Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture

Three Reasons to Interpret and Six Things Needed - Part 4

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Apologetics

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2022-03-27

Synopsis: In this fourth message on interpreting Scripture, John Weaver reviews the first three reasons for interpretation and then focuses on the remaining four of six things needed: an impartial spirit, a humble mind, a praying heart, and a holy design. He emphasizes that proper tools alone are insufficient; one must approach the Bible with honesty, humility, prayer, and right motives to truly understand and be changed by God's Word.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bibles again to 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 7. This has been kind of the theme verse for what we've been studying. And today we are on the fourth message on three reasons we need to consider truth and interpret scripture and six things needed to do so. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 7, the Apostle Paul writes Timothy and says, consider what I say. And the Lord give the understanding in all things."

[John Weaver] I want to take just a few moments to review the last three messages in order that we might keep those principles fresh in our minds. So in the first message, I just simply pointed out that one of the first rules of hermeneutics is that in order to interpret Scripture, we must compare Scripture with Scripture. In other words, Scripture basically interprets itself. And so if your interpretation of a passage of Scripture contradicts another plain passage, then your interpretation is wrong and not the Scripture. Now, the first point I made in the reason we need to interpret the Scripture is to explain seeming contradictions. And I emphasized the word seeming. And I told you that in that message, that context was everything.

[John Weaver] And you have to remember that there is indeed an immediate context, which sometimes could be the chapter or the paragraph or a chapter even before. So like when you get to the book of Romans and you start looking at Romans chapter eight, Paul's argument actually started back in Romans chapter five. So you have then the immediate context, and you also have a remote context as well. And sometimes that remote context may even be back to the first of the book.

[John Weaver] But the Bible says in Psalm 111 and verse 2, the works of the Lord are great, sought out of all of them that have pleasure therein. So I've deduced this simple principle from that verse. If we do not have pleasure in the truth and seek it out, we're going to remain childish and ignorant as well. So the very first reason we had to interpret Scripture was to explain seeming contradictions. For instance, where the Bible says very clearly that on the one hand here and on the other hand in this area.

[John Weaver] And it's not that they are contradictory. You just simply have to take them into context and then you can see very easily how those things simply agree. But the second message I also pointed out, that we need to interpret Scripture in order to prevent ourselves from being misled by the sound of mere words. It is true that words have meanings. But meanings change, and oftentimes what we do in our lifetime is we try to put meanings on words of Scripture that are prevalent in our minds today. And that is not necessarily the way things work in the Bible. That's not even the way things work in our world today.

[John Weaver] For instance, when Alice and I were young, if someone was gay, that meant they were happy and joyful and carefree. You can't use that word today in that sense because now it just simply refers basically to sodomites and that kind of thing. But I've pointed out also in this that the word flesh, the Greek word is zarks, is used four different ways in the scripture. And so every time you see the word flesh, it does not mean the flesh hanging from the arm or the flesh of an animal. Also, I pointed out the use of the word world, and I think I gave you even seven or eight distinctive ways how that the same word cosmos was used in Scripture. And then we looked at John 1 10, where the word cosmos for world occurs three times in one simple verse. And each time the word world occurs in that verse, it has a totally different meaning.

[John Weaver] So you have to understand that we must interpret in order not to be misled by the sound of mere words. And then the third one, it was I put that sometimes we need to insert an explanatory word in order to understand the passage.

[John Weaver] Now, that's not adding to scripture. The illustration, or at least one of them that I gave you, was found in the book of Habakkuk chapter 1 in verse 13, where the Bible says that God is of pure eyes and behold evil and cannot look upon iniquity. And yet you get to Proverbs 15 in verse 3, the Bible says the eyes of the Lord in every place beholding the evil and the good. Well, clearly God does see evil. God does indeed judge evil. How then do you explain Hebrews 1 in verse 13? Well, the answer would be this. You would have to add a word in the sense to explain it. God is of pure eyes and hold evil and canst not look upon iniquity condoningly or provingly. He never approves of evil. He never condones sin. He does see it and He does judge it, but He certainly does not condone it. Also in the third message, I also pointed out that if you're really serious about learning the Word of God, You needed the proper tools and one of them was a good Bible, one that you can use, one that you can read, one that you can be familiar with and that is very, very

[John Weaver] usable. Also, I mentioned that you might need a good Strong's Exhaustive Concordance or Young's Analytical Concordance. And I distinguish between those two for you and how they are used. And then I pointed out that you could also get a excellent Bible for your computer, the online Bible, probably less than 50 bucks. And it has thousands upon thousands of dollars of commentaries and all kinds of things in it as well.

[John Weaver] So the second truth in the third message was this, that is not only do we need the proper tools, but to interpret and understand scripture, We needed a mind illuminated by the Holy Spirit of God. And the word illuminated simply means to turn the lights on where God enlightens us. If you remember, I gave you three definitions. I gave you a definition for inspiration, revelation, and illumination. I pointed out the inspiration was a strong, conscious in-breathing of God into men, qualifying them to give utters to the truth, so that the words that they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God Himself. So, when you look at the Bible, the Bible is indeed the Word of God, just as if God spoke every single word of it. That's inspiration. Then when you get to Revelation, Revelation is the act of God whereby He reveals truth never known before to the human mind. For instance, Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. How did Moses know what happened in creation?

[John Weaver] He was not there. How did he know what happened in the fall? He was not there. How did he know what happened during the flood? He was not there. How did he know what happened at the Tower of Babel? He was not there. And the answer is God revealed those things to him. Revelation is the act of God whereby He reveals truth never known before to the human mind. Inspiration superintends that truth so that the very truth of God, the very words of God, are spoken and written and recorded by man. Then, of course, the third definition I gave you was illumination, where illumination is the act of God, the Holy Spirit, whereby He illuminates our minds And God's revealed truth so that we may understand and comprehend.

[John Weaver] I'm just going to say this one more time. I want everybody to understand it. When you're reading the Bible and all of a sudden you see something. Most people say very excitedly as they call me or call someone, well, let me just show you or let me just tell you what God just revealed to me. God didn't reveal anything to you. Revelation is an act of God whereby He reveals truth never known before in the human mind. What God did was He illuminated your mind to understand His already previously revealed truth. God just turned the lights on for you. He enlightened you. He illuminated you. So when people try to say that there is revelation over and above and beyond the Word of God, what they are doing is this. They're denying, number one, Hebrews 1, 1 through 3, where the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God. And then they're also denying that the Bible is the completed Word of God. So there is no new revelation going on today, because we have the completed Word of God, and Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God.

[John Weaver] The Scripture says, God has spoken to us in these last days by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things. So Jesus Christ is our full and final revelation. So the two things I mentioned so far that you needed to interpret the scripture are the tools, and then number two, an illuminated mind. So I want to pick up there today, number three, you need an impartial spirit. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter eight. In Luke 8, you have our Lord speaking on the parable of the sower. You will also find that same parable in Mark 4 and in Matthew 13. But I want you to look, if you would please, at Luke 8, and notice how our Lord explains the good ground hearer. He makes this statement in Luke 8, and beginning there with verse 15, He says, but that on the good ground. Now, remember, the sower was sowing seed. The seed represents people who hear the word of God. So he says, but that on the good ground are they.

[John Weaver] So the seed is also the hearer. The seed is the word of God. The ground is the hearer. Note if you would. But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it. and bring forth fruit with patience." Here's an interesting thing. Once you read Matthew 13, Luke 8 and Mark 4, and you compare these passages, the good ground hearer is the only one that ever produced any fruit. And the reason being, our Lord says, is because he had an honest and good heart. So it's only an individual who has an honest and good heart.

[John Weaver] Let me say this another way. It's only an individual with an impartial spirit that is going to really, truly learn the Word of God. Now, you're going to ask me, why is an impartial spirit needed? And here is the good answer. That is because practically everyone comes to the Bible with a set of preconceived ideas. For instance, From children, we've heard preachers. We've heard our parents. We've had friends share with us what they thought, what they believed, and what their interpretation was.

[John Weaver] And by nature, we have a tendency to trust our preacher. We have a tendency to trust our parents. We have a tendency to trust our friends, and consequently, we end up just simply relying upon what they said and believing what they said because we simply trust in them. Error, heresy, and deception are easily handed down from generation to generation. How can that be so? Well, consider how the Roman Catholic Church for years forbade the reading of the Scriptures. Well, no scriptures were to be read because they did not want you to think for yourself or contradict what they were teaching. And you just stop and think about all the isms and all the cults.

[John Weaver] They either have their own Bible, quote unquote, or books which they use to replace the Bible. And they certainly do not want anyone reading the Bible because It would contradict what they are teaching.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just point something out. It's very easy to control an ignorant man. And it's a little more difficult to control someone with knowledge and understanding. So the more ignorant a person is, the easier he is to control. So it's absolutely imperative then that when you and I approach the Word of God, we do so with a good and honest heart, or we do so with an impartial spirit.

[John Weaver] We must grasp the fact that what we have heard all of our lives, what we've been taught all of our lives, may not be true. Our parents may have been wrong. The preachers we heard as children may have been wrong. Our friends may have been wrong. And when you begin studying the Scripture and you see that the Scripture contradicts what you've been taught all of your life, it's not the Scripture that is wrong. It's you who are wrong.

[John Weaver] So let me give you a good illustration. I remember as a young man and certainly as a young preacher, I had several pastors who took me under their wing and tried to teach me a lot of things. And they did so. And the interesting thing is, these men I respected, I loved, and they were a very great help to me. And many of the things they taught me were wrong.

[John Weaver] I didn't realize that until, you know, I really began studying and reading the scripture. But I, I love them. I respected them. I believe them. And when I got to the university and by fact, the reason I went to that particular university is that's where they went. And so I was there and one of my teachers in Pauline Epistles, I never will forget, he was teaching The doctrines of grace. Well, my friends. Or Armenians.

[John Weaver] By the way, everybody is an Armenian by nature. You only believe the doctrines of grace by grace. But anyhow, my teacher and Pauline Epistles was teaching the doctrines of grace. And it hit me. Right between the eyes. That if what he was saying was true, Then not only I was wrong, but my friends were wrong. Men that I loved and men that I respected. It hit me so hard. I was so incensed.

[John Weaver] I mean, I was angry. I stood up. And I called his name. And I said, Sir, You know that what you're teaching is not true. You're just saying those things because you want to be intellectually accepted by the elite. He looked at me, I mean, the class, you could have heard a pin drop. He looked at me and he said, Mr. Weaver, sit down and shut up. I'll see you after class. Well, I was still angry, I was still upset. Well, after the class left, I eagerly went to his desk.

[John Weaver] And this was almost April, in April, because we were out of school in May. And when I went to his desk, he said, John, he said, you do know that I could have you turned over to the discipline committee and or I could have you kicked out of this university. I said, yes, sir, I know that. And I did. And what he just said was true. He could have done that.

[John Weaver] And so he said to me, he said, but I'm not going to do that. He said, I do know that you study and I do know that you read. So he said, here's what I'm going to propose. He said, I'm going to propose that we do not discuss this subject anymore until you come back in the fall. He said, before you go, here's one thing I want you to understand and listen to this.

[John Weaver] He said, you always, you always allow the Bible to interpret your experiences. You never allow your experiences to interpret the Bible. I said, thank you. And I walked out. That summer, God opened my eyes to truth. When I came back, the first thing I did was look him up and profusely apologize to him. But he was right and I was wrong. But I remember distinctly the thing that really hit me so hard was not even the fact that I was wrong. I didn't want my friends to be wrong. But I had to confess when I read the Scripture that yes, Not only I was wrong, but they were wrong as well. And I was incensed. I was insulted by the thought that everything I'd been taught was wrong. That's a hard pill to swallow.

[John Weaver] Martin Luther said it like this. I want you to listen carefully. He said, we must not make God's Word mean what we wish. We must not bend it, but allow it to bend us. and give it the honor of being better than we can make it. And that's true. We must not bend the Scripture. We must allow the Scripture to bend us. So when we approach the Word of God, when we come to read, when we come to study, when we come to interpret, we must also discern the difference between exegesis and eisegesis.

[John Weaver] Ex, the preposition means to out of. And eis means into, so in exegesis you draw out of the scripture what is there. In eisegesis you read into the scripture your preconceived ideas, or what you think, or what you've been taught, or what you've heard all of your life. Exegesis will make you honest and submissive. Eisegesis will confirm you in your preconceived ideas, in your errors, and in your beliefs.

[John Weaver] And that's the difference between them. Exegesis is to draw out. Eisegesis is when you read into. Let me give you another illustration or two, because I'm talking about a good and honest heart. I'm talking about an impartial spirit. Years ago, when I was pastoring in another church, We had a Bible Institute, and I trained a lot of people. We had class. Let's see, I preached twice on Sunday, then I taught on Tuesday for, I think it was four hours, then Wednesday, and then Thursday I taught for four hours. So I trained a lot of people, a lot of believers, and I trained some young men who were studying for the ministry. And since we had this Bible Institute, A lot of churches in the area knew that I had a number of young preacher boys in the church. And so when they did not have a preacher, they would call me and ask for someone to fill their pulpit. And I would usually send one of the young men to preach. Well, this one church about 30 miles away called and I said, sure, I've got someone.

[John Weaver] I'll be glad to ask him and I'm sure he'll come and preach for you this coming Sunday. So he did. And when he got there, Lo and behold, their pastor had resigned. They had no one but him there. But when he got there, there was a visiting pastor who was looking for a church. And they actually wanted, the visiting pastor was looking for a church to preach. But since they had already asked my men to preach, they said, well, we'll just ask the visiting pastor to teach Sunday school. So it was an independent church.

[John Weaver] They did not use quarterlies or anything like that. They just used the Bible. And they went through it book by book, chapter by chapter. Well, it just so happened that Sunday, the Sunday school lesson was on 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Well, now there's only 10 verses in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Verse 4 says, Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. Well, the young man that I was teaching sat through the Sunday school lesson.

[John Weaver] He preached that morning, he preached that night, and the next morning he came to see me. He said, Pastor, he said, you will never believe what happened. I said, what? He said, that visiting pastor, and he called his name, he said, he read verse one and commented on it. He read verse 2 and commented on it. He read verse 3 and commented on it. He read verse 5 and commented on it and all the way down to verse 10. He not only would not comment on, he would not even read verse 4.

[John Weaver] May I point out something? That's dishonesty. You may not understand something. You may not be able to explain it. You may not like it, but if it's there, at least be honest with the Scripture. Some of you probably have known and have heard in time past Dr. Lester Roloff. Lester Roloff was a friend of mine, and I've listened to him preach a number of times. I've driven him back and forth from motel to church where he was preaching, and I love to hear him preach. But Lester Olaf was not a scholar.

[John Weaver] He was not a real theologian, but he believed the Bible. And moreover, he was not a professional singer, but he could sing. And a lot of times when he's preaching, he'd just break out singing. I don't break out singing because I can't sing. Well, he couldn't sing either, not professionally such, but the way he sang, he would really bless your heart. I mean, that's all there is to it.

[John Weaver] And so I was listening to Lester Olaf's family altar program on the radio as I was traveling one day. And believe it or not, he was on Ephesians chapter one. And I was so excited, I said, I can't wait to see or to hear what Lester Olaf says on Ephesians one in verse four, where the Bible says, according, you've chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holding up laying before him in love. And when Lester Orloff got to verse 4, you know what he said?

[John Weaver] He said, folks, he said, I do not understand the doctrine of election. He said, I don't think I'm capable of explaining the doctrine of election. But here it is in the Bible, and I believe it and I bow to it. Now isn't that something? That was just as simple, but he was honest. He said, it's here. He did not ignore it. Not at all. Let me give you another illustration.

[John Weaver] This happened to me years ago. I was preaching in Alabama, and I was actually preaching from 1 Thessalonians 1. And as I said earlier, there's only 10 verses, and verse 4 says, knowing, brethren, we love your election of God. Well, my message that morning, was on verse 3 and then verses 7 through 10 as they explained verse 3. My message was not on election, but since there's only 10 verses there, I read the entire chapter. Well, it was Sunday morning and after service an older man came up to me and he told me that I should not have read verse 4. I said, what do you mean I should not have read verse 4? It's in the Bible. But he said, the reason you shouldn't read verse 4 is because a lot of people don't understand the doctrine of election and it upsets them. And I looked at him and I said, what you're telling me is that you don't understand the doctrine of election and you are upset. He said, that's right. I said, well, I'll tell you something, sir.

[John Weaver] I said, The word elect or its equivalent occurs 73 times in the New Testament. I said, we just got out of church. I said, if you'll meet me at my motel room at two o'clock this afternoon, I will sit down with you and take you through all 73 passages in the New Testament, not counting the Old Testament, but in the New Testament. And I'll try to give you an understanding of doctrine of election just so you will not be upset the next time you read it in the Bible or hear someone say it. He said, OK. So I hurried through my meal and I rushed to the motel room and I was sitting there making sure I had all 73 passages down when the phone rang.

[John Weaver] And it was this elderly man. I've never, ever forgotten the conversation. In fact, I've never, ever forgotten his exact words. He said, Pastor Weaver, I will not be coming to your room for our discussion. This is about 15 minutes before you're supposed to be there. I said, and may I ask why you're not going to come to this room? So help me. Here are his exact words.

[John Weaver] Because my mind is made up and I do not want you confusing me with a bunch of scriptures. And what I said was this, sir, why don't you stay where you are? I'll stay where I am and I'll take a nap and we'll both be better off.

[John Weaver] Now, that is just plain dishonest. I mean, how in the world can you expect God to teach you anything if you're not willing to say, I'm wrong? You know, the truth of the matter is, Each of us must be willing to say that usually on a daily basis as you read the Scripture, because as God gives you more and more light, you should see where you have been wrong in a lot of places and a lot of times. Now, I'm not talking about major doctrines. I'm not talking about major principles. But I am saying, as we grow in grace and in knowledge, we need to confess the fact that there have been a lot of times that we've been wrong.

[John Weaver] I have the original message that I first preached 57 years ago. And any time I get thinking proudly, I go back and look at that message and I say, oh God, don't tell me I've said that. Don't tell me I've preached that. Yeah, it's a good, humbling experience. And to think, Lord, look what I've said and look what I've believed all these years and then all of a sudden you turn the lights on and I see something differently where I was wrong.

[John Weaver] We need an impartial spirit. We need a good and honest heart if we're going to study the Scripture. The fourth thing you're going to need is this. You're going to need a humble mind. If you look in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 11, Matthew chapter 11, and look if you would please at verse 25. Look at what our Lord says. Matthew 11 and verse 25.

[John Weaver] At that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." Isn't that interesting? He's hidden some things from the wise and prudent, but the other things He's revealed unto babes. Why? Well, turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, if you would, please. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and notice the first two verses. 1 Corinthians chapter 8, verses 1 and 2. The apostle says, now as such in things offered unto idols, we know that we have knowledge. Now look what knowledge does. Knowledge puffeth up.

[John Weaver] It makes you arrogant, proud, haughty, heady. high-minded, but charity or love edifyeth."

[John Weaver] Now look at verse 2,"...and if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." So what he is saying is, when you think you have arrived and when you think you've got a handle on everything, you know absolutely nothing. Because knowledge by itself just puffeth up, and pride is a root sin. Conceit, arrogance, pride, self-confidence, reliance upon the armor of the flesh are all opposed to God.

[John Weaver] You remember he said he had hidden those things from the wise and prudent, but he showed them unto babes. Have you ever noticed how believing and how receptive little children are? I've teased little children ever since I've had little children, I guess. I'd see a pretty little girl about four or five years old, and I would say, my, you're pretty. I said that to one little girl. She said, I'm not pretty. I'm beautiful. And arrogant, too. But anyhow, I would say, boy, you're a pretty little girl.

[John Weaver] I said, you'll probably get married soon, won't you? Yes. Shake her head. Yeah, right. But I remember years ago when our girls were small, We were invited to a meal at the home of a professional fisherman. That's what he did all of his life. He lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama. And I already knew that we were going to have for supper smoked mullet. And I told the girls we were going to have smoked mullet, smoked fish. And my girls asked me, said, Daddy, How do you smoke mullet? I said, well, girls, you have to get a very sharp knife and you have to chop them up in teeny tiny little pieces. And I said, then they have to be dry so you can put them in your pipe and then light them and then smoke them.

[John Weaver] You know, they just sat there silently like, wow. Well, when we got to the house, they saw the smoker and saw the man taking the fish out of the smoker. Daddy, you were teasing us. Yeah, I guess so, you know. But I mean, do you understand how children, you can tell a little child the moon's made out of green cheese. They'll believe you till they learn better. You know, I'm just saying they're so trusting, they're so believing, they're so receptive. So a humble mind, it's kind of like the mind that Lester Olaf had when he came to the Doctrine of Election. A humble mind is a mind that is willing to submit to truth even though you do not understand the truth. You may not be able to explain it, but you are willing to say, hey, it's here in the Scripture and I bow to it. I believe it. God said it. That's a humble mind.

[John Weaver] Pride will never make us obedient. Humility will make us obedient. Let me give you some scriptures, and I want you to think about these. I'm saying that in order to learn the truth, in order to interpret scriptures, you need a humble mind. The Bible says in Proverbs 8 and verse 13, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, arrogancy, and the evil way and the forward mouth. Do I hate, saith the Lord. So the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, arrogancy. Most of us can quote Proverbs 16, verse 18, where he said, Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. I like to quote along with that 1 Corinthians 10, verse 12, where the Bible said, He that thinketh, he standeth, take ye lest ye fall. So pride is always going to precede a downfall. The Bible says in Proverbs 29, in verse 23, a man's pride shall bring him low. but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit."

[John Weaver] And that is why in 1 Timothy 3, verse 16, one of the qualifications for a pastor is not a novice, that is a newbie, a newly planted one, a neophyte. Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he falls into the condemnation of the devil. It's easy for young men to be lifted up in pride. It's easy for anyone to be lifted up in pride, but pride is indeed a root sin. That's why the Bible tells you in 1 John 2 and verse 16, For all that is in the world, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, these are not of the Father, but of the world.

[John Weaver] I want you to look at two passages with me. I want you to turn to Isaiah 57 and then to James chapter 4. Look in Isaiah 57. Isaiah 57. And we're going to look at verse 15. And then we're going to James 4. Look in Isaiah 57 and verse 15. A very important verse. For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabited the eternity, whose name is Holy. I dwell in the high and holy place.

[John Weaver] With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." What did he say? I dwell in the high and holy place. With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. God is not going to be anywhere around pride, arrogancy, haughtiness, headiness, high-mindedness.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in the book of James, chapter 4 and verse 6, James 4 and verse 6. Note, if you would, what the Scripture says there. James 4 and verse 6. The Bible says,"...but he giveth more grace, wherefore he said, God, Resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. And the word resisted actually means fights against. Wherefore, God fights against the proud, but he gives more grace to the humble.

[John Weaver] Have you ever stopped to think about this? If God wanted to destroy us, all he has to do is to leave us to ourselves and we'll destroy ourselves. But can you imagine how awful it must be For the man whom God appears up in arms against, whom God actually fights against, he says he gives more grace to the humble, but he resists the proud. I'm afraid that the average professing Christian scholar has so much knowledge and yet such a small heart. Pride inflames him, knowledge puffs him up, and arrogance motivates him. When you reach the place of a humble mind, you have come to the right place. When you're willing to bow and accept what the Scripture tells you, whether you understand it or not, you've reached the place where God can teach you. There's a fifth thing that you need, and that is you need a praying heart.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Proverbs chapter 2. We need a heart that prays. We need a heart that seeks. We need a heart that asks. We need a heart that knocks. We need a heart that cries for truth and understanding and righteousness. So if you really and truly want to understand the Word of God, you must seek Him with a very prayerful heart. Now I want you to look in Proverbs chapter 2 beginning there with verse 1. Look what he says, my son, if thou will receive my words. Underline that word receive. Think about this. Let me emphasize certain words with my voice. Watch this. My son, if thou will receive my words and hide my commandments with thee, so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart into understanding. Now watch. Yea, if thou cryest after knowledge, and lifted up thy voice for understanding, if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

[John Weaver] For the Lord giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Notice if you would, he talks about reception. He talked about hiding. He talks about inclining. He talks about applying. He talks about crying, lifting up your voice, speaking is silver, searching is for hidden treasures. Then, he said, shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord. So. If Steve knew. That in his yard. Was a chest full of treasure that had been buried by pirates 150, 200 years ago. It's full of silver and gold and jewels. He knows it is in his yard. He just does not know exactly where, but he knows it's there. So do you think Steve is going to go out and take a shovel and put it in the ground and dig a few spades full of dirt and say, well, It's kind of hot today and this ground's kind of hard. I think I'll wait until a better day." And yet he knows there's millions and millions of dollars worth of gold and silver and precious. What's he going to do?

[John Weaver] He's going to be out there 12 hours digging. And when he gets tired, he's going to have Lorraine digging for another 12 hours. And if he offers any of us a portion of it, we're going to come over and dig too. And we're not going to give up until we find that chest full of treasure. That's what he's talking about. Seeking it as silver and searching for it as his treasure.

[John Weaver] Let me point something out. If you're seeking and searching, if you're digging, that is work. And work requires time. So what he's telling us here is this, if we really want knowledge, if we really want understanding, we must put in the work and we must put in the time. Priorities do matter. And so I know how busy everybody is. I understand that. But not one of us has more than 24 hours in each day. Not one. It all has to do with priorities.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn very quickly in your Bibles to Psalm 119. I want to show you just three of David's prayer requests. I believe that we should pray these same prayers. So if you look in Psalm 119 and verse 36, Psalm 119, verse 36. You remember God told us in Proverbs 2 that we need to incline our hearts. Well, here's David's prayer request. Verse 36 of Psalm 119. Incline mine heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness.

[John Weaver] In other words, let me have your truth more than anything else in the world. Look, if you would, verse 73. Psalm 119, verse 73. He says, thy hands have made me and fashioned me. Give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments. Give me understanding. Incline thine heart to thy testimonies. Now look, if you would, in verse 133. Notice what he says. Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Order my steps in thy word.

[John Weaver] You remember that passage I know in James 1 in verse 5, where the Bible said, If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth it all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like the sea that is tossed to and fro. God said, If any man lack wisdom, let him ask.

[John Weaver] You see, and I emphasize this in the other three messages, I want to emphasize it again, we need to grasp the fact that all of our studying, all of our praying, all of our reading, all of our research is in vain unless He grants us understanding. That's why the Bible said in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 7, Paul told Timothy, consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. And our Lord tells us, He gives to those who ask, He gives to those who seek, He gives to those who knocks. So here's some questions. When is the last time you've asked God for understanding? When is the last time you've asked God to incline your heart to His Word? When is the last time you've asked the Lord to order your steps in His Word? When is the last time you've asked the Lord to lead you, guide you and direct you and give you a seeking and praying heart.

[John Weaver] I think we can make a reasonable deduction from what I've just said. If Christians are not seeking, if they're not knocking, if they're not asking, if they're not praying, if they're not searching for wisdom and understanding, it's probably because they really don't want it. They don't see the need for it. They have no interest in it. It is not their silver and their hidden treasure. So if we're going to really understand Scripture, we need a praying heart. And sixthly, here's the last one I want to share with you today. You need a holy design.

[John Weaver] Let me urge you to ask yourself several questions. Do I desire to learn the Word of God? Why do I desire to learn the Word of God? What is my motive in reading and studying? Is my motive simply to increase knowledge? Is my motive simply to be able to argue? Is my motive simply to be able to defend my position and put other people down and destroy those who oppose my views?

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something, folks. Motives are important. And I want you to understand that the answer to each one of those questions that I just asked can be answered out of pride, arrogance, and even a humanistic and spiritual haughtiness. I know some people, and still know people, I've known them, and still know some that read and study seemingly just for those purposes. They love to argue. They love to demonstrate their knowledge.

[John Weaver] They delight in elevating themselves and putting others down. They delight in their pharisaical pride. They delight in the fact that they think that they have a corner on truth. And if you do not agree with them, if you do not see what they see, then you are castigated, despised, and ridiculed. None of these attitudes are biblical, and certainly none are Christian in any sense of the word.

[John Weaver] I can give you a good illustration. Just recently, in fact, within the last two weeks, I was called on the phone. I was busy. In fact, I was shopping for Alice. I was in the grocery store. And someone called me on the phone that I did not know, have never known, never met. And he began to question me and This man was ugly, hateful, haughty, arrogant, demanding, obnoxious, disrespectful.

[John Weaver] He had actually embraced the position of a friend of mine. My friend and I disagree. But we're still civil. We still respect each other. We can still talk with each other. But this man To be honest, I hung up on him. And he called back, and I refused to answer. I'm just not going to listen to somebody. He had no desire to listen to what Scripture said. He had no desire to listen.

[John Weaver] All he wanted to do was pontificate. And here was the conclusion I came up with.

[John Weaver] Now listen carefully, and I'm going to relay this to my friend as well. But here's the conclusion I came up with. If this is the kind of Christian or believer that his position produces, I don't want any part of his position. I don't. I think his position is wrong. I think he's unscriptural. But I'm just simply saying this man was a very horrible representative of his position. In fact, I don't know that my friend even believes What this man believed. I'm just simply saying, how in the world do you expect God to teach you if you do not have a holy desire in it? If you just want to argue, if you just want to pontificate, if you want to just show off your knowledge, if you want to put others down, if you want to win a debate, all of that is pride, arrogance. God is not going to be teaching you anything.

[John Weaver] The reason that we must study and read and search the scripture and seek for understanding is so that we may become more humble, more obedient and more submissive, so that we may bring our lives into greater conformity to the word of God. Our motives are important. Our desires are important, especially when it comes to the word of God. We must seek for a holy design in all of our studies. Dwight L. Moody said it like this, and I agree with Dwight L. Moody on this point.

[John Weaver] He said the scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge. But to change our lives. The scriptures weren't given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives, and that is true. They were given so that we may bring our lives into conformity to the Word of God. So let me give you a couple of applications. The first one is this. We may have all the proper tools for study.

[John Weaver] I could have the latest commentaries. I could have every online Bible program available. I could have every concordance and every dictionary available. But listen to me. Having the proper tools alone will not make you a biblical scholar any more than having the proper carpentry tools will make you a carpenter. I can have all the tools of a mechanic, but if I don't have the ability to fix things, the tools are absolutely worthless. So when it comes to having proper tools, we should have the proper tools, but we must need the other five things that went along with those proper tools. We must have an illuminated mind, an impartial spirit, a humble mind, a praying heart, and a holy design. And if you don't have those things, you're never ever going to be a heavenly scholar. You might be a worldly scholar, but you're not going to be a heavenly scholar.

[John Weaver] And there's a vast difference between the wisdom of this world and heavenly wisdom or the wisdom of God. And let me bring your attention back to another truth that I've already shared with you from Isaiah 57 and verse 15. Listen again. For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place and also with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the heart of the contrite ones and revive the heart of the humble ones. If we want God to teach us, we must have a humble spirit. God is not going to feed our pride. God is not going to build us up in arrogance and haughtiness because those are sins.

[John Weaver] We have to come to the Scripture with this attitude, Lord, wherever I'm wrong, Straighten me out. Show me. Give me light. Give me truth. Give me understanding. And Lord, I'm willing to turn. I'm willing to repent. I'm willing to change. I'm willing, Lord. Just open mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Teach me. And I shall be taught. We need these six things if we are ever, ever going to be able to study and interpret and learn the Word of God.

[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 we do pray, Lord, that You would give us these things that we need. We desperately need an illuminated mind. We need, Father, we need a praying heart. We need a humble mind. We need, Lord, a holy desire. We need, Father, everything in our lives that Your Word demands. Help us. Make us holy. Make us godly. Make us obedient. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray, Amen.

Three Reasons to Interpret and Six Things Needed - Part 4

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	3292202739143
Subject	Apologetics
Course	Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-03-27
Dictation Name
Book	Book 064: Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	77

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Let's open our Bibles again to 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 7. This has been kind of the theme verse for what we've been studying. And today we are on the fourth message on three reasons we need to consider truth and interpret Scripture and six things needed to do so. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 7, the Apostle Paul writes Timothy and says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:7

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

Review of Previous Messages

Weaver reviews the first three reasons to interpret Scripture: to explain seeming contradictions, to prevent being misled by the sound of words, and to insert explanatory words. He also reviews the first two things needed: proper tools and an illuminated mind.

I want to take just a few moments to review the last three messages in order that we might keep those principles fresh in our minds. So in the first message, I just simply pointed out that one of the first rules of hermeneutics is that in order to interpret Scripture, we must compare Scripture with Scripture. In other words, Scripture basically interprets itself. And so if your interpretation of a passage of Scripture contradicts another plain passage, then your interpretation is wrong and not the Scripture. Now, the first point I made in the reason we need to interpret the Scripture is to explain seeming contradictions. And I emphasized the word seeming. And I told you in that message that context was everything.

And you have to remember that there is indeed an immediate context, which sometimes could be the chapter or the paragraph or a chapter even before. So like when you get to the book of Romans and you start looking at Romans chapter 8, Paul's argument actually started back in Romans chapter 5. So you have then the immediate context, and you also have a remote context as well. And sometimes that remote context may even be back to the first of the book.

But the Bible says in Psalm 111 and verse 2,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 111:2

"The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein."

So I've deduced this simple principle from that verse. If we do not have pleasure in the truth and seek it out, we're going to remain childish and ignorant as well. So the very first reason we had to interpret Scripture was to explain seeming contradictions. For instance, where the Bible says very clearly that on the one hand here and on the other hand in this area. And it's not that they are contradictory. You just simply have to take them into context and then you can see very easily how those things simply agree. But the second message I also pointed out that we need to interpret Scripture in order to prevent ourselves from being misled by the sound of mere words. It is true that words have meanings. But meanings change, and oftentimes what we do in our lifetime is we try to put meanings on words of Scripture that are prevalent in our minds today. And that is not necessarily the way things work in the Bible. That's not even the way things work in our world today.

For instance, when Alice and I were young, if someone was gay, that meant they were happy and joyful and carefree. You can't use that word today in that sense because now it just simply refers basically to sodomites and that kind of thing. But I've pointed out also in this that the word flesh, the Greek word is sarx, is used four different ways in the Scripture. And so every time you see the word flesh, it does not mean the flesh hanging from the arm or the flesh of an animal. Also, I pointed out the use of the word world, and I think I gave you even seven or eight distinctive ways how that the same word cosmos was used in Scripture. And then we looked at John 1:10, where the word cosmos for world occurs three times in one simple verse. And each time the word world occurs in that verse, it has a totally different meaning.

So you have to understand that we must interpret in order not to be misled by the sound of mere words. And then the third one, it was I put that sometimes we need to insert an explanatory word in order to understand the passage. Now, that's not adding to Scripture. The illustration, or at least one of them that I gave you, was found in the book of Habakkuk chapter 1 in verse 13, where the Bible says that God is of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look upon iniquity. And yet you get to Proverbs 15 in verse 3, the Bible says the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Well, clearly God does see evil. God does indeed judge evil. How then do you explain Habakkuk 1:13? Well, the answer would be this. You would have to add a word in the sense to explain it. God is of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look upon iniquity condoningly or approvingly. He never approves of evil. He never condones sin. He does see it and He does judge it, but He certainly does not condone it. Also in the third message, I also pointed out that if you're really serious about learning the Word of God, you needed the proper tools and one of them was a good Bible, one that you can use, one that you can read, one that you can be familiar with and that is very, very

usable. Also, I mentioned that you might need a good Strong's Exhaustive Concordance or Young's Analytical Concordance. And I distinguish between those two for you and how they are used. And then I pointed out that you could also get an excellent Bible for your computer, the Online Bible, probably less than 50 bucks. And it has thousands upon thousands of dollars of commentaries and all kinds of things in it as well.

So the second truth in the third message was this, that is not only do we need the proper tools, but to interpret and understand Scripture, we needed a mind illuminated by the Holy Spirit of God. And the word illuminated simply means to turn the lights on where God enlightens us. If you remember, I gave you three definitions. I gave you a definition for inspiration, revelation, and illumination. I pointed out the inspiration was a strong, conscious in-breathing of God into men, qualifying them to give utterance to the truth, so that the words that they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God Himself. So, when you look at the Bible, the Bible is indeed the Word of God, just as if God spoke every single word of it. That's inspiration. Then when you get to revelation, revelation is the act of God whereby He reveals truth never known before to the human mind. For instance, Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. How did Moses know what happened in creation?

He was not there. How did he know what happened in the fall? He was not there. How did he know what happened during the flood? He was not there. How did he know what happened at the Tower of Babel? He was not there. And the answer is God revealed those things to him. Revelation is the act of God whereby He reveals truth never known before to the human mind. Inspiration superintends that truth so that the very truth of God, the very words of God, are spoken and written and recorded by man. Then, of course, the third definition I gave you was illumination, where illumination is the act of God, the Holy Spirit, whereby He illuminates our minds to God's revealed truth so that we may understand and comprehend.

I'm just going to say this one more time. I want everybody to understand it. When you're reading the Bible and all of a sudden you see something, most people say very excitedly as they call me or call someone, "Well, let me just show you or let me just tell you what God just revealed to me." God didn't reveal anything to you. Revelation is an act of God whereby He reveals truth never known before in the human mind. What God did was He illuminated your mind to understand His already previously revealed truth. God just turned the lights on for you. He enlightened you. He illuminated you. So when people try to say that there is revelation over and above and beyond the Word of God, what they are doing is this. They're denying, number one, Hebrews 1:1-3, where the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God. And then they're also denying that the Bible is the completed Word of God. So there is no new revelation going on today, because we have the completed Word of God, and Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God.

The Scripture says, "God has spoken to us in these last days by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things." So Jesus Christ is our full and final revelation. So the two things I mentioned so far that you needed to interpret the Scripture are the tools, and then number two, an illuminated mind. So I want to pick up there today, number three, you need an impartial spirit. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 8. In Luke 8, you have our Lord speaking on the parable of the sower. You will also find that same parable in Mark 4 and in Matthew 13. But I want you to look, if you would please, at Luke 8, and notice how our Lord explains the good ground hearer. He makes this statement in Luke 8, and beginning there with verse 15, He says, "But that on the good ground." Now, remember, the sower was sowing seed. The seed represents people who hear the word of God. So he says, "But that on the good ground are they."

An Impartial Spirit

Weaver explains that an impartial spirit is necessary because everyone comes to the Bible with preconceived ideas. He illustrates with personal stories and emphasizes the need for exegesis over eisegesis.

So the seed is also the hearer. The seed is the word of God. The ground is the hearer. Note if you would. "But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." Here's an interesting thing. Once you read Matthew 13, Luke 8 and Mark 4, and you compare these passages, the good ground hearer is the only one that ever produced any fruit. And the reason being, our Lord says, is because he had an honest and good heart. So it's only an individual who has an honest and good heart.

Let me say this another way. It's only an individual with an impartial spirit that is going to really, truly learn the Word of God. Now, you're going to ask me, why is an impartial spirit needed? And here is the good answer. That is because practically everyone comes to the Bible with a set of preconceived ideas. For instance, from children, we've heard preachers. We've heard our parents. We've had friends share with us what they thought, what they believed, and what their interpretation was.

And by nature, we have a tendency to trust our preacher. We have a tendency to trust our parents. We have a tendency to trust our friends, and consequently, we end up just simply relying upon what they said and believing what they said because we simply trust in them. Error, heresy, and deception are easily handed down from generation to generation. How can that be so? Well, consider how the Roman Catholic Church for years forbade the reading of the Scriptures. Well, no scriptures were to be read because they did not want you to think for yourself or contradict what they were teaching. And you just stop and think about all the isms and all the cults.

They either have their own Bible, quote unquote, or books which they use to replace the Bible. And they certainly do not want anyone reading the Bible because it would contradict what they are teaching. Now, let me just point something out. It's very easy to control an ignorant man. And it's a little more difficult to control someone with knowledge and understanding. So the more ignorant a person is, the easier he is to control. So it's absolutely imperative then that when you and I approach the Word of God, we do so with a good and honest heart, or we do so with an impartial spirit.

We must grasp the fact that what we have heard all of our lives, what we've been taught all of our lives, may not be true. Our parents may have been wrong. The preachers we heard as children may have been wrong. Our friends may have been wrong. And when you begin studying the Scripture and you see that the Scripture contradicts what you've been taught all of your life, it's not the Scripture that is wrong. It's you who are wrong.

So let me give you a good illustration. I remember as a young man and certainly as a young preacher, I had several pastors who took me under their wing and tried to teach me a lot of things. And they did so. And the interesting thing is, these men I respected, I loved, and they were a very great help to me. And many of the things they taught me were wrong. I didn't realize that until, you know, I really began studying and reading the Scripture. But I loved them. I respected them. I believed them. And when I got to the university and by fact, the reason I went to that particular university is that's where they went. And so I was there and one of my teachers in Pauline Epistles, I never will forget, he was teaching the doctrines of grace. Well, my friends were Arminians.

By the way, everybody is an Arminian by nature. You only believe the doctrines of grace by grace. But anyhow, my teacher in Pauline Epistles was teaching the doctrines of grace. And it hit me right between the eyes. That if what he was saying was true, then not only I was wrong, but my friends were wrong. Men that I loved and men that I respected. It hit me so hard. I was so incensed.

I mean, I was angry. I stood up and I called his name. And I said, "Sir, you know that what you're teaching is not true. You're just saying those things because you want to be intellectually accepted by the elite." He looked at me, I mean, the class, you could have heard a pin drop. He looked at me and he said, "Mr. Weaver, sit down and shut up. I'll see you after class." Well, I was still angry, I was still upset. Well, after the class left, I eagerly went to his desk.

And this was almost April, in April, because we were out of school in May. And when I went to his desk, he said, "John," he said, "you do know that I could have you turned over to the discipline committee and or I could have you kicked out of this university." I said, "Yes, sir, I know that." And I did. And what he just said was true. He could have done that. And so he said to me, he said, "But I'm not going to do that." He said, "I do know that you study and I do know that you read." So he said, "Here's what I'm going to propose." He said, "I'm going to propose that we do not discuss this subject anymore until you come back in the fall." He said, "Before you go, here's one thing I want you to understand and listen to this."

He said, "You always allow the Bible to interpret your experiences. You never allow your experiences to interpret the Bible." I said, "Thank you." And I walked out. That summer, God opened my eyes to truth. When I came back, the first thing I did was look him up and profusely apologize to him. But he was right and I was wrong. But I remember distinctly the thing that really hit me so hard was not even the fact that I was wrong. I didn't want my friends to be wrong. But I had to confess when I read the Scripture that yes, not only I was wrong, but they were wrong as well. And I was incensed. I was insulted by the thought that everything I'd been taught was wrong. That's a hard pill to swallow.

Martin Luther said it like this. I want you to listen carefully. He said, "We must not make God's Word mean what we wish. We must not bend it, but allow it to bend us and give it the honor of being better than we can make it." And that's true. We must not bend the Scripture. We must allow the Scripture to bend us. So when we approach the Word of God, when we come to read, when we come to study, when we come to interpret, we must also discern the difference between exegesis and eisegesis.

Ex, the preposition means "out of." And eis means "into," so in exegesis you draw out of the Scripture what is there. In eisegesis you read into the Scripture your preconceived ideas, or what you think, or what you've been taught, or what you've heard all of your life. Exegesis will make you honest and submissive. Eisegesis will confirm you in your preconceived ideas, in your errors, and in your beliefs. And that's the difference between them. Exegesis is to draw out. Eisegesis is when you read into. Let me give you another illustration or two, because I'm talking about a good and honest heart. I'm talking about an impartial spirit. Years ago, when I was pastoring in another church, we had a Bible Institute, and I trained a lot of people. We had class. Let's see, I preached twice on Sunday, then I taught on Tuesday for, I think it was four hours, then Wednesday, and then Thursday I taught for four hours. So I trained a lot of people, a lot of believers, and I trained some young men who were studying for the ministry. And since we had this Bible Institute, a lot of churches in the area knew that I had a number of young preacher boys in the church. And so when they did not have a preacher, they would call me and ask for someone to fill their pulpit. And I would usually send one of the young men to preach. Well, this one church about 30 miles away called and I said, "Sure, I've got someone."

"I'll be glad to ask him and I'm sure he'll come and preach for you this coming Sunday." So he did. And when he got there, lo and behold, their pastor had resigned. They had no one but him there. But when he got there, there was a visiting pastor who was looking for a church. And they actually wanted, the visiting pastor was looking for a church to preach. But since they had already asked my man to preach, they said, "Well, we'll just ask the visiting pastor to teach Sunday school." So it was an independent church. They did not use quarterlies or anything like that. They just used the Bible. And they went through it book by book, chapter by chapter. Well, it just so happened that Sunday, the Sunday school lesson was on 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Well, now there's only 10 verses in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Verse 4 says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 1:4

"Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God."

Well, the young man that I was teaching sat through the Sunday school lesson.

He preached that morning, he preached that night, and the next morning he came to see me. He said, "Pastor," he said, "you will never believe what happened." I said, "What?" He said, "That visiting pastor," and he called his name, he said, "he read verse 1 and commented on it. He read verse 2 and commented on it. He read verse 3 and commented on it. He read verse 5 and commented on it and all the way down to verse 10. He not only would not comment on, he would not even read verse 4." May I point out something? That's dishonesty. You may not understand something. You may not be able to explain it. You may not like it, but if it's there, at least be honest with the Scripture. Some of you probably have known and have heard in time past Dr. Lester Roloff. Lester Roloff was a friend of mine, and I've listened to him preach a number of times. I've driven him back and forth from motel to church where he was preaching, and I love to hear him preach. But Lester Roloff was not a scholar.

He was not a real theologian, but he believed the Bible. And moreover, he was not a professional singer, but he could sing. And a lot of times when he's preaching, he'd just break out singing. I don't break out singing because I can't sing. Well, he couldn't sing either, not professionally such, but the way he sang, he would really bless your heart. I mean, that's all there is to it. And so I was listening to Lester Roloff's Family Altar program on the radio as I was traveling one day. And believe it or not, he was on Ephesians chapter 1. And I was so excited, I said,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 1:4

"I can't wait to see or to hear what Lester Roloff says on Ephesians 1 in verse 4, where the Bible says, 'According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.'"

And when Lester Roloff got to verse 4, you know what he said?

He said, "Folks," he said, "I do not understand the doctrine of election." He said, "I don't think I'm capable of explaining the doctrine of election. But here it is in the Bible, and I believe it and I bow to it." Now isn't that something? That was just as simple, but he was honest. He said, "It's here." He did not ignore it. Not at all. Let me give you another illustration. This happened to me years ago. I was preaching in Alabama, and I was actually preaching from 1 Thessalonians 1. And as I said earlier, there's only 10 verses, and verse 4 says, "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." Well, my message that morning was on verse 3 and then verses 7 through 10 as they explained verse 3. My message was not on election, but since there's only 10 verses there, I read the entire chapter. Well, it was Sunday morning and after service an older man came up to me and he told me that I should not have read verse 4. I said, "What do you mean I should not have read verse 4? It's in the Bible." But he said, "The reason you shouldn't read verse 4 is because a lot of people don't understand the doctrine of election and it upsets them." And I looked at him and I said, "What you're telling me is that you don't understand the doctrine of election and you are upset." He said, "That's right." I said, "Well, I'll tell you something, sir."

I said, "The word elect or its equivalent occurs 73 times in the New Testament. I said, we just got out of church. I said, if you'll meet me at my motel room at two o'clock this afternoon, I will sit down with you and take you through all 73 passages in the New Testament, not counting the Old Testament, but in the New Testament. And I'll try to give you an understanding of the doctrine of election just so you will not be upset the next time you read it in the Bible or hear someone say it." He said, "OK." So I hurried through my meal and I rushed to the motel room and I was sitting there making sure I had all 73 passages down when the phone rang. And it was this elderly man. I've never, ever forgotten the conversation. In fact, I've never, ever forgotten his exact words. He said, "Pastor Weaver, I will not be coming to your room for our discussion." This is about 15 minutes before you're supposed to be there. I said, "And may I ask why you're not going to come to this room?" So help me. Here are his exact words.

"Because my mind is made up and I do not want you confusing me with a bunch of scriptures." And what I said was this, "Sir, why don't you stay where you are? I'll stay where I am and I'll take a nap and we'll both be better off." Now, that is just plain dishonest. I mean, how in the world can you expect God to teach you anything if you're not willing to say, "I'm wrong"? You know, the truth of the matter is, each of us must be willing to say that usually on a daily basis as you read the Scripture, because as God gives you more and more light, you should see where you have been wrong in a lot of places and a lot of times. Now, I'm not talking about major doctrines. I'm not talking about major principles. But I am saying, as we grow in grace and in knowledge, we need to confess the fact that there have been a lot of times that we've been wrong.

I have the original message that I first preached 57 years ago. And any time I get thinking proudly, I go back and look at that message and I say, "Oh God, don't tell me I've said that. Don't tell me I've preached that." Yeah, it's a good, humbling experience. And to think, Lord, look what I've said and look what I've believed all these years and then all of a sudden you turn the lights on and I see something differently where I was wrong.

A Humble Mind

Weaver teaches that a humble mind is required, as God reveals truth to babes and resists the proud. He cites Proverbs and James to show that pride leads to destruction, while humility receives grace.

We need an impartial spirit. We need a good and honest heart if we're going to study the Scripture. The fourth thing you're going to need is this. You're going to need a humble mind. If you look in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 11, Matthew chapter 11, and look if you would please at verse 25. Look at what our Lord says. Matthew 11 and verse 25.

"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." Isn't that interesting? He's hidden some things from the wise and prudent, but the other things He's revealed unto babes. Why? Well, turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, if you would, please. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and notice the first two verses. 1 Corinthians chapter 8, verses 1 and 2. The apostle says, "Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge." Now look what knowledge does. "Knowledge puffeth up."

It makes you arrogant, proud, haughty, heady, high-minded, "but charity edifieth." Now look at verse 2, "And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." So what he is saying is, when you think you have arrived and when you think you've got a handle on everything, you know absolutely nothing. Because knowledge by itself just puffeth up, and pride is a root sin. Conceit, arrogance, pride, self-confidence, reliance upon the armor of the flesh are all opposed to God. You remember he said he had hidden those things from the wise and prudent, but he showed them unto babes. Have you ever noticed how believing and how receptive little children are? I've teased little children ever since I've had little children, I guess. I'd see a pretty little girl about four or five years old, and I would say, "My, you're pretty." I said that to one little girl. She said, "I'm not pretty. I'm beautiful." And arrogant, too. But anyhow, I would say, "Boy, you're a pretty little girl."

I said, "You'll probably get married soon, won't you?" "Yes." Shake her head. Yeah, right. But I remember years ago when our girls were small, we were invited to a meal at the home of a professional fisherman. That's what he did all of his life. He lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama. And I already knew that we were going to have for supper smoked mullet. And I told the girls we were going to have smoked mullet, smoked fish. And my girls asked me, said, "Daddy, how do you smoke mullet?" I said, "Well, girls, you have to get a very sharp knife and you have to chop them up in teeny tiny little pieces. And I said, then they have to be dry so you can put them in your pipe and then light them and then smoke them."

You know, they just sat there silently like, "Wow." Well, when we got to the house, they saw the smoker and saw the man taking the fish out of the smoker. "Daddy, you were teasing us." Yeah, I guess so, you know. But I mean, do you understand how children, you can tell a little child the moon's made out of green cheese. They'll believe you till they learn better. You know, I'm just saying they're so trusting, they're so believing, they're so receptive. So a humble mind, it's kind of like the mind that Lester Roloff had when he came to the doctrine of election. A humble mind is a mind that is willing to submit to truth even though you do not understand the truth. You may not be able to explain it, but you are willing to say, "Hey, it's here in the Scripture and I bow to it. I believe it. God said it." That's a humble mind.

Pride will never make us obedient. Humility will make us obedient. Let me give you some scriptures, and I want you to think about these. I'm saying that in order to learn the truth, in order to interpret scriptures, you need a humble mind. The Bible says in Proverbs 8 and verse 13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate, saith the Lord." So the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, arrogancy. Most of us can quote Proverbs 16:18, where he said, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." I like to quote along with that 1 Corinthians 10:12, where the Bible said, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." So pride is always going to precede a downfall. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:23, "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit."

And that is why in 1 Timothy 3:6, one of the qualifications for a pastor is "not a novice," that is a newbie, a newly planted one, a neophyte. "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil." It's easy for young men to be lifted up in pride. It's easy for anyone to be lifted up in pride, but pride is indeed a root sin. That's why the Bible tells you in 1 John 2:16, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." I want you to look at two passages with me. I want you to turn to Isaiah 57 and then to James chapter 4. Look in Isaiah 57. Isaiah 57. And we're going to look at verse 15. And then we're going to James 4. Look in Isaiah 57 and verse 15. A very important verse. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place."

"With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." What did he say? "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." God is not going to be anywhere around pride, arrogancy, haughtiness, headiness, high-mindedness. Now, if you look in the book of James, chapter 4 and verse 6, James 4 and verse 6. Note, if you would, what the Scripture says there. James 4 and verse 6. The Bible says, "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." And the word resisted actually means fights against. Wherefore, God fights against the proud, but he gives more grace to the humble.

Have you ever stopped to think about this? If God wanted to destroy us, all he has to do is to leave us to ourselves and we'll destroy ourselves. But can you imagine how awful it must be for the man whom God appears up in arms against, whom God actually fights against? He says he gives more grace to the humble, but he resists the proud. I'm afraid that the average professing Christian scholar has so much knowledge and yet such a small heart. Pride inflames him, knowledge puffs him up, and arrogance motivates him. When you reach the place of a humble mind, you have come to the right place. When you're willing to bow and accept what the Scripture tells you, whether you understand it or not, you've reached the place where God can teach you. There's a fifth thing that you need, and that is you need a praying heart.

A Praying Heart

Weaver stresses the need for a praying heart, using Proverbs 2 and Psalm 119 to show that we must seek wisdom as hidden treasure and pray for understanding and an inclined heart.

I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Proverbs chapter 2. We need a heart that prays. We need a heart that seeks. We need a heart that asks. We need a heart that knocks. We need a heart that cries for truth and understanding and righteousness. So if you really and truly want to understand the Word of God, you must seek Him with a very prayerful heart. Now I want you to look in Proverbs chapter 2 beginning there with verse 1. Look what he says, "My son, if thou wilt receive my words." Underline that word receive. Think about this. Let me emphasize certain words with my voice. Watch this. "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God."

"For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Notice if you would, he talks about reception. He talked about hiding. He talks about inclining. He talks about applying. He talks about crying, lifting up your voice, seeking as silver, searching as for hidden treasures. Then, he said, "shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord." So, if Steve knew that in his yard was a chest full of treasure that had been buried by pirates 150, 200 years ago. It's full of silver and gold and jewels. He knows it is in his yard. He just does not know exactly where, but he knows it's there. So do you think Steve is going to go out and take a shovel and put it in the ground and dig a few spades full of dirt and say, "Well, it's kind of hot today and this ground's kind of hard. I think I'll wait until a better day." And yet he knows there's millions and millions of dollars worth of gold and silver and precious. What's he going to do?

He's going to be out there 12 hours digging. And when he gets tired, he's going to have Lorraine digging for another 12 hours. And if he offers any of us a portion of it, we're going to come over and dig too. And we're not going to give up until we find that chest full of treasure. That's what he's talking about. Seeking it as silver and searching for it as his treasure. Let me point something out. If you're seeking and searching, if you're digging, that is work. And work requires time. So what he's telling us here is this, if we really want knowledge, if we really want understanding, we must put in the work and we must put in the time. Priorities do matter. And so I know how busy everybody is. I understand that. But not one of us has more than 24 hours in each day. Not one. It all has to do with priorities.

Now, I want you to turn very quickly in your Bibles to Psalm 119. I want to show you just three of David's prayer requests. I believe that we should pray these same prayers. So if you look in Psalm 119 and verse 36, Psalm 119, verse 36. You remember God told us in Proverbs 2 that we need to incline our hearts. Well, here's David's prayer request. Verse 36 of Psalm 119. "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness."

In other words, let me have your truth more than anything else in the world. Look, if you would, verse 73. Psalm 119, verse 73. He says, "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments." Give me understanding. Incline thine heart to thy testimonies. Now look, if you would, in verse 133. Notice what he says. "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." Order my steps in thy word.

You remember that passage I know in James 1:5, where the Bible said, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." God said, "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask." You see, and I emphasize this in the other three messages, I want to emphasize it again, we need to grasp the fact that all of our studying, all of our praying, all of our reading, all of our research is in vain unless He grants us understanding. That's why the Bible said in 2 Timothy 2:7, Paul told Timothy, "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." And our Lord tells us, He gives to those who ask, He gives to those who seek, He gives to those who knock. So here's some questions. When is the last time you've asked God for understanding? When is the last time you've asked God to incline your heart to His Word? When is the last time you've asked the Lord to order your steps in His Word? When is the last time you've asked the Lord to lead you, guide you and direct you and give you a seeking and praying heart?

I think we can make a reasonable deduction from what I've just said. If Christians are not seeking, if they're not knocking, if they're not asking, if they're not praying, if they're not searching for wisdom and understanding, it's probably because they really don't want it. They don't see the need for it. They have no interest in it. It is not their silver and their hidden treasure. So if we're going to really understand Scripture, we need a praying heart. And sixthly, here's the last one I want to share with you today. You need a holy design.

Let me urge you to ask yourself several questions. Do I desire to learn the Word of God? Why do I desire to learn the Word of God? What is my motive in reading and studying? Is my motive simply to increase knowledge? Is my motive simply to be able to argue? Is my motive simply to be able to defend my position and put other people down and destroy those who oppose my views?

A Holy Design

Weaver warns against wrong motives in study, such as pride or argumentativeness. He quotes D.L. Moody that Scripture is given to change lives, not just increase knowledge, and urges a holy design.

Let me tell you something, folks. Motives are important. And I want you to understand that the answer to each one of those questions that I just asked can be answered out of pride, arrogance, and even a humanistic and spiritual haughtiness. I know some people, and still know people, I've known them, and still know some that read and study seemingly just for those purposes. They love to argue. They love to demonstrate their knowledge. They delight in elevating themselves and putting others down. They delight in their pharisaical pride. They delight in the fact that they think that they have a corner on truth. And if you do not agree with them, if you do not see what they see, then you are castigated, despised, and ridiculed. None of these attitudes are biblical, and certainly none are Christian in any sense of the word.

I can give you a good illustration. Just recently, in fact, within the last two weeks, I was called on the phone. I was busy. In fact, I was shopping for Alice. I was in the grocery store. And someone called me on the phone that I did not know, have never known, never met. And he began to question me and this man was ugly, hateful, haughty, arrogant, demanding, obnoxious, disrespectful.

He had actually embraced the position of a friend of mine. My friend and I disagree. But we're still civil. We still respect each other. We can still talk with each other. But this man, to be honest, I hung up on him. And he called back, and I refused to answer. I'm just not going to listen to somebody. He had no desire to listen to what Scripture said. He had no desire to listen.

All he wanted to do was pontificate. And here was the conclusion I came up with. Now listen carefully, and I'm going to relay this to my friend as well. But here's the conclusion I came up with. If this is the kind of Christian or believer that his position produces, I don't want any part of his position. I don't. I think his position is wrong. I think he's unscriptural. But I'm just simply saying this man was a very horrible representative of his position. In fact, I don't know that my friend even believes what this man believed. I'm just simply saying, how in the world do you expect God to teach you if you do not have a holy desire in it? If you just want to argue, if you just want to pontificate, if you want to just show off your knowledge, if you want to put others down, if you want to win a debate, all of that is pride, arrogance. God is not going to be teaching you anything.

The reason that we must study and read and search the Scripture and seek for understanding is so that we may become more humble, more obedient and more submissive, so that we may bring our lives into greater conformity to the word of God. Our motives are important. Our desires are important, especially when it comes to the word of God. We must seek for a holy design in all of our studies. Dwight L. Moody said it like this, and I agree with Dwight L. Moody on this point.

He said the Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives. The Scriptures weren't given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives, and that is true. They were given so that we may bring our lives into conformity to the Word of God. So let me give you a couple of applications. The first one is this. We may have all the proper tools for study.

Applications and Conclusion

Weaver applies the message by stating that tools alone are insufficient; one must have the other five qualities. He concludes with a prayer for God to grant these things.

I could have the latest commentaries. I could have every online Bible program available. I could have every concordance and every dictionary available. But listen to me. Having the proper tools alone will not make you a biblical scholar any more than having the proper carpentry tools will make you a carpenter. I can have all the tools of a mechanic, but if I don't have the ability to fix things, the tools are absolutely worthless. So when it comes to having proper tools, we should have the proper tools, but we must need the other five things that went along with those proper tools. We must have an illuminated mind, an impartial spirit, a humble mind, a praying heart, and a holy design. And if you don't have those things, you're never ever going to be a heavenly scholar. You might be a worldly scholar, but you're not going to be a heavenly scholar.

And there's a vast difference between the wisdom of this world and heavenly wisdom or the wisdom of God. And let me bring your attention back to another truth that I've already shared with you from Isaiah 57 and verse 15. Listen again. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." If we want God to teach us, we must have a humble spirit. God is not going to feed our pride. God is not going to build us up in arrogance and haughtiness because those are sins. We have to come to the Scripture with this attitude, "Lord, wherever I'm wrong, straighten me out. Show me. Give me light. Give me truth. Give me understanding. And Lord, I'm willing to turn. I'm willing to repent. I'm willing to change. I'm willing, Lord. Just open mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Teach me. And I shall be taught." We need these six things if we are ever, ever going to be able to study and interpret and learn the Word of God.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we do pray, Lord, that You would give us these things that we need. We desperately need an illuminated mind. We need, Father, we need a praying heart. We need a humble mind. We need, Lord, a holy desire. We need, Father, everything in our lives that Your Word demands. Help us. Make us holy. Make us godly. Make us obedient. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Necessity of an impartial spirit

Summary: To interpret Scripture correctly, one must set aside preconceived ideas and approach the Bible with an honest and good heart, practicing exegesis rather than eisegesis.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'practically everyone comes to the Bible with a set of preconceived ideas' and illustrates with personal stories of being wrong and the need for honesty.

Requirement of a humble mind

Summary: God reveals truth to the humble, like babes, and resists the proud. A humble mind submits to Scripture even when it does not fully understand.

Evidence: Weaver cites Matthew 11:25, 1 Corinthians 8:1-2, and James 4:6, and gives the example of Lester Roloff's humble acceptance of election.

Importance of a praying heart

Summary: Understanding Scripture requires diligent prayer and seeking God for wisdom, as illustrated by the treasure-seeking metaphor in Proverbs 2.

Evidence: Weaver expounds Proverbs 2:1-6 and Psalm 119:36, 73, 133, emphasizing the need to ask, seek, and knock.

Need for a holy design

Summary: Motives in studying Scripture must be pure—to become more humble, obedient, and conformed to God's Word—not to argue or show off knowledge.

Evidence: Weaver asks probing questions about motives and quotes D.L. Moody: 'The Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.'

Insufficiency of tools alone

Summary: Having proper study tools is necessary but not sufficient; one must also have an illuminated mind, impartial spirit, humble mind, praying heart, and holy design.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Having the proper tools alone will not make you a biblical scholar any more than having the proper carpentry tools will make you a carpenter.'

Key Arguments

Preconceived ideas hinder interpretation

Summary: People naturally trust what they have been taught, but error can be handed down. An impartial spirit is needed to let Scripture correct us.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Error, heresy, and deception are easily handed down from generation to generation' and shares his own experience of being wrong.

Exegesis vs. eisegesis

Summary: Exegesis draws out the true meaning of Scripture, while eisegesis reads in preconceived ideas. Only exegesis leads to honesty and submission.

Evidence: Weaver defines the terms and says, 'Exegesis will make you honest and submissive. Eisegesis will confirm you in your preconceived ideas.'

Pride opposes learning

Summary: Knowledge puffs up, and pride leads to destruction. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, so a humble mind is essential.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 8:1, Proverbs 16:18, and James 4:6, and explains that God fights against the proud.

Diligent seeking is required

Summary: Understanding comes to those who seek wisdom as hidden treasure, putting in work and time, and praying for God to give understanding.

Evidence: Weaver uses Proverbs 2:1-6 and the illustration of digging for buried treasure to emphasize the effort needed.

Motives matter in study

Summary: Studying to argue, show off, or put others down is prideful and ungodly. The goal should be life change and conformity to God's Word.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'What is my motive in reading and studying?' and shares a negative example of a haughty caller.

Scripture References

2 Timothy 2:7

Context: Theme verse for the series: 'Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.'

Psalm 111:2

Context: Used to deduce that if we do not have pleasure in truth and seek it out, we remain childish and ignorant.

John 1:10

Context: Example of the word 'world' (cosmos) used three times with different meanings in one verse.

Habakkuk 1:13

Context: Illustration of needing to insert an explanatory word: God cannot look upon iniquity 'condoningly'.

Proverbs 15:3

Context: Contrasted with Habakkuk 1:13 to show God does see evil, but does not condone it.

Hebrews 1:1-3

Context: Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God; no new revelation today.

Luke 8:15

Context: The good ground hearer has an honest and good heart, illustrating the need for an impartial spirit.

1 Thessalonians 1:4

Context: Example of a verse some ignore due to discomfort with the doctrine of election.

Ephesians 1:4

Context: Lester Roloff's honest response to the doctrine of election: he didn't understand it but believed it.

Matthew 11:25

Context: God hides things from the wise and prudent and reveals them to babes, emphasizing humility.

1 Corinthians 8:1-2

Context: Knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies; if anyone thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet.

Proverbs 8:13

Context: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, arrogancy, and the evil way.

Proverbs 16:18

Context: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

1 Corinthians 10:12

Context: Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Proverbs 29:23

Context: A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

1 Timothy 3:6

Context: A pastor must not be a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

1 John 2:16

Context: The pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Isaiah 57:15

Context: God dwells with the contrite and humble spirit to revive them.

James 4:6

Context: God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Proverbs 2:1-6

Context: If you seek wisdom as silver and search for her as hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord.

Historical References

Martin Luther

Context: Quoted: 'We must not make God's Word mean what we wish. We must not bend it, but allow it to bend us.'

Lester Roloff

Context: Evangelist who honestly admitted he didn't understand election but believed it because it's in the Bible.

Dwight L. Moody

Context: Quoted: 'The Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.'

Important Quotes

We must not make God's Word mean what we wish. We must not bend it, but allow it to bend us and give it the honor of being better than we can make it.

Significance: Martin Luther's quote emphasizes the need for submission to Scripture rather than imposing our own ideas.

Because my mind is made up and I do not want you confusing me with a bunch of scriptures.

Significance: An example of dishonest refusal to be taught, showing the opposite of an impartial spirit.

The Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.

Significance: D.L. Moody's quote captures the holy design needed in studying Scripture.

Having the proper tools alone will not make you a biblical scholar any more than having the proper carpentry tools will make you a carpenter.

Significance: Weaver's analogy stresses that tools are insufficient without the right heart attitudes.

Discussion Questions

What are some preconceived ideas you have brought to Scripture, and how can you cultivate an impartial spirit?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that everyone comes with preconceived ideas and must be willing to let Scripture correct them.

How can you practice exegesis rather than eisegesis in your personal Bible study?

Context: Weaver defines exegesis as drawing out meaning and eisegesis as reading in ideas.

In what areas of your life might pride be hindering your understanding of God's Word?

Context: Weaver teaches that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

What does it look like to seek wisdom as hidden treasure in your daily routine?

Context: Weaver uses Proverbs 2 to illustrate the diligent effort required in seeking understanding.

How can you examine your motives when studying Scripture to ensure they are holy?

Context: Weaver asks probing questions about why we study and warns against prideful motives.

Applications

Cultivate an impartial spirit

Summary: Approach Scripture willing to have your preconceived ideas corrected, and practice exegesis by drawing out the text's meaning.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must grasp the fact that what we have heard all of our lives... may not be true' and defines exegesis.

Develop a humble mind

Summary: Submit to Scripture even when you don't fully understand it, and reject pride that resists God's teaching.

Evidence: Weaver cites James 4:6 and says, 'A humble mind is a mind that is willing to submit to truth even though you do not understand the truth.'

Maintain a praying heart

Summary: Regularly ask God for understanding, an inclined heart, and ordered steps in His Word, seeking wisdom as diligently as hidden treasure.

Evidence: Weaver expounds Proverbs 2 and Psalm 119, and asks, 'When is the last time you've asked God for understanding?'

Pursue a holy design

Summary: Study Scripture with the motive of life change and greater obedience, not to argue or show off knowledge.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Moody and says, 'Our motives are important. Our desires are important, especially when it comes to the word of God.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:22:03Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T10:48:36Z

Clean Transcript

Three Reasons to Interpret and Six Things Needed - Part 4

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

Let's open our Bibles again to 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 7. This has been kind of the theme verse for what we've been studying. And today we are on the fourth message on three reasons we need to consider truth and interpret Scripture and six things needed to do so. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 7, the Apostle Paul writes Timothy and says, "Consider what I say. And the Lord give thee understanding in all things."
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I want to take just a few moments to review the last three messages in order that we might keep those principles fresh in our minds. So in the first message, I just simply pointed out that one of the first rules of hermeneutics is that in order to interpret Scripture, we must compare Scripture with Scripture. In other words, Scripture basically interprets itself. And so if your interpretation of a passage of Scripture contradicts another plain passage, then your interpretation is wrong and not the Scripture. Now, the first point I made in the reason we need to interpret the Scripture is to explain seeming contradictions. And I emphasized the word seeming. And I told you in that message that context was everything.
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And you have to remember that there is indeed an immediate context, which sometimes could be the chapter or the paragraph or a chapter even before. So like when you get to the book of Romans and you start looking at Romans chapter 8, Paul's argument actually started back in Romans chapter 5. So you have then the immediate context, and you also have a remote context as well. And sometimes that remote context may even be back to the first of the book.
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But the Bible says in Psalm 111 and verse 2, "The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein." So I've deduced this simple principle from that verse. If we do not have pleasure in the truth and seek it out, we're going to remain childish and ignorant as well. So the very first reason we had to interpret Scripture was to explain seeming contradictions. For instance, where the Bible says very clearly that on the one hand here and on the other hand in this area.
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And it's not that they are contradictory. You just simply have to take them into context and then you can see very easily how those things simply agree. But the second message I also pointed out that we need to interpret Scripture in order to prevent ourselves from being misled by the sound of mere words. It is true that words have meanings. But meanings change, and oftentimes what we do in our lifetime is we try to put meanings on words of Scripture that are prevalent in our minds today. And that is not necessarily the way things work in the Bible. That's not even the way things work in our world today.
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For instance, when Alice and I were young, if someone was gay, that meant they were happy and joyful and carefree. You can't use that word today in that sense because now it just simply refers basically to sodomites and that kind of thing. But I've pointed out also in this that the word flesh, the Greek word is sarx, is used four different ways in the Scripture. And so every time you see the word flesh, it does not mean the flesh hanging from the arm or the flesh of an animal. Also, I pointed out the use of the word world, and I think I gave you even seven or eight distinctive ways how that the same word cosmos was used in Scripture. And then we looked at John 1:10, where the word cosmos for world occurs three times in one simple verse. And each time the word world occurs in that verse, it has a totally different meaning.
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So you have to understand that we must interpret in order not to be misled by the sound of mere words. And then the third one, it was I put that sometimes we need to insert an explanatory word in order to understand the passage.
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Now, that's not adding to Scripture. The illustration, or at least one of them that I gave you, was found in the book of Habakkuk chapter 1 in verse 13, where the Bible says that God is of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look upon iniquity. And yet you get to Proverbs 15 in verse 3, the Bible says the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Well, clearly God does see evil. God does indeed judge evil. How then do you explain Habakkuk 1:13? Well, the answer would be this. You would have to add a word in the sense to explain it. God is of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look upon iniquity condoningly or approvingly. He never approves of evil. He never condones sin. He does see it and He does judge it, but He certainly does not condone it. Also in the third message, I also pointed out that if you're really serious about learning the Word of God, you needed the proper tools and one of them was a good Bible, one that you can use, one that you can read, one that you can be familiar with and that is very, very
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usable. Also, I mentioned that you might need a good Strong's Exhaustive Concordance or Young's Analytical Concordance. And I distinguish between those two for you and how they are used. And then I pointed out that you could also get an excellent Bible for your computer, the Online Bible, probably less than 50 bucks. And it has thousands upon thousands of dollars of commentaries and all kinds of things in it as well.
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So the second truth in the third message was this, that is not only do we need the proper tools, but to interpret and understand Scripture, we needed a mind illuminated by the Holy Spirit of God. And the word illuminated simply means to turn the lights on where God enlightens us. If you remember, I gave you three definitions. I gave you a definition for inspiration, revelation, and illumination. I pointed out the inspiration was a strong, conscious in-breathing of God into men, qualifying them to give utterance to the truth, so that the words that they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God Himself. So, when you look at the Bible, the Bible is indeed the Word of God, just as if God spoke every single word of it. That's inspiration. Then when you get to revelation, revelation is the act of God whereby He reveals truth never known before to the human mind. For instance, Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. How did Moses know what happened in creation?
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He was not there. How did he know what happened in the fall? He was not there. How did he know what happened during the flood? He was not there. How did he know what happened at the Tower of Babel? He was not there. And the answer is God revealed those things to him. Revelation is the act of God whereby He reveals truth never known before to the human mind. Inspiration superintends that truth so that the very truth of God, the very words of God, are spoken and written and recorded by man. Then, of course, the third definition I gave you was illumination, where illumination is the act of God, the Holy Spirit, whereby He illuminates our minds to God's revealed truth so that we may understand and comprehend.
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I'm just going to say this one more time. I want everybody to understand it. When you're reading the Bible and all of a sudden you see something, most people say very excitedly as they call me or call someone, "Well, let me just show you or let me just tell you what God just revealed to me." God didn't reveal anything to you. Revelation is an act of God whereby He reveals truth never known before in the human mind. What God did was He illuminated your mind to understand His already previously revealed truth. God just turned the lights on for you. He enlightened you. He illuminated you. So when people try to say that there is revelation over and above and beyond the Word of God, what they are doing is this. They're denying, number one, Hebrews 1:1-3, where the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God. And then they're also denying that the Bible is the completed Word of God. So there is no new revelation going on today, because we have the completed Word of God, and Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God.
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The Scripture says, "God has spoken to us in these last days by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things." So Jesus Christ is our full and final revelation. So the two things I mentioned so far that you needed to interpret the Scripture are the tools, and then number two, an illuminated mind. So I want to pick up there today, number three, you need an impartial spirit. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 8. In Luke 8, you have our Lord speaking on the parable of the sower. You will also find that same parable in Mark 4 and in Matthew 13. But I want you to look, if you would please, at Luke 8, and notice how our Lord explains the good ground hearer. He makes this statement in Luke 8, and beginning there with verse 15, He says, "But that on the good ground." Now, remember, the sower was sowing seed. The seed represents people who hear the word of God. So he says, "But that on the good ground are they."
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So the seed is also the hearer. The seed is the word of God. The ground is the hearer. Note if you would. "But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." Here's an interesting thing. Once you read Matthew 13, Luke 8 and Mark 4, and you compare these passages, the good ground hearer is the only one that ever produced any fruit. And the reason being, our Lord says, is because he had an honest and good heart. So it's only an individual who has an honest and good heart.
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Let me say this another way. It's only an individual with an impartial spirit that is going to really, truly learn the Word of God. Now, you're going to ask me, why is an impartial spirit needed? And here is the good answer. That is because practically everyone comes to the Bible with a set of preconceived ideas. For instance, from children, we've heard preachers. We've heard our parents. We've had friends share with us what they thought, what they believed, and what their interpretation was.
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And by nature, we have a tendency to trust our preacher. We have a tendency to trust our parents. We have a tendency to trust our friends, and consequently, we end up just simply relying upon what they said and believing what they said because we simply trust in them. Error, heresy, and deception are easily handed down from generation to generation. How can that be so? Well, consider how the Roman Catholic Church for years forbade the reading of the Scriptures. Well, no scriptures were to be read because they did not want you to think for yourself or contradict what they were teaching. And you just stop and think about all the isms and all the cults.
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They either have their own Bible, quote unquote, or books which they use to replace the Bible. And they certainly do not want anyone reading the Bible because it would contradict what they are teaching.
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Now, let me just point something out. It's very easy to control an ignorant man. And it's a little more difficult to control someone with knowledge and understanding. So the more ignorant a person is, the easier he is to control. So it's absolutely imperative then that when you and I approach the Word of God, we do so with a good and honest heart, or we do so with an impartial spirit.
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We must grasp the fact that what we have heard all of our lives, what we've been taught all of our lives, may not be true. Our parents may have been wrong. The preachers we heard as children may have been wrong. Our friends may have been wrong. And when you begin studying the Scripture and you see that the Scripture contradicts what you've been taught all of your life, it's not the Scripture that is wrong. It's you who are wrong.
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So let me give you a good illustration. I remember as a young man and certainly as a young preacher, I had several pastors who took me under their wing and tried to teach me a lot of things. And they did so. And the interesting thing is, these men I respected, I loved, and they were a very great help to me. And many of the things they taught me were wrong.
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I didn't realize that until, you know, I really began studying and reading the Scripture. But I loved them. I respected them. I believed them. And when I got to the university and by fact, the reason I went to that particular university is that's where they went. And so I was there and one of my teachers in Pauline Epistles, I never will forget, he was teaching the doctrines of grace. Well, my friends were Arminians.
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By the way, everybody is an Arminian by nature. You only believe the doctrines of grace by grace. But anyhow, my teacher in Pauline Epistles was teaching the doctrines of grace. And it hit me right between the eyes. That if what he was saying was true, then not only I was wrong, but my friends were wrong. Men that I loved and men that I respected. It hit me so hard. I was so incensed.
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I mean, I was angry. I stood up and I called his name. And I said, "Sir, you know that what you're teaching is not true. You're just saying those things because you want to be intellectually accepted by the elite." He looked at me, I mean, the class, you could have heard a pin drop. He looked at me and he said, "Mr. Weaver, sit down and shut up. I'll see you after class." Well, I was still angry, I was still upset. Well, after the class left, I eagerly went to his desk.
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And this was almost April, in April, because we were out of school in May. And when I went to his desk, he said, "John," he said, "you do know that I could have you turned over to the discipline committee and or I could have you kicked out of this university." I said, "Yes, sir, I know that." And I did. And what he just said was true. He could have done that.
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And so he said to me, he said, "But I'm not going to do that." He said, "I do know that you study and I do know that you read." So he said, "Here's what I'm going to propose." He said, "I'm going to propose that we do not discuss this subject anymore until you come back in the fall." He said, "Before you go, here's one thing I want you to understand and listen to this."
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He said, "You always allow the Bible to interpret your experiences. You never allow your experiences to interpret the Bible." I said, "Thank you." And I walked out. That summer, God opened my eyes to truth. When I came back, the first thing I did was look him up and profusely apologize to him. But he was right and I was wrong. But I remember distinctly the thing that really hit me so hard was not even the fact that I was wrong. I didn't want my friends to be wrong. But I had to confess when I read the Scripture that yes, not only I was wrong, but they were wrong as well. And I was incensed. I was insulted by the thought that everything I'd been taught was wrong. That's a hard pill to swallow.
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Martin Luther said it like this. I want you to listen carefully. He said, "We must not make God's Word mean what we wish. We must not bend it, but allow it to bend us and give it the honor of being better than we can make it." And that's true. We must not bend the Scripture. We must allow the Scripture to bend us. So when we approach the Word of God, when we come to read, when we come to study, when we come to interpret, we must also discern the difference between exegesis and eisegesis.
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Ex, the preposition means "out of." And eis means "into," so in exegesis you draw out of the Scripture what is there. In eisegesis you read into the Scripture your preconceived ideas, or what you think, or what you've been taught, or what you've heard all of your life. Exegesis will make you honest and submissive. Eisegesis will confirm you in your preconceived ideas, in your errors, and in your beliefs.
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And that's the difference between them. Exegesis is to draw out. Eisegesis is when you read into. Let me give you another illustration or two, because I'm talking about a good and honest heart. I'm talking about an impartial spirit. Years ago, when I was pastoring in another church, we had a Bible Institute, and I trained a lot of people. We had class. Let's see, I preached twice on Sunday, then I taught on Tuesday for, I think it was four hours, then Wednesday, and then Thursday I taught for four hours. So I trained a lot of people, a lot of believers, and I trained some young men who were studying for the ministry. And since we had this Bible Institute, a lot of churches in the area knew that I had a number of young preacher boys in the church. And so when they did not have a preacher, they would call me and ask for someone to fill their pulpit. And I would usually send one of the young men to preach. Well, this one church about 30 miles away called and I said, "Sure, I've got someone."
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"I'll be glad to ask him and I'm sure he'll come and preach for you this coming Sunday." So he did. And when he got there, lo and behold, their pastor had resigned. They had no one but him there. But when he got there, there was a visiting pastor who was looking for a church. And they actually wanted, the visiting pastor was looking for a church to preach. But since they had already asked my man to preach, they said, "Well, we'll just ask the visiting pastor to teach Sunday school." So it was an independent church.
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They did not use quarterlies or anything like that. They just used the Bible. And they went through it book by book, chapter by chapter. Well, it just so happened that Sunday, the Sunday school lesson was on 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Well, now there's only 10 verses in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Verse 4 says, "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." Well, the young man that I was teaching sat through the Sunday school lesson.
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He preached that morning, he preached that night, and the next morning he came to see me. He said, "Pastor," he said, "you will never believe what happened." I said, "What?" He said, "That visiting pastor," and he called his name, he said, "he read verse 1 and commented on it. He read verse 2 and commented on it. He read verse 3 and commented on it. He read verse 5 and commented on it and all the way down to verse 10. He not only would not comment on, he would not even read verse 4."
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May I point out something? That's dishonesty. You may not understand something. You may not be able to explain it. You may not like it, but if it's there, at least be honest with the Scripture. Some of you probably have known and have heard in time past Dr. Lester Roloff. Lester Roloff was a friend of mine, and I've listened to him preach a number of times. I've driven him back and forth from motel to church where he was preaching, and I love to hear him preach. But Lester Roloff was not a scholar.
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He was not a real theologian, but he believed the Bible. And moreover, he was not a professional singer, but he could sing. And a lot of times when he's preaching, he'd just break out singing. I don't break out singing because I can't sing. Well, he couldn't sing either, not professionally such, but the way he sang, he would really bless your heart. I mean, that's all there is to it.
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And so I was listening to Lester Roloff's Family Altar program on the radio as I was traveling one day. And believe it or not, he was on Ephesians chapter 1. And I was so excited, I said, "I can't wait to see or to hear what Lester Roloff says on Ephesians 1 in verse 4, where the Bible says, 'According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.'" And when Lester Roloff got to verse 4, you know what he said?
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He said, "Folks," he said, "I do not understand the doctrine of election." He said, "I don't think I'm capable of explaining the doctrine of election. But here it is in the Bible, and I believe it and I bow to it." Now isn't that something? That was just as simple, but he was honest. He said, "It's here." He did not ignore it. Not at all. Let me give you another illustration.
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This happened to me years ago. I was preaching in Alabama, and I was actually preaching from 1 Thessalonians 1. And as I said earlier, there's only 10 verses, and verse 4 says, "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." Well, my message that morning was on verse 3 and then verses 7 through 10 as they explained verse 3. My message was not on election, but since there's only 10 verses there, I read the entire chapter. Well, it was Sunday morning and after service an older man came up to me and he told me that I should not have read verse 4. I said, "What do you mean I should not have read verse 4? It's in the Bible." But he said, "The reason you shouldn't read verse 4 is because a lot of people don't understand the doctrine of election and it upsets them." And I looked at him and I said, "What you're telling me is that you don't understand the doctrine of election and you are upset." He said, "That's right." I said, "Well, I'll tell you something, sir."
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I said, "The word elect or its equivalent occurs 73 times in the New Testament. I said, we just got out of church. I said, if you'll meet me at my motel room at two o'clock this afternoon, I will sit down with you and take you through all 73 passages in the New Testament, not counting the Old Testament, but in the New Testament. And I'll try to give you an understanding of the doctrine of election just so you will not be upset the next time you read it in the Bible or hear someone say it." He said, "OK." So I hurried through my meal and I rushed to the motel room and I was sitting there making sure I had all 73 passages down when the phone rang.
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And it was this elderly man. I've never, ever forgotten the conversation. In fact, I've never, ever forgotten his exact words. He said, "Pastor Weaver, I will not be coming to your room for our discussion." This is about 15 minutes before you're supposed to be there. I said, "And may I ask why you're not going to come to this room?" So help me. Here are his exact words.
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"Because my mind is made up and I do not want you confusing me with a bunch of scriptures." And what I said was this, "Sir, why don't you stay where you are? I'll stay where I am and I'll take a nap and we'll both be better off."
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Now, that is just plain dishonest. I mean, how in the world can you expect God to teach you anything if you're not willing to say, "I'm wrong"? You know, the truth of the matter is, each of us must be willing to say that usually on a daily basis as you read the Scripture, because as God gives you more and more light, you should see where you have been wrong in a lot of places and a lot of times. Now, I'm not talking about major doctrines. I'm not talking about major principles. But I am saying, as we grow in grace and in knowledge, we need to confess the fact that there have been a lot of times that we've been wrong.
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I have the original message that I first preached 57 years ago. And any time I get thinking proudly, I go back and look at that message and I say, "Oh God, don't tell me I've said that. Don't tell me I've preached that." Yeah, it's a good, humbling experience. And to think, Lord, look what I've said and look what I've believed all these years and then all of a sudden you turn the lights on and I see something differently where I was wrong.
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We need an impartial spirit. We need a good and honest heart if we're going to study the Scripture. The fourth thing you're going to need is this. You're going to need a humble mind. If you look in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 11, Matthew chapter 11, and look if you would please at verse 25. Look at what our Lord says. Matthew 11 and verse 25.
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"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." Isn't that interesting? He's hidden some things from the wise and prudent, but the other things He's revealed unto babes. Why? Well, turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, if you would, please. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 8, and notice the first two verses. 1 Corinthians chapter 8, verses 1 and 2. The apostle says, "Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge." Now look what knowledge does. "Knowledge puffeth up."
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It makes you arrogant, proud, haughty, heady, high-minded, "but charity edifieth."
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Now look at verse 2, "And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." So what he is saying is, when you think you have arrived and when you think you've got a handle on everything, you know absolutely nothing. Because knowledge by itself just puffeth up, and pride is a root sin. Conceit, arrogance, pride, self-confidence, reliance upon the armor of the flesh are all opposed to God.
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You remember he said he had hidden those things from the wise and prudent, but he showed them unto babes. Have you ever noticed how believing and how receptive little children are? I've teased little children ever since I've had little children, I guess. I'd see a pretty little girl about four or five years old, and I would say, "My, you're pretty." I said that to one little girl. She said, "I'm not pretty. I'm beautiful." And arrogant, too. But anyhow, I would say, "Boy, you're a pretty little girl."
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I said, "You'll probably get married soon, won't you?" "Yes." Shake her head. Yeah, right. But I remember years ago when our girls were small, we were invited to a meal at the home of a professional fisherman. That's what he did all of his life. He lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama. And I already knew that we were going to have for supper smoked mullet. And I told the girls we were going to have smoked mullet, smoked fish. And my girls asked me, said, "Daddy, how do you smoke mullet?" I said, "Well, girls, you have to get a very sharp knife and you have to chop them up in teeny tiny little pieces. And I said, then they have to be dry so you can put them in your pipe and then light them and then smoke them."
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You know, they just sat there silently like, "Wow." Well, when we got to the house, they saw the smoker and saw the man taking the fish out of the smoker. "Daddy, you were teasing us." Yeah, I guess so, you know. But I mean, do you understand how children, you can tell a little child the moon's made out of green cheese. They'll believe you till they learn better. You know, I'm just saying they're so trusting, they're so believing, they're so receptive. So a humble mind, it's kind of like the mind that Lester Roloff had when he came to the doctrine of election. A humble mind is a mind that is willing to submit to truth even though you do not understand the truth. You may not be able to explain it, but you are willing to say, "Hey, it's here in the Scripture and I bow to it. I believe it. God said it." That's a humble mind.
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Pride will never make us obedient. Humility will make us obedient. Let me give you some scriptures, and I want you to think about these. I'm saying that in order to learn the truth, in order to interpret scriptures, you need a humble mind. The Bible says in Proverbs 8 and verse 13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate, saith the Lord." So the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, arrogancy. Most of us can quote Proverbs 16:18, where he said, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." I like to quote along with that 1 Corinthians 10:12, where the Bible said, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." So pride is always going to precede a downfall. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:23, "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit."
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And that is why in 1 Timothy 3:6, one of the qualifications for a pastor is "not a novice," that is a newbie, a newly planted one, a neophyte. "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil." It's easy for young men to be lifted up in pride. It's easy for anyone to be lifted up in pride, but pride is indeed a root sin. That's why the Bible tells you in 1 John 2:16, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
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I want you to look at two passages with me. I want you to turn to Isaiah 57 and then to James chapter 4. Look in Isaiah 57. Isaiah 57. And we're going to look at verse 15. And then we're going to James 4. Look in Isaiah 57 and verse 15. A very important verse. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place."
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"With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." What did he say? "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." God is not going to be anywhere around pride, arrogancy, haughtiness, headiness, high-mindedness.
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Now, if you look in the book of James, chapter 4 and verse 6, James 4 and verse 6. Note, if you would, what the Scripture says there. James 4 and verse 6. The Bible says, "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." And the word resisted actually means fights against. Wherefore, God fights against the proud, but he gives more grace to the humble.
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Have you ever stopped to think about this? If God wanted to destroy us, all he has to do is to leave us to ourselves and we'll destroy ourselves. But can you imagine how awful it must be for the man whom God appears up in arms against, whom God actually fights against? He says he gives more grace to the humble, but he resists the proud. I'm afraid that the average professing Christian scholar has so much knowledge and yet such a small heart. Pride inflames him, knowledge puffs him up, and arrogance motivates him. When you reach the place of a humble mind, you have come to the right place. When you're willing to bow and accept what the Scripture tells you, whether you understand it or not, you've reached the place where God can teach you. There's a fifth thing that you need, and that is you need a praying heart.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Proverbs chapter 2. We need a heart that prays. We need a heart that seeks. We need a heart that asks. We need a heart that knocks. We need a heart that cries for truth and understanding and righteousness. So if you really and truly want to understand the Word of God, you must seek Him with a very prayerful heart. Now I want you to look in Proverbs chapter 2 beginning there with verse 1. Look what he says, "My son, if thou wilt receive my words." Underline that word receive. Think about this. Let me emphasize certain words with my voice. Watch this. "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God."
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"For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Notice if you would, he talks about reception. He talked about hiding. He talks about inclining. He talks about applying. He talks about crying, lifting up your voice, seeking as silver, searching as for hidden treasures. Then, he said, "shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord." So, if Steve knew that in his yard was a chest full of treasure that had been buried by pirates 150, 200 years ago. It's full of silver and gold and jewels. He knows it is in his yard. He just does not know exactly where, but he knows it's there. So do you think Steve is going to go out and take a shovel and put it in the ground and dig a few spades full of dirt and say, "Well, it's kind of hot today and this ground's kind of hard. I think I'll wait until a better day." And yet he knows there's millions and millions of dollars worth of gold and silver and precious. What's he going to do?
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He's going to be out there 12 hours digging. And when he gets tired, he's going to have Lorraine digging for another 12 hours. And if he offers any of us a portion of it, we're going to come over and dig too. And we're not going to give up until we find that chest full of treasure. That's what he's talking about. Seeking it as silver and searching for it as his treasure.
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Let me point something out. If you're seeking and searching, if you're digging, that is work. And work requires time. So what he's telling us here is this, if we really want knowledge, if we really want understanding, we must put in the work and we must put in the time. Priorities do matter. And so I know how busy everybody is. I understand that. But not one of us has more than 24 hours in each day. Not one. It all has to do with priorities.
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Now, I want you to turn very quickly in your Bibles to Psalm 119. I want to show you just three of David's prayer requests. I believe that we should pray these same prayers. So if you look in Psalm 119 and verse 36, Psalm 119, verse 36. You remember God told us in Proverbs 2 that we need to incline our hearts. Well, here's David's prayer request. Verse 36 of Psalm 119. "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness."
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In other words, let me have your truth more than anything else in the world. Look, if you would, verse 73. Psalm 119, verse 73. He says, "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments." Give me understanding. Incline thine heart to thy testimonies. Now look, if you would, in verse 133. Notice what he says. "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." Order my steps in thy word.
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You remember that passage I know in James 1:5, where the Bible said, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." God said, "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask."
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You see, and I emphasize this in the other three messages, I want to emphasize it again, we need to grasp the fact that all of our studying, all of our praying, all of our reading, all of our research is in vain unless He grants us understanding. That's why the Bible said in 2 Timothy 2:7, Paul told Timothy, "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." And our Lord tells us, He gives to those who ask, He gives to those who seek, He gives to those who knock. So here's some questions. When is the last time you've asked God for understanding? When is the last time you've asked God to incline your heart to His Word? When is the last time you've asked the Lord to order your steps in His Word? When is the last time you've asked the Lord to lead you, guide you and direct you and give you a seeking and praying heart?
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I think we can make a reasonable deduction from what I've just said. If Christians are not seeking, if they're not knocking, if they're not asking, if they're not praying, if they're not searching for wisdom and understanding, it's probably because they really don't want it. They don't see the need for it. They have no interest in it. It is not their silver and their hidden treasure. So if we're going to really understand Scripture, we need a praying heart. And sixthly, here's the last one I want to share with you today. You need a holy design.
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Let me urge you to ask yourself several questions. Do I desire to learn the Word of God? Why do I desire to learn the Word of God? What is my motive in reading and studying? Is my motive simply to increase knowledge? Is my motive simply to be able to argue? Is my motive simply to be able to defend my position and put other people down and destroy those who oppose my views?
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Let me tell you something, folks. Motives are important. And I want you to understand that the answer to each one of those questions that I just asked can be answered out of pride, arrogance, and even a humanistic and spiritual haughtiness. I know some people, and still know people, I've known them, and still know some that read and study seemingly just for those purposes. They love to argue. They love to demonstrate their knowledge.
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They delight in elevating themselves and putting others down. They delight in their pharisaical pride. They delight in the fact that they think that they have a corner on truth. And if you do not agree with them, if you do not see what they see, then you are castigated, despised, and ridiculed. None of these attitudes are biblical, and certainly none are Christian in any sense of the word.
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I can give you a good illustration. Just recently, in fact, within the last two weeks, I was called on the phone. I was busy. In fact, I was shopping for Alice. I was in the grocery store. And someone called me on the phone that I did not know, have never known, never met. And he began to question me and this man was ugly, hateful, haughty, arrogant, demanding, obnoxious, disrespectful.
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He had actually embraced the position of a friend of mine. My friend and I disagree. But we're still civil. We still respect each other. We can still talk with each other. But this man, to be honest, I hung up on him. And he called back, and I refused to answer. I'm just not going to listen to somebody. He had no desire to listen to what Scripture said. He had no desire to listen.
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All he wanted to do was pontificate. And here was the conclusion I came up with.
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Now listen carefully, and I'm going to relay this to my friend as well. But here's the conclusion I came up with. If this is the kind of Christian or believer that his position produces, I don't want any part of his position. I don't. I think his position is wrong. I think he's unscriptural. But I'm just simply saying this man was a very horrible representative of his position. In fact, I don't know that my friend even believes what this man believed. I'm just simply saying, how in the world do you expect God to teach you if you do not have a holy desire in it? If you just want to argue, if you just want to pontificate, if you want to just show off your knowledge, if you want to put others down, if you want to win a debate, all of that is pride, arrogance. God is not going to be teaching you anything.
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The reason that we must study and read and search the Scripture and seek for understanding is so that we may become more humble, more obedient and more submissive, so that we may bring our lives into greater conformity to the word of God. Our motives are important. Our desires are important, especially when it comes to the word of God. We must seek for a holy design in all of our studies. Dwight L. Moody said it like this, and I agree with Dwight L. Moody on this point.
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He said the Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives. The Scriptures weren't given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives, and that is true. They were given so that we may bring our lives into conformity to the Word of God. So let me give you a couple of applications. The first one is this. We may have all the proper tools for study.
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I could have the latest commentaries. I could have every online Bible program available. I could have every concordance and every dictionary available. But listen to me. Having the proper tools alone will not make you a biblical scholar any more than having the proper carpentry tools will make you a carpenter. I can have all the tools of a mechanic, but if I don't have the ability to fix things, the tools are absolutely worthless. So when it comes to having proper tools, we should have the proper tools, but we must need the other five things that went along with those proper tools. We must have an illuminated mind, an impartial spirit, a humble mind, a praying heart, and a holy design. And if you don't have those things, you're never ever going to be a heavenly scholar. You might be a worldly scholar, but you're not going to be a heavenly scholar.
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And there's a vast difference between the wisdom of this world and heavenly wisdom or the wisdom of God. And let me bring your attention back to another truth that I've already shared with you from Isaiah 57 and verse 15. Listen again. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." If we want God to teach us, we must have a humble spirit. God is not going to feed our pride. God is not going to build us up in arrogance and haughtiness because those are sins.
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We have to come to the Scripture with this attitude, "Lord, wherever I'm wrong, straighten me out. Show me. Give me light. Give me truth. Give me understanding. And Lord, I'm willing to turn. I'm willing to repent. I'm willing to change. I'm willing, Lord. Just open mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Teach me. And I shall be taught." We need these six things if we are ever, ever going to be able to study and interpret and learn the Word of God.
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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 we do pray, Lord, that You would give us these things that we need. We desperately need an illuminated mind. We need, Father, we need a praying heart. We need a humble mind. We need, Lord, a holy desire. We need, Father, everything in our lives that Your Word demands. Help us. Make us holy. Make us godly. Make us obedient. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:22:03Z

Three Reasons to Interpret and Six Things Needed - Part 4

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this fourth message on interpreting Scripture, John Weaver reviews the first three reasons for interpretation and then focuses on the remaining four of six things needed: an impartial spirit, a humble mind, a praying heart, and a holy design. He emphasizes that proper tools alone are insufficient; one must approach the Bible with honesty, humility, prayer, and right motives to truly understand and be changed by God's Word.

Opening

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 2:7

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

Review of Previous Messages

But the Bible says in Psalm 111 and verse 2,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 111:2

"The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein."

An Impartial Spirit

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 1:4

"Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God."

Well, the young man that I was teaching sat through the Sunday school lesson.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 1:4

"I can't wait to see or to hear what Lester Roloff says on Ephesians 1 in verse 4, where the Bible says, 'According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.'"

And when Lester Roloff got to verse 4, you know what he said?

A Humble Mind

Weaver teaches that a humble mind is required, as God reveals truth to babes and resists the proud. He cites Proverbs and James to show that pride leads to destruction, while humility receives grace.

A Praying Heart

Weaver stresses the need for a praying heart, using Proverbs 2 and Psalm 119 to show that we must seek wisdom as hidden treasure and pray for understanding and an inclined heart.

A Holy Design

Weaver warns against wrong motives in study, such as pride or argumentativeness. He quotes D.L. Moody that Scripture is given to change lives, not just increase knowledge, and urges a holy design.

Applications and Conclusion

Weaver applies the message by stating that tools alone are insufficient; one must have the other five qualities. He concludes with a prayer for God to grant these things.

Three Reasons to Interpret and Six Things Needed - Part 4

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	3292202739143
Subject	Apologetics
Course	Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-03-27
Dictation Name
Book	Book 064: Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	77

Lecture Guide

Outline

Review of Previous Messages: Weaver reviews the first three reasons to interpret Scripture: to explain seeming contradictions, to prevent being misled by the sound of words, and to insert explanatory words. He also reviews the first two things needed: proper tools and an illuminated mind.
An Impartial Spirit: Weaver explains that an impartial spirit is necessary because everyone comes to the Bible with preconceived ideas. He illustrates with personal stories and emphasizes the need for exegesis over eisegesis.
A Humble Mind: Weaver teaches that a humble mind is required, as God reveals truth to babes and resists the proud. He cites Proverbs and James to show that pride leads to destruction, while humility receives grace.
A Praying Heart: Weaver stresses the need for a praying heart, using Proverbs 2 and Psalm 119 to show that we must seek wisdom as hidden treasure and pray for understanding and an inclined heart.
A Holy Design: Weaver warns against wrong motives in study, such as pride or argumentativeness. He quotes D.L. Moody that Scripture is given to change lives, not just increase knowledge, and urges a holy design.
Applications and Conclusion: Weaver applies the message by stating that tools alone are insufficient; one must have the other five qualities. He concludes with a prayer for God to grant these things.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Preconceived ideas hinder interpretation

People naturally trust what they have been taught, but error can be handed down. An impartial spirit is needed to let Scripture correct us.

Weaver says, 'Error, heresy, and deception are easily handed down from generation to generation' and shares his own experience of being wrong.

Exegesis vs. eisegesis

Exegesis draws out the true meaning of Scripture, while eisegesis reads in preconceived ideas. Only exegesis leads to honesty and submission.

Weaver defines the terms and says, 'Exegesis will make you honest and submissive. Eisegesis will confirm you in your preconceived ideas.'

Pride opposes learning

Knowledge puffs up, and pride leads to destruction. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble, so a humble mind is essential.

Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 8:1, Proverbs 16:18, and James 4:6, and explains that God fights against the proud.

Diligent seeking is required

Understanding comes to those who seek wisdom as hidden treasure, putting in work and time, and praying for God to give understanding.

Weaver uses Proverbs 2:1-6 and the illustration of digging for buried treasure to emphasize the effort needed.

Motives matter in study

Studying to argue, show off, or put others down is prideful and ungodly. The goal should be life change and conformity to God's Word.

Weaver asks, 'What is my motive in reading and studying?' and shares a negative example of a haughty caller.

Scripture References

2 Timothy 2:7: Theme verse for the series: 'Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.'
Psalm 111:2: Used to deduce that if we do not have pleasure in truth and seek it out, we remain childish and ignorant.
John 1:10: Example of the word 'world' (cosmos) used three times with different meanings in one verse.
Habakkuk 1:13: Illustration of needing to insert an explanatory word: God cannot look upon iniquity 'condoningly'.
Proverbs 15:3: Contrasted with Habakkuk 1:13 to show God does see evil, but does not condone it.
Hebrews 1:1-3: Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God; no new revelation today.
Luke 8:15: The good ground hearer has an honest and good heart, illustrating the need for an impartial spirit.
1 Thessalonians 1:4: Example of a verse some ignore due to discomfort with the doctrine of election.
Ephesians 1:4: Lester Roloff's honest response to the doctrine of election: he didn't understand it but believed it.
Matthew 11:25: God hides things from the wise and prudent and reveals them to babes, emphasizing humility.
1 Corinthians 8:1-2: Knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies; if anyone thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet.
Proverbs 8:13: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, arrogancy, and the evil way.
Proverbs 16:18: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
1 Corinthians 10:12: Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Proverbs 29:23: A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
1 Timothy 3:6: A pastor must not be a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1 John 2:16: The pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Isaiah 57:15: God dwells with the contrite and humble spirit to revive them.
James 4:6: God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Proverbs 2:1-6: If you seek wisdom as silver and search for her as hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord.

Historical References

Martin Luther: Quoted: 'We must not make God's Word mean what we wish. We must not bend it, but allow it to bend us.'
Lester Roloff: Evangelist who honestly admitted he didn't understand election but believed it because it's in the Bible.
Dwight L. Moody: Quoted: 'The Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.'

Important Quotes

We must not make God's Word mean what we wish. We must not bend it, but allow it to bend us and give it the honor of being better than we can make it.

Martin Luther's quote emphasizes the need for submission to Scripture rather than imposing our own ideas.

Because my mind is made up and I do not want you confusing me with a bunch of scriptures.

An example of dishonest refusal to be taught, showing the opposite of an impartial spirit.

The Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.

D.L. Moody's quote captures the holy design needed in studying Scripture.

Having the proper tools alone will not make you a biblical scholar any more than having the proper carpentry tools will make you a carpenter.

Weaver's analogy stresses that tools are insufficient without the right heart attitudes.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What are some preconceived ideas you have brought to Scripture, and how can you cultivate an impartial spirit?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that everyone comes with preconceived ideas and must be willing to let Scripture correct them.

[Question]

How can you practice exegesis rather than eisegesis in your personal Bible study?

[Context]

Weaver defines exegesis as drawing out meaning and eisegesis as reading in ideas.

[Question]

In what areas of your life might pride be hindering your understanding of God's Word?

[Context]

Weaver teaches that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

[Question]

What does it look like to seek wisdom as hidden treasure in your daily routine?

[Context]

Weaver uses Proverbs 2 to illustrate the diligent effort required in seeking understanding.

[Question]

How can you examine your motives when studying Scripture to ensure they are holy?

[Context]

Weaver asks probing questions about why we study and warns against prideful motives.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T10:48:36Z