A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day – January 6, 2020
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5-6)
Most of you know that we are sticklers for the pure Word of God. We include in that the written Word (the Bible) and the spoken Word that the Holy Spirit speaks to us from the mouth of God.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)
There are several things that are very beneficial when reading and studying the Word of God. First, you need to have a personal relationship with God. By that, I mean you need to be born-again and preferably filled with the Spirit. Jesus tells us that His sheep hear His voice, so we need to be His sheep. Don’t let some preacher or prophet interpret the Word of God for you. That is how people get caught up in all kinds of cults when they let someone else tell them what God is saying. You need to hear God for yourself!!!
Second, you need to understand that the Bible will interpret itself, if you let it. We have so many different translations of the Bible today that sometimes different beliefs tend to creep into some of the newer translations which totally ignore and contradict other sections of the Bible. The following is just one of many examples which deals with the birth of the Church at Ephesus:
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14, KJV) This scripture perfectly describes what happened at Ephesus and was written about by Luke in Acts 19:1-6. What we see here is two separate scriptures that interpret each other. The Ephesians heard the Word, believed the Word (was born again), and after that were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise as described in Acts 19. There were three separate experiences involved here.
Now, if we look at some of the newer translations, we see the following: And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14, NIV) What we see here is two experiences versus three which corresponds to certain theological doctrines of our time, but does not agree with the Book of Acts. That is why it is so important to let the Bible interpret itself.
Certain phrases and words can be changed to agree with current doctrine, but it can at the same time steal precious promises made to us by God and that’s not good.
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (Proverbs 30:5)
The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6)
