Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness: Sola Fide And Justification

How to Study and Learn Biblical Truths - Part 7

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2022-05-01

Synopsis: In this sermon, John Weaver continues his series on studying biblical truth by covering additional ways to consider Scripture. He emphasizes the importance of contextual and expository study, using 1 Corinthians 3 as a warning to ministers about building with proper materials. He then discusses considering truth applicatorily, heavenly and humanly, eternally and temporally, negatively and positively, and doctrinally. The sermon concludes with a practical suggestion to read a short book of the Bible daily for 30 days to gain deep understanding and memorization.

[John Weaver] So if you'll open your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 2, after today, there'll be two more messages in this series, Lord willing. And we're going to continue with lesson number seven on how to study and learn biblical truth. We finished number six the last time. And so there is a continuation. Actually, I was covering 13 ways to consider truth. And so we've covered a number of these ways, and I hope that you've written them down. If you have not, I trust that you will go back and listen to the messages and write them down. But each time you read a passage, each time you look at a verse, it would certainly be wise to consider that in the ways that we've covered. So far, we've covered the fact that we need to consider truth linguistically, historically, judicially or legally, experientially, and then we ended when I was talking about considering truth expositorily or contextually. But actually, I did not get to finish that last point, and I certainly want to continue that with one more illustration in this message.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, while we are at 2 Timothy. Let's go ahead and read chapter 2 and verse 7, where Paul says, Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. And then in verse 15, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. So when the apostle Paul said, Consider what I say, And certainly we should consider what He has written under inspiration of the Scripture and under inspiration of the Spirit, but we should also consider all of that that God has written and given to us. So, I do want you to turn now to 1 Corinthians chapter 3.

[John Weaver] I think this is a very important passage and that it's one that really needs to be understood in light of common day teaching. Usually when you read this chapter, most people apply this particularly to Christians. For instance, if you would notice in verse 15 of 1 Corinthians chapter 3, he said, If any man's work shall it be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved as it was by fire.

[John Weaver] Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, Him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." And they're saying that, well, this means that each one of us is going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Well, the fact is that, yes, there are other passages that teach that truth.

[John Weaver] For instance, if you will hold 1 Corinthians 3, but look in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 14, at verses 10 and 12. Romans chapter 14 verses 10 and 12. Look at what the Scripture says. Romans 14 verse 10, But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set it not thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

[John Weaver] For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God." So very clearly we will, as Christians, stand before the judgment seat of Christ. But if you will look in your Bibles now to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, look if you would please at verses 9 and 10, you will see that truth stated very plainly again. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 9, the apostle says, wherefore we labor that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

[John Weaver] Now, the word for bad is the Greek word kakos, which literally means that which is bad, harmful, evil, foul, worthless, and troublesome. So he says all of the worthlessness and the foul deeds that we've done in serving Him, we will give an account for. So these are warnings basically to every Christian. But when you get to 1 Corinthians 3, I agree it is a very severe warning. But it is a warning more to preachers and pastors particularly.

[John Weaver] Let's begin reading with verse 1. Paul writes, And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat. For hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet are you able. For you are yet carnal or fleshly. For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal or fleshly, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Paulus, are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is of Paulus? But ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man. I have planted, Paulus watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planted anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth, and he that watereth are one. Now, every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God.

[John Weaver] You are God's husbandry. You are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and others built it their own. But let every man take heed how he buildeth their own."

[John Weaver] Now, let me stop there. We're going to consider this entire chapter very quickly. But I want you to look back, please, at verse one. Paul said, And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as to babes in Christ. Now. There is in this world today that which is known as the carnal Christian theory, which is absolutely, totally unbiblical, as far as I'm concerned, absolutely, totally heretical. And the carnal Christian theory just simply says that you can be a Christian. And yet your life is a life of adultery or whoremongering or drunkenness, but you're still saved, but you're just carnal. Well, I want you to pay close attention to our text.

[John Weaver] The carnality of these Corinthians had nothing to do with fornication, had nothing to do with theft, had nothing to do with idolatry. Look what he said. He said, I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unspiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat, for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able, for you are yet carnal.

[John Weaver] Now watch, for whereas there is among you envy and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal and woke as men? For while one saith, I am a Paul, another, I am Apollos, are you not yet carnal?" What were they doing? They were arguing over preachers. They were being divided over preachers. Someone says, I like the Apostle Paul. He's very intelligent. Someone says, no, no, no, no. I like Peter. He's so fervent. He's so fiery. No, well, I like Apollos. Apollos is very rational. Their carnality was being divided over preachers.

[John Weaver] It was not being drunk. It was not being a fornicator. No. And so the apostle said, there is divisions among you. There's envying. There's strife. And you're walking as men because you're fighting over preachers. So their carnality was demonstrated by their strife and their division over preachers.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to skip down. I want you to look, if you would please, he asks in verse 5, who then is Paul and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man or to every minister? Not every preacher has the same talents. God gives different talents to different men. So he asks who then is Paul, who is Apollos, but ministers By whom you believe, even as the Lord gave to every man. Now watch verse 6. I have planted, that's Paul, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he, the minister that planted anything, neither he, the minister that watereth, but God did give it the increase. Now follow me. Now he, the minister that planteth, and he, the minister that watereth, are one. And every man or every minister shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. Then he says it like this in verse 9, for we, that is all the ministers he's talking about, for we are labors together with God, you.

[John Weaver] are God's husbandry, you are God's building. So now he's dividing between the ministers and those who are being ministered unto. So in verse 10, according to the grace of God which is given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another, that is another minister, built it thereupon. But let every man or every minister take heed how he built it thereon. For other foundation can no man or no minister lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man or any minister build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every minister's work shall be made manifest. For they shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every minister's work of what sort it is. If any minister's work abide wherein he hath built thereupon, he, the minister, shall receive a reward. But if any minister's work be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire."

[John Weaver] Now, let me stop right there just for a moment. In the context, he's talking about preachers.

[John Weaver] Now, when he talks about building upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble, So if I were to ask Steve to take his truck and go out and get me a truckload of gold, silver, and precious stones, and at the same time I ask Gary to take his truck and go out and get me a truckload of wood, hay, and stubble, who would be back first? It would be Gary. Wood, hay, and stubble is everywhere. But gold, silver, and precious stones are not. So now he's talking about building a work, and whether or not you build with gold, silver, and precious stones, or whether or not you build with wood, hay, and stubble. In other words, if the minister does not take care, he is going to lose everything that he worked for because he's building with the wrong materials.

[John Weaver] Now, look at it, if you would, in verse 16. Watch carefully. He now makes this distinction again, just like he did back in verse 9. He says, Know you not that you, that is the Christians, are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man, if any minister defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. Let no man or no minister deceive himself. If any man or minister among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise."

[John Weaver] And then he goes on down. Look how he concludes in verse 22. He says,"...whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things to come, or things present, or things to come, all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." But in this context, he's talking about ministers. He's giving a warning to ministers. So, the Christians are God's husbandry and building. Those who are doing the work are God's preachers. The temple of God happens to be Christians. Now, he said, if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy. How do you defile a temple? How do you defile a building?

[John Weaver] Well, let me give you an illustration. Let's suppose we had in front of us a statue of Buddha. And I'm going to defile this statue. How can I defile it? Well, I could break off an arm. I could chop off a head. I could take from it. I could vandalize it and just paint all over it and just make it to be something that it's not. That's one way to defile. But I can defile another way.

[John Weaver] I can add to it. I could add an extra arm. I could add an extra leg. I could add an extra head. The point I'm trying to make is this. Building with wood, hay, and stubble is getting all kinds of people in the church that are unconverted. It's easy to get wood, hay, and stubble. All you have to do is provide entertainment, provide food. It's difficult to get gold, silver, and precious stones. That's more slowly. That's accomplished far more slowly. You have to remember, in Acts chapter 2, the Bible tells us,"...and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." And the truth is, when we add as ministers, We are destroying, we are defacing, and we are defiling.

[John Weaver] So we have to understand that everything that you consider in the Bible must only be considered linguistically and historically, experientially, legally, judicially. It must also be considered expository and in the context. So when you look at 1 Corinthians chapter 3, that is a severe warning to pastors and the preachers. So, let's begin today with number six. That is, we must consider truth applicatorily. All of the scriptures are applicable.

[John Weaver] That is, they apply to us. They're going to apply to us either individually, familially, societally, culturally, or even governmentally. You remember in the last message I pointed out, And I said that not all of the Scriptures were written to you, and not all of the Scriptures were written about you, but all the Scriptures were written for you. So let me give you an illustration. Since you're in 1 Corinthians, turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

[John Weaver] And I want you to note, especially the first 13 verses, I think you should see something very easily in this passage. But Paul writes these Corinthian Christians, and he says, Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. So now he's talking about Old Testament Israel and the crossing of the Red Sea. Now watch verse three.

[John Weaver] And it all eat the same spiritual meat. and did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ."

[John Weaver] Now, he's talking about the wilderness wanderings. So he's got Israel crossing the Red Sea. He's got the wilderness wanderings.

[John Weaver] Now look what he says in verse 5,"'But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.'" I like the way he says that. Actually, God overthrew all of them except two, Joshua and Caleb. But watch what He says next in verse 6.

[John Weaver] Now these things, that is all these things that happened to Israel in the Old Testament, were our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. Then He says, neither be ye idolaters, As were some of them, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. You can read about this in Numbers 21, 22, and 23. And neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day, three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of the serpents. You can read about that. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now watch verse 11. Now all these things happen unto them for in samples or examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

[John Weaver] Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take he lest he fall. And then he says, there is no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation of the test and trial also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.

[John Weaver] So the Apostle Paul is taking everything that happened to Old Testament Israel, and he is applying it to the Corinthian church. So we have to consider truth applicatorily. Once I said before, I'll say it again. Not all the Bible is written to us. Not all the Bible is written about us. But it was all written for us. So there is always an application.

[John Weaver] Now, if you're writing scriptures down, you need to write down Romans 15 and verse 4. Because this passage says this, listen carefully. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." So when he says, whatsoever things were written aforetime, he's referring to the Old Testament. Everything that happened in the Old Testament happened for our learning and through our admonition. So, and for our admonition.

[John Weaver] So he tells us we have to consider Not only expositionally and contextually, but we must consider it applicatorily because it is going to apply in some manner. Now, I'm going to give you seven and eight together because these two go together. In fact, several of these are going to go together. But the first one is this. We not only need to consider truth applicatorily, We need to consider truth heavenly and humanly.

[John Weaver] Let me say this another way. We need to consider truth heavenly, that is the divine side, and then we need to consider truth humanly, that is the human side. So, let's work these together. So, look in your Bibles, if you would, to John 6 and verse 37. John 6 and verse 37. Then we'll go to the book of Titus. Look in John 6 and verse 37. So here's what I mean by the heavenly side and then the human side.

[John Weaver] Our Lord says, All that the Father giveth Me shall come unto Me. That is the heavenly side. We were given to Jesus Christ in eternity past. All that the Father giveth Me shall come unto Me. You can read about that in Hebrews 13, 20 and 21 about that eternal covenant between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. So it says, All the Father giveth me shall come unto me. That's heavenly.

[John Weaver] And Him that cometh unto me I'll in no wise cast out. That's humanly. There's the human side. In other words, just because God is divinely foreordained and gave us to Jesus Christ does not mean that we must not come to Him savingly. We must come to Him. So there is a divine side. There is a human side. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Titus, chapter 1. Titus, chapter 1.

[John Weaver] And notice, if you would, beginning there with verse 1. Once again, here, we're going to cover the two points. We're going to see the heavenly side and then the human side. So watch this. Titus chapter one, verse one, Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness. Here it is in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began. So you have to ask your question, to whom did God promise eternal life before the world began? Well, He promised it to us. How did He promise it to us? In Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Read 2 Timothy 1, verses 8 and 9. Again, you would have to remember Hebrews 13, verses 20 and 21. Here he is in verse 2,"...in hope of eternal life, which God, that counteth life, promised before the world began."

[John Weaver] Now here's the human side. Look in verse 3,"...but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior." So how do we know about the divine side. And the answer is because God ordained it to be revealed and the human side to declare it and preach it and manifest it. So you have a heavenly side, you have a human side.

[John Weaver] Let me give you another illustration. Look in your Bibles to first Peter, chapter one and verse 20. First Peter, chapter one, verse 20. And here, of course, we're talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. And let's begin reading verse 18, just so you can see the context. He says, For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot who was who verily was foreordained before the foundation

[John Weaver] of the world, that's heavenly, but was manifest in these last times for you, that would be humanly. So, you're going to have to consider truth from the heavenly standpoint, also from the human standpoint. A lot of these things kind of run together, but yet there is indeed a difference.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you nine and ten, because these two go together as well. We need to consider truth eternally. That is God's purpose. And we must consider truth temporally. That is God's revelation in time. You can almost see these two, especially in 1 Peter and in Titus as well. But I want you to go back in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Ephesians chapter 3.

[John Weaver] Let me show you what I'm talking about. Ephesians 3, verse 11. Then we're going to go to the book of Acts, because I'm going to show you all of these considering truth eternally, that is, considering God's purpose. He said in Ephesians 3, verse 11, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. And I want you to note that the word purpose is singular. according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now this is an eternal truth. Only God can purpose one thing and it includes everything. So we're talking about an eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus. Now if you'll go back in your Bibles to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. Look in Acts 2, beginning there with verse 23. Acts 2, verse 23. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 22. Here it is.

[John Weaver] You men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know, Him, Jesus Christ, being delivered by the determinate counsel or purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should behold of it." But note, if you would, here again is that eternal purpose, Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.

[John Weaver] Now look in your Bibles to Acts 4, verses 26-29. Look at it. Acts 4, verse 26. In fact, actually, this is part of it, a quote from Psalm 2. Verse 26, the kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ. for of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together, here it is, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." So not one thing happened to Jesus Christ that was not eternally purposed by God the Father before the world ever began. Now, I mentioned this verse.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn to it. Look in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 1. So we're talking about the eternal purpose of God. So here it is in 2 Timothy 1. And look if you would at verses 8 and 9. 2 Timothy 1, verse 8. Paul writes Timothy and he says, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. Now here's the eternal purpose. Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." So it's impossible to consider these verses that I've just read without considering the eternal purpose of God. God purposed something before the foundation of the world. He says it plainly, clearly. So we have to consider His eternal purpose. I want you to turn in your Old Testament to Deuteronomy 29, 29.

[John Weaver] I'm going to show you several passages at how we should now consider truth also temporarily. In fact, there will be many passages in the New Testament as well. But notice Deuteronomy 29 and verse 29. Look at this. Deuteronomy 29, verse 29, the secret things belong to the Lord our God. That's His eternal counsel. That's His eternal purpose. We have no business sneaking a peek into those things. That's His business. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed, that's in His Word, belong unto us and to our children forever.

[John Weaver] that we may do all the words of this law. So there is that eternal purpose, which the only way that we know it is either when it's revealed in Scripture or it comes to pass in time and history. But what he's saying is we do not concern ourselves with that which has not been revealed. We concern ourselves with that which has been revealed temporarily in time and in history.

[John Weaver] So, I want you to look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. You'll see this again. Romans 8 and verse 18. I want you to note, if you would, how truth is given to us here temporally. Romans 8 and verse 18. He makes this statement. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, there it is, temporal, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us there of the eternal." So you have a temporal aspect, you have an eternal aspect. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verses 17 and 18. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 17 and 18. Watch this carefully. Verse 17, the apostle says, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory. While we look not at things which are seen, but things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. So there are distinctions in the Bible between the temporal and the eternal.

[John Weaver] So you have to consider truth from both aspects. So, we've looked at the fact that we must consider truth eternally and temporally. Let me give you two more that go together. We must consider truth negatively and positively. I've said this in many, many times, wherever you find a negative in the Bible, you should always ask what the positive is. Thou shalt not kill. The positive would be thou shalt preserve life. Thou shalt not commit adultery. The positive is thou shalt live a sanctified, pure and holy life. Anytime you find a positive in the Bible, you should also ask what is the negative?

[John Weaver] Because you cannot have one without the other. So let me give you some illustrations concerning truth and considering truth negatively. Here's one, Proverbs 18 in verse 22. Let me just quote it. God says, Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favor of the Lord. Well, let me ask you a question. Did Ahab find a good thing in Jezebel? And the answer is no. How about Solomon? Did he find a good thing in all of hundreds of his wives? Answers no. Well, when I look at this verse, whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, and obtaineth the favor of the Lord, I know plenty of men that have found a wife that didn't find a good thing. And I know plenty of women that found a husband that didn't find a good thing.

[John Weaver] So how do we understand this? Well, we have to understand it in the sense that the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 19, verse 14, that a prudent wife is from the Lord. And then when you read Proverbs chapter 31, what he is saying is, with God's blessing and God's appointment, he that finds a wife that is a prudent wife, a godly wife, one that is from the Lord, finds a very good thing. So when you consider this, you have to consider it negatively as well as positively. Let me show you another one. Look in your Bible at this one. Look in Proverbs chapter 23 and verse 13. Proverbs 23. Verse 13. You have to understand what he is not saying, as well as what he is saying. So look in Proverbs 23 and verse 13.

[John Weaver] God says, withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with a rod and shalt deliver his soul from hell. So let me ask you a question. What is being said is important. But what is not being said is just as important. When you read this verse, does that mean that every child that has ever been disciplined with a rod is going to heaven?

[John Weaver] And the answer is, of course not. If you took this verse literally, then one of the best means of evangelism would be to grab a rod and go out on the street and just start beating people, especially kids. Obviously, that's not what that means. What it does mean is very simple. Let me just say this. I know people that have disciplined their children, and they turn out to be hellions.

[John Weaver] What he is saying is this, a man that disciplines his child consistently, regularly, with the blessings of God upon that discipline, eventually that child will not only be turned around, but in all probability be converted. My father was very consistent in his discipline, I can assure you. I usually laugh and say we had a peach tree behind our house and it never did bloom until after I left home. But I'm just simply saying, just beating someone with a rod does not mean that the child is going to heaven.

[John Weaver] Here's another one, since you're in Proverbs. Look in Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 29. So you have to consider truth negatively, not only what is being said, but what is not being said. In Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 29, God says, seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings. He shall not stand before mean men. Does that mean that every man that is ever diligent in his business is going to stand before a king?

[John Weaver] And the answer is no. But it does mean that some men with the blessings of God because of their diligence will be promoted either before a king or a president or someone like that, some magistrate. All I'm trying to say is you have to consider what is not being said as well as what is being said. So let me give you another one. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Matthew 7 and verse 1. And I get this one all the time.

[John Weaver] And then John chapter 7. You want to look at them. Look in Matthew chapter 7. And then go ahead and turn to John 7, if you would. In Matthew chapter 7, beginning there, if you would please, looking at verse 1, look what God says, Judge not that you be not judged. For what judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you.

[John Weaver] And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, And behold, a beam is on thy own eye. Then he says, Thou hypocrite. And he goes on. So I have so many people say this verse says judge not and you are judging. Well, when you look at this context, he's talking about judging motives, he's talking about judging wickedly, he's talking about judging hypocritically. And when you look at John 7, And verse 24, look what he says. John 7 and verse 24, he says, judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. So there is an unbiblical judgment. There is also a biblical judgment. So if I see someone stealing and I say he's a thief.

[John Weaver] That's not me being judgmental. That's what the Bible calls Him. That is judging a righteous judgment. If I say that people who live in sin and wickedness and rebellion cannot please God, that's not me judging their sins. God has already done that. I'm just declaring His judgment because the Bible says, so then they that are in flesh cannot please God. So there's a difference then between an unbiblical and an ungodly judgment, and a righteous judgment.

[John Weaver] So you have to consider truth negatively, you have to consider truth positively. Let me show you, since we're in the book of John. John 7 verse 24 is a positive. When he said, Judge not according to appearance, but judge your righteous judgment. Now, watch if you would in John 6 and verse 27. Watch this, because we're going to see a negative first, and then a positive. And then you've got to consider what our Lord is saying and what is not saying. John 6, 27, labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you, for him hath God the Father sealed. So here's the negative labor not for the meat which perisheth.

[John Weaver] Now, does that mean that I'm to quit work? If I quit work, well, the Bible said, if you do not work, neither should you eat. But now He just said, labor not for the meat which perishes. But that's the negative. Watch verse 27. But for the meat which endureth an everlasting life. So He's not saying quit working. What He is saying is that the most of your time, the most of your energy should be devoted to the spiritual and not to the physical. You have to have the physical to live, which is very obvious. So I'm just simply saying, when you look at these passages, you have to consider negative and positive.

[John Weaver] How about this one in John chapter one? Let me just quote it. Verse 17, when he said, For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Was there no grace in the Old Testament? Was there no truth in the Old Testament? Well, of course there were. Everything that God has ever done was grace. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Everything God said in the Old Testament is truth. But all that is saying is the epitome, the apex of truth and grace came in the presence of Jesus Christ. So you have to consider what is being said, what is not being said as well. Now, one last one, number 13. You have to consider truth doctrinally.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles. to the little book of Philemon, which is right before the book of Hebrews. And I want you to look at this with me. I wish I had time for everyone to read this one T90 little book. And of course, it's just one chapter. And it's not only one chapter, it's only 25 verses. So, let me just tell you something about the book of Philemon very quickly. Philemon was a pastor, a preacher.

[John Weaver] He had a servant, a slave by the name of Onesimus. And Onesimus stole from Philemon and he ran away to Rome. He got thrown in a dungeon. And it just so happened he got thrown into a dungeon with the Apostle Paul. And he was converted under the teaching and preaching of the Apostle Paul. And so Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon. So I want you to look, if you would, let's begin reading verse 10. He says, I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten into my bonds, which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me, whom I have sinned again, that thou therefore receive him that is mine own bowels, whom I would have retained with me, that

[John Weaver] in thy stead he might administer unto me the bonds of the gospel, but without thy mind would I do nothing, that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly." Now, let me just ask you a question. We're not going to read all of this little book. Only 25 verses. But if I'm going to look at this book, and I'm going to consider it doctrinally, I want to see what kind of doctrine that I can find in this book. So let's look at verse 1.

[John Weaver] He says, Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy, our brother and our duty beloved and fellow laborer. So right now we already have the doctrine of suffering. Look in verse 9. He says, Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such and one as Paul the aged, and also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. So now we have the doctrine of suffering because Paul has been arrested and thrown into a dungeon. Look in verse 2. He said, Into our beloved Athia and Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house. So now you have the doctrine of the church, if you wanted to look at that. Look in verse 3. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Wow. Now you can study the doctrine of grace. Now you can study the doctrine of peace. You can also study the source of it from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in verse four. I thank my God, make a mention of thee always in my prayers.

[John Weaver] There's the biblical doctrine of prayer. You can also have the biblical doctrine of love and hospitality. Look at verse five. hearing of thy love and thy faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints, that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Then, when you look in verses 8 through 11, you have the doctrine of interposition. He says, Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee, or actually command thee, that which is convenient, Yet for love's sake I'd rather beseech thee, as being such a one as Paul the age, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ, I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom

[John Weaver] I begot into my bonds." In other words, Paul now is interposing himself between Philemon and Onesimus, and he's saying, I want you To be reconciled, which would bring me to this, verse 12 would be the doctrine of reconciliation. He said, look in verse 12, he says, whom I have sent again that thou receive him that is mine own bowels. There's the doctrine of reconciliation. Look at verses 18 and 19. Here is the doctrine of imputation. He said, if he hath wronged thee, which you know he did, because he stole from him, if he hath wronged thee or with thee, put that on mine account. I, Paul, have written it with mine own hand. I will repay it, albeit I do not say to thee how thou o'st unto me, even thine own self besides. In other words, Philemon, you were converted under my ministry. But whatever Onesimus owes you, I will pay.

[John Weaver] I'm taking his debt as my debt. Now, there's another very important doctrine here. You say, what is it? It's the doctrine of biblical slavery. You see, Onesimus was a slave. He was a runaway slave. And when he got converted, Paul sent him back. Ah! But there's a special connection. I want you to look in your Bibles in verse 15 and 16. We read it earlier. I don't know if you caught it. Look in verse 15. Paul writes, for perhaps he that is Onesimus therefore departed for a season that thou shouldest receive him forever. Not now as a servant or a slave.

[John Weaver] That's what the word doulos is. But above a servant, or a slave, a brother beloved, specially to me, that is, he was converted under Paul's ministry, but how much more unto thee both in the flesh and in the Lord? So Onesimus was Philemon's fleshly brother." Now you're going to ask, how could a man hold his own brother as a slave? And the answer is very easily and very readily.

[John Weaver] When you understand biblical slavery, when you get to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 15, those Hebrew men and women who were slaves could be slaves for six years and the seventh year they were to be set free, but they were not to be sent away empty. In other words, everything that they had Everything that they could take with them, you had to supply them.

[John Weaver] Now, let me point it out like this. There were many ways that you could be a slave in the Bible. You could be captured in war and enslaved. Now, I don't know about you, but if I got captured in a war, I'd rather be a slave than be killed. You know, but a lot of them. But also in the Bible, if you would take the time to read Deuteronomy 15, if you would take the time to read Leviticus 23 and 24, You will find out that when a man was incompetent, when he was not frugal, when he did not know exactly what he was doing, oftentimes he'd get

[John Weaver] in dead over his head and he would sell himself into slavery. That is why you also had in the Bible the kinsman redeemer, where he would come and redeem, if necessary, and if possible, the one who sold himself into slavery. So what would happen when someone sold themselves into slavery? They were there for six years under the tutelage and under the training of the man who was successful. And so after the end of six years and the seventh year, the slave was to be released. So here, Onesimus evidently was one of those rotten apples.

[John Weaver] Because he had to be to steal from his own brother, to run away when his brother was trying to help him. So the point I'm trying to make is there's a vast difference between human slavery or humanistic slavery and biblical slavery. And when we stop and think about slavery, everybody says, oh, slavery is so awful. Did you know that most people were slaves themselves? Yeah. Do you remember Proverbs 22 and verse 7, the rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant or slave to the lender. Look how many people are in debt, in debt up to their eyeballs. There's a young couple that lives near us. I met him.

[John Weaver] I did not meet her. But I get so tickled, I told Alice, I said, you know, That young couple, they either have a lot of money or they're in debt over their eyeballs. I mean, they got fancy cars, they got boats, they got side-by-sides, they got four-wheelers. How do you get all that when you're in your twenties and thirties? Either you got plenty of money or you're in debt. And what we don't realize is when we're in debt, we're actually working for someone else. We are their slave.

[John Weaver] So you have in the book of Philemon, the biblical doctrine of slavery. I certainly hadn't fleshed it out. There's a lot in the Bible over that. But I'm just simply pointing out, when you consider truth, consider it doctrinally. In 25 verses, I just pointed out a number of doctrines, and there's probably more. So I'm just saying we need to consider truth like that.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you a little application. Here's a suggestion. that I'd like to offer you for studying the Bible, reading your Bible. I suggest that you take a small book, either in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, something six chapters or less, seven or eight at the most. And you take that book and you read that book all the way through every day for 30 days. Whenever I preach through a book, I never, ever even begin to attempt preaching until I've read through that book at least 30 times straight. OK? Now, if you will take that book and read through it every day for 30 days, there are several things that are going to happen. The first thing that's going to happen is this. Your Bible is going to automatically open to that book every time you open your Bible. The second thing that's going to happen is this. You're going to see the author. You're going to see the theme. You're going to see the characters. You're going to see the purpose of that book.

[John Weaver] You're going to see all kind of details that you've never ever imagined. The third thing is this. If you pay attention while you are reading, and you notice the verses, and you notice the chapters, You will automatically memorize Scripture without even trying. Because once you read it over and over for 30 days, and you pay attention, you will memorize Scripture. I can quote Scripture today from reading through the book of Galatians 30 years ago. Reading it through every day for 30 days. And I did not necessarily try to memorize the Scripture. It just stuck with me as I kept reading it over and over and over. So I'm just simply saying, we need to consider truth, but we need to make sure that we're reading something that we can pay attention to and comprehend as well.

[John Weaver] So by way of application, understand this, the Bible has been given to us not only to read and study, but also to enjoy and to obey. And it is impossible for you to obey something that you are totally ignorant concerning. No. You have to know in order to obey. And if you and I are going to walk pleasing to the Lord, we must know what pleases Him.

[John Weaver] And here's the great part. When we're reading and when we're considering truth, and the Lord illuminates our mind, and He opens our eyes, And then all of a sudden, the Scripture becomes alive to us. And we say, would you look at that? I've never seen that before. I never understood that before. But here it is as plain as day. And the next thing you know, you're beginning to praise Him. You're beginning to worship Him. You're beginning to thank Him for truth. It's kind of like that man that was born blind in John chapter 9, whom our Lord healed.

[John Weaver] And the Pharisee said, tell us how He did this. He said, I've told you one time and you didn't believe. If I told you again, you probably wouldn't listen to me. But one thing I do know, that where I was blind, I now see. And when God opens our eyes and we see, It makes everything come alive, and we can say with him, now I see, now I understand. We need to learn to consider truth each of these 13 ways as we read through the scripture, contemplating, meditating, chewing the cud, so to speak, so that we can digest everything from the Word of God. Let's pray.

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And Lord, we do pray that You would teach us, help us, Lord, to study. And Lord, may it be so enjoyable and so rich to us that we would not only glory in Thee, but in Thy truth as well. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

How to Study and Learn Biblical Truths - Part 7

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	5222181507772
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness: Sola Fide And Justification
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-05-01
Dictation Name
Book	Book 065: Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture — Chapter 7
Source Timed Segments	82

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Review

Weaver introduces the sermon as part seven of the series, reviewing previously covered ways to consider truth and noting he will finish the point on considering truth expositorily.

So if you'll open your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 2, after today, there'll be two more messages in this series, Lord willing. And we're going to continue with lesson number seven on how to study and learn biblical truth. We finished number six the last time. And so there is a continuation. Actually, I was covering 13 ways to consider truth. And so we've covered a number of these ways, and I hope that you've written them down. If you have not, I trust that you will go back and listen to the messages and write them down. But each time you read a passage, each time you look at a verse, it would certainly be wise to consider that in the ways that we've covered. So far, we've covered the fact that we need to consider truth linguistically, historically, judicially or legally, experientially, and then we ended when I was talking about considering truth expositorily or contextually. But actually, I did not get to finish that last point, and I certainly want to continue that with one more illustration in this message.

Considering Truth Expositorily: 1 Corinthians 3

Weaver provides an expository study of 1 Corinthians 3, arguing that the chapter is primarily a warning to ministers about building the church with gold, silver, and precious stones rather than wood, hay, and stubble.

I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, while we are at 2 Timothy. Let's go ahead and read chapter 2 and verse 7, where Paul says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:7

"Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things."

And then in verse 15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." So when the apostle Paul said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:7

"Consider what I say,"

and certainly we should consider what He has written under inspiration of the Scripture and under inspiration of the Spirit, but we should also consider all of that that God has written and given to us. So, I do want you to turn now to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. I think this is a very important passage and that it's one that really needs to be understood in light of common day teaching. Usually when you read this chapter, most people apply this particularly to Christians. For instance, if you would notice in verse 15 of 1 Corinthians chapter 3, he said, "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire."

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." And they're saying that, well, this means that each one of us is going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Well, the fact is that, yes, there are other passages that teach that truth. For instance, if you will hold 1 Corinthians 3, but look in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 14, at verses 10 and 12. Romans chapter 14 verses 10 and 12. Look at what the Scripture says. Romans 14 verse 10,

Scripture Reading — Romans 14:10, 12

"But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."

"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God." So very clearly we will, as Christians, stand before the judgment seat of Christ. But if you will look in your Bibles now to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, look if you would please at verses 9 and 10, you will see that truth stated very plainly again. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 9, the apostle says, "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

Now, the word for bad is the Greek word kakos, which literally means that which is bad, harmful, evil, foul, worthless, and troublesome. So he says all of the worthlessness and the foul deeds that we've done in serving Him, we will give an account for. So these are warnings basically to every Christian. But when you get to 1 Corinthians 3, I agree it is a very severe warning. But it is a warning more to preachers and pastors particularly. Let's begin reading with verse 1. Paul writes,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God."

"Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." Now, let me stop there. We're going to consider this entire chapter very quickly. But I want you to look back, please, at verse one. Paul said, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ." Now, there is in this world today that which is known as the carnal Christian theory, which is absolutely, totally unbiblical, as far as I'm concerned, absolutely, totally heretical. And the carnal Christian theory just simply says that you can be a Christian, and yet your life is a life of adultery or whoremongering or drunkenness, but you're still saved, but you're just carnal. Well, I want you to pay close attention to our text.

The carnality of these Corinthians had nothing to do with fornication, had nothing to do with theft, had nothing to do with idolatry. Look what he said. He said, "I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able, for ye are yet carnal."

Now watch, "For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?" What were they doing? They were arguing over preachers. They were being divided over preachers. Someone says, "I like the Apostle Paul. He's very intelligent." Someone says, "No, no, no, no. I like Peter. He's so fervent. He's so fiery." "No, well, I like Apollos. Apollos is very rational." Their carnality was being divided over preachers.

It was not being drunk. It was not being a fornicator. No. And so the apostle said, "There is divisions among you. There's envying. There's strife. And you're walking as men because you're fighting over preachers." So their carnality was demonstrated by their strife and their division over preachers.

Now, I want you to skip down. I want you to look, if you would please, he asks in verse 5, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" or to every minister? Not every preacher has the same talents. God gives different talents to different men. So he asks, "Who then is Paul, who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" Now watch verse 6. "I have planted," that's Paul, "Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." Now follow me. "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man" or every minister "shall receive his own reward according to his own labour." Then he says it like this in verse 9, "For we," that is all the ministers he's talking about, "for we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." So now he's dividing between the ministers and those who are being ministered unto.

So in verse 10, "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man" or every minister "take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man" or no minister "lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man" or any minister "build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work" or every minister's work "shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work" or every minister's work "of what sort it is. If any man's work" or any minister's work "abide which he hath built thereupon, he" the minister "shall receive a reward. If any man's work" or any minister's work "shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

Now, let me stop right there just for a moment. In the context, he's talking about preachers. Now, when he talks about building upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble, so if I were to ask Steve to take his truck and go out and get me a truckload of gold, silver, and precious stones, and at the same time I ask Gary to take his truck and go out and get me a truckload of wood, hay, and stubble, who would be back first? It would be Gary. Wood, hay, and stubble is everywhere. But gold, silver, and precious stones are not. So now he's talking about building a work, and whether or not you build with gold, silver, and precious stones, or whether or not you build with wood, hay, and stubble. In other words, if the minister does not take care, he is going to lose everything that he worked for because he's building with the wrong materials.

Now, look at it, if you would, in verse 16. Watch carefully. He now makes this distinction again, just like he did back in verse 9. He says, "Know ye not that ye" that is the Christians "are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man" if any minister "defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man" or no minister "deceive himself. If any man" or minister "among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise."

And then he goes on down. Look how he concludes in verse 22. He says, "...whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." But in this context, he's talking about ministers. He's giving a warning to ministers. So, the Christians are God's husbandry and building. Those who are doing the work are God's preachers. The temple of God happens to be Christians. Now, he said, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy." How do you defile a temple? How do you defile a building?

Well, let me give you an illustration. Let's suppose we had in front of us a statue of Buddha. And I'm going to defile this statue. How can I defile it? Well, I could break off an arm. I could chop off a head. I could take from it. I could vandalize it and just paint all over it and just make it to be something that it's not. That's one way to defile. But I can defile another way.

I can add to it. I could add an extra arm. I could add an extra leg. I could add an extra head. The point I'm trying to make is this. Building with wood, hay, and stubble is getting all kinds of people in the church that are unconverted. It's easy to get wood, hay, and stubble. All you have to do is provide entertainment, provide food. It's difficult to get gold, silver, and precious stones. That's accomplished far more slowly. You have to remember, in Acts chapter 2, the Bible tells us, "...and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." And the truth is, when we add as ministers, we are destroying, we are defacing, and we are defiling.

So we have to understand that everything that you consider in the Bible must not only be considered linguistically and historically, experientially, legally, judicially. It must also be considered expositorily and in the context. So when you look at 1 Corinthians chapter 3, that is a severe warning to pastors and the preachers. So, let's begin today with number six. That is, we must consider truth applicatorily. All of the scriptures are applicable.

Considering Truth Applicatorily

Weaver explains that all Scripture applies to us in some way, using 1 Corinthians 10 as an example where Paul applies Old Testament events to the Corinthian church.

That is, they apply to us. They're going to apply to us either individually, familially, societally, culturally, or even governmentally. You remember in the last message I pointed out, and I said that not all of the Scriptures were written to you, and not all of the Scriptures were written about you, but all the Scriptures were written for you. So let me give you an illustration. Since you're in 1 Corinthians, turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And I want you to note, especially the first 13 verses, I think you should see something very easily in this passage. But Paul writes these Corinthian Christians, and he says, "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." So now he's talking about Old Testament Israel and the crossing of the Red Sea. Now watch verse three.

"And did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." Now, he's talking about the wilderness wanderings. So he's got Israel crossing the Red Sea. He's got the wilderness wanderings.

Now look what he says in verse 5, "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness." I like the way he says that. Actually, God overthrew all of them except two, Joshua and Caleb. But watch what He says next in verse 6. "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." Then He says, "Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." You can read about this in Numbers 21, 22, and 23. "Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents." You can read about that. "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." Now watch verse 11. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." And then he says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." So the Apostle Paul is taking everything that happened to Old Testament Israel, and he is applying it to the Corinthian church. So we have to consider truth applicatorily. Once I said before, I'll say it again. Not all the Bible is written to us. Not all the Bible is written about us. But it was all written for us. So there is always an application.

Now, if you're writing scriptures down, you need to write down Romans 15 and verse 4. Because this passage says this, listen carefully.

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

So when he says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"whatsoever things were written aforetime,"

he's referring to the Old Testament. Everything that happened in the Old Testament happened for our learning and for our admonition.

So he tells us we have to consider not only expositionally and contextually, but we must consider it applicatorily because it is going to apply in some manner. Now, I'm going to give you seven and eight together because these two go together. In fact, several of these are going to go together. But the first one is this. We not only need to consider truth applicatorily, we need to consider truth heavenly and humanly.

Considering Truth Heavenly and Humanly

Weaver discusses the need to see both the divine and human sides of truth, citing John 6:37, Titus 1:1-3, and 1 Peter 1:20.

Let me say this another way. We need to consider truth heavenly, that is the divine side, and then we need to consider truth humanly, that is the human side. So, let's work these together. So, look in your Bibles, if you would, to John 6 and verse 37. John 6 and verse 37. Then we'll go to the book of Titus. Look in John 6 and verse 37. So here's what I mean by the heavenly side and then the human side.

Our Lord says, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." That is the heavenly side. We were given to Jesus Christ in eternity past. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." You can read about that in Hebrews 13, 20 and 21 about that eternal covenant between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. So it says, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." That's heavenly. "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." That's humanly. There's the human side. In other words, just because God is divinely foreordained and gave us to Jesus Christ does not mean that we must not come to Him savingly. We must come to Him. So there is a divine side. There is a human side. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Titus, chapter 1. Titus, chapter 1.

And notice, if you would, beginning there with verse 1. Once again, here, we're going to cover the two points. We're going to see the heavenly side and then the human side. So watch this. Titus chapter one, verse one,

Scripture Reading — Titus 1:1-3

"Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."

So you have to ask your question, to whom did God promise eternal life before the world began? Well, He promised it to us. How did He promise it to us? In Jesus Christ.

Read 2 Timothy 1, verses 8 and 9. Again, you would have to remember Hebrews 13, verses 20 and 21. Here he is in verse 2, "...in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." Now here's the human side. Look in verse 3, "...but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour." So how do we know about the divine side? And the answer is because God ordained it to be revealed and the human side to declare it and preach it and manifest it. So you have a heavenly side, you have a human side.

Let me give you another illustration. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter, chapter one and verse 20. 1 Peter, chapter one, verse 20. And here, of course, we're talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. And let's begin reading verse 18, just so you can see the context. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:18-20

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,"

that's heavenly,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:18-20

"but was manifest in these last times for you,"

that would be humanly. So, you're going to have to consider truth from the heavenly standpoint, also from the human standpoint. A lot of these things kind of run together, but yet there is indeed a difference.

of the world, that's heavenly, but was manifest in these last times for you, that would be humanly. So, you're going to have to consider truth from the heavenly standpoint, also from the human standpoint. A lot of these things kind of run together, but yet there is indeed a difference.

Considering Truth Eternally and Temporally

Weaver contrasts God's eternal purposes with His temporal revelations, using Ephesians 3:11, Acts 2:23, Acts 4:26-29, 2 Timothy 1:8-9, and Deuteronomy 29:29.

Now, let me give you nine and ten, because these two go together as well. We need to consider truth eternally. That is God's purpose. And we must consider truth temporally. That is God's revelation in time. You can almost see these two, especially in 1 Peter and in Titus as well. But I want you to go back in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Ephesians chapter 3.

Let me show you what I'm talking about. Ephesians 3, verse 11. Then we're going to go to the book of Acts, because I'm going to show you all of these considering truth eternally, that is, considering God's purpose. He said in Ephesians 3, verse 11,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 3:11

"According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

And I want you to note that the word purpose is singular.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 3:11

"According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Now this is an eternal truth. Only God can purpose one thing and it includes everything. So we're talking about an eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus. Now if you'll go back in your Bibles to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. Look in Acts 2, beginning there with verse 23. Acts 2, verse 23. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 22. Here it is.

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." But note, if you would, here again is that eternal purpose, "him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." Now look in your Bibles to Acts 4, verses 26-29. Look at it. Acts 4, verse 26. In fact, actually, this is part of it, a quote from Psalm 2. Verse 26,

Scripture Reading — Acts 4:26-29

"The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."

So not one thing happened to Jesus Christ that was not eternally purposed by God the Father before the world ever began. Now, I mentioned this verse.

I want you to turn to it. Look in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 1. So we're talking about the eternal purpose of God. So here it is in 2 Timothy 1. And look if you would at verses 8 and 9. 2 Timothy 1, verse 8. Paul writes Timothy and he says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 1:8-9

"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God."

Now here's the eternal purpose.

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 1:8-9

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."

So it's impossible to consider these verses that I've just read without considering the eternal purpose of God. God purposed something before the foundation of the world. He says it plainly, clearly. So we have to consider His eternal purpose. I want you to turn in your Old Testament to Deuteronomy 29, 29.

I'm going to show you several passages at how we should now consider truth also temporally. In fact, there will be many passages in the New Testament as well. But notice Deuteronomy 29 and verse 29. Look at this. Deuteronomy 29, verse 29,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 29:29

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God."

That's His eternal counsel. That's His eternal purpose. We have no business sneaking a peek into those things. That's His business.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 29:29

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."

So there is that eternal purpose, which the only way that we know it is either when it's revealed in Scripture or it comes to pass in time and history. But what he's saying is we do not concern ourselves with that which has not been revealed. We concern ourselves with that which has been revealed temporally in time and in history.

that we may do all the words of this law. So there is that eternal purpose, which the only way that we know it is either when it's revealed in Scripture or it comes to pass in time and history. But what he's saying is we do not concern ourselves with that which has not been revealed. We concern ourselves with that which has been revealed temporarily in time and in history.

So, I want you to look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. You'll see this again. Romans 8 and verse 18. I want you to note, if you would, how truth is given to us here temporally. Romans 8 and verse 18. He makes this statement.

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:18

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time"

there it is, temporal

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:18

"are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

There of the eternal. So you have a temporal aspect, you have an eternal aspect. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verses 17 and 18. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 17 and 18. Watch this carefully. Verse 17, the apostle says, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." So there are distinctions in the Bible between the temporal and the eternal.

So you have to consider truth from both aspects. So, we've looked at the fact that we must consider truth eternally and temporally. Let me give you two more that go together. We must consider truth negatively and positively. I've said this many, many times, wherever you find a negative in the Bible, you should always ask what the positive is. "Thou shalt not kill." The positive would be thou shalt preserve life. "Thou shalt not commit adultery." The positive is thou shalt live a sanctified, pure and holy life. Anytime you find a positive in the Bible, you should also ask what is the negative?

Considering Truth Negatively and Positively

Weaver teaches that for every negative command there is a positive implication, and vice versa, illustrating with Proverbs 18:22, Proverbs 23:13, Proverbs 22:29, Matthew 7:1, and John 7:24.

Because you cannot have one without the other. So let me give you some illustrations concerning truth and considering truth negatively. Here's one, Proverbs 18 in verse 22. Let me just quote it. God says, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord." Well, let me ask you a question. Did Ahab find a good thing in Jezebel? And the answer is no. How about Solomon? Did he find a good thing in all of hundreds of his wives? Answer's no. Well, when I look at this verse, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord," I know plenty of men that have found a wife that didn't find a good thing. And I know plenty of women that found a husband that didn't find a good thing.

So how do we understand this? Well, we have to understand it in the sense that the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 19, verse 14, that a prudent wife is from the Lord. And then when you read Proverbs chapter 31, what he is saying is, with God's blessing and God's appointment, he that finds a wife that is a prudent wife, a godly wife, one that is from the Lord, finds a very good thing. So when you consider this, you have to consider it negatively as well as positively. Let me show you another one. Look in your Bible at this one. Look in Proverbs chapter 23 and verse 13. Proverbs 23, verse 13. You have to understand what he is not saying, as well as what he is saying. So look in Proverbs 23 and verse 13.

God says, "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." So let me ask you a question. What is being said is important. But what is not being said is just as important. When you read this verse, does that mean that every child that has ever been disciplined with a rod is going to heaven? And the answer is, of course not. If you took this verse literally, then one of the best means of evangelism would be to grab a rod and go out on the street and just start beating people, especially kids. Obviously, that's not what that means. What it does mean is very simple. Let me just say this. I know people that have disciplined their children, and they turn out to be hellions.

What he is saying is this, a man that disciplines his child consistently, regularly, with the blessings of God upon that discipline, eventually that child will not only be turned around, but in all probability be converted. My father was very consistent in his discipline, I can assure you. I usually laugh and say we had a peach tree behind our house and it never did bloom until after I left home. But I'm just simply saying, just beating someone with a rod does not mean that the child is going to heaven. Here's another one, since you're in Proverbs. Look in Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 29. So you have to consider truth negatively, not only what is being said, but what is not being said. In Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 29, God says, "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men." Does that mean that every man that is ever diligent in his business is going to stand before a king?

And the answer is no. But it does mean that some men with the blessings of God because of their diligence will be promoted either before a king or a president or someone like that, some magistrate. All I'm trying to say is you have to consider what is not being said as well as what is being said. So let me give you another one. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Matthew 7 and verse 1. And I get this one all the time. And then John chapter 7. You want to look at them. Look in Matthew chapter 7. And then go ahead and turn to John 7, if you would. In Matthew chapter 7, beginning there, if you would please, looking at verse 1, look what God says, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite." And he goes on. So I have so many people say this verse says judge not and you are judging. Well, when you look at this context, he's talking about judging motives, he's talking about judging wickedly, he's talking about judging hypocritically. And when you look at John 7, and verse 24, look what he says. John 7 and verse 24, he says, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." So there is an unbiblical judgment. There is also a biblical judgment. So if I see someone stealing and I say he's a thief, that's not me being judgmental. That's what the Bible calls him. That is judging a righteous judgment. If I say that people who live in sin and wickedness and rebellion cannot please God, that's not me judging their sins. God has already done that. I'm just declaring His judgment because the Bible says, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." So there's a difference then between an unbiblical and an ungodly judgment, and a righteous judgment.

That's not me being judgmental. That's what the Bible calls Him. That is judging a righteous judgment. If I say that people who live in sin and wickedness and rebellion cannot please God, that's not me judging their sins. God has already done that. I'm just declaring His judgment because the Bible says, so then they that are in flesh cannot please God. So there's a difference then between an unbiblical and an ungodly judgment, and a righteous judgment.

So you have to consider truth negatively, you have to consider truth positively. Let me show you, since we're in the book of John. John 7 verse 24 is a positive. When he said, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." Now, watch if you would in John 6 and verse 27. Watch this, because we're going to see a negative first, and then a positive. And then you've got to consider what our Lord is saying and what is not saying. John 6, 27, "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." So here's the negative: "Labour not for the meat which perisheth."

Now, does that mean that I'm to quit work? If I quit work, well, the Bible said, "If any would not work, neither should he eat." But now He just said, "Labour not for the meat which perisheth." But that's the negative. Watch verse 27. "But for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life." So He's not saying quit working. What He is saying is that the most of your time, the most of your energy should be devoted to the spiritual and not to the physical. You have to have the physical to live, which is very obvious. So I'm just simply saying, when you look at these passages, you have to consider negative and positive.

How about this one in John chapter one? Let me just quote it. Verse 17, when he said, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Was there no grace in the Old Testament? Was there no truth in the Old Testament? Well, of course there were. Everything that God has ever done was grace. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Everything God said in the Old Testament is truth. But all that is saying is the epitome, the apex of truth and grace came in the presence of Jesus Christ. So you have to consider what is being said, what is not being said as well. Now, one last one, number 13. You have to consider truth doctrinally.

Considering Truth Doctrinally

Weaver uses the book of Philemon to show how a short book contains many doctrines, such as suffering, the church, grace, prayer, interposition, reconciliation, imputation, and biblical slavery.

I want you to turn in your Bibles to the little book of Philemon, which is right before the book of Hebrews. And I want you to look at this with me. I wish I had time for everyone to read this one tiny little book. And of course, it's just one chapter. And it's not only one chapter, it's only 25 verses. So, let me just tell you something about the book of Philemon very quickly. Philemon was a pastor, a preacher.

He had a servant, a slave by the name of Onesimus. And Onesimus stole from Philemon and he ran away to Rome. He got thrown in a dungeon. And it just so happened he got thrown into a dungeon with the Apostle Paul. And he was converted under the teaching and preaching of the Apostle Paul. And so Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon. So I want you to look, if you would, let's begin reading verse 10. He says, "I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels: whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel: but without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly."

Now, let me just ask you a question. We're not going to read all of this little book. Only 25 verses. But if I'm going to look at this book, and I'm going to consider it doctrinally, I want to see what kind of doctrine that I can find in this book. So let's look at verse 1. He says, "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer." So right now we already have the doctrine of suffering. Look in verse 9. He says, "Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ." So now we have the doctrine of suffering because Paul has been arrested and thrown into a dungeon. Look in verse 2. He said, "And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house." So now you have the doctrine of the church, if you wanted to look at that. Look in verse 3. "Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Wow. Now you can study the doctrine of grace. Now you can study the doctrine of peace. You can also study the source of it from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in verse four. "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers." There's the biblical doctrine of prayer. You can also have the biblical doctrine of love and hospitality. Look at verse five. "Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Then, when you look in verses 8 through 11, you have the doctrine of interposition. He says, "Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds." In other words, Paul now is interposing himself between Philemon and Onesimus, and he's saying, "I want you to be reconciled," which would bring me to this, verse 12 would be the doctrine of reconciliation. He said, look in verse 12, he says, "Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels." There's the doctrine of reconciliation. Look at verses 18 and 19. Here is the doctrine of imputation. He said, "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account; I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides." In other words, Philemon, you were converted under my ministry. But whatever Onesimus owes you, I will pay.

There's the biblical doctrine of prayer. You can also have the biblical doctrine of love and hospitality. Look at verse five. hearing of thy love and thy faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints, that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Then, when you look in verses 8 through 11, you have the doctrine of interposition. He says, Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee, or actually command thee, that which is convenient, Yet for love's sake I'd rather beseech thee, as being such a one as Paul the age, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ, I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I begot into my bonds." In other words, Paul now is interposing himself between Philemon and Onesimus, and he's saying, I want you To be reconciled, which would bring me to this, verse 12 would be the doctrine of reconciliation. He said, look in verse 12, he says, whom I have sent again that thou receive him that is mine own bowels. There's the doctrine of reconciliation. Look at verses 18 and 19. Here is the doctrine of imputation. He said, if he hath wronged thee, which you know he did, because he stole from him, if he hath wronged thee or with thee, put that on mine account. I, Paul, have written it with mine own hand. I will repay it, albeit I do not say to thee how thou o'st unto me, even thine own self besides. In other words, Philemon, you were converted under my ministry. But whatever Onesimus owes you, I will pay.

I'm taking his debt as my debt. Now, there's another very important doctrine here. You say, what is it? It's the doctrine of biblical slavery. You see, Onesimus was a slave. He was a runaway slave. And when he got converted, Paul sent him back. Ah! But there's a special connection. I want you to look in your Bibles in verse 15 and 16. We read it earlier. I don't know if you caught it. Look in verse 15. Paul writes, "For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; not now as a servant," or a slave, that's what the word doulos is, "but above a servant," or a slave, "a brother beloved, specially to me," that is, he was converted under Paul's ministry, "but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?" So Onesimus was Philemon's fleshly brother. Now you're going to ask, how could a man hold his own brother as a slave? And the answer is very easily and very readily.

That's what the word doulos is. But above a servant, or a slave, a brother beloved, specially to me, that is, he was converted under Paul's ministry, but how much more unto thee both in the flesh and in the Lord? So Onesimus was Philemon's fleshly brother." Now you're going to ask, how could a man hold his own brother as a slave? And the answer is very easily and very readily.

When you understand biblical slavery, when you get to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 15, those Hebrew men and women who were slaves could be slaves for six years and the seventh year they were to be set free, but they were not to be sent away empty. In other words, everything that they had, everything that they could take with them, you had to supply them. Now, let me point it out like this. There were many ways that you could be a slave in the Bible. You could be captured in war and enslaved. Now, I don't know about you, but if I got captured in a war, I'd rather be a slave than be killed. You know, but a lot of them. But also in the Bible, if you would take the time to read Deuteronomy 15, if you would take the time to read Leviticus 23 and 24, you will find out that when a man was incompetent, when he was not frugal, when he did not know exactly what he was doing, oftentimes he'd get in debt over his head and he would sell himself into slavery. That is why you also had in the Bible the kinsman redeemer, where he would come and redeem, if necessary, and if possible, the one who sold himself into slavery. So what would happen when someone sold themselves into slavery? They were there for six years under the tutelage and under the training of the man who was successful. And so after the end of six years and the seventh year, the slave was to be released. So here, Onesimus evidently was one of those rotten apples.

in dead over his head and he would sell himself into slavery. That is why you also had in the Bible the kinsman redeemer, where he would come and redeem, if necessary, and if possible, the one who sold himself into slavery. So what would happen when someone sold themselves into slavery? They were there for six years under the tutelage and under the training of the man who was successful. And so after the end of six years and the seventh year, the slave was to be released. So here, Onesimus evidently was one of those rotten apples. Because he had to be to steal from his own brother, to run away when his brother was trying to help him. So the point I'm trying to make is there's a vast difference between human slavery or humanistic slavery and biblical slavery. And when we stop and think about slavery, everybody says, "Oh, slavery is so awful." Did you know that most people were slaves themselves? Yeah. Do you remember Proverbs 22 and verse 7, "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Look how many people are in debt, in debt up to their eyeballs. There's a young couple that lives near us. I met him.

I did not meet her. But I get so tickled, I told Alice, I said, "You know, that young couple, they either have a lot of money or they're in debt over their eyeballs. I mean, they got fancy cars, they got boats, they got side-by-sides, they got four-wheelers. How do you get all that when you're in your twenties and thirties? Either you got plenty of money or you're in debt." And what we don't realize is when we're in debt, we're actually working for someone else. We are their slave.

So you have in the book of Philemon, the biblical doctrine of slavery. I certainly haven't fleshed it out. There's a lot in the Bible over that. But I'm just simply pointing out, when you consider truth, consider it doctrinally. In 25 verses, I just pointed out a number of doctrines, and there's probably more. So I'm just saying we need to consider truth like that.

Now, let me give you a little application. Here's a suggestion that I'd like to offer you for studying the Bible, reading your Bible. I suggest that you take a small book, either in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, something six chapters or less, seven or eight at the most. And you take that book and you read that book all the way through every day for 30 days. Whenever I preach through a book, I never, ever even begin to attempt preaching until I've read through that book at least 30 times straight. OK? Now, if you will take that book and read through it every day for 30 days, there are several things that are going to happen. The first thing that's going to happen is this. Your Bible is going to automatically open to that book every time you open your Bible. The second thing that's going to happen is this. You're going to see the author. You're going to see the theme. You're going to see the characters. You're going to see the purpose of that book.

Practical Application: 30-Day Reading Method

Weaver suggests reading a short book of the Bible every day for 30 days to gain familiarity, see themes and details, and memorize Scripture effortlessly.

You're going to see all kind of details that you've never ever imagined. The third thing is this. If you pay attention while you are reading, and you notice the verses, and you notice the chapters, you will automatically memorize Scripture without even trying. Because once you read it over and over for 30 days, and you pay attention, you will memorize Scripture. I can quote Scripture today from reading through the book of Galatians 30 years ago. Reading it through every day for 30 days. And I did not necessarily try to memorize the Scripture. It just stuck with me as I kept reading it over and over and over. So I'm just simply saying, we need to consider truth, but we need to make sure that we're reading something that we can pay attention to and comprehend as well.

So by way of application, understand this, the Bible has been given to us not only to read and study, but also to enjoy and to obey. And it is impossible for you to obey something that you are totally ignorant concerning. No. You have to know in order to obey. And if you and I are going to walk pleasing to the Lord, we must know what pleases Him.

Conclusion and Prayer

Weaver concludes by emphasizing the joy of understanding Scripture and leads a closing prayer.

And here's the great part. When we're reading and when we're considering truth, and the Lord illuminates our mind, and He opens our eyes, and then all of a sudden, the Scripture becomes alive to us. And we say, "Would you look at that? I've never seen that before. I never understood that before. But here it is as plain as day." And the next thing you know, you're beginning to praise Him. You're beginning to worship Him. You're beginning to thank Him for truth. It's kind of like that man that was born blind in John chapter 9, whom our Lord healed.

And the Pharisee said, "Tell us how He did this." He said, "I've told you one time and you didn't believe. If I told you again, you probably wouldn't listen to me. But one thing I do know, that where I was blind, I now see." And when God opens our eyes and we see, it makes everything come alive, and we can say with him, "Now I see, now I understand." We need to learn to consider truth each of these 13 ways as we read through the scripture, contemplating, meditating, chewing the cud, so to speak, so that we can digest everything from the Word of God. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And Lord, we do pray that You would teach us, help us, Lord, to study. And Lord, may it be so enjoyable and so rich to us that we would not only glory in Thee, but in Thy truth as well. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Expository and Contextual Study

Summary: Proper Bible study requires understanding passages in their immediate and broader context, as demonstrated with 1 Corinthians 3 being a warning to ministers.

Evidence: Weaver spends significant time arguing that 1 Corinthians 3 is about ministers building the church, not individual Christians, based on the context.

Application of Scripture

Summary: All Scripture is written for our learning and admonition, even if not directly to or about us, and must be applied to our lives.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'not all of the Scriptures were written to you, and not all of the Scriptures were written about you, but all the Scriptures were written for you' and uses 1 Corinthians 10 as an example.

Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

Summary: Scripture presents both God's sovereign, eternal purposes and human actions in time, requiring believers to hold both in tension.

Evidence: Weaver pairs 'heavenly and humanly' and 'eternally and temporally' as ways to consider truth, citing John 6:37 and Titus 1:1-3.

Balanced Interpretation

Summary: Believers must consider both what Scripture says and what it does not say, looking for positive implications of negative commands and vice versa.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'wherever you find a negative in the Bible, you should always ask what the positive is' and gives examples like 'Thou shalt not kill' implying preservation of life.

Doctrinal Richness of Scripture

Summary: Even short books of the Bible contain multiple doctrines that can be discovered through careful study.

Evidence: Weaver identifies doctrines of suffering, the church, grace, prayer, interposition, reconciliation, imputation, and biblical slavery in Philemon.

Discipline in Bible Reading

Summary: Consistent, repeated reading of Scripture leads to deep familiarity, memorization, and understanding.

Evidence: Weaver recommends reading a short book daily for 30 days and shares his own practice of reading a book 30 times before preaching through it.

Key Arguments

1 Corinthians 3 is a warning to ministers, not a general judgment of believers' works.

Summary: Weaver argues that the context of 1 Corinthians 3 shows Paul is addressing ministers who build the church, and the 'wood, hay, stubble' refers to adding unconverted people through easy methods.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'In the context, he's talking about preachers' and 'Building with wood, hay, and stubble is getting all kinds of people in the church that are unconverted.'

The carnality of the Corinthians was division over preachers, not gross immorality.

Summary: Weaver points out that Paul called the Corinthians carnal because of envying, strife, and divisions over preferring different ministers, not because of fornication or drunkenness.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Their carnality was being divided over preachers. It was not being drunk. It was not being a fornicator.'

All Old Testament events serve as examples for New Testament believers.

Summary: Weaver uses 1 Corinthians 10 to show that Paul applied Israel's wilderness experiences as warnings to the Corinthian church, establishing a principle of applicatory study.

Evidence: Weaver quotes 1 Corinthians 10:11, 'Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition.'

Scripture must be understood in light of both God's eternal purpose and temporal revelation.

Summary: Weaver argues that verses like Ephesians 3:11 and Acts 2:23 show God's eternal plan, while Deuteronomy 29:29 teaches that revealed things are for our obedience.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The secret things belong unto the Lord our God... but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever.'

Biblical judgment is righteous when based on God's Word, unlike hypocritical judgment.

Summary: Weaver contrasts Matthew 7:1 ('Judge not') with John 7:24 ('judge righteous judgment') to show that not all judgment is forbidden.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If I see someone stealing and I say he's a thief, that's not me being judgmental. That's what the Bible calls him.'

The book of Philemon illustrates the doctrine of imputation through Paul's offer to pay Onesimus's debt.

Summary: Weaver highlights Philemon 18-19 as a picture of imputation, where Paul takes on the debt of Onesimus, paralleling Christ's work.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account... I'm taking his debt as my debt.'

Biblical slavery differed from modern concepts and often involved voluntary servitude for debt.

Summary: Weaver explains that in the Bible, people could sell themselves into slavery to pay debts and receive training, with release after six years.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'when a man was incompetent... he'd get in debt over his head and he would sell himself into slavery... under the tutelage and under the training of the man who was successful.'

Repetitive reading of a Bible book leads to automatic memorization and deep insight.

Summary: Weaver shares his personal experience that reading Galatians daily for 30 days caused him to memorize Scripture without intentional effort.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'I can quote Scripture today from reading through the book of Galatians 30 years ago. Reading it through every day for 30 days.'

Scripture References

2 Timothy 2:7

Context: Paul's instruction to consider what he says, used as a theme verse for the series.

2 Timothy 2:15

Context: Command to study and rightly divide the word of truth.

1 Corinthians 3:15

Context: Part of the passage Weaver expounds as a warning to ministers about their work being tested by fire.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Context: Warning against defiling the temple of God, interpreted as ministers defiling the church.

Romans 14:10, 12

Context: Used to show that all believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:9-10

Context: Further evidence that believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Context: Paul's rebuke of the Corinthians for carnality shown in divisions over preachers.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Context: The passage about building on the foundation with various materials, applied to ministers.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Context: Paul's use of Old Testament examples as warnings for the church, illustrating applicatory study.

Romans 15:4

Context: States that things written aforetime were written for our learning.

John 6:37

Context: Illustrates the heavenly side (all the Father gives) and human side (him that cometh).

Titus 1:1-3

Context: Shows God's eternal promise and its manifestation through preaching.

1 Peter 1:18-20

Context: Christ foreordained before the foundation of the world but manifest in time.

Ephesians 3:11

Context: Reference to God's eternal purpose in Christ.

Acts 2:22-24

Context: Jesus delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.

Acts 4:26-29

Context: Herod, Pilate, and others did what God's hand and counsel determined before.

2 Timothy 1:8-9

Context: God saved us according to His own purpose and grace given in Christ before the world began.

Deuteronomy 29:29

Context: Secret things belong to God, but revealed things are for our obedience.

Romans 8:18

Context: Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with future glory.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Context: Light affliction works an eternal weight of glory; things seen are temporal, unseen eternal.

Historical References

Old Testament Israel crossing the Red Sea and wilderness wanderings

Context: Used as examples in 1 Corinthians 10 for the Corinthian church.

Ahab and Jezebel

Context: Mentioned as an example of a man who did not find a good thing in a wife, contrasting Proverbs 18:22.

Solomon and his many wives

Context: Another example of not finding a good thing in a wife despite Proverbs 18:22.

Onesimus and Philemon

Context: The historical situation behind the book of Philemon, involving a runaway slave converted under Paul.

Deuteronomy 15 and Leviticus 23-24 regarding biblical slavery

Context: Referenced to explain the practice of voluntary servitude and release in the seventh year.

Important Quotes

Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Significance: This is the key verse for the series, emphasizing the need to carefully consider Scripture.

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Significance: Foundational command for diligent Bible study and proper interpretation.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Significance: Establishes the principle that Old Testament events are applicable to New Testament believers.

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Significance: Teaches that believers should focus on what God has revealed rather than speculating about hidden purposes.

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Significance: Clarifies that not all judgment is forbidden; believers are to make righteous judgments based on God's Word.

If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account; I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it.

Significance: A powerful illustration of the doctrine of imputation, where Paul takes on Onesimus's debt.

One thing I do know, that where I was blind, I now see.

Significance: Used to describe the joy of spiritual understanding when God opens a believer's eyes to truth.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding 1 Corinthians 3 as a warning to ministers change your view of the passage?

Context: Weaver argues that the chapter is about preachers building the church with proper materials.

In what ways can we apply Old Testament narratives to our lives without allegorizing them?

Context: Weaver uses 1 Corinthians 10 to show Paul's applicatory use of Israel's history.

How do you balance the tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibility in your own faith?

Context: Weaver presents John 6:37 as an example of both heavenly and human sides.

What are some practical ways to focus on God's revealed will rather than speculating about hidden things?

Context: Weaver cites Deuteronomy 29:29 to emphasize obedience to what is revealed.

How can we practice righteous judgment without falling into hypocrisy?

Context: Weaver contrasts Matthew 7:1 with John 7:24.

What doctrines can you identify in a short book like Philemon, and how does that enrich your reading?

Context: Weaver demonstrates finding multiple doctrines in Philemon.

Have you ever tried reading a book of the Bible repeatedly for 30 days? What was the result?

Context: Weaver recommends this method for deep familiarity and memorization.

How does the doctrine of imputation in Philemon help you understand Christ's work on your behalf?

Context: Weaver highlights Paul's offer to pay Onesimus's debt as a picture of imputation.

Applications

Read Scripture in context

Summary: Always consider the immediate and broader context of a passage to avoid misinterpretation, as demonstrated with 1 Corinthians 3.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'everything that you consider in the Bible must not only be considered linguistically and historically... It must also be considered expositorily and in the context.'

Apply all Scripture to your life

Summary: Recognize that while not all Scripture is written to you, it is all written for your learning and admonition.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'not all of the Scriptures were written to you... but all the Scriptures were written for you.'

Look for both divine and human aspects in Scripture

Summary: When studying, identify what reveals God's sovereign plan and what shows human action and responsibility.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We need to consider truth heavenly, that is the divine side, and then we need to consider truth humanly.'

Focus on revealed truth for obedience

Summary: Do not speculate about God's secret purposes; instead, obey what He has clearly revealed in Scripture.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Deuteronomy 29:29 and says, 'we do not concern ourselves with that which has not been revealed. We concern ourselves with that which has been revealed.'

Consider both negative and positive implications of commands

Summary: For every 'thou shalt not,' ask what positive duty is implied, and for every positive command, consider what sin is forbidden.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'wherever you find a negative in the Bible, you should always ask what the positive is.'

Study Scripture doctrinally

Summary: Even short books contain rich doctrinal truths; look for them as you read.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'when you consider truth, consider it doctrinally. In 25 verses, I just pointed out a number of doctrines.'

Read a Bible book repeatedly for 30 days

Summary: Choose a short book and read it daily for a month to gain deep familiarity, see themes, and memorize Scripture.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'I suggest that you take a small book... and you read that book all the way through every day for 30 days.'

Obey what you learn from Scripture

Summary: The goal of study is not just knowledge but obedience and enjoyment of God's truth.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'the Bible has been given to us not only to read and study, but also to enjoy and to obey.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T21:49:12Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:39:18Z

Clean Transcript

How to Study and Learn Biblical Truths - Part 7

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

So if you'll open your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 2, after today, there'll be two more messages in this series, Lord willing. And we're going to continue with lesson number seven on how to study and learn biblical truth. We finished number six the last time. And so there is a continuation. Actually, I was covering 13 ways to consider truth. And so we've covered a number of these ways, and I hope that you've written them down. If you have not, I trust that you will go back and listen to the messages and write them down. But each time you read a passage, each time you look at a verse, it would certainly be wise to consider that in the ways that we've covered. So far, we've covered the fact that we need to consider truth linguistically, historically, judicially or legally, experientially, and then we ended when I was talking about considering truth expositorily or contextually. But actually, I did not get to finish that last point, and I certainly want to continue that with one more illustration in this message.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, while we are at 2 Timothy. Let's go ahead and read chapter 2 and verse 7, where Paul says, "Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." And then in verse 15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." So when the apostle Paul said, "Consider what I say," and certainly we should consider what He has written under inspiration of the Scripture and under inspiration of the Spirit, but we should also consider all of that that God has written and given to us. So, I do want you to turn now to 1 Corinthians chapter 3.
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I think this is a very important passage and that it's one that really needs to be understood in light of common day teaching. Usually when you read this chapter, most people apply this particularly to Christians. For instance, if you would notice in verse 15 of 1 Corinthians chapter 3, he said, "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire."
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"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." And they're saying that, well, this means that each one of us is going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Well, the fact is that, yes, there are other passages that teach that truth.
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For instance, if you will hold 1 Corinthians 3, but look in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 14, at verses 10 and 12. Romans chapter 14 verses 10 and 12. Look at what the Scripture says. Romans 14 verse 10, "But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."
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"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God." So very clearly we will, as Christians, stand before the judgment seat of Christ. But if you will look in your Bibles now to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, look if you would please at verses 9 and 10, you will see that truth stated very plainly again. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 9, the apostle says, "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
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Now, the word for bad is the Greek word kakos, which literally means that which is bad, harmful, evil, foul, worthless, and troublesome. So he says all of the worthlessness and the foul deeds that we've done in serving Him, we will give an account for. So these are warnings basically to every Christian. But when you get to 1 Corinthians 3, I agree it is a very severe warning. But it is a warning more to preachers and pastors particularly.
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Let's begin reading with verse 1. Paul writes, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God."
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"Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon."
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Now, let me stop there. We're going to consider this entire chapter very quickly. But I want you to look back, please, at verse one. Paul said, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ." Now, there is in this world today that which is known as the carnal Christian theory, which is absolutely, totally unbiblical, as far as I'm concerned, absolutely, totally heretical. And the carnal Christian theory just simply says that you can be a Christian, and yet your life is a life of adultery or whoremongering or drunkenness, but you're still saved, but you're just carnal. Well, I want you to pay close attention to our text.
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The carnality of these Corinthians had nothing to do with fornication, had nothing to do with theft, had nothing to do with idolatry. Look what he said. He said, "I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able, for ye are yet carnal."
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Now watch, "For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?" What were they doing? They were arguing over preachers. They were being divided over preachers. Someone says, "I like the Apostle Paul. He's very intelligent." Someone says, "No, no, no, no. I like Peter. He's so fervent. He's so fiery." "No, well, I like Apollos. Apollos is very rational." Their carnality was being divided over preachers.
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It was not being drunk. It was not being a fornicator. No. And so the apostle said, "There is divisions among you. There's envying. There's strife. And you're walking as men because you're fighting over preachers." So their carnality was demonstrated by their strife and their division over preachers.
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Now, I want you to skip down. I want you to look, if you would please, he asks in verse 5, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" or to every minister? Not every preacher has the same talents. God gives different talents to different men. So he asks, "Who then is Paul, who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" Now watch verse 6. "I have planted," that's Paul, "Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." Now follow me. "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man" or every minister "shall receive his own reward according to his own labour." Then he says it like this in verse 9, "For we," that is all the ministers he's talking about, "for we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." So now he's dividing between the ministers and those who are being ministered unto.
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So in verse 10, "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man" or every minister "take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man" or no minister "lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man" or any minister "build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work" or every minister's work "shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work" or every minister's work "of what sort it is. If any man's work" or any minister's work "abide which he hath built thereupon, he" the minister "shall receive a reward. If any man's work" or any minister's work "shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
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Now, let me stop right there just for a moment. In the context, he's talking about preachers.
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Now, when he talks about building upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble, so if I were to ask Steve to take his truck and go out and get me a truckload of gold, silver, and precious stones, and at the same time I ask Gary to take his truck and go out and get me a truckload of wood, hay, and stubble, who would be back first? It would be Gary. Wood, hay, and stubble is everywhere. But gold, silver, and precious stones are not. So now he's talking about building a work, and whether or not you build with gold, silver, and precious stones, or whether or not you build with wood, hay, and stubble. In other words, if the minister does not take care, he is going to lose everything that he worked for because he's building with the wrong materials.
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Now, look at it, if you would, in verse 16. Watch carefully. He now makes this distinction again, just like he did back in verse 9. He says, "Know ye not that ye" that is the Christians "are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man" if any minister "defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man" or no minister "deceive himself. If any man" or minister "among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise."
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And then he goes on down. Look how he concludes in verse 22. He says, "...whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." But in this context, he's talking about ministers. He's giving a warning to ministers. So, the Christians are God's husbandry and building. Those who are doing the work are God's preachers. The temple of God happens to be Christians. Now, he said, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy." How do you defile a temple? How do you defile a building?
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Well, let me give you an illustration. Let's suppose we had in front of us a statue of Buddha. And I'm going to defile this statue. How can I defile it? Well, I could break off an arm. I could chop off a head. I could take from it. I could vandalize it and just paint all over it and just make it to be something that it's not. That's one way to defile. But I can defile another way.
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I can add to it. I could add an extra arm. I could add an extra leg. I could add an extra head. The point I'm trying to make is this. Building with wood, hay, and stubble is getting all kinds of people in the church that are unconverted. It's easy to get wood, hay, and stubble. All you have to do is provide entertainment, provide food. It's difficult to get gold, silver, and precious stones. That's accomplished far more slowly. You have to remember, in Acts chapter 2, the Bible tells us, "...and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." And the truth is, when we add as ministers, we are destroying, we are defacing, and we are defiling.
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So we have to understand that everything that you consider in the Bible must not only be considered linguistically and historically, experientially, legally, judicially. It must also be considered expositorily and in the context. So when you look at 1 Corinthians chapter 3, that is a severe warning to pastors and the preachers. So, let's begin today with number six. That is, we must consider truth applicatorily. All of the scriptures are applicable.
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That is, they apply to us. They're going to apply to us either individually, familially, societally, culturally, or even governmentally. You remember in the last message I pointed out, and I said that not all of the Scriptures were written to you, and not all of the Scriptures were written about you, but all the Scriptures were written for you. So let me give you an illustration. Since you're in 1 Corinthians, turn right over to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10.
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And I want you to note, especially the first 13 verses, I think you should see something very easily in this passage. But Paul writes these Corinthian Christians, and he says, "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." So now he's talking about Old Testament Israel and the crossing of the Red Sea. Now watch verse three.
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"And did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."
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Now, he's talking about the wilderness wanderings. So he's got Israel crossing the Red Sea. He's got the wilderness wanderings.
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Now look what he says in verse 5, "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness." I like the way he says that. Actually, God overthrew all of them except two, Joshua and Caleb. But watch what He says next in verse 6.
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"Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." Then He says, "Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." You can read about this in Numbers 21, 22, and 23. "Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents." You can read about that. "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." Now watch verse 11. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
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"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." And then he says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
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So the Apostle Paul is taking everything that happened to Old Testament Israel, and he is applying it to the Corinthian church. So we have to consider truth applicatorily. Once I said before, I'll say it again. Not all the Bible is written to us. Not all the Bible is written about us. But it was all written for us. So there is always an application.
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Now, if you're writing scriptures down, you need to write down Romans 15 and verse 4. Because this passage says this, listen carefully. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." So when he says, "whatsoever things were written aforetime," he's referring to the Old Testament. Everything that happened in the Old Testament happened for our learning and for our admonition.
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So he tells us we have to consider not only expositionally and contextually, but we must consider it applicatorily because it is going to apply in some manner. Now, I'm going to give you seven and eight together because these two go together. In fact, several of these are going to go together. But the first one is this. We not only need to consider truth applicatorily, we need to consider truth heavenly and humanly.
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Let me say this another way. We need to consider truth heavenly, that is the divine side, and then we need to consider truth humanly, that is the human side. So, let's work these together. So, look in your Bibles, if you would, to John 6 and verse 37. John 6 and verse 37. Then we'll go to the book of Titus. Look in John 6 and verse 37. So here's what I mean by the heavenly side and then the human side.
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Our Lord says, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." That is the heavenly side. We were given to Jesus Christ in eternity past. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." You can read about that in Hebrews 13, 20 and 21 about that eternal covenant between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. So it says, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." That's heavenly.
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"And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." That's humanly. There's the human side. In other words, just because God is divinely foreordained and gave us to Jesus Christ does not mean that we must not come to Him savingly. We must come to Him. So there is a divine side. There is a human side. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Titus, chapter 1. Titus, chapter 1.
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And notice, if you would, beginning there with verse 1. Once again, here, we're going to cover the two points. We're going to see the heavenly side and then the human side. So watch this. Titus chapter one, verse one, "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." So you have to ask your question, to whom did God promise eternal life before the world began? Well, He promised it to us. How did He promise it to us? In Jesus Christ.
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Read 2 Timothy 1, verses 8 and 9. Again, you would have to remember Hebrews 13, verses 20 and 21. Here he is in verse 2, "...in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."
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Now here's the human side. Look in verse 3, "...but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour." So how do we know about the divine side? And the answer is because God ordained it to be revealed and the human side to declare it and preach it and manifest it. So you have a heavenly side, you have a human side.
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Let me give you another illustration. Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter, chapter one and verse 20. 1 Peter, chapter one, verse 20. And here, of course, we're talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. And let's begin reading verse 18, just so you can see the context. He says, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world," that's heavenly, "but was manifest in these last times for you," that would be humanly. So, you're going to have to consider truth from the heavenly standpoint, also from the human standpoint. A lot of these things kind of run together, but yet there is indeed a difference.
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of the world, that's heavenly, but was manifest in these last times for you, that would be humanly. So, you're going to have to consider truth from the heavenly standpoint, also from the human standpoint. A lot of these things kind of run together, but yet there is indeed a difference.
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Now, let me give you nine and ten, because these two go together as well. We need to consider truth eternally. That is God's purpose. And we must consider truth temporally. That is God's revelation in time. You can almost see these two, especially in 1 Peter and in Titus as well. But I want you to go back in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Ephesians chapter 3.
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Let me show you what I'm talking about. Ephesians 3, verse 11. Then we're going to go to the book of Acts, because I'm going to show you all of these considering truth eternally, that is, considering God's purpose. He said in Ephesians 3, verse 11, "According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." And I want you to note that the word purpose is singular. "According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now this is an eternal truth. Only God can purpose one thing and it includes everything. So we're talking about an eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus. Now if you'll go back in your Bibles to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. Look in Acts 2, beginning there with verse 23. Acts 2, verse 23. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 22. Here it is.
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"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." But note, if you would, here again is that eternal purpose, "him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God."
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Now look in your Bibles to Acts 4, verses 26-29. Look at it. Acts 4, verse 26. In fact, actually, this is part of it, a quote from Psalm 2. Verse 26, "The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." So not one thing happened to Jesus Christ that was not eternally purposed by God the Father before the world ever began. Now, I mentioned this verse.
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I want you to turn to it. Look in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 1. So we're talking about the eternal purpose of God. So here it is in 2 Timothy 1. And look if you would at verses 8 and 9. 2 Timothy 1, verse 8. Paul writes Timothy and he says, "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God." Now here's the eternal purpose. "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." So it's impossible to consider these verses that I've just read without considering the eternal purpose of God. God purposed something before the foundation of the world. He says it plainly, clearly. So we have to consider His eternal purpose. I want you to turn in your Old Testament to Deuteronomy 29, 29.
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I'm going to show you several passages at how we should now consider truth also temporally. In fact, there will be many passages in the New Testament as well. But notice Deuteronomy 29 and verse 29. Look at this. Deuteronomy 29, verse 29, "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God." That's His eternal counsel. That's His eternal purpose. We have no business sneaking a peek into those things. That's His business. "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." So there is that eternal purpose, which the only way that we know it is either when it's revealed in Scripture or it comes to pass in time and history. But what he's saying is we do not concern ourselves with that which has not been revealed. We concern ourselves with that which has been revealed temporally in time and in history.
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that we may do all the words of this law. So there is that eternal purpose, which the only way that we know it is either when it's revealed in Scripture or it comes to pass in time and history. But what he's saying is we do not concern ourselves with that which has not been revealed. We concern ourselves with that which has been revealed temporarily in time and in history.
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So, I want you to look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. You'll see this again. Romans 8 and verse 18. I want you to note, if you would, how truth is given to us here temporally. Romans 8 and verse 18. He makes this statement. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time" there it is, temporal "are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." There of the eternal. So you have a temporal aspect, you have an eternal aspect. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verses 17 and 18. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 17 and 18. Watch this carefully. Verse 17, the apostle says, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." So there are distinctions in the Bible between the temporal and the eternal.
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So you have to consider truth from both aspects. So, we've looked at the fact that we must consider truth eternally and temporally. Let me give you two more that go together. We must consider truth negatively and positively. I've said this many, many times, wherever you find a negative in the Bible, you should always ask what the positive is. "Thou shalt not kill." The positive would be thou shalt preserve life. "Thou shalt not commit adultery." The positive is thou shalt live a sanctified, pure and holy life. Anytime you find a positive in the Bible, you should also ask what is the negative?
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Because you cannot have one without the other. So let me give you some illustrations concerning truth and considering truth negatively. Here's one, Proverbs 18 in verse 22. Let me just quote it. God says, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord." Well, let me ask you a question. Did Ahab find a good thing in Jezebel? And the answer is no. How about Solomon? Did he find a good thing in all of hundreds of his wives? Answer's no. Well, when I look at this verse, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord," I know plenty of men that have found a wife that didn't find a good thing. And I know plenty of women that found a husband that didn't find a good thing.
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So how do we understand this? Well, we have to understand it in the sense that the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 19, verse 14, that a prudent wife is from the Lord. And then when you read Proverbs chapter 31, what he is saying is, with God's blessing and God's appointment, he that finds a wife that is a prudent wife, a godly wife, one that is from the Lord, finds a very good thing. So when you consider this, you have to consider it negatively as well as positively. Let me show you another one. Look in your Bible at this one. Look in Proverbs chapter 23 and verse 13. Proverbs 23, verse 13. You have to understand what he is not saying, as well as what he is saying. So look in Proverbs 23 and verse 13.
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God says, "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." So let me ask you a question. What is being said is important. But what is not being said is just as important. When you read this verse, does that mean that every child that has ever been disciplined with a rod is going to heaven?
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And the answer is, of course not. If you took this verse literally, then one of the best means of evangelism would be to grab a rod and go out on the street and just start beating people, especially kids. Obviously, that's not what that means. What it does mean is very simple. Let me just say this. I know people that have disciplined their children, and they turn out to be hellions.
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What he is saying is this, a man that disciplines his child consistently, regularly, with the blessings of God upon that discipline, eventually that child will not only be turned around, but in all probability be converted. My father was very consistent in his discipline, I can assure you. I usually laugh and say we had a peach tree behind our house and it never did bloom until after I left home. But I'm just simply saying, just beating someone with a rod does not mean that the child is going to heaven.
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Here's another one, since you're in Proverbs. Look in Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 29. So you have to consider truth negatively, not only what is being said, but what is not being said. In Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 29, God says, "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men." Does that mean that every man that is ever diligent in his business is going to stand before a king?
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And the answer is no. But it does mean that some men with the blessings of God because of their diligence will be promoted either before a king or a president or someone like that, some magistrate. All I'm trying to say is you have to consider what is not being said as well as what is being said. So let me give you another one. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to Matthew 7 and verse 1. And I get this one all the time.
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And then John chapter 7. You want to look at them. Look in Matthew chapter 7. And then go ahead and turn to John 7, if you would. In Matthew chapter 7, beginning there, if you would please, looking at verse 1, look what God says, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
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"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite." And he goes on. So I have so many people say this verse says judge not and you are judging. Well, when you look at this context, he's talking about judging motives, he's talking about judging wickedly, he's talking about judging hypocritically. And when you look at John 7, and verse 24, look what he says. John 7 and verse 24, he says, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." So there is an unbiblical judgment. There is also a biblical judgment. So if I see someone stealing and I say he's a thief, that's not me being judgmental. That's what the Bible calls him. That is judging a righteous judgment. If I say that people who live in sin and wickedness and rebellion cannot please God, that's not me judging their sins. God has already done that. I'm just declaring His judgment because the Bible says, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." So there's a difference then between an unbiblical and an ungodly judgment, and a righteous judgment.
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That's not me being judgmental. That's what the Bible calls Him. That is judging a righteous judgment. If I say that people who live in sin and wickedness and rebellion cannot please God, that's not me judging their sins. God has already done that. I'm just declaring His judgment because the Bible says, so then they that are in flesh cannot please God. So there's a difference then between an unbiblical and an ungodly judgment, and a righteous judgment.
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So you have to consider truth negatively, you have to consider truth positively. Let me show you, since we're in the book of John. John 7 verse 24 is a positive. When he said, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." Now, watch if you would in John 6 and verse 27. Watch this, because we're going to see a negative first, and then a positive. And then you've got to consider what our Lord is saying and what is not saying. John 6, 27, "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." So here's the negative: "Labour not for the meat which perisheth."
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Now, does that mean that I'm to quit work? If I quit work, well, the Bible said, "If any would not work, neither should he eat." But now He just said, "Labour not for the meat which perisheth." But that's the negative. Watch verse 27. "But for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life." So He's not saying quit working. What He is saying is that the most of your time, the most of your energy should be devoted to the spiritual and not to the physical. You have to have the physical to live, which is very obvious. So I'm just simply saying, when you look at these passages, you have to consider negative and positive.
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How about this one in John chapter one? Let me just quote it. Verse 17, when he said, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Was there no grace in the Old Testament? Was there no truth in the Old Testament? Well, of course there were. Everything that God has ever done was grace. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Everything God said in the Old Testament is truth. But all that is saying is the epitome, the apex of truth and grace came in the presence of Jesus Christ. So you have to consider what is being said, what is not being said as well. Now, one last one, number 13. You have to consider truth doctrinally.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles to the little book of Philemon, which is right before the book of Hebrews. And I want you to look at this with me. I wish I had time for everyone to read this one tiny little book. And of course, it's just one chapter. And it's not only one chapter, it's only 25 verses. So, let me just tell you something about the book of Philemon very quickly. Philemon was a pastor, a preacher.
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He had a servant, a slave by the name of Onesimus. And Onesimus stole from Philemon and he ran away to Rome. He got thrown in a dungeon. And it just so happened he got thrown into a dungeon with the Apostle Paul. And he was converted under the teaching and preaching of the Apostle Paul. And so Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon. So I want you to look, if you would, let's begin reading verse 10. He says, "I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels: whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel: but without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly."
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Now, let me just ask you a question. We're not going to read all of this little book. Only 25 verses. But if I'm going to look at this book, and I'm going to consider it doctrinally, I want to see what kind of doctrine that I can find in this book. So let's look at verse 1.
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He says, "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer." So right now we already have the doctrine of suffering. Look in verse 9. He says, "Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ." So now we have the doctrine of suffering because Paul has been arrested and thrown into a dungeon. Look in verse 2. He said, "And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house." So now you have the doctrine of the church, if you wanted to look at that. Look in verse 3. "Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Wow. Now you can study the doctrine of grace. Now you can study the doctrine of peace. You can also study the source of it from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in verse four. "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers." There's the biblical doctrine of prayer. You can also have the biblical doctrine of love and hospitality. Look at verse five. "Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Then, when you look in verses 8 through 11, you have the doctrine of interposition. He says, "Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds." In other words, Paul now is interposing himself between Philemon and Onesimus, and he's saying, "I want you to be reconciled," which would bring me to this, verse 12 would be the doctrine of reconciliation. He said, look in verse 12, he says, "Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels." There's the doctrine of reconciliation. Look at verses 18 and 19. Here is the doctrine of imputation. He said, "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account; I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides." In other words, Philemon, you were converted under my ministry. But whatever Onesimus owes you, I will pay.
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There's the biblical doctrine of prayer. You can also have the biblical doctrine of love and hospitality. Look at verse five. hearing of thy love and thy faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints, that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Then, when you look in verses 8 through 11, you have the doctrine of interposition. He says, Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee, or actually command thee, that which is convenient, Yet for love's sake I'd rather beseech thee, as being such a one as Paul the age, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ, I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom
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I begot into my bonds." In other words, Paul now is interposing himself between Philemon and Onesimus, and he's saying, I want you To be reconciled, which would bring me to this, verse 12 would be the doctrine of reconciliation. He said, look in verse 12, he says, whom I have sent again that thou receive him that is mine own bowels. There's the doctrine of reconciliation. Look at verses 18 and 19. Here is the doctrine of imputation. He said, if he hath wronged thee, which you know he did, because he stole from him, if he hath wronged thee or with thee, put that on mine account. I, Paul, have written it with mine own hand. I will repay it, albeit I do not say to thee how thou o'st unto me, even thine own self besides. In other words, Philemon, you were converted under my ministry. But whatever Onesimus owes you, I will pay.
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I'm taking his debt as my debt. Now, there's another very important doctrine here. You say, what is it? It's the doctrine of biblical slavery. You see, Onesimus was a slave. He was a runaway slave. And when he got converted, Paul sent him back. Ah! But there's a special connection. I want you to look in your Bibles in verse 15 and 16. We read it earlier. I don't know if you caught it. Look in verse 15. Paul writes, "For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; not now as a servant," or a slave, that's what the word doulos is, "but above a servant," or a slave, "a brother beloved, specially to me," that is, he was converted under Paul's ministry, "but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?" So Onesimus was Philemon's fleshly brother. Now you're going to ask, how could a man hold his own brother as a slave? And the answer is very easily and very readily.
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That's what the word doulos is. But above a servant, or a slave, a brother beloved, specially to me, that is, he was converted under Paul's ministry, but how much more unto thee both in the flesh and in the Lord? So Onesimus was Philemon's fleshly brother." Now you're going to ask, how could a man hold his own brother as a slave? And the answer is very easily and very readily.
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When you understand biblical slavery, when you get to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 15, those Hebrew men and women who were slaves could be slaves for six years and the seventh year they were to be set free, but they were not to be sent away empty. In other words, everything that they had, everything that they could take with them, you had to supply them.
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Now, let me point it out like this. There were many ways that you could be a slave in the Bible. You could be captured in war and enslaved. Now, I don't know about you, but if I got captured in a war, I'd rather be a slave than be killed. You know, but a lot of them. But also in the Bible, if you would take the time to read Deuteronomy 15, if you would take the time to read Leviticus 23 and 24, you will find out that when a man was incompetent, when he was not frugal, when he did not know exactly what he was doing, oftentimes he'd get in debt over his head and he would sell himself into slavery. That is why you also had in the Bible the kinsman redeemer, where he would come and redeem, if necessary, and if possible, the one who sold himself into slavery. So what would happen when someone sold themselves into slavery? They were there for six years under the tutelage and under the training of the man who was successful. And so after the end of six years and the seventh year, the slave was to be released. So here, Onesimus evidently was one of those rotten apples.
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in dead over his head and he would sell himself into slavery. That is why you also had in the Bible the kinsman redeemer, where he would come and redeem, if necessary, and if possible, the one who sold himself into slavery. So what would happen when someone sold themselves into slavery? They were there for six years under the tutelage and under the training of the man who was successful. And so after the end of six years and the seventh year, the slave was to be released. So here, Onesimus evidently was one of those rotten apples.
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Because he had to be to steal from his own brother, to run away when his brother was trying to help him. So the point I'm trying to make is there's a vast difference between human slavery or humanistic slavery and biblical slavery. And when we stop and think about slavery, everybody says, "Oh, slavery is so awful." Did you know that most people were slaves themselves? Yeah. Do you remember Proverbs 22 and verse 7, "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Look how many people are in debt, in debt up to their eyeballs. There's a young couple that lives near us. I met him.
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I did not meet her. But I get so tickled, I told Alice, I said, "You know, that young couple, they either have a lot of money or they're in debt over their eyeballs. I mean, they got fancy cars, they got boats, they got side-by-sides, they got four-wheelers. How do you get all that when you're in your twenties and thirties? Either you got plenty of money or you're in debt." And what we don't realize is when we're in debt, we're actually working for someone else. We are their slave.
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So you have in the book of Philemon, the biblical doctrine of slavery. I certainly haven't fleshed it out. There's a lot in the Bible over that. But I'm just simply pointing out, when you consider truth, consider it doctrinally. In 25 verses, I just pointed out a number of doctrines, and there's probably more. So I'm just saying we need to consider truth like that.
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Now, let me give you a little application. Here's a suggestion that I'd like to offer you for studying the Bible, reading your Bible. I suggest that you take a small book, either in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, something six chapters or less, seven or eight at the most. And you take that book and you read that book all the way through every day for 30 days. Whenever I preach through a book, I never, ever even begin to attempt preaching until I've read through that book at least 30 times straight. OK? Now, if you will take that book and read through it every day for 30 days, there are several things that are going to happen. The first thing that's going to happen is this. Your Bible is going to automatically open to that book every time you open your Bible. The second thing that's going to happen is this. You're going to see the author. You're going to see the theme. You're going to see the characters. You're going to see the purpose of that book.
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You're going to see all kind of details that you've never ever imagined. The third thing is this. If you pay attention while you are reading, and you notice the verses, and you notice the chapters, you will automatically memorize Scripture without even trying. Because once you read it over and over for 30 days, and you pay attention, you will memorize Scripture. I can quote Scripture today from reading through the book of Galatians 30 years ago. Reading it through every day for 30 days. And I did not necessarily try to memorize the Scripture. It just stuck with me as I kept reading it over and over and over. So I'm just simply saying, we need to consider truth, but we need to make sure that we're reading something that we can pay attention to and comprehend as well.
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So by way of application, understand this, the Bible has been given to us not only to read and study, but also to enjoy and to obey. And it is impossible for you to obey something that you are totally ignorant concerning. No. You have to know in order to obey. And if you and I are going to walk pleasing to the Lord, we must know what pleases Him.
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And here's the great part. When we're reading and when we're considering truth, and the Lord illuminates our mind, and He opens our eyes, and then all of a sudden, the Scripture becomes alive to us. And we say, "Would you look at that? I've never seen that before. I never understood that before. But here it is as plain as day." And the next thing you know, you're beginning to praise Him. You're beginning to worship Him. You're beginning to thank Him for truth. It's kind of like that man that was born blind in John chapter 9, whom our Lord healed.
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And the Pharisee said, "Tell us how He did this." He said, "I've told you one time and you didn't believe. If I told you again, you probably wouldn't listen to me. But one thing I do know, that where I was blind, I now see." And when God opens our eyes and we see, it makes everything come alive, and we can say with him, "Now I see, now I understand." We need to learn to consider truth each of these 13 ways as we read through the scripture, contemplating, meditating, chewing the cud, so to speak, so that we can digest everything from the Word of God. Let's pray.
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Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And Lord, we do pray that You would teach us, help us, Lord, to study. And Lord, may it be so enjoyable and so rich to us that we would not only glory in Thee, but in Thy truth as well. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T21:49:12Z

How to Study and Learn Biblical Truths - Part 7

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, John Weaver continues his series on studying biblical truth by covering additional ways to consider Scripture. He emphasizes the importance of contextual and expository study, using 1 Corinthians 3 as a warning to ministers about building with proper materials. He then discusses considering truth applicatorily, heavenly and humanly, eternally and temporally, negatively and positively, and doctrinally. The sermon concludes with a practical suggestion to read a short book of the Bible daily for 30 days to gain deep understanding and memorization.

Introduction and Review

Weaver introduces the sermon as part seven of the series, reviewing previously covered ways to consider truth and noting he will finish the point on considering truth expositorily.

Considering Truth Expositorily: 1 Corinthians 3

I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, while we are at 2 Timothy. Let's go ahead and read chapter 2 and verse 7, where Paul says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:7

"Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things."

And then in verse 15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." So when the apostle Paul said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:7

"Consider what I say,"

Scripture Reading — Romans 14:10, 12

"But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God."

Considering Truth Applicatorily

Weaver explains that all Scripture applies to us in some way, using 1 Corinthians 10 as an example where Paul applies Old Testament events to the Corinthian church.

Now, if you're writing scriptures down, you need to write down Romans 15 and verse 4. Because this passage says this, listen carefully.

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

So when he says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"whatsoever things were written aforetime,"

he's referring to the Old Testament. Everything that happened in the Old Testament happened for our learning and for our admonition.

Considering Truth Heavenly and Humanly

Weaver discusses the need to see both the divine and human sides of truth, citing John 6:37, Titus 1:1-3, and 1 Peter 1:20.

Scripture Reading — Titus 1:1-3

"Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."

So you have to ask your question, to whom did God promise eternal life before the world began? Well, He promised it to us. How did He promise it to us? In Jesus Christ.

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:18-20

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,"

that's heavenly,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:18-20

"but was manifest in these last times for you,"

Considering Truth Eternally and Temporally

Weaver contrasts God's eternal purposes with His temporal revelations, using Ephesians 3:11, Acts 2:23, Acts 4:26-29, 2 Timothy 1:8-9, and Deuteronomy 29:29.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 3:11

"According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

And I want you to note that the word purpose is singular.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 3:11

"According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Scripture Reading — Acts 4:26-29

"The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."

So not one thing happened to Jesus Christ that was not eternally purposed by God the Father before the world ever began. Now, I mentioned this verse.

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 1:8-9

"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God."

Now here's the eternal purpose.

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 1:8-9

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 29:29

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God."

That's His eternal counsel. That's His eternal purpose. We have no business sneaking a peek into those things. That's His business.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 29:29

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:18

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time"

there it is, temporal

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:18

"are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Considering Truth Negatively and Positively

Weaver teaches that for every negative command there is a positive implication, and vice versa, illustrating with Proverbs 18:22, Proverbs 23:13, Proverbs 22:29, Matthew 7:1, and John 7:24.

Considering Truth Doctrinally

Weaver uses the book of Philemon to show how a short book contains many doctrines, such as suffering, the church, grace, prayer, interposition, reconciliation, imputation, and biblical slavery.

Practical Application: 30-Day Reading Method

Weaver suggests reading a short book of the Bible every day for 30 days to gain familiarity, see themes and details, and memorize Scripture effortlessly.

Conclusion and Prayer

Weaver concludes by emphasizing the joy of understanding Scripture and leads a closing prayer.

How to Study and Learn Biblical Truths - Part 7

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	5222181507772
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness: Sola Fide And Justification
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-05-01
Dictation Name
Book	Book 065: Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture — Chapter 7
Source Timed Segments	82

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review: Weaver introduces the sermon as part seven of the series, reviewing previously covered ways to consider truth and noting he will finish the point on considering truth expositorily.
Considering Truth Expositorily: 1 Corinthians 3: Weaver provides an expository study of 1 Corinthians 3, arguing that the chapter is primarily a warning to ministers about building the church with gold, silver, and precious stones rather than wood, hay, and stubble.
Considering Truth Applicatorily: Weaver explains that all Scripture applies to us in some way, using 1 Corinthians 10 as an example where Paul applies Old Testament events to the Corinthian church.
Considering Truth Heavenly and Humanly: Weaver discusses the need to see both the divine and human sides of truth, citing John 6:37, Titus 1:1-3, and 1 Peter 1:20.
Considering Truth Eternally and Temporally: Weaver contrasts God's eternal purposes with His temporal revelations, using Ephesians 3:11, Acts 2:23, Acts 4:26-29, 2 Timothy 1:8-9, and Deuteronomy 29:29.
Considering Truth Negatively and Positively: Weaver teaches that for every negative command there is a positive implication, and vice versa, illustrating with Proverbs 18:22, Proverbs 23:13, Proverbs 22:29, Matthew 7:1, and John 7:24.
Considering Truth Doctrinally: Weaver uses the book of Philemon to show how a short book contains many doctrines, such as suffering, the church, grace, prayer, interposition, reconciliation, imputation, and biblical slavery.
Practical Application: 30-Day Reading Method: Weaver suggests reading a short book of the Bible every day for 30 days to gain familiarity, see themes and details, and memorize Scripture effortlessly.
Conclusion and Prayer: Weaver concludes by emphasizing the joy of understanding Scripture and leads a closing prayer.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

1 Corinthians 3 is a warning to ministers, not a general judgment of believers' works.

Weaver argues that the context of 1 Corinthians 3 shows Paul is addressing ministers who build the church, and the 'wood, hay, stubble' refers to adding unconverted people through easy methods.

Weaver says, 'In the context, he's talking about preachers' and 'Building with wood, hay, and stubble is getting all kinds of people in the church that are unconverted.'

The carnality of the Corinthians was division over preachers, not gross immorality.

Weaver points out that Paul called the Corinthians carnal because of envying, strife, and divisions over preferring different ministers, not because of fornication or drunkenness.

Weaver states, 'Their carnality was being divided over preachers. It was not being drunk. It was not being a fornicator.'

All Old Testament events serve as examples for New Testament believers.

Weaver uses 1 Corinthians 10 to show that Paul applied Israel's wilderness experiences as warnings to the Corinthian church, establishing a principle of applicatory study.

Weaver quotes 1 Corinthians 10:11, 'Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition.'

Scripture must be understood in light of both God's eternal purpose and temporal revelation.

Weaver argues that verses like Ephesians 3:11 and Acts 2:23 show God's eternal plan, while Deuteronomy 29:29 teaches that revealed things are for our obedience.

Weaver says, 'The secret things belong unto the Lord our God... but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever.'

Biblical judgment is righteous when based on God's Word, unlike hypocritical judgment.

Weaver contrasts Matthew 7:1 ('Judge not') with John 7:24 ('judge righteous judgment') to show that not all judgment is forbidden.

Weaver says, 'If I see someone stealing and I say he's a thief, that's not me being judgmental. That's what the Bible calls him.'

The book of Philemon illustrates the doctrine of imputation through Paul's offer to pay Onesimus's debt.

Weaver highlights Philemon 18-19 as a picture of imputation, where Paul takes on the debt of Onesimus, paralleling Christ's work.

Weaver says, 'If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account... I'm taking his debt as my debt.'

Biblical slavery differed from modern concepts and often involved voluntary servitude for debt.

Weaver explains that in the Bible, people could sell themselves into slavery to pay debts and receive training, with release after six years.

Weaver says, 'when a man was incompetent... he'd get in debt over his head and he would sell himself into slavery... under the tutelage and under the training of the man who was successful.'

Repetitive reading of a Bible book leads to automatic memorization and deep insight.

Weaver shares his personal experience that reading Galatians daily for 30 days caused him to memorize Scripture without intentional effort.

Weaver says, 'I can quote Scripture today from reading through the book of Galatians 30 years ago. Reading it through every day for 30 days.'

Scripture References

2 Timothy 2:7: Paul's instruction to consider what he says, used as a theme verse for the series.
2 Timothy 2:15: Command to study and rightly divide the word of truth.
1 Corinthians 3:15: Part of the passage Weaver expounds as a warning to ministers about their work being tested by fire.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17: Warning against defiling the temple of God, interpreted as ministers defiling the church.
Romans 14:10, 12: Used to show that all believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10: Further evidence that believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:1-9: Paul's rebuke of the Corinthians for carnality shown in divisions over preachers.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15: The passage about building on the foundation with various materials, applied to ministers.
1 Corinthians 10:1-13: Paul's use of Old Testament examples as warnings for the church, illustrating applicatory study.
Romans 15:4: States that things written aforetime were written for our learning.
John 6:37: Illustrates the heavenly side (all the Father gives) and human side (him that cometh).
Titus 1:1-3: Shows God's eternal promise and its manifestation through preaching.
1 Peter 1:18-20: Christ foreordained before the foundation of the world but manifest in time.
Ephesians 3:11: Reference to God's eternal purpose in Christ.
Acts 2:22-24: Jesus delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.
Acts 4:26-29: Herod, Pilate, and others did what God's hand and counsel determined before.
2 Timothy 1:8-9: God saved us according to His own purpose and grace given in Christ before the world began.
Deuteronomy 29:29: Secret things belong to God, but revealed things are for our obedience.
Romans 8:18: Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with future glory.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18: Light affliction works an eternal weight of glory; things seen are temporal, unseen eternal.

Historical References

Old Testament Israel crossing the Red Sea and wilderness wanderings: Used as examples in 1 Corinthians 10 for the Corinthian church.
Ahab and Jezebel: Mentioned as an example of a man who did not find a good thing in a wife, contrasting Proverbs 18:22.
Solomon and his many wives: Another example of not finding a good thing in a wife despite Proverbs 18:22.
Onesimus and Philemon: The historical situation behind the book of Philemon, involving a runaway slave converted under Paul.
Deuteronomy 15 and Leviticus 23-24 regarding biblical slavery: Referenced to explain the practice of voluntary servitude and release in the seventh year.

Important Quotes

Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

This is the key verse for the series, emphasizing the need to carefully consider Scripture.

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Foundational command for diligent Bible study and proper interpretation.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Establishes the principle that Old Testament events are applicable to New Testament believers.

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Teaches that believers should focus on what God has revealed rather than speculating about hidden purposes.

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Clarifies that not all judgment is forbidden; believers are to make righteous judgments based on God's Word.

If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account; I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it.

A powerful illustration of the doctrine of imputation, where Paul takes on Onesimus's debt.

One thing I do know, that where I was blind, I now see.

Used to describe the joy of spiritual understanding when God opens a believer's eyes to truth.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding 1 Corinthians 3 as a warning to ministers change your view of the passage?

[Context]

Weaver argues that the chapter is about preachers building the church with proper materials.

[Question]

In what ways can we apply Old Testament narratives to our lives without allegorizing them?

[Context]

Weaver uses 1 Corinthians 10 to show Paul's applicatory use of Israel's history.

[Question]

How do you balance the tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibility in your own faith?

[Context]

Weaver presents John 6:37 as an example of both heavenly and human sides.

[Question]

What are some practical ways to focus on God's revealed will rather than speculating about hidden things?

[Context]

Weaver cites Deuteronomy 29:29 to emphasize obedience to what is revealed.

[Question]

How can we practice righteous judgment without falling into hypocrisy?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts Matthew 7:1 with John 7:24.

[Question]

What doctrines can you identify in a short book like Philemon, and how does that enrich your reading?

[Context]

Weaver demonstrates finding multiple doctrines in Philemon.

[Question]

Have you ever tried reading a book of the Bible repeatedly for 30 days? What was the result?

[Context]

Weaver recommends this method for deep familiarity and memorization.

[Question]

How does the doctrine of imputation in Philemon help you understand Christ's work on your behalf?

[Context]

Weaver highlights Paul's offer to pay Onesimus's debt as a picture of imputation.

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