quality of being absolute, objective, subjective, ideal and real.

       As opposed to the ways introduced by the scholars nowadays especially those in the Bible colleges and universities the Spirit has a peculiar but relevant, suitable, and applicable way of positing and knowing the truth.

       Remember all these that: the world knows not God; the world hates God and His people; and the world is filled with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life;  Remember also that many will be deceive in these last days where many are called but few are chosen.  Where will all these lead us to?  

       Definitely, the reading the Bible needs a process to be able to attain unto knowledge like evaluating the words written which is inspired of God, analyzing the words and deeds of the men of God and God himself in mind, manner, works and ways, and interpreting it by Spirit.

       Surely, depending on the mindset of any individual one may take an optimist or a pessimist view.  In the Spirit, however, neither of these views are important in taking into account the interpretation of a word or deed.  What matters most is the Spirit, hence, not subject to the laws and methods and constructs of men like the methods of interpretation on things, words and deeds.

       Remember, the mind and ways of God is never the same as the mind and ways of man. His thoughts are higher than a man's thoughts and his ways are higher than a man's ways. 

       What the whole world miss to know and understand is that the ancient interpreters of the laws of God in the Bible are prophets who have the Spirit of God in them.  Huldah the prophetess was staying in the college as the main interpreter of the written laws of God.  Today, the world interpret the scriptures by the wisdom of men from the theological colleges and universities using doctrines and not by the Spirit of God.  The world use human constructs and doctrines to interpret the Word of God. How did this happen?

       Clearly, the Spirit has become irrelevant to this world and they use the constructs of men to measure and interpret the works, ways, mind, and manner of God.  How can the mind of the Spirit be the same as the mind of man knowing that what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination with God and a thing lighter than vanity.  

Psalms 62:9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

       This is the reason why God has intended to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh because no one man can ever know the interpretation of a thing without knowing the present purpose, will, intent, time, judgment and counsel of God and without his holy Spirit.   

       How pathetic is the world today.  All churches are trying to interpret their translated scriptures, that is, by their own bible versions, as if the original texts were written by men without the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Completely the Spirit is not a factor in the equation of interpretation of men today.  The prophet has become mad and the spiritual man a fool to them. Truly, they have erred not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God.

       The Spiritual interpretation has the following qualities, among others:  it can discern the thoughts and intents of the hearts of men; it can weigh the path, actions and spirits; and it can create a man into the image of God being conformed and transformed into his likeness; it can make a man humble; it can make a man obedient; it can make a man fear God and keep the commandments; it can make a man holy and perfect; it corroborates the voice of the Lord; and it makes a man do the work of the ministry, the edifying of the church and the perfecting of the saints.

       The fruit of human constructs like the interpretation of the scriptures is always competition, division, debate, envy and hate.  They do more harm than good.  They fuel the resolve of the atheists to continue rejecting God the Spirit.   By interpretation men have become an enemy of God than being a friend of God having not the faith which comes by hearing the Word of God and not by reading. 

       Imagine a brother by a mother who profess to be a Christian calling his own brother a cultist and evil?  This happen to me last July 16, 2020 when my brother Abel, eldest, sent me through messenger saying that I am blind and trapped by the devil. How the devil did he know I was trapped unless he is the devil himself! 

       As if those were not enough, he sent me another message  in July 17, 2020 saying he dreamed of me.  In his dream, he saw me as a small child about 10 years old being with him  and that my house was burning. He added, that he was so sorry because he cannot give his help to douse the fire.  Then, he proceeded  to interpret his dream against me, saying, my whole family is in danger of hell fire.  How can a 10 year old child own a house? And so, I replied he better be careful of his interpretation because the house is clearly his own house!

       Imagine how the spirits of men can build a fire of  animosity with a blood brother. Surely, interpretation, vision, and dreams play a very important part in the life of a man walking and living in the Spirit, and by the Spirit, all things result to love, joy, and peace where no sorrow is added to it.  The Spirit creates no gap but why would Abel do so at all?

Ecclesiastes 5:7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

Ezekiel 13:7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?

Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

        This mindset is sick.  Abel is so vituperatively rabid against the interpretation of other men and churches ramming his belief and dogma from head flow to throat having learned men's constructs like exegesis, eisegesis, and metagesis.  

       On the contrary, and being hypocrite, he would wantonly unconscious destroy his own conviction on the interpretation of the scripture by using a dream if only to push his agenda on others.  If the scriptures will not work, so to speak, here is my dream dude! If the scriptures will not succeed in making someone believe my words here is my vision. Know, however, that there are vain dreams and visions.  Abel is a presumptuous false prophet.  Who is saying there are no prophets nowadays? I say, there are many false prophets today in the churches and the colleges, therefore, be wary and try their spirits whether they are of God.

Jeremiah 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.   

Lamentations 2:14 Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.   

       

       How can anyone know the Spirit of God? Behold, God is known by his people whom he foreknow and predestinate and ordained and glorified for the ministry.  He is known by the historical accounts in the continuum of testimonies in the  ages both ancient and present.  Conversely, the holy scriptures enable us to compare spiritual with the spiritual.  Meaning, his works, ways, mind and manner are intelligible to them who seek him with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind and with all their might.  

       Nevertheless, the scriptures can only prepare a man in mind and in heart for God to come.  The Man of God is the one who will perfect and make everyone holy who comes to God for the service of God.  

       The Man of God is the Spirit. The Spirit is the interpreter and the interpretation is in the Spirit.  There are infinite number of spirits and some remain a mystery waiting for their time to be revealed. The Spirit is not the private interpretation. A  man's spirit interpreting the Bible is the private interpretation.  Discern the spirits and know your own spirit to differentiate it from the Spirit of God so knowing which is private and which is not.  

       Clearly, the vail that blind and cloud the minds of men are the written scriptures which they believe is the life that they should live unmindful of the active plan of creation, and faith, and the mystery of God.  The lack of knowledge of the scriptures and power of God stem from the absence of the man who has the Spirit of God. 


       Clearly, the historical religious conflicts between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants, the Muslims and the Christians, the Muslims and the Buddhists, and the Jews and the Christians, to name a few, are examples of the fruit of private interpretation but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance with patience.    

        As an addendum, billions of people believe in the Holy Bible very few, however, know and understand the contents because they are hedged by their methods of interpretation which are human constructs.  A bigger number still, do not even have the drive to read the scriptures. This exposition may offend or this may pose a challenge to many but this is exactly the reason of this writing that many  might come to understand the Spirit and the law and the interpretation.

       The Bible is a contradiction of the laws making the interpretation a critical issue. To cite an example, the law of circumcision is in conflict with the law of Sabbath.  Moreover, the law of Moses is even contradicted by his decrees farther down his ministry as demonstrated in the Ten Commandments which prohibits Israel of idols but Moses made the brazen serpent named Nehushtan. Additionally, Moses lead his people to war and kill nations despite the law against killing people.  In another time, the prophet Jeremiah changed the laws of the Rechabites by making them drink wine.  Boaz also made Ruth dip her bread on a vinegar but married her.  In another time, the prophet Hosea was commanded to marry a whore and subsequently also took an adulteress by a command _ twice did Hosea do an abominable act before Israel.  Jesus also broke laws being a nazarite breaking bread with wine and drinking wine, hence, called a winebibber.  The priests also ate blood against the law concerning Israel.  

       Interpreting the Bible in chunks, in context, by chapters and by verse using exegesis, eisegesis, metagesis, and hermeneutics alone makes the way of interpreting the Bible devilish because this will unwittingly push people into interpreting the scriptures in a truncated knowledge or in part. Thus, the knowledge is in part and not a perfect one.  Some do not even know which law and doctrine to adopt whether of Moses, or Jesus, or the apostles (James, John and Peter), or Paul.  Precisely, this is the reason why denominations multiply.  

       The knowledge is divided into pieces and no one is able to integrate it with the Spirit of understanding and with the sound mind emphasizing the importance and relevance of the Spirit in the interpretation.  So, also comes the importance of the prophet or the man of God with the Spirit of God in the interpretation of the things of God.

       The reason why conflicts occur in the laws or words is because God is a Spirit and the Spirit itself is the law.  The Spirit is the creator when sent into the world or when sent to a man. The laws are just the constructs of the Spirit and the same Spirit can change or destroy that law.  The Spirit declares the things that are right in their right context and purpose and time. Let it be known, therefore, that the law is not the Spirit.  

       The Holy Bible is written by men, hence, the  errors and inaccuracies of the figures and names.  The narration of the stories written in the books reveal the pressure and threats to people like Stephen who was stoned to death, hence, the erroneous account on his actual statement or witness which was faithfully transcribed by the author.  

       Now, there is no other legitimate way of interpreting the word of God or another authority of the Law but the Spirit and by the Spirit.  The Spirit reveals and declares things and not interpret. In the strict sense, it is even inappropriate to talk of interpretation when talking  about the present because God is a God of the living and not of the dead.  His laws are expressed in a voice and not in  written words.

       Going back farther into history, Moses never used a bible to declare his laws but by the Spirit even as Jesus did not use the scrolls to fulfill his ministry and testimony.  Everything was revealed and commanded by the Spirit paved and prepared by a man like John the baptist for Jesus.

       This is the reason why the scriptures are being consulted to a man with the holy Spirit of God for interpretation and application because the scriptures must coincide and synchronize with the present narrative of God like Moses' in his time and Jesus' in his time. Know the differences of their stories_ Moses was to kill nations and Jesus was to be killed as the propitiation of the sins of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, so to speak.