Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture

Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture - Part 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Apologetics

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2022-05-06

Synopsis: In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver continues a series on biblical interpretation, emphasizing that we must interpret Scripture to prevent being misled by the sound of words and to insert explanatory words in some passages. He illustrates how words like 'flesh' and 'world' have multiple meanings depending on context, and he demonstrates how adding clarifying concepts (such as 'condoningly' or distinguishing between God's secret and revealed will) resolves apparent contradictions. The message concludes with the application that knowledge must lead to understanding and practical application, not pride.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bibles again today to 2 Timothy 2 and verse 7. We started a series last week entitled, Three Reasons We Need to Consider Truth and Interpret Scripture. Although I'll finish the three reasons today, Lord willing, we will still continue with this series, probably, I don't know, from six to eight messages anyhow. So notice II Timothy 2 and verse 7, where the Apostle Paul tells Timothy, consider what I say, and the Lord give the understanding in all things. The interpretation of Scripture is not only necessary, it is also pivotable, and therefore we must interpret the Scripture light of the rules of Biblical interpretation or Biblical hermeneutics. I pointed out last week that context is absolutely everything, and everything must be taken in context.

[John Weaver] It has often been said that you can use the Bible and prove just about anything as long as you take it out of context, and that is certainly true. I've had this given to me many years past, that you will remember that passage in Matthew 27 in verse 5, where the Bible says, And Judas cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went out and hanged himself. And then you put that along with Luke 10 in verse 37, where Jesus said, Go and do thou likewise. Well, obviously those two statements are not in context. And if you took them out of context, you could do about anything with them. It's often been said, if you take a text out of context, then you have a pretext, and that pretext would be then used to prove anything that you believe or anything that you have been taught. So many times, gross errors and even heresy has been communicated just simply by taking something out of context. Since we meet in Waycross, Georgia, which is in Ware County, I told the people this morning I could prove from the Bible that everyone should be able to move to Ware County.

[John Weaver] They said, how in the world could you do that? Well, look in 2 Timothy chapter 4, if you would, at verse 14, the Apostle Paul is warning of Alexander the coppersmith and he says Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil the Lord reward him according to his works now what's this command of whom be thou where also be thou where I'll go to where county now you know that's taken out of context but I could say here's a command be thou where also but all the Apostle Paul is saying be aware of him and watch out for him and do not let him deceive you by any stretch of the imagination. So I've also pointed out that Scripture must be used to interpret Scripture. And whenever you interpret a passage of Scripture and it contradicts other plain passages of Scripture, then your interpretation is wrong and not the Scripture.

[John Weaver] So last week, basically, I covered one point, and that point was simply this. We must interpret Scripture in order to explain seeming contradictions. And I went over those seeming contradictions, or at least some of them. And I also emphasized the word seeming, because they were not real contradictions. Only when you interpret them, they were cleared up and the truth was demonstrated. Now, the reason so many people do not catch seeming contradictions are probably manifold. Number one, they don't really read the Scripture. Number two, if they do read, they're not observant. And if they are observant, many times they don't even think about what they just read.

[John Weaver] In fact, the Bible says in the book of Proverbs chapter 25 and verse 2, it is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but it's the honor of kings to search a matter out. So it's to the glory of God that He conceals things, and it is our honor that we're able to search things out. So if someone is uninterested in truth, Obviously, he's not going to be seeking. He's not going to be searching. And of course, then the result is he's going to remain forever ignorant. You learn by studying. You learn by seeking. You learn by searching. I pointed this out many years ago, and it's the absolute truth. I often said, I wish I had a $20 bill for every question I've ever been asked in all of these years of preaching. I've had a lot of questions asked of me, and I've answered those questions just as biblically as I possibly could.

[John Weaver] But here's the difference between asking a question and getting an answer, because I have had individuals ask me the same question a number of times. The same individual asked me the same question. In fact, I got on to one one time, And then he apologized to me. And I said, no, I should apologize to you. And I did. I said, because I was supposed to teach you. And and no matter how many times you ask me, I'm going to answer that. But here's the problem. If you ask me a question and I answer it biblically, that's fine. But the question that I would have to ask you is, would you remember my answer six months from now? And the answer is probably no.

[John Weaver] And the reason why is, just think about this easy come easy go. Well, if you forget, I'll just ask him again. But if you ever sit down and search it out and seek it out and study it out, it usually becomes yours and you probably will not forget it. So there's a difference between just simply asking and finding out an answer, and doing all the study and the research for yourself. So, you just have to remember that we are responsible and accountable to God to do our own searching and our own studying. That doesn't mean I'm upset when you ask a question. Of course I'm not. But I'm just simply pointing out, the more we study, the more we search, the more it really becomes ours.

[John Weaver] Now, here's the second point today. We must interpret Scripture to prevent our being misled by the sound of words. Now it is true that words have meaning. It is also true that words have sounds. And the very fact that some words are spelled alike, sound alike, look alike, does not mean that they have the same meaning. One of the problems is we put meanings on words in the Bible based upon our understanding of what those words mean today. And although the words may be spelled alike, they may sound alike, they may be exactly the same word, but the meaning of scripture is not necessarily the meaning that we place upon it today. Moreover, there are words in the Bible that are exactly the same they have different meanings based upon the context. So let me give you just two words to illustrate this point today. I'm going to give you the words flesh and world. So everyone understands the word flesh and everyone understands the word world, or at least we think we do, but we don't understand that those words are used differently in Scripture.

[John Weaver] I want you to consider with me, first of all, the word flesh. I want you to look in your Bibles to Isaiah 40 and 1 Peter 1. Isaiah 40 and 1 Peter 1, because I want you to see, first of all, the word flesh is used to designate all humanity. Notice, if you would, in Isaiah 40, And let's begin reading there with verse 5. Look what he says. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Now, verse 6. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? Here's what you're crying. All flesh is grass, and all the goodness thereof is of the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, Because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it, surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall endure forever." So here he's talking about all humanity. We are just simply as grass.

[John Weaver] We're here today and going tomorrow. If you will look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1 and verse 24, you'll see that the apostle Peter actually quotes from Isaiah 40, and he says the same thing. 1 Peter 1 and verse 24, he says this, for all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass wither, then the flower thereof falleth away.

[John Weaver] But the word of our God endureth forever, and this is the word by which the gospel is preached unto you. So first of all, flesh is used in the Bible to represent all humanity. Secondly, flesh is used in the Bible to designate the body. So in Job chapter 19, beginning there with verse 25, here's what Job said. Job chapter 19, beginning there with verse 25. Watch carefully. And here the word flesh designates the body. Job 19, verse 25 through 27.

[John Weaver] The word flesh is used for His body. Then if you will look in the book of Romans chapter 7, you will see the same word. By the way, the Greek word is the word sarx. S-A-R-X is how we would spell it. But look in the book of Romans chapter 7, and it doesn't really matter where the word is translated from the Hebrew or from the Greek.

[John Weaver] The meaning is going to be based upon the context. But if you look at Romans chapter 7, the apostle says this, beginning there with verse 18, look at it. He said, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh.

[John Weaver] Now we're not talking about all humanity. Now we're not necessarily talking about the body. Now we're talking about an evil principle of sin. So the word flesh can designate the evil principle of sin. He says, for I know that in me that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not, but the evil that I would not that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, watch it, but sin that dwelleth in me." So when he started out in verse 18, I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing." And he ends up pointing out that it is sin within him. So the word flesh can be used for all humanity. It can be used for your body. It can be used for the evil principle of sin. And if you'd turn over right quickly to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, you will understand that the word flesh can just simply designate what you and I would call meat.

[John Weaver] I've had people say, I need a piece of flesh to eat." They're just simply talking about a steak. But notice in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 39, the Apostle Paul says, all flesh is not the same flesh. Now it's the same word, but he says, there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. So flesh then sometimes just designates meat. And I could say this skin that's hanging on my bones is flesh. And that's what it is. So when you look at the word flesh in the Bible, there's at least four different ways that word is used. Now, let me come to the second word, because that's what I really want to emphasize today. And that is the word world. Here's the problem with placing modern day conceptions and understandings biblical words and that is usually when you hear the word world most people think that word includes every individual on the planet or every individual who is alive sometimes they even think about every individual who has lived is living in shall live because

[John Weaver] we're thinking about the word world Now the word world in the Bible is usually translated from the word cosmos. Now there are other words, I'm going to point a few of them out. But the word cosmos actually occurs 187 times in the New Testament. There's another English word that we get from the word cosmos and it is the word what? Cosmetics. And it refers to an orderly arrangement. Sometimes I've seen something that was not so orderly arranged. But that's basically where the word comes from. It comes from the Greek word kosmos. Now, I'm going to give you a quote before long from Arthur W. Pink, where he is giving us an understanding of the word kosmos. But I want to give you at least seven different ways the word is used in Scripture. First of all, the word kosmos is used to represent universe as a whole. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 17 and verse 24, Acts 17 verse 24, in this passage the word cosmos, and by the way, every passage that I show you until I change it is going to be the Greek word cosmos, which is translated as world.

[John Weaver] So in Acts 17 and verse 24 the apostle is preaching on Mars Hill, And he says this, God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. God that made the world, that is, He made the universe, He made the sun, He made the moon, He made the stars, He made the planets, He made everything. So here the word cosmos then would refer to what you and I would call the universe. Okay?

[John Weaver] Now, if you will turn secondly to the book of John, chapter 13, you're going to find that the word world also refers just simply to the earth. If you look in John chapter 13 and verse 1, look carefully at this verse. He says, now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hours come, that he should depart out of this world that is out of the earth unto the father, Having loved His own which were in the world, that is, in the earth, He loved them unto the end. So twice the word world is used in John 13, verse 1, and each time it refers to the earth, it does not refer to the universe. Now, you have the same truth in Ephesians 1 and verse 4, where the Bible says, according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world. There it would refer to the foundation of the earth or you could even say the foundation of the universe But God indeed asked Job in Job 38 and verse 4 Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?

[John Weaver] So the word cosmos can be used not just as the universe It can also be used as the earth as well thirdly the word cosmos can also be used to refer to the world system. If you look in John 12 and verse 31, our Lord says, now is the judgment of this world. He's not talking about the earth. He's not talking about the universe. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. He's talking about the world system. That's why he said in 1 John 5 and verse 19, that the whole world lieth in the wicked one." Well, it's the world system. We as Christians do not lie in the arms of the wicked one. We are in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, when you think about 1 John 2 and verse 15 through 17, when he said, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, love fathers not in him. Why? For all that is in the world is what?

[John Weaver] the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, and the world, and the lust thereof passeth away. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." So sometimes the word world just simply refers to the world system. So when he says, love not the world, he's not referring to the universe. He's not referring to the earth. He's referring to the world system. Then if you'll look in Romans chapter 3 and verse 19, Sometimes the word world is used of the whole of humanity. So look in Romans chapter 3 and verse 19. Look what it said, Romans 3 verse 19.

[John Weaver] Now we know that what things whoever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. Well, who is guilty before God? All of humanity, because all of humanity are not only totally depraved, but have violated the law of God as well. So sometimes the word world then is used of all of humanity.

[John Weaver] And then fifthly, listen to this one. Sometimes the word world is used of humanity. Minus believers. Minus believers. So look in John 15 and verse 18. John 15 and verse 18. Our Lord says, and remember now, He's talking to His disciples. John 15, in fact, let's read verse 17 just so you can see. He's talking to His Go back to verse 16. He says to his disciples.

[John Weaver] You have not chosen me But I've chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain Then whatsoever you shall ask of the father in my name He may give it you these things. I command you that you love one another now watch what he said in verse 18 if the world hate you You know, they're hating me for hated you So here is the world, here is humanity, minus believers. He's talking to his disciples. He's talking to those whom he loves. If the world hate you, so there is a world of the ungodly.

[John Weaver] You need to put that down in your mind right now. Look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 3 and verse 6. Romans 3 verse 6 Romans 3 and verse 6 look what the scripture says God forbid how then shall God judge the world and of course when you're talking about judging the world here it is talking about condemnation when you compare that verse with John 5 in verse 24 Jesus said verily verily I say unto you whosoever believeth in me at the everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation." So sometimes the word world is used then in reference to all of the ungodly minus believers. So clearly then, the word world has different meanings. If you will look in your Bible, since you're in the book of Romans, Romans chapter 11, Romans chapter 11, and I want you to note Beginning there with verse 1 the context of Romans 11 He says I say then had God cast away his people God forbid for I am also an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew What know you not what the scripture says of Elias how you make the intercession to God against Israel saying?

[John Weaver] So now we're talking about Israel in this context. So look in your Bibles, if you would, beginning there with verse 11. So we're still talking about Israel. Look what he says. I say, then have they stumbled that they should fall God forbid, but rather that through their fall, salvation has come to the Gentiles or to the nations. for to provoke them to jealousy." Now look what he says, verse 12,"'Now if the fall of them,' Israel,"'be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them, the riches of the Gentiles of the nations, how much more their fullness.'" So when he talks about if the fall of them be the riches of the world, that would be the nations minus Israel, because he's talking already about Israel is not being cast away as such. So here the word world distinguishes or contrasts between Israel and the nations as well.

[John Weaver] Now, here's number seven, and I want you to think about this one. This one might challenge you. But the word world is sometimes used of believers only. I'll show you the verse in a little bit. But just like there is a world of the ungodly, there is a world of the godly. So if you look in John 1 and verse 29, John 1, verse 29, watch carefully. Sometimes the word world refers only to believers. Look at verse 29. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Now wait a minute. Did Jesus Christ take away the sin of every single individual? The answer is no. What did our Lord Himself say to those Pharisees in John chapter 8?

[John Weaver] He said, You shall seek me, and you shall not find me. and you shall die in your sins." Wow. Well, now it just said that He took away the sin of the whole world. Well, which world? It would have to be the world of believers. It certainly would not include the world of the ungodly. No, not by any stretch of the imagination.

[John Weaver] Now look in John 3 and verse 16 and 17. I'm going to come back and give you a quote on this passage just momentarily. But look in John 3 in verse 16, everybody can quote this verse. For God so loved the world, really, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Well, God so loved the world, which world did he love? That he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Now watch verse 17. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." So God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world. Hmm. Well, you have to determine if this is the world of all humanity or just simply the world of believers. I'm going to show you before I close. It has to be the world of the believers because of the context. But look in your Bibles.

[John Weaver] to John chapter 6 and verse 33. John 6 and verse 33. I'll tie it together for you in just a moment. John 6, look in verse 33. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life into the world. So does Jesus Christ give life to every single individual in the world. He may give them physical life, but certainly not eternal life. And when you read the context of John chapter six, it is indeed referring to eternal life. So he says, for the bread of God is he that cometh down from heaven and give the life unto the world. Wow. To show you it's eternal life. Look in verse 35, Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger. And he that believeth on me shall never thirst. So clearly then he's talking about eternal life. So He gave His life, He gave bread to the world. He giveth life unto the world. So it will have to be the world of the godly or the world believers.

[John Weaver] So look in John chapter 12 and verse 47. John 12 verse 47. John 12 and verse 47.

[John Weaver] Our Lord said, if any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. So our Lord saves a world. What world does he save? And that is the world of believers. So if you look in 2nd Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 19. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. Verse 19. Here's a passage that I think is just about so plainly simple, but yet so many overlook this. So look in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 19. In fact, we're talking about reconciliation in this chapter. And it says,"...to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." So, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Does that mean that God has reconciled every individual in the world? And the answer would have to be no, because if you look at the next verse, or the next phrase, not imputing their trespasses unto them. So if you take this word world to mean every individual, then you've gone into universalism.

[John Weaver] You're just simply saying that every individual is saved, which our Lord himself in Matthew 25 said, and these shall go away in everlasting punishment. So obviously he is not reconciled every single individual. Look at the people who are fighting against him today. and look at the people who are living in their sins. So clearly, when you look at verse 19, there is a world of the believers, just like there is a world of the unbelievers.

[John Weaver] Now, there have been at least seven different ways the word world is used just in the New Testament. Here is the question, or here is the quote that I want to give you from Arthur W. Pink. Here's what he said. Has then God used a word, he's talking about the word cosmos, has then God used a word that thus to confuse and confound those who read scripture? We answer no. Nor has he written his word for lazy people who are too dilatory or too busy with the things of the world or like Martha, too much occupied with serving that they have no time and no heart to search and study holy writ. Should it be asked further, but how is a searcher of the scriptures to know which of the above meanings of the term world has in any given passage? The answer is, this may be ascertained by careful study of the context, by diligently noting what is predicated of the world in each passage, and by prayerfully, fully consulting other parallel passages to the one being studied."

[John Weaver] Now, here's the quote from John 3.16. Listen carefully. The principal subject of John 3.16 is Christ as the gift of God. The first clause tells us what moved God to give His only begotten Son, and that was His great love, for God so loved the world. He says the second clause informs us whom God gave His Son, that is, for whosoever," or better, for everyone that believeth. While the last clause makes known why God gave His Son, that is, His purpose, and that is that everyone that believeth should not perish but have everlasting life. Thus the world in John 3.16 refers to the world of believers, God's elect, and in contradistinction from them, the world of the ungodly.

[John Weaver] If you will turn in your Bibles, I'm going to stop there, but I want you to look in 2 Peter 2 and verse 5. 2 Peter 2 and verse 5. This is referring to Noah's flood in 2 Peter 2 and verse 5. Look what the Scripture says, And spared not the old world, But save Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly." So if there is a world of the ungodly, there is a world of the godly.

[John Weaver] That's exactly what Arthur W. Pink is saying here, that there is the world of the believer in contradistinction to the world of the unbeliever. I continue now. He is saying, That this truth is established unequivocally established by a comparison of other passages which speak Which speak of God's love? God to mend his love toward us the Saints Romans 5 8 for whom the Lord loveth he chastened it Hebrews 12 in verse 6 Well, how about this one in Revelation 3 in verse 19 as many as I love I chastened So that means if you're not chastened by God, you're not loved by God. In other words, He chastens every son whom He receiveth. And then, of course, we love Him because He first loved us. And then He says this, the wicked God pities, Matthew 18, 33. The unthankful and the evil, to them God is kind, Luke 6, verse 35. The vessels of wrath He endures with much longsuffering, Romans 9 22 but his own God loves so he is saying the love of God is primarily for God's people and I pointed out in times past the difference between a special specific love and what we would call a beneficent love I could say

[John Weaver] that I love all the women in this room and I do But I could then say I love my wife, but I don't love every woman in this room the way I love my wife, and I better not, and I should not. But when I say I love all the women in this room, all that means is I do not wish to see them any harm. I want them to be blessed. I want them to be happy. I want them to be safe. That is the love of beneficence. But the special redeeming love that God has for His own different, although God is kind to the wicked, that is for sure."

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn to the book of Colossians chapter 1 and look in verse 6. I'm going to read this just to give you a good quote. Look in Colossians 1 and verse 6. Colossians 1 and verse 6. He's talking about the hope and the truth of the gospel. He said in verse 6, Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day you heard of it, I knew the grace of God in Jesus Christ, or in truth. Now, I read that verse to explain to you, or to read to you, a comment that you will find in Strong's exhaustive concordance. And in a future message, I will explain the difference between Strong's exhaustive concordance and Young's analytical concordance. But here is what Strong says concerning the word cosmos. He says world 186 times, adorning one time, 187 times.

[John Weaver] And he says, here's what it means, an apt and harmonious arrangement Constitution, Order, Government. An ornament, decoration, adornment, the arrangement of the stars, the heavenly host as the ornament of the heaven. Then three, the world, the universe. Four, the circle of the earth, the earth. Five, the inhabitants of the earth, men and human family. Six, the ungodly multitude, the whole mass of men alienated from God and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ. Number seven, world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly, 7A, the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures, which, although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God, and are obstacles to the cause of Christ. Eight, any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort in 8a, the Gentiles, as contrasted to Israel, of believers only."

[John Weaver] Actually, when he gets through here, there are about 11 to 12 different ways the word world is used in the Scripture. Now, let me show you what I'm talking about. If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 1, John chapter 1, I want you to look at verse 10. John 1 and verse 10. Look at this verse. Of course, we're referring here to Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] You can read verses 1 through 9, and you will see that He is the life and the light. So, He says in verse 9, that was the true light. We're talking about Jesus Christ. Now look in verse 10. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. Here is the little Greek word kosmos. It is used three times in one sentence, and it has a different meaning each time it is placed there. He was in the world, that is the created world, the earth, And he was, and the world was made by him, that is universe. And the world knew him not, that is humanity or unbelievers. So the word world is used three times in that one verse and three different ways.

[John Weaver] So you have to be careful when you look at the words of the scripture and you think, well, I know what that means. You may not. And you may know what the word world means in one instance, But you may not know it in every instance. Now, I want you to look in Matthew 24, Matthew 24, because there are other words for the word world as well, and you're going to see them right here, Matthew 24. Look, if you would please, at verse 3. Here's the Greek word eon, which refers to an age or a period of time. In verse 3, and as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, The disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the world?" Or literally, the end of the age, or the end of this period.

[John Weaver] They're not talking necessarily about the absolute last day of the world. No, they're talking about the day that everything comes to pass. When he said in verse 2, look at verse 2, and Jesus said unto him, See ye not all these things?" They said, look at the temple. Read verse 1. And Jesus went out and departed from the temple. And His disciples came to Him for to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, See ye not all these things?

[John Weaver] Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. And now that's what they're asking. And what shall be the end of the world? That is the end of this period, the end of this age. When is this going to happen that all of these buildings are going to be torn down? Then if you look in Matthew 24 and verse 14, here's another word. The Greek word is oikonomia. Look at it, verse 24 and verse 14, chapter 24, verse 14. And the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached unto all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end So the Greek word is oikonomia, and it refers to a portion of the world, or at least what you and I would call the inhabited portion of the world. So clearly then, he's talking about a specific portion of the world where everything's going to be preached. Back at that time, not the entire world was inhabited, or at least not that anybody in Rome knew about, And Israel knew about it that particular time, but it's a totally different Greek word.

[John Weaver] So the point I'm trying to make is this. When you look at Scripture, and I pointed out last week, everybody interprets. But you are either going to interpret a word or a passage or a verse based upon your perception, your perceived idea of what a word means, or you're going to interpret that passage based upon the context and the use of that word in the context. That is why there are so many people who believe so many different things because they never ever usually take things in the context. And like I said earlier, You can communicate gross error and heresy just simply by taking something out of its context. And just because you're used to hearing a word, and you think you know the meaning of that word, does not mean that you know the meaning of that word in the context. So, we have to interpret Scripture, not only to explain seeming contradictions. We have to interpret Scripture also Do not be misled by the sound of mere words. And number three, very quickly, we must interpret scripture to insert an explanatory word in some passages.

[John Weaver] Let me make a statement. Listen carefully. When I say we must insert an explanatory word in some passages, I am not talking about adding to scripture. That is not what I'm saying at all. I'm going to show you exactly what I mean. So I want you to turn in your Bibles to two passages. First of all, the book of Habakkuk, chapter 1, verse 13, and then Proverbs, chapter 15, and verse 3. Look, if you would, in the book of Habakkuk, chapter 1, and look, if you would please, at verse 13. Right after the book of Nahum you have Habakkuk and of course right before Zephaniah Okay Habakkuk chapter 1 in verse 13. Look what he says Thou art of pure eyes and to behold evil and cancel look on iniquity Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and hold aside tongue when the wicked devour the man that is more righteous than he Now look at verse 13 again, the first part. Thou art of pure eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.

[John Weaver] Now, does this passage mean that God cannot in any way look upon iniquity? Does it mean that He cannot behold evil? Does it mean that He cannot see it? Does it mean that He cannot judge it because He does not see it and He does not know it? But if you look in Proverbs 15 and verse 3, look what the Bible says. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good." Now, you've got to come back to Habakkuk 1 in verse 13, and you have to deal with this because we just read, the eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good. So look in verse 13 again. He says,"...thou art of pure eyes, and behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity."

[John Weaver] Now watch this next clause. Look at this next phrase. It seemingly contradicts what he just said. Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, so he is looking at sin, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth a man that is more righteous than he. So how do you explain verse 13, the first phrase? Thou art of pure eyes, and behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. Here is how, by adding an explanatory word your mind not in the scripture here's what it means that of pure eyes and behold evil and can't not look upon iniquity condoningly or approvingly God does not condone evil God does not approve of evil he does see it to judge it he does see it to pay it back for his wickedness but he does not look upon it condoningly he does not look upon it approvingly. So that's what I mean by inserting an explanatory word. You're not adding to the scripture, you're just saying, this is what this means, and it's very easily explained like that.

[John Weaver] Let me give you another one. I want you to look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 9 and verse 19, and then I want you to turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3. Romans 9 verse 19, And then 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3. Now when you get to Romans chapter 9, the Apostle is arguing for the absolute sovereignty of God. God is absolutely sovereign. So verse 19 then asks this question. The Apostle Paul says, If God is sovereign, thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault?

[John Weaver] For who hath resisted his will? indicating clearly obviously that no one is capable of resisting God's will and cannot resist God's will so now look in first Thessalonians 4 and verse 13 here's what the scripture says for this is the will of God even your sanctification that you should abstain from fornication so here's my question Has anyone ever committed fornication? Has anyone ever committed adultery? Has anyone ever coveted? Has anyone ever lusted? Has anyone ever transgressed God's law, broken God's law?

[John Weaver] And the answer is yes. Millions upon millions of times. Well, now Romans 9 and verse 19 asks who has resisted his will. And now 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3 shows us that many people have violated His will. So how are you going to reconcile and explain the difference between Romans 9 and 1 Thessalonians 4? Here's how. Deuteronomy 29, 29. You have to distinguish between the secretive will of God and the revealed will of God. Romans 9 is talking about the secretive will of God First Thessalonians 4 is talking about the revealed will of God. In Deuteronomy 29, 29, the Bible says very clearly, the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things which he has revealed belong to us and our children, that we may do all the words of this law. So you have God's secretive will, you've got God's revealed will. So when he talks in Romans 9 and verse 19, who resisted his will? The answer is really and truly no one. Because that is God's secretive will.

[John Weaver] And it's secretive and therefore you can't know it and I don't know it. And it really and truly is none of our business. But have men violated his revealed will? Yes. But here's what he's saying. His revealed will is our business, and we should obey that. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things which He has revealed belong to us and our children, that we may do all the words of this law." So you just have to understand that you have to say, who has resisted His will, indicating no one, that would be a secretive will. Now, let me give you one more. Here's one that everyone can quote.

[John Weaver] Hebrews 13 verse 8, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever. You say, I believe that. So do I. But let me ask you a question. What does that mean? Is Christ still in the flesh? Is Christ still humiliated? Is still Christ crucified? Is Christ still buried? No. He has changed there. He's no longer in the state of humiliation. He's in the state of glorification. But when He says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, it is not talking about the fact of the state of His humiliation. It is talking about His essence. It is talking about His oneness with God.

[John Weaver] I and the Father are one. It is talking about His essential being. It is talking about His essential and official capacity as the mediator. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He always will be, in that essence, because He is God in the flesh. So Jesus Christ is unchanged in His essential person, and in the exercises of a mediatorial office, and in relation and attitude to His church, but He's not any longer in the state of humiliation.

[John Weaver] So the point I'm just making is, You have to read, and you have to sometimes say, well, I know what that means. That's not talking about the state of humiliation. He is no longer in that, but He is always the same in His being and essence and official capacity.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make some applications. The first one is this. Scripture is meant to be understood and applied. And unless you interpret Scripture, You cannot understand it. And unless you understand it, you cannot apply it. So without application, all of your studying, searching, and work are useless and worthless. I may know how to build a boat. I may know how to build a boat from scratch. But unless I actually build a boat, my knowledge in one sense of the word is useless. I've not applied it. So it's the same thing with Scripture. Scripture is not just to be read, it is to be applied. And if you're just getting knowledge for knowledge's sake, then you're getting knowledge for the wrong reason.

[John Weaver] If you'll look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, 1 Corinthians chapter 8, Look at verses one and two. First Corinthians eight verses one and two, look what he says.

[John Weaver] Now it's touching things offered unto idols. We know that we all have knowledge.

[John Weaver] Now watch knowledge puffeth up, but charity or love edifies. And if any man think that he knoweth anything, He knoweth nothing, yet as he ought to know. So he says, once you think you know something and you've got knowledge and your pride gets built up, you really know nothing as you ought to know. Because God gives us knowledge so that we may understand it and we understand it so that we may apply it and use it.

[John Weaver] I like what John Trapp said. He was an old Puritan. He said this, listen carefully, wine is good when it goes to the heart to cheer it, but when it fumes all up in the head, it maketh it giddy, so doth knowledge. So doth knowledge. In other words, everyone has met someone that you frame and call a know-it-all. You can't get anything in. You can't tell him anything because he knows it all. That's what knowledge does without application.

[John Weaver] It just simply puffs up. So let me put it to you like this. Knowledge is not for show. Knowledge is not for pride. It's not for debate. It's not for argumentation. It is for implementation. And unless your knowledge is implemented, unless it is applied, it is useless. You may know that you need to interpret the scriptures, but if you do not, you will never understand them. You may know that you need to apply the scriptures, but if you do not, they will never be real in your life. Scriptures come alive and principles live as we apply them.

[John Weaver] to every area and every sphere of our lives. We must interpret scripture, not only to explain seeming contradictions, not only to keep from being misled by the sound of mere words, but also sometimes to insert an explanatory word, hmm, so that we can understand the passage as it relates to other passages in the Bible. We must seek Him for truth. Lord willing, next Sunday I'm going to begin, still on this same series, on what is required in us to really interpret and understand the Scriptures. Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We pray that You will teach us, build us up in the most holy faith, enable us, Lord, to be able to interpret and interpret correctly. enable us to understand, and enable us to apply. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[John Weaver] so so

Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture - Part 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	TWODbd2A9ik
Subject	Apologetics
Course	Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-05-06
Dictation Name
Book	Book 065: Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	63

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the series theme and the first reason for interpreting Scripture: to explain seeming contradictions. He stresses the importance of context and personal study.

Let's open our Bibles again today to 2 Timothy 2 and verse 7. We started a series last week entitled, "Three Reasons We Need to Consider Truth and Interpret Scripture." Although I'll finish the three reasons today, Lord willing, we will still continue with this series, probably, I don't know, from six to eight messages anyhow. So notice 2 Timothy 2 and verse 7, where the Apostle Paul tells Timothy, "Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." The interpretation of Scripture is not only necessary, it is also pivotal, and therefore we must interpret the Scripture in light of the rules of biblical interpretation or biblical hermeneutics. I pointed out last week that context is absolutely everything, and everything must be taken in context. It has often been said that you can use the Bible and prove just about anything as long as you take it out of context, and that is certainly true. I've had this given to me many years past, that you will remember that passage in Matthew 27 and verse 5, where the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 27:5

"And Judas cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went out and hanged himself."

And then you put that along with Luke 10 and verse 37, where Jesus said, "Go and do thou likewise." Well, obviously those two statements are not in context. And if you took them out of context, you could do about anything with them. It's often been said, if you take a text out of context, then you have a pretext, and that pretext would be then used to prove anything that you believe or anything that you have been taught. So many times, gross errors and even heresy has been communicated just simply by taking something out of context. Since we meet in Waycross, Georgia, which is in Ware County, I told the people this morning I could prove from the Bible that everyone should be able to move to Ware County.

They said, "How in the world could you do that?" Well, look in 2 Timothy chapter 4, if you would, at verse 14. The Apostle Paul is warning of Alexander the coppersmith and he says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:14

"Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works."

Now what's this command? "Of whom be thou ware also." Be thou ware—I'll go to Ware County! Now you know that's taken out of context, but I could say here's a command: "Be thou ware also." But all the Apostle Paul is saying is be aware of him and watch out for him and do not let him deceive you by any stretch of the imagination. So I've also pointed out that Scripture must be used to interpret Scripture. And whenever you interpret a passage of Scripture and it contradicts other plain passages of Scripture, then your interpretation is wrong and not the Scripture.

So last week, basically, I covered one point, and that point was simply this: We must interpret Scripture in order to explain seeming contradictions. And I went over those seeming contradictions, or at least some of them. And I also emphasized the word "seeming," because they were not real contradictions. Only when you interpret them, they were cleared up and the truth was demonstrated. Now, the reason so many people do not catch seeming contradictions are probably manifold. Number one, they don't really read the Scripture. Number two, if they do read, they're not observant. And if they are observant, many times they don't even think about what they just read.

In fact, the Bible says in the book of Proverbs chapter 25 and verse 2,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 25:2

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter."

So it's to the glory of God that He conceals things, and it is our honor that we're able to search things out. So if someone is uninterested in truth, obviously, he's not going to be seeking. He's not going to be searching. And of course, then the result is he's going to remain forever ignorant. You learn by studying. You learn by seeking. You learn by searching. I pointed this out many years ago, and it's the absolute truth. I often said, I wish I had a $20 bill for every question I've ever been asked in all of these years of preaching. I've had a lot of questions asked of me, and I've answered those questions just as biblically as I possibly could.

But here's the difference between asking a question and getting an answer, because I have had individuals ask me the same question a number of times. The same individual asked me the same question. In fact, I got on to one one time, and then he apologized to me. And I said, "No, I should apologize to you." And I did. I said, "Because I was supposed to teach you. And no matter how many times you ask me, I'm going to answer that." But here's the problem. If you ask me a question and I answer it biblically, that's fine. But the question that I would have to ask you is, would you remember my answer six months from now? And the answer is probably no.

And the reason why is, just think about this: easy come, easy go. Well, if you forget, I'll just ask him again. But if you ever sit down and search it out and seek it out and study it out, it usually becomes yours and you probably will not forget it. So there's a difference between just simply asking and finding out an answer, and doing all the study and the research for yourself. So, you just have to remember that we are responsible and accountable to God to do our own searching and our own studying. That doesn't mean I'm upset when you ask a question. Of course I'm not. But I'm just simply pointing out, the more we study, the more we search, the more it really becomes ours.

Second Reason: Prevent Being Misled by the Sound of Words

Weaver introduces the second reason: words can have different meanings based on context, and modern assumptions can lead to misinterpretation.

Now, here's the second point today. We must interpret Scripture to prevent our being misled by the sound of words. Now it is true that words have meaning. It is also true that words have sounds. And the very fact that some words are spelled alike, sound alike, look alike, does not mean that they have the same meaning. One of the problems is we put meanings on words in the Bible based upon our understanding of what those words mean today. And although the words may be spelled alike, they may sound alike, they may be exactly the same word, but the meaning of Scripture is not necessarily the meaning that we place upon it today. Moreover, there are words in the Bible that are exactly the same; they have different meanings based upon the context. So let me give you just two words to illustrate this point today. I'm going to give you the words "flesh" and "world." So everyone understands the word "flesh" and everyone understands the word "world," or at least we think we do, but we don't understand that those words are used differently in Scripture.

The Word 'Flesh' Has Multiple Meanings

Using Scripture, Weaver shows that 'flesh' can refer to all humanity, the physical body, the sinful nature, or meat.

I want you to consider with me, first of all, the word "flesh." I want you to look in your Bibles to Isaiah 40 and 1 Peter 1. Isaiah 40 and 1 Peter 1, because I want you to see, first of all, the word "flesh" is used to designate all humanity. Notice, if you would, in Isaiah 40, and let's begin reading there with verse 5. Look what he says: "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Now, verse 6: "The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." So here he's talking about all humanity. We are just simply as grass.

We're here today and gone tomorrow. If you will look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1 and verse 24, you'll see that the apostle Peter actually quotes from Isaiah 40, and he says the same thing. 1 Peter 1 and verse 24, he says this:

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:24-25

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away." "But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

So first of all, "flesh" is used in the Bible to represent all humanity. Secondly, "flesh" is used in the Bible to designate the body. So in Job chapter 19, beginning there with verse 25, here's what Job said. Job chapter 19, beginning there with verse 25. Watch carefully. And here the word "flesh" designates the body. Job 19, verse 25 through 27.

The word "flesh" is used for His body. Then if you will look in the book of Romans chapter 7, you will see the same word. By the way, the Greek word is the word sarx. S-A-R-X is how we would spell it. But look in the book of Romans chapter 7, and it doesn't really matter where the word is translated from the Hebrew or from the Greek. The meaning is going to be based upon the context. But if you look at Romans chapter 7, the apostle says this, beginning there with verse 18, look at it. He said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)"

Now we're not talking about all humanity. Now we're not necessarily talking about the body. Now we're talking about an evil principle of sin. So the word "flesh" can designate the evil principle of sin. He says, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." So when he started out in verse 18, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." And he ends up pointing out that it is sin within him. So the word "flesh" can be used for all humanity. It can be used for your body. It can be used for the evil principle of sin. And if you'd turn over right quickly to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, you will understand that the word "flesh" can just simply designate what you and I would call meat.

I've had people say, "I need a piece of flesh to eat." They're just simply talking about a steak. But notice in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 39, the Apostle Paul says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:39

"All flesh is not the same flesh."

Now it's the same word, but he says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:39

"but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds."

So "flesh" then sometimes just designates meat. And I could say this skin that's hanging on my bones is flesh. And that's what it is. So when you look at the word "flesh" in the Bible, there's at least four different ways that word is used. Now, let me come to the second word, because that's what I really want to emphasize today. And that is the word "world." Here's the problem with placing modern day conceptions and understandings on biblical words. And that is, usually when you hear the word "world," most people think that word includes every individual on the planet or every individual who is alive. Sometimes they even think about every individual who has lived, is living, and shall live, because

we're thinking about the word "world." Now the word "world" in the Bible is usually translated from the word kosmos. Now there are other words, I'm going to point a few of them out. But the word kosmos actually occurs 187 times in the New Testament. There's another English word that we get from the word kosmos and it is the word what? Cosmetics. And it refers to an orderly arrangement. Sometimes I've seen something that was not so orderly arranged. But that's basically where the word comes from. It comes from the Greek word kosmos. Now, I'm going to give you a quote before long from Arthur W. Pink, where he is giving us an understanding of the word kosmos. But I want to give you at least seven different ways the word is used in Scripture. First of all, the word kosmos is used to represent the universe as a whole. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 17 and verse 24, Acts 17 verse 24, in this passage the word kosmos—and by the way, every passage that I show you until I change it is going to be the Greek word kosmos, which is translated as "world."

The Word 'World' (Kosmos) Has Multiple Meanings

Weaver explains that the Greek word kosmos is used in at least seven different ways in the New Testament, including the universe, the earth, the world system, all humanity, humanity minus believers, Gentiles versus Israel, and believers only.

I've had people say, "I need a piece of flesh to eat." They're just simply talking about a steak. But notice in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 39, the Apostle Paul says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:39

"All flesh is not the same flesh."

Now it's the same word, but he says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:39

"but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds."

So in Acts 17 and verse 24 the apostle is preaching on Mars Hill, and he says this: "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands." God that made the world, that is, He made the universe, He made the sun, He made the moon, He made the stars, He made the planets, He made everything. So here the word kosmos then would refer to what you and I would call the universe. Okay? Now, if you will turn secondly to the book of John, chapter 13, you're going to find that the word "world" also refers just simply to the earth. If you look in John chapter 13 and verse 1, look carefully at this verse. He says,

Scripture Reading — John 13:1

"Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."

So twice the word "world" is used in John 13, verse 1, and each time it refers to the earth, it does not refer to the universe. Now, you have the same truth in Ephesians 1 and verse 4, where the Bible says, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world." There it would refer to the foundation of the earth or you could even say the foundation of the universe. But God indeed asked Job in Job 38 and verse 4, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?"

So the word kosmos can be used not just as the universe. It can also be used as the earth as well. Thirdly, the word kosmos can also be used to refer to the world system. If you look in John 12 and verse 31, our Lord says,

Scripture Reading — John 12:31

"Now is the judgment of this world."

He's not talking about the earth. He's not talking about the universe.

Scripture Reading — John 12:31

"Now shall the prince of this world be cast out."

He's talking about the world system. That's why he said in 1 John 5 and verse 19, that "the whole world lieth in wickedness." Well, it's the world system. We as Christians do not lie in the arms of the wicked one. We are in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, when you think about 1 John 2 and verse 15 through 17, when he said, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." So sometimes the word "world" just simply refers to the world system. So when he says, "Love not the world," he's not referring to the universe. He's not referring to the earth. He's referring to the world system. Then if you'll look in Romans chapter 3 and verse 19, sometimes the word "world" is used of the whole of humanity. So look in Romans chapter 3 and verse 19. Look what it said, Romans 3 verse 19.

"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Well, who is guilty before God? All of humanity, because all of humanity are not only totally depraved, but have violated the law of God as well. So sometimes the word "world" then is used of all of humanity. And then fifthly, listen to this one. Sometimes the word "world" is used of humanity minus believers. Minus believers. So look in John 15 and verse 18. John 15 and verse 18. Our Lord says, and remember now, He's talking to His disciples. John 15, in fact, let's read verse 17 just so you can see. He's talking to His—go back to verse 16. He says to his disciples.

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-19

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another."

Now watch what he said in verse 18:

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-19

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."

So here is the world, here is humanity, minus believers. He's talking to his disciples. He's talking to those whom he loves.

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-19

"If the world hate you,"

so there is a world of the ungodly. You need to put that down in your mind right now. Look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 3 and verse 6. Romans 3 verse 6. Romans 3 and verse 6, look what the scripture says: "God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?" And of course when you're talking about judging the world here it is talking about condemnation. When you compare that verse with John 5 in verse 24, Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation." So sometimes the word "world" is used then in reference to all of the ungodly minus believers. So clearly then, the word "world" has different meanings. If you will look in your Bible, since you're in the book of Romans, Romans chapter 11, Romans chapter 11, and I want you to note beginning there with verse 1 the context of Romans 11. He says, "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,"

So now we're talking about Israel in this context. So look in your Bibles, if you would, beginning there with verse 11. So we're still talking about Israel. Look what he says: "I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy." Now look what he says, verse 12: "Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?" So when he talks about "if the fall of them be the riches of the world," that would be the nations minus Israel, because he's talking already about Israel is not being cast away as such. So here the word "world" distinguishes or contrasts between Israel and the nations as well.

Now, here's number seven, and I want you to think about this one. This one might challenge you. But the word "world" is sometimes used of believers only. I'll show you the verse in a little bit. But just like there is a world of the ungodly, there is a world of the godly. So if you look in John 1 and verse 29, John 1, verse 29, watch carefully. Sometimes the word "world" refers only to believers. Look at verse 29: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Now wait a minute. Did Jesus Christ take away the sin of every single individual? The answer is no. What did our Lord Himself say to those Pharisees in John chapter 8?

He said, "Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come." And then He said, "Ye shall die in your sins." Wow. Well, now it just said that He took away the sin of the whole world. Well, which world? It would have to be the world of believers. It certainly would not include the world of the ungodly. No, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Now look in John 3 and verse 16 and 17. I'm going to come back and give you a quote on this passage just momentarily. But look in John 3 in verse 16, everybody can quote this verse:

Scripture Reading — John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Well, God so loved the world, which world did he love? That he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Now watch verse 17:

Scripture Reading — John 3:16-17

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

So God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world. Hmm. Well, you have to determine if this is the world of all humanity or just simply the world of believers. I'm going to show you before I close. It has to be the world of the believers because of the context. But look in your Bibles. to John chapter 6 and verse 33. John 6 and verse 33. I'll tie it together for you in just a moment. John 6, look in verse 33: "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." So does Jesus Christ give life to every single individual in the world? He may give them physical life, but certainly not eternal life. And when you read the context of John chapter six, it is indeed referring to eternal life. So he says, "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." Wow. To show you it's eternal life, look in verse 35: "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." So clearly then he's talking about eternal life. So He gave His life, He gave bread to the world. He giveth life unto the world. So it will have to be the world of the godly or the world of believers.

So look in John chapter 12 and verse 47. John 12 verse 47. John 12 and verse 47. Our Lord said, "And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." So our Lord saves a world. What world does He save? And that is the world of believers. So if you look in 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 19. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 19. Here's a passage that I think is just about so plainly simple, but yet so many overlook this. So look in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 19. In fact, we're talking about reconciliation in this chapter. And it says, "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." So, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Does that mean that God has reconciled every individual in the world? And the answer would have to be no, because if you look at the next verse, or the next phrase, "not imputing their trespasses unto them." So if you take this word "world" to mean every individual, then you've gone into universalism.

You're just simply saying that every individual is saved, which our Lord himself in Matthew 25 said, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment." So obviously he has not reconciled every single individual. Look at the people who are fighting against him today, and look at the people who are living in their sins. So clearly, when you look at verse 19, there is a world of the believers, just like there is a world of the unbelievers.

Now, there have been at least seven different ways the word "world" is used just in the New Testament. Here is the question, or here is the quote that I want to give you from Arthur W. Pink. Here's what he said: "Has then God used a word," he's talking about the word kosmos, "has then God used a word that thus to confuse and confound those who read Scripture? We answer no. Nor has He written His word for lazy people who are too dilatory or too busy with the things of the world or like Martha, too much occupied with serving that they have no time and no heart to search and study Holy Writ. Should it be asked further, 'But how is a searcher of the Scriptures to know which of the above meanings of the term 'world' has in any given passage?' The answer is, this may be ascertained by careful study of the context, by diligently noting what is predicated of the 'world' in each passage, and by prayerfully consulting other parallel passages to the one being studied."

Now, here's the quote from John 3:16. Listen carefully. "The principal subject of John 3:16 is Christ as the gift of God. The first clause tells us what moved God to give His only begotten Son, and that was His great love, for 'God so loved the world.' He says the second clause informs us whom God gave His Son, that is, for 'whosoever,' or better, for 'everyone that believeth.' While the last clause makes known why God gave His Son, that is, His purpose, and that is that 'everyone that believeth should not perish but have everlasting life.' Thus the 'world' in John 3:16 refers to the world of believers, God's elect, and in contradistinction from them, the world of the ungodly."

If you will turn in your Bibles, I'm going to stop there, but I want you to look in 2 Peter 2 and verse 5. 2 Peter 2 and verse 5. This is referring to Noah's flood in 2 Peter 2 and verse 5. Look what the Scripture says: "And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly." So if there is a world of the ungodly, there is a world of the godly.

John 3:16 and the World of Believers

Weaver quotes Arthur W. Pink to argue that 'world' in John 3:16 refers to the world of believers (God's elect), not every individual.

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:5

"And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly."

So if there is a world of the ungodly, there is a world of the godly. That's exactly what Arthur W. Pink is saying here, that there is the world of the believer in contradistinction to the world of the unbeliever. I continue now. He is saying, "That this truth is unequivocally established by a comparison of other passages which speak of God's love. 'God commendeth his love toward us' (the saints) Romans 5:8. 'For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth' Hebrews 12:6. Well, how about this one in Revelation 3:19, 'As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.' So that means if you're not chastened by God, you're not loved by God. In other words, He chastens every son whom He receiveth. And then, of course, we love Him because He first loved us. And then He says this, 'The wicked God pities' (Matthew 18:33). 'The unthankful and the evil, to them God is kind' (Luke 6:35). 'The vessels of wrath He endures with much longsuffering' (Romans 9:22). But His own God loves." So he is saying the love of God is primarily for God's people. And I pointed out in times past the difference between a special specific love and what we would call a beneficent love. I could say

that I love all the women in this room, and I do. But I could then say I love my wife, but I don't love every woman in this room the way I love my wife, and I better not, and I should not. But when I say I love all the women in this room, all that means is I do not wish to see them any harm. I want them to be blessed. I want them to be happy. I want them to be safe. That is the love of beneficence. But the special redeeming love that God has for His own is different, although God is kind to the wicked, that is for sure.

Other Greek Words for 'World'

Weaver notes that other Greek words like aion (age) and oikoumene (inhabited earth) are also translated 'world,' further illustrating the need for careful interpretation.

They're not talking necessarily about the absolute last day of the world. No, they're talking about the day that everything comes to pass. When he said in verse 2, look at verse 2, "And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?" They said, look at the temple. Read verse 1: "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?" "Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." And now that's what they're asking. "And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" That is the end of this period, the end of this age. When is this going to happen that all of these buildings are going to be torn down? Then if you look in Matthew 24 and verse 14, here's another word. The Greek word is oikoumene. Look at it, verse 24 and verse 14, chapter 24, verse 14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." So the Greek word is oikoumene, and it refers to a portion of the world, or at least what you and I would call the inhabited portion of the world. So clearly then, he's talking about a specific portion of the world where everything's going to be preached. Back at that time, not the entire world was inhabited, or at least not that anybody in Rome knew about, and Israel knew about it at that particular time, but it's a totally different Greek word.

So the point I'm trying to make is this. When you look at Scripture, and I pointed out last week, everybody interprets. But you are either going to interpret a word or a passage or a verse based upon your perception, your perceived idea of what a word means, or you're going to interpret that passage based upon the context and the use of that word in the context. That is why there are so many people who believe so many different things, because they never ever usually take things in the context. And like I said earlier, you can communicate gross error and heresy just simply by taking something out of its context. And just because you're used to hearing a word, and you think you know the meaning of that word, does not mean that you know the meaning of that word in the context. So, we have to interpret Scripture, not only to explain seeming contradictions. We have to interpret Scripture also to not be misled by the sound of mere words. And number three, very quickly, we must interpret Scripture to insert an explanatory word in some passages.

Third Reason: Insert Explanatory Words

Weaver presents the third reason: sometimes an explanatory word must be mentally inserted to resolve apparent contradictions, such as 'condoningly' in Habakkuk 1:13 or distinguishing God's secret and revealed will.

Let me make a statement. Listen carefully. When I say we must insert an explanatory word in some passages, I am not talking about adding to Scripture. That is not what I'm saying at all. I'm going to show you exactly what I mean. So I want you to turn in your Bibles to two passages. First of all, the book of Habakkuk, chapter 1, verse 13, and then Proverbs, chapter 15, and verse 3. Look, if you would, in the book of Habakkuk, chapter 1, and look, if you would please, at verse 13. Right after the book of Nahum you have Habakkuk and of course right before Zephaniah. Okay, Habakkuk chapter 1 in verse 13. Look what he says: "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" Now look at verse 13 again, the first part: "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity."

Now, does this passage mean that God cannot in any way look upon iniquity? Does it mean that He cannot behold evil? Does it mean that He cannot see it? Does it mean that He cannot judge it because He does not see it and He does not know it? But if you look in Proverbs 15 and verse 3, look what the Bible says: "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Now, you've got to come back to Habakkuk 1 in verse 13, and you have to deal with this because we just read, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." So look in verse 13 again. He says,

Scripture Reading — Habakkuk 1:13

"Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity."

Now watch this next clause. Look at this next phrase. It seemingly contradicts what he just said: "Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously," so he is looking at sin, "and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" So how do you explain verse 13, the first phrase? "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." Here is how, by adding an explanatory word in your mind, not in the Scripture. Here's what it means: "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" condoningly or approvingly. God does not condone evil. God does not approve of evil. He does see it to judge it. He does see it to pay it back for his wickedness. But he does not look upon it condoningly. He does not look upon it approvingly. So that's what I mean by inserting an explanatory word. You're not adding to the Scripture, you're just saying, this is what this means, and it's very easily explained like that.

Let me give you another one. I want you to look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 9 and verse 19, and then I want you to turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3. Romans 9 verse 19, and then 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3. Now when you get to Romans chapter 9, the Apostle is arguing for the absolute sovereignty of God. God is absolutely sovereign. So verse 19 then asks this question. The Apostle Paul says, If God is sovereign, "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault?"

"For who hath resisted his will?" indicating clearly, obviously, that no one is capable of resisting God's will and cannot resist God's will. So now look in 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 3. Here's what the Scripture says: "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." So here's my question: Has anyone ever committed fornication? Has anyone ever committed adultery? Has anyone ever coveted? Has anyone ever lusted? Has anyone ever transgressed God's law, broken God's law?

And the answer is yes. Millions upon millions of times. Well, now Romans 9 and verse 19 asks, "Who hath resisted his will?" And now 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3 shows us that many people have violated His will. So how are you going to reconcile and explain the difference between Romans 9 and 1 Thessalonians 4? Here's how. Deuteronomy 29:29. You have to distinguish between the secretive will of God and the revealed will of God. Romans 9 is talking about the secretive will of God. 1 Thessalonians 4 is talking about the revealed will of God. In Deuteronomy 29:29, the Bible says very clearly, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." So you have God's secretive will, you've got God's revealed will. So when he talks in Romans 9 and verse 19, "Who hath resisted his will?" The answer is really and truly no one. Because that is God's secretive will.

And it's secretive and therefore you can't know it and I don't know it. And it really and truly is none of our business. But have men violated His revealed will? Yes. But here's what he's saying. His revealed will is our business, and we should obey that. "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." So you just have to understand that you have to say, "Who hath resisted his will?" indicating no one, that would be a secretive will. Now, let me give you one more. Here's one that everyone can quote.

Application: Knowledge Must Be Applied

Weaver concludes that Scripture is meant to be understood and applied; knowledge without application leads to pride and is useless.

Now, let me make some applications. The first one is this. Scripture is meant to be understood and applied. And unless you interpret Scripture, you cannot understand it. And unless you understand it, you cannot apply it. So without application, all of your studying, searching, and work are useless and worthless. I may know how to build a boat. I may know how to build a boat from scratch. But unless I actually build a boat, my knowledge in one sense of the word is useless. I've not applied it. So it's the same thing with Scripture. Scripture is not just to be read, it is to be applied. And if you're just getting knowledge for knowledge's sake, then you're getting knowledge for the wrong reason.

If you'll look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, 1 Corinthians chapter 8, look at verses one and two. First Corinthians eight verses one and two, look what he says. "Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge."

Now watch: "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." So he says, once you think you know something and you've got knowledge and your pride gets built up, you really know nothing as you ought to know. Because God gives us knowledge so that we may understand it and we understand it so that we may apply it and use it. I like what John Trapp said. He was an old Puritan. He said this, listen carefully: "Wine is good when it goes to the heart to cheer it, but when it fumes all up in the head, it maketh it giddy, so doth knowledge." So doth knowledge. In other words, everyone has met someone that you frame and call a know-it-all. You can't get anything in. You can't tell him anything because he knows it all. That's what knowledge does without application.

It just simply puffs up. So let me put it to you like this. Knowledge is not for show. Knowledge is not for pride. It's not for debate. It's not for argumentation. It is for implementation. And unless your knowledge is implemented, unless it is applied, it is useless. You may know that you need to interpret the Scriptures, but if you do not, you will never understand them. You may know that you need to apply the Scriptures, but if you do not, they will never be real in your life. Scriptures come alive and principles live as we apply them.

to every area and every sphere of our lives. We must interpret Scripture, not only to explain seeming contradictions, not only to keep from being misled by the sound of mere words, but also sometimes to insert an explanatory word, hmm, so that we can understand the passage as it relates to other passages in the Bible. We must seek Him for truth. Lord willing, next Sunday I'm going to begin, still on this same series, on what is required in us to really interpret and understand the Scriptures. Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We pray that You will teach us, build us up in the most holy faith, enable us, Lord, to be able to interpret and interpret correctly. Enable us to understand, and enable us to apply. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Contextual Interpretation

Summary: Words in Scripture must be interpreted according to their context, not modern assumptions, to avoid error.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'the meaning of Scripture is not necessarily the meaning that we place upon it today' and gives examples of 'flesh' and 'world.'

Multiple Meanings of Biblical Words

Summary: The same word can have different meanings in different passages, requiring careful study.

Evidence: Weaver demonstrates four meanings of 'flesh' and at least seven meanings of 'world' (kosmos).

Resolving Apparent Contradictions

Summary: Apparent contradictions in Scripture are resolved through proper interpretation, often by adding explanatory concepts.

Evidence: Weaver explains Habakkuk 1:13 by adding 'condoningly' and distinguishes God's secret and revealed will in Romans 9 and 1 Thessalonians 4.

The Danger of Proof-Texting

Summary: Taking verses out of context can lead to heresy and false teaching.

Evidence: Weaver gives humorous examples of misusing Matthew 27:5 with Luke 10:37 and 2 Timothy 4:14 to 'prove' moving to Ware County.

Personal Study and Application

Summary: Believers are responsible to study Scripture for themselves and apply it, not just accumulate knowledge.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'the more we study, the more we search, the more it really becomes ours' and warns that knowledge without application puffs up.

Key Arguments

Words have multiple meanings based on context

Summary: The words 'flesh' and 'world' illustrate that biblical words cannot be understood with a single modern definition; context determines meaning.

Evidence: Weaver provides four uses of 'flesh' (humanity, body, sin nature, meat) and seven uses of 'world' (universe, earth, world system, all humanity, humanity minus believers, Gentiles vs. Israel, believers only).

John 3:16 refers to the world of believers

Summary: The 'world' in John 3:16 is the world of God's elect, not every individual, because Christ did not take away the sin of every person.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Arthur W. Pink and references John 8:21, 24 to show that some die in their sins, and 2 Peter 2:5 to show a 'world of the ungodly.'

Explanatory words resolve apparent contradictions

Summary: Adding a clarifying word like 'condoningly' or distinguishing between secret and revealed will harmonizes seemingly contradictory verses.

Evidence: Weaver explains Habakkuk 1:13 with Proverbs 15:3 by adding 'condoningly,' and Romans 9:19 with 1 Thessalonians 4:3 by referencing Deuteronomy 29:29.

Knowledge without application is useless

Summary: Scripture is meant to be applied; knowledge that only puffs up is worthless.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 and quotes John Trapp: 'Wine is good when it goes to the heart... but when it fumes all up in the head, it maketh it giddy, so doth knowledge.'

Scripture References

2 Timothy 2:7

Context: Introduction: Paul tells Timothy to consider what he says, and the Lord will give understanding.

Matthew 27:5

Context: Example of taking a verse out of context: Judas hanged himself.

Luke 10:37

Context: Example of taking a verse out of context: 'Go and do thou likewise.'

2 Timothy 4:14

Context: Humorous example of misinterpreting 'be thou ware also' to mean moving to Ware County.

Proverbs 25:2

Context: It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.

Isaiah 40:5-8

Context: All flesh is grass; 'flesh' here means all humanity.

1 Peter 1:24-25

Context: Peter quotes Isaiah 40; 'flesh' as all humanity.

Job 19:25-27

Context: 'Flesh' designates the body; Job says in his flesh he shall see God.

Romans 7:18-20

Context: 'Flesh' as the evil principle of sin; in his flesh dwells no good thing.

1 Corinthians 15:39

Context: 'Flesh' as meat; all flesh is not the same flesh.

Acts 17:24

Context: 'World' (kosmos) as the universe; God made the world and all things therein.

John 13:1

Context: 'World' as the earth; Jesus departs out of this world.

John 12:31

Context: 'World' as the world system; now is the judgment of this world.

Romans 3:19

Context: 'World' as all humanity; all the world may become guilty before God.

John 15:18-19

Context: 'World' as humanity minus believers; if the world hate you.

Romans 11:11-12

Context: 'World' as Gentiles contrasted with Israel; the fall of them be the riches of the world.

John 1:29

Context: 'World' as believers only; the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.

John 3:16-17

Context: God so loved the world; argued to refer to the world of believers.

2 Peter 2:5

Context: God brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly, implying a world of the godly.

Habakkuk 1:13

Context: God cannot look on iniquity; explained by adding 'condoningly.'

Historical References

Arthur W. Pink

Context: Quoted regarding the meaning of 'world' in John 3:16 and the need for careful contextual study.

John Trapp (Puritan)

Context: Quoted: 'Wine is good when it goes to the heart... but when it fumes all up in the head, it maketh it giddy, so doth knowledge.'

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Context: Cited for its definition of kosmos, listing multiple meanings.

Important Quotes

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

Significance: Foundational verse for the series, emphasizing the need for divine understanding in interpretation.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Significance: Encourages diligent study and searching of Scripture.

Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

Significance: Warns that knowledge without love and application leads to pride and ignorance.

Wine is good when it goes to the heart to cheer it, but when it fumes all up in the head, it maketh it giddy, so doth knowledge.

Significance: John Trapp's analogy illustrating that knowledge must be applied to the heart, not just the intellect.

Discussion Questions

Why is it dangerous to assume that a biblical word always has the same meaning in every passage?

Context: Weaver demonstrates that 'flesh' and 'world' have multiple meanings.

How does the context of John 3:16 support the interpretation that 'world' refers to believers rather than every individual?

Context: Weaver argues that the purpose clause limits the scope to those who believe.

What is the difference between adding an explanatory word in your mind and adding to Scripture?

Context: Weaver clarifies that inserting 'condoningly' in Habakkuk 1:13 is interpretation, not addition.

How can distinguishing between God's secret and revealed will help resolve apparent contradictions in Scripture?

Context: Weaver uses Romans 9:19 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3 as an example.

What are some practical ways to ensure that our Bible knowledge leads to application rather than pride?

Context: Weaver concludes with the warning from 1 Corinthians 8:1-2.

Applications

Study Scripture in context

Summary: Always consider the immediate and broader biblical context when interpreting a word or passage.

Evidence: Weaver repeatedly emphasizes that context determines meaning, using 'flesh' and 'world' as examples.

Be diligent in personal study

Summary: Rather than relying solely on others' answers, search the Scriptures yourself to make truth your own.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'if you ever sit down and search it out and seek it out and study it out, it usually becomes yours and you probably will not forget it.'

Apply knowledge, don't just accumulate it

Summary: Knowledge is for implementation, not for show or pride; apply what you learn to your life.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Knowledge is not for show. Knowledge is not for pride. It's not for debate. It's not for argumentation. It is for implementation.'

Use explanatory concepts to resolve difficulties

Summary: When faced with an apparent contradiction, consider what clarifying concept (like 'condoningly' or 'secret will') might harmonize the passages.

Evidence: Weaver demonstrates this with Habakkuk 1:13 and Romans 9:19.

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T11:04:03Z

Clean Transcript

Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture - Part 2

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 today to 2 Timothy 2 and verse 7. We started a series last week entitled, "Three Reasons We Need to Consider Truth and Interpret Scripture." Although I'll finish the three reasons today, Lord willing, we will still continue with this series, probably, I don't know, from six to eight messages anyhow. So notice 2 Timothy 2 and verse 7, where the Apostle Paul tells Timothy, "Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." The interpretation of Scripture is not only necessary, it is also pivotal, and therefore we must interpret the Scripture in light of the rules of biblical interpretation or biblical hermeneutics. I pointed out last week that context is absolutely everything, and everything must be taken in context.
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It has often been said that you can use the Bible and prove just about anything as long as you take it out of context, and that is certainly true. I've had this given to me many years past, that you will remember that passage in Matthew 27 and verse 5, where the Bible says, "And Judas cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went out and hanged himself." And then you put that along with Luke 10 and verse 37, where Jesus said, "Go and do thou likewise." Well, obviously those two statements are not in context. And if you took them out of context, you could do about anything with them. It's often been said, if you take a text out of context, then you have a pretext, and that pretext would be then used to prove anything that you believe or anything that you have been taught. So many times, gross errors and even heresy has been communicated just simply by taking something out of context. Since we meet in Waycross, Georgia, which is in Ware County, I told the people this morning I could prove from the Bible that everyone should be able to move to Ware County.
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They said, "How in the world could you do that?" Well, look in 2 Timothy chapter 4, if you would, at verse 14. The Apostle Paul is warning of Alexander the coppersmith and he says, "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works." Now what's this command? "Of whom be thou ware also." Be thou ware—I'll go to Ware County! Now you know that's taken out of context, but I could say here's a command: "Be thou ware also." But all the Apostle Paul is saying is be aware of him and watch out for him and do not let him deceive you by any stretch of the imagination. So I've also pointed out that Scripture must be used to interpret Scripture. And whenever you interpret a passage of Scripture and it contradicts other plain passages of Scripture, then your interpretation is wrong and not the Scripture.
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So last week, basically, I covered one point, and that point was simply this: We must interpret Scripture in order to explain seeming contradictions. And I went over those seeming contradictions, or at least some of them. And I also emphasized the word "seeming," because they were not real contradictions. Only when you interpret them, they were cleared up and the truth was demonstrated. Now, the reason so many people do not catch seeming contradictions are probably manifold. Number one, they don't really read the Scripture. Number two, if they do read, they're not observant. And if they are observant, many times they don't even think about what they just read.
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In fact, the Bible says in the book of Proverbs chapter 25 and verse 2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." So it's to the glory of God that He conceals things, and it is our honor that we're able to search things out. So if someone is uninterested in truth, obviously, he's not going to be seeking. He's not going to be searching. And of course, then the result is he's going to remain forever ignorant. You learn by studying. You learn by seeking. You learn by searching. I pointed this out many years ago, and it's the absolute truth. I often said, I wish I had a $20 bill for every question I've ever been asked in all of these years of preaching. I've had a lot of questions asked of me, and I've answered those questions just as biblically as I possibly could.
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But here's the difference between asking a question and getting an answer, because I have had individuals ask me the same question a number of times. The same individual asked me the same question. In fact, I got on to one one time, and then he apologized to me. And I said, "No, I should apologize to you." And I did. I said, "Because I was supposed to teach you. And no matter how many times you ask me, I'm going to answer that." But here's the problem. If you ask me a question and I answer it biblically, that's fine. But the question that I would have to ask you is, would you remember my answer six months from now? And the answer is probably no.
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And the reason why is, just think about this: easy come, easy go. Well, if you forget, I'll just ask him again. But if you ever sit down and search it out and seek it out and study it out, it usually becomes yours and you probably will not forget it. So there's a difference between just simply asking and finding out an answer, and doing all the study and the research for yourself. So, you just have to remember that we are responsible and accountable to God to do our own searching and our own studying. That doesn't mean I'm upset when you ask a question. Of course I'm not. But I'm just simply pointing out, the more we study, the more we search, the more it really becomes ours.
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Now, here's the second point today. We must interpret Scripture to prevent our being misled by the sound of words. Now it is true that words have meaning. It is also true that words have sounds. And the very fact that some words are spelled alike, sound alike, look alike, does not mean that they have the same meaning. One of the problems is we put meanings on words in the Bible based upon our understanding of what those words mean today. And although the words may be spelled alike, they may sound alike, they may be exactly the same word, but the meaning of Scripture is not necessarily the meaning that we place upon it today. Moreover, there are words in the Bible that are exactly the same; they have different meanings based upon the context. So let me give you just two words to illustrate this point today. I'm going to give you the words "flesh" and "world." So everyone understands the word "flesh" and everyone understands the word "world," or at least we think we do, but we don't understand that those words are used differently in Scripture.
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I want you to consider with me, first of all, the word "flesh." I want you to look in your Bibles to Isaiah 40 and 1 Peter 1. Isaiah 40 and 1 Peter 1, because I want you to see, first of all, the word "flesh" is used to designate all humanity. Notice, if you would, in Isaiah 40, and let's begin reading there with verse 5. Look what he says: "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Now, verse 6: "The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." So here he's talking about all humanity. We are just simply as grass.
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We're here today and gone tomorrow. If you will look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1 and verse 24, you'll see that the apostle Peter actually quotes from Isaiah 40, and he says the same thing. 1 Peter 1 and verse 24, he says this: "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away."
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"But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." So first of all, "flesh" is used in the Bible to represent all humanity. Secondly, "flesh" is used in the Bible to designate the body. So in Job chapter 19, beginning there with verse 25, here's what Job said. Job chapter 19, beginning there with verse 25. Watch carefully. And here the word "flesh" designates the body. Job 19, verse 25 through 27.
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The word "flesh" is used for His body. Then if you will look in the book of Romans chapter 7, you will see the same word. By the way, the Greek word is the word sarx. S-A-R-X is how we would spell it. But look in the book of Romans chapter 7, and it doesn't really matter where the word is translated from the Hebrew or from the Greek.
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The meaning is going to be based upon the context. But if you look at Romans chapter 7, the apostle says this, beginning there with verse 18, look at it. He said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)"
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Now we're not talking about all humanity. Now we're not necessarily talking about the body. Now we're talking about an evil principle of sin. So the word "flesh" can designate the evil principle of sin. He says, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." So when he started out in verse 18, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." And he ends up pointing out that it is sin within him. So the word "flesh" can be used for all humanity. It can be used for your body. It can be used for the evil principle of sin. And if you'd turn over right quickly to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, you will understand that the word "flesh" can just simply designate what you and I would call meat.
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I've had people say, "I need a piece of flesh to eat." They're just simply talking about a steak. But notice in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 39, the Apostle Paul says, "All flesh is not the same flesh." Now it's the same word, but he says, "but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds." So "flesh" then sometimes just designates meat. And I could say this skin that's hanging on my bones is flesh. And that's what it is. So when you look at the word "flesh" in the Bible, there's at least four different ways that word is used. Now, let me come to the second word, because that's what I really want to emphasize today. And that is the word "world." Here's the problem with placing modern day conceptions and understandings on biblical words. And that is, usually when you hear the word "world," most people think that word includes every individual on the planet or every individual who is alive. Sometimes they even think about every individual who has lived, is living, and shall live, because
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we're thinking about the word "world." Now the word "world" in the Bible is usually translated from the word kosmos. Now there are other words, I'm going to point a few of them out. But the word kosmos actually occurs 187 times in the New Testament. There's another English word that we get from the word kosmos and it is the word what? Cosmetics. And it refers to an orderly arrangement. Sometimes I've seen something that was not so orderly arranged. But that's basically where the word comes from. It comes from the Greek word kosmos. Now, I'm going to give you a quote before long from Arthur W. Pink, where he is giving us an understanding of the word kosmos. But I want to give you at least seven different ways the word is used in Scripture. First of all, the word kosmos is used to represent the universe as a whole. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 17 and verse 24, Acts 17 verse 24, in this passage the word kosmos—and by the way, every passage that I show you until I change it is going to be the Greek word kosmos, which is translated as "world."
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So in Acts 17 and verse 24 the apostle is preaching on Mars Hill, and he says this: "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands." God that made the world, that is, He made the universe, He made the sun, He made the moon, He made the stars, He made the planets, He made everything. So here the word kosmos then would refer to what you and I would call the universe. Okay?
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Now, if you will turn secondly to the book of John, chapter 13, you're going to find that the word "world" also refers just simply to the earth. If you look in John chapter 13 and verse 1, look carefully at this verse. He says, "Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." So twice the word "world" is used in John 13, verse 1, and each time it refers to the earth, it does not refer to the universe. Now, you have the same truth in Ephesians 1 and verse 4, where the Bible says, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world." There it would refer to the foundation of the earth or you could even say the foundation of the universe. But God indeed asked Job in Job 38 and verse 4, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?"
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So the word kosmos can be used not just as the universe. It can also be used as the earth as well. Thirdly, the word kosmos can also be used to refer to the world system. If you look in John 12 and verse 31, our Lord says, "Now is the judgment of this world." He's not talking about the earth. He's not talking about the universe. "Now shall the prince of this world be cast out." He's talking about the world system. That's why he said in 1 John 5 and verse 19, that "the whole world lieth in wickedness." Well, it's the world system. We as Christians do not lie in the arms of the wicked one. We are in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, when you think about 1 John 2 and verse 15 through 17, when he said, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." So sometimes the word "world" just simply refers to the world system. So when he says, "Love not the world," he's not referring to the universe. He's not referring to the earth. He's referring to the world system. Then if you'll look in Romans chapter 3 and verse 19, sometimes the word "world" is used of the whole of humanity. So look in Romans chapter 3 and verse 19. Look what it said, Romans 3 verse 19.
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"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Well, who is guilty before God? All of humanity, because all of humanity are not only totally depraved, but have violated the law of God as well. So sometimes the word "world" then is used of all of humanity.
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And then fifthly, listen to this one. Sometimes the word "world" is used of humanity minus believers. Minus believers. So look in John 15 and verse 18. John 15 and verse 18. Our Lord says, and remember now, He's talking to His disciples. John 15, in fact, let's read verse 17 just so you can see. He's talking to His—go back to verse 16. He says to his disciples.
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"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another." Now watch what he said in verse 18: "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." So here is the world, here is humanity, minus believers. He's talking to his disciples. He's talking to those whom he loves. "If the world hate you," so there is a world of the ungodly.
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You need to put that down in your mind right now. Look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 3 and verse 6. Romans 3 verse 6. Romans 3 and verse 6, look what the scripture says: "God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?" And of course when you're talking about judging the world here it is talking about condemnation. When you compare that verse with John 5 in verse 24, Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation." So sometimes the word "world" is used then in reference to all of the ungodly minus believers. So clearly then, the word "world" has different meanings. If you will look in your Bible, since you're in the book of Romans, Romans chapter 11, Romans chapter 11, and I want you to note beginning there with verse 1 the context of Romans 11. He says, "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,"
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So now we're talking about Israel in this context. So look in your Bibles, if you would, beginning there with verse 11. So we're still talking about Israel. Look what he says: "I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy." Now look what he says, verse 12: "Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?" So when he talks about "if the fall of them be the riches of the world," that would be the nations minus Israel, because he's talking already about Israel is not being cast away as such. So here the word "world" distinguishes or contrasts between Israel and the nations as well.
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Now, here's number seven, and I want you to think about this one. This one might challenge you. But the word "world" is sometimes used of believers only. I'll show you the verse in a little bit. But just like there is a world of the ungodly, there is a world of the godly. So if you look in John 1 and verse 29, John 1, verse 29, watch carefully. Sometimes the word "world" refers only to believers. Look at verse 29: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Now wait a minute. Did Jesus Christ take away the sin of every single individual? The answer is no. What did our Lord Himself say to those Pharisees in John chapter 8?
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He said, "Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come." And then He said, "Ye shall die in your sins." Wow. Well, now it just said that He took away the sin of the whole world. Well, which world? It would have to be the world of believers. It certainly would not include the world of the ungodly. No, not by any stretch of the imagination.
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Now look in John 3 and verse 16 and 17. I'm going to come back and give you a quote on this passage just momentarily. But look in John 3 in verse 16, everybody can quote this verse: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Well, God so loved the world, which world did he love? That he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Now watch verse 17: "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." So God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world. Hmm. Well, you have to determine if this is the world of all humanity or just simply the world of believers. I'm going to show you before I close. It has to be the world of the believers because of the context. But look in your Bibles.
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to John chapter 6 and verse 33. John 6 and verse 33. I'll tie it together for you in just a moment. John 6, look in verse 33: "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." So does Jesus Christ give life to every single individual in the world? He may give them physical life, but certainly not eternal life. And when you read the context of John chapter six, it is indeed referring to eternal life. So he says, "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." Wow. To show you it's eternal life, look in verse 35: "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." So clearly then he's talking about eternal life. So He gave His life, He gave bread to the world. He giveth life unto the world. So it will have to be the world of the godly or the world of believers.
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So look in John chapter 12 and verse 47. John 12 verse 47. John 12 and verse 47.
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Our Lord said, "And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." So our Lord saves a world. What world does He save? And that is the world of believers. So if you look in 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 19. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 19. Here's a passage that I think is just about so plainly simple, but yet so many overlook this. So look in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 19. In fact, we're talking about reconciliation in this chapter. And it says, "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." So, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Does that mean that God has reconciled every individual in the world? And the answer would have to be no, because if you look at the next verse, or the next phrase, "not imputing their trespasses unto them." So if you take this word "world" to mean every individual, then you've gone into universalism.
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You're just simply saying that every individual is saved, which our Lord himself in Matthew 25 said, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment." So obviously he has not reconciled every single individual. Look at the people who are fighting against him today, and look at the people who are living in their sins. So clearly, when you look at verse 19, there is a world of the believers, just like there is a world of the unbelievers.
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Now, there have been at least seven different ways the word "world" is used just in the New Testament. Here is the question, or here is the quote that I want to give you from Arthur W. Pink. Here's what he said: "Has then God used a word," he's talking about the word kosmos, "has then God used a word that thus to confuse and confound those who read Scripture? We answer no. Nor has He written His word for lazy people who are too dilatory or too busy with the things of the world or like Martha, too much occupied with serving that they have no time and no heart to search and study Holy Writ. Should it be asked further, 'But how is a searcher of the Scriptures to know which of the above meanings of the term 'world' has in any given passage?' The answer is, this may be ascertained by careful study of the context, by diligently noting what is predicated of the 'world' in each passage, and by prayerfully consulting other parallel passages to the one being studied."
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Now, here's the quote from John 3:16. Listen carefully. "The principal subject of John 3:16 is Christ as the gift of God. The first clause tells us what moved God to give His only begotten Son, and that was His great love, for 'God so loved the world.' He says the second clause informs us whom God gave His Son, that is, for 'whosoever,' or better, for 'everyone that believeth.' While the last clause makes known why God gave His Son, that is, His purpose, and that is that 'everyone that believeth should not perish but have everlasting life.' Thus the 'world' in John 3:16 refers to the world of believers, God's elect, and in contradistinction from them, the world of the ungodly."
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If you will turn in your Bibles, I'm going to stop there, but I want you to look in 2 Peter 2 and verse 5. 2 Peter 2 and verse 5. This is referring to Noah's flood in 2 Peter 2 and verse 5. Look what the Scripture says: "And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly." So if there is a world of the ungodly, there is a world of the godly.
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That's exactly what Arthur W. Pink is saying here, that there is the world of the believer in contradistinction to the world of the unbeliever. I continue now. He is saying, "That this truth is unequivocally established by a comparison of other passages which speak of God's love. 'God commendeth his love toward us' (the saints) Romans 5:8. 'For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth' Hebrews 12:6. Well, how about this one in Revelation 3:19, 'As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.' So that means if you're not chastened by God, you're not loved by God. In other words, He chastens every son whom He receiveth. And then, of course, we love Him because He first loved us. And then He says this, 'The wicked God pities' (Matthew 18:33). 'The unthankful and the evil, to them God is kind' (Luke 6:35). 'The vessels of wrath He endures with much longsuffering' (Romans 9:22). But His own God loves." So he is saying the love of God is primarily for God's people. And I pointed out in times past the difference between a special specific love and what we would call a beneficent love. I could say
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that I love all the women in this room, and I do. But I could then say I love my wife, but I don't love every woman in this room the way I love my wife, and I better not, and I should not. But when I say I love all the women in this room, all that means is I do not wish to see them any harm. I want them to be blessed. I want them to be happy. I want them to be safe. That is the love of beneficence. But the special redeeming love that God has for His own is different, although God is kind to the wicked, that is for sure.
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Now, I want you to turn to the book of Colossians chapter 1 and look in verse 6. I'm going to read this just to give you a good quote. Look in Colossians 1 and verse 6. Colossians 1 and verse 6. He's talking about the hope and the truth of the gospel. He said in verse 6, "Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth." Now, I read that verse to explain to you, or to read to you, a comment that you will find in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. And in a future message, I will explain the difference between Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and Young's Analytical Concordance. But here is what Strong says concerning the word kosmos. He says "world" 186 times, "adorning" one time, 187 times.
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And he says, here's what it means: "an apt and harmonious arrangement, constitution, order, government. An ornament, decoration, adornment, the arrangement of the stars, the heavenly host as the ornament of the heaven. Then three, the world, the universe. Four, the circle of the earth, the earth. Five, the inhabitants of the earth, men and human family. Six, the ungodly multitude, the whole mass of men alienated from God and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ. Number seven, world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly, 7A, the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures, which, although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God, and are obstacles to the cause of Christ. Eight, any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort in 8A, the Gentiles, as contrasted to Israel, of believers only."
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Actually, when he gets through here, there are about 11 to 12 different ways the word "world" is used in the Scripture. Now, let me show you what I'm talking about. If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 1, John chapter 1, I want you to look at verse 10. John 1 and verse 10. Look at this verse. Of course, we're referring here to Jesus Christ.
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You can read verses 1 through 9, and you will see that He is the life and the light. So, He says in verse 9, "That was the true Light." We're talking about Jesus Christ. Now look in verse 10: "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." Here is the little Greek word kosmos. It is used three times in one sentence, and it has a different meaning each time it is placed there. "He was in the world," that is the created world, the earth. "And the world was made by him," that is the universe. "And the world knew him not," that is humanity or unbelievers. So the word "world" is used three times in that one verse and three different ways.
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So you have to be careful when you look at the words of the Scripture and you think, "Well, I know what that means." You may not. And you may know what the word "world" means in one instance, but you may not know it in every instance. Now, I want you to look in Matthew 24, Matthew 24, because there are other words for the word "world" as well, and you're going to see them right here. Matthew 24. Look, if you would please, at verse 3. Here's the Greek word aion, which refers to an age or a period of time. In verse 3, "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Or literally, the end of the age, or the end of this period.
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They're not talking necessarily about the absolute last day of the world. No, they're talking about the day that everything comes to pass. When he said in verse 2, look at verse 2, "And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?" They said, look at the temple. Read verse 1: "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?"
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"Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." And now that's what they're asking. "And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" That is the end of this period, the end of this age. When is this going to happen that all of these buildings are going to be torn down? Then if you look in Matthew 24 and verse 14, here's another word. The Greek word is oikoumene. Look at it, verse 24 and verse 14, chapter 24, verse 14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." So the Greek word is oikoumene, and it refers to a portion of the world, or at least what you and I would call the inhabited portion of the world. So clearly then, he's talking about a specific portion of the world where everything's going to be preached. Back at that time, not the entire world was inhabited, or at least not that anybody in Rome knew about, and Israel knew about it at that particular time, but it's a totally different Greek word.
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So the point I'm trying to make is this. When you look at Scripture, and I pointed out last week, everybody interprets. But you are either going to interpret a word or a passage or a verse based upon your perception, your perceived idea of what a word means, or you're going to interpret that passage based upon the context and the use of that word in the context. That is why there are so many people who believe so many different things, because they never ever usually take things in the context. And like I said earlier, you can communicate gross error and heresy just simply by taking something out of its context. And just because you're used to hearing a word, and you think you know the meaning of that word, does not mean that you know the meaning of that word in the context. So, we have to interpret Scripture, not only to explain seeming contradictions. We have to interpret Scripture also to not be misled by the sound of mere words. And number three, very quickly, we must interpret Scripture to insert an explanatory word in some passages.
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Let me make a statement. Listen carefully. When I say we must insert an explanatory word in some passages, I am not talking about adding to Scripture. That is not what I'm saying at all. I'm going to show you exactly what I mean. So I want you to turn in your Bibles to two passages. First of all, the book of Habakkuk, chapter 1, verse 13, and then Proverbs, chapter 15, and verse 3. Look, if you would, in the book of Habakkuk, chapter 1, and look, if you would please, at verse 13. Right after the book of Nahum you have Habakkuk and of course right before Zephaniah. Okay, Habakkuk chapter 1 in verse 13. Look what he says: "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" Now look at verse 13 again, the first part: "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity."
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Now, does this passage mean that God cannot in any way look upon iniquity? Does it mean that He cannot behold evil? Does it mean that He cannot see it? Does it mean that He cannot judge it because He does not see it and He does not know it? But if you look in Proverbs 15 and verse 3, look what the Bible says: "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Now, you've got to come back to Habakkuk 1 in verse 13, and you have to deal with this because we just read, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." So look in verse 13 again. He says, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity."
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Now watch this next clause. Look at this next phrase. It seemingly contradicts what he just said: "Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously," so he is looking at sin, "and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" So how do you explain verse 13, the first phrase? "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." Here is how, by adding an explanatory word in your mind, not in the Scripture. Here's what it means: "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" condoningly or approvingly. God does not condone evil. God does not approve of evil. He does see it to judge it. He does see it to pay it back for his wickedness. But he does not look upon it condoningly. He does not look upon it approvingly. So that's what I mean by inserting an explanatory word. You're not adding to the Scripture, you're just saying, this is what this means, and it's very easily explained like that.
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Let me give you another one. I want you to look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 9 and verse 19, and then I want you to turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3. Romans 9 verse 19, and then 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3. Now when you get to Romans chapter 9, the Apostle is arguing for the absolute sovereignty of God. God is absolutely sovereign. So verse 19 then asks this question. The Apostle Paul says, If God is sovereign, "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault?"
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"For who hath resisted his will?" indicating clearly, obviously, that no one is capable of resisting God's will and cannot resist God's will. So now look in 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 3. Here's what the Scripture says: "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." So here's my question: Has anyone ever committed fornication? Has anyone ever committed adultery? Has anyone ever coveted? Has anyone ever lusted? Has anyone ever transgressed God's law, broken God's law?
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And the answer is yes. Millions upon millions of times. Well, now Romans 9 and verse 19 asks, "Who hath resisted his will?" And now 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3 shows us that many people have violated His will. So how are you going to reconcile and explain the difference between Romans 9 and 1 Thessalonians 4? Here's how. Deuteronomy 29:29. You have to distinguish between the secretive will of God and the revealed will of God. Romans 9 is talking about the secretive will of God. 1 Thessalonians 4 is talking about the revealed will of God. In Deuteronomy 29:29, the Bible says very clearly, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." So you have God's secretive will, you've got God's revealed will. So when he talks in Romans 9 and verse 19, "Who hath resisted his will?" The answer is really and truly no one. Because that is God's secretive will.
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And it's secretive and therefore you can't know it and I don't know it. And it really and truly is none of our business. But have men violated His revealed will? Yes. But here's what he's saying. His revealed will is our business, and we should obey that. "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." So you just have to understand that you have to say, "Who hath resisted his will?" indicating no one, that would be a secretive will. Now, let me give you one more. Here's one that everyone can quote.
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Hebrews 13 verse 8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." You say, "I believe that." So do I. But let me ask you a question. What does that mean? Is Christ still in the flesh? Is Christ still humiliated? Is Christ still crucified? Is Christ still buried? No. He has changed there. He's no longer in the state of humiliation. He's in the state of glorification. But when He says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever," it is not talking about the fact of the state of His humiliation. It is talking about His essence. It is talking about His oneness with God.
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"I and the Father are one." It is talking about His essential being. It is talking about His essential and official capacity as the mediator. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He always will be, in that essence, because He is God in the flesh. So Jesus Christ is unchanged in His essential person, and in the exercises of a mediatorial office, and in relation and attitude to His church, but He's not any longer in the state of humiliation.
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So the point I'm just making is, you have to read, and you have to sometimes say, "Well, I know what that means." That's not talking about the state of humiliation. He is no longer in that, but He is always the same in His being and essence and official capacity.
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Now, let me make some applications. The first one is this. Scripture is meant to be understood and applied. And unless you interpret Scripture, you cannot understand it. And unless you understand it, you cannot apply it. So without application, all of your studying, searching, and work are useless and worthless. I may know how to build a boat. I may know how to build a boat from scratch. But unless I actually build a boat, my knowledge in one sense of the word is useless. I've not applied it. So it's the same thing with Scripture. Scripture is not just to be read, it is to be applied. And if you're just getting knowledge for knowledge's sake, then you're getting knowledge for the wrong reason.
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If you'll look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, 1 Corinthians chapter 8, look at verses one and two. First Corinthians eight verses one and two, look what he says.
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"Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge."
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Now watch: "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." So he says, once you think you know something and you've got knowledge and your pride gets built up, you really know nothing as you ought to know. Because God gives us knowledge so that we may understand it and we understand it so that we may apply it and use it.
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I like what John Trapp said. He was an old Puritan. He said this, listen carefully: "Wine is good when it goes to the heart to cheer it, but when it fumes all up in the head, it maketh it giddy, so doth knowledge." So doth knowledge. In other words, everyone has met someone that you frame and call a know-it-all. You can't get anything in. You can't tell him anything because he knows it all. That's what knowledge does without application.
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It just simply puffs up. So let me put it to you like this. Knowledge is not for show. Knowledge is not for pride. It's not for debate. It's not for argumentation. It is for implementation. And unless your knowledge is implemented, unless it is applied, it is useless. You may know that you need to interpret the Scriptures, but if you do not, you will never understand them. You may know that you need to apply the Scriptures, but if you do not, they will never be real in your life. Scriptures come alive and principles live as we apply them.
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to every area and every sphere of our lives. We must interpret Scripture, not only to explain seeming contradictions, not only to keep from being misled by the sound of mere words, but also sometimes to insert an explanatory word, hmm, so that we can understand the passage as it relates to other passages in the Bible. We must seek Him for truth. Lord willing, next Sunday I'm going to begin, still on this same series, on what is required in us to really interpret and understand the Scriptures. Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We pray that You will teach us, build us up in the most holy faith, enable us, Lord, to be able to interpret and interpret correctly. Enable us to understand, and enable us to apply. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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so so
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so so
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:30:15Z

Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture - Part 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver continues a series on biblical interpretation, emphasizing that we must interpret Scripture to prevent being misled by the sound of words and to insert explanatory words in some passages. He illustrates how words like 'flesh' and 'world' have multiple meanings depending on context, and he demonstrates how adding clarifying concepts (such as 'condoningly' or distinguishing between God's secret and revealed will) resolves apparent contradictions. The message concludes with the application that knowledge must lead to understanding and practical application, not pride.

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the series theme and the first reason for interpreting Scripture: to explain seeming contradictions. He stresses the importance of context and personal study.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 27:5

"And Judas cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went out and hanged himself."

They said, "How in the world could you do that?" Well, look in 2 Timothy chapter 4, if you would, at verse 14. The Apostle Paul is warning of Alexander the coppersmith and he says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:14

"Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works."

In fact, the Bible says in the book of Proverbs chapter 25 and verse 2,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 25:2

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter."

Second Reason: Prevent Being Misled by the Sound of Words

Weaver introduces the second reason: words can have different meanings based on context, and modern assumptions can lead to misinterpretation.

The Word 'Flesh' Has Multiple Meanings

Using Scripture, Weaver shows that 'flesh' can refer to all humanity, the physical body, the sinful nature, or meat.

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:24-25

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away." "But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

I've had people say, "I need a piece of flesh to eat." They're just simply talking about a steak. But notice in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 39, the Apostle Paul says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:39

"All flesh is not the same flesh."

Now it's the same word, but he says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:39

"but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds."

The Word 'World' (Kosmos) Has Multiple Meanings

I've had people say, "I need a piece of flesh to eat." They're just simply talking about a steak. But notice in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 39, the Apostle Paul says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:39

"All flesh is not the same flesh."

Now it's the same word, but he says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:39

"but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds."

Scripture Reading — John 13:1

"Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."

Scripture Reading — John 12:31

"Now is the judgment of this world."

He's not talking about the earth. He's not talking about the universe.

Scripture Reading — John 12:31

"Now shall the prince of this world be cast out."

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-19

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another."

Now watch what he said in verse 18:

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-19

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."

So here is the world, here is humanity, minus believers. He's talking to his disciples. He's talking to those whom he loves.

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-19

"If the world hate you,"

Now look in John 3 and verse 16 and 17. I'm going to come back and give you a quote on this passage just momentarily. But look in John 3 in verse 16, everybody can quote this verse:

Scripture Reading — John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Well, God so loved the world, which world did he love? That he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Now watch verse 17:

Scripture Reading — John 3:16-17

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

John 3:16 and the World of Believers

Weaver quotes Arthur W. Pink to argue that 'world' in John 3:16 refers to the world of believers (God's elect), not every individual.

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:5

"And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly."

Other Greek Words for 'World'

Weaver notes that other Greek words like aion (age) and oikoumene (inhabited earth) are also translated 'world,' further illustrating the need for careful interpretation.

Third Reason: Insert Explanatory Words

Scripture Reading — Habakkuk 1:13

"Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity."

Application: Knowledge Must Be Applied

Weaver concludes that Scripture is meant to be understood and applied; knowledge without application leads to pride and is useless.

Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture - Part 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	TWODbd2A9ik
Subject	Apologetics
Course	Truth and the Interpretation of Scripture
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-05-06
Dictation Name
Book	Book 065: Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	63

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review: Weaver reviews the series theme and the first reason for interpreting Scripture: to explain seeming contradictions. He stresses the importance of context and personal study.
Second Reason: Prevent Being Misled by the Sound of Words: Weaver introduces the second reason: words can have different meanings based on context, and modern assumptions can lead to misinterpretation.
The Word 'Flesh' Has Multiple Meanings: Using Scripture, Weaver shows that 'flesh' can refer to all humanity, the physical body, the sinful nature, or meat.
The Word 'World' (Kosmos) Has Multiple Meanings: Weaver explains that the Greek word kosmos is used in at least seven different ways in the New Testament, including the universe, the earth, the world system, all humanity, humanity minus believers, Gentiles versus Israel, and believers only.
John 3:16 and the World of Believers: Weaver quotes Arthur W. Pink to argue that 'world' in John 3:16 refers to the world of believers (God's elect), not every individual.
Other Greek Words for 'World': Weaver notes that other Greek words like aion (age) and oikoumene (inhabited earth) are also translated 'world,' further illustrating the need for careful interpretation.
Third Reason: Insert Explanatory Words: Weaver presents the third reason: sometimes an explanatory word must be mentally inserted to resolve apparent contradictions, such as 'condoningly' in Habakkuk 1:13 or distinguishing God's secret and revealed will.
Application: Knowledge Must Be Applied: Weaver concludes that Scripture is meant to be understood and applied; knowledge without application leads to pride and is useless.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Words have multiple meanings based on context

The words 'flesh' and 'world' illustrate that biblical words cannot be understood with a single modern definition; context determines meaning.

Weaver provides four uses of 'flesh' (humanity, body, sin nature, meat) and seven uses of 'world' (universe, earth, world system, all humanity, humanity minus believers, Gentiles vs. Israel, believers only).

John 3:16 refers to the world of believers

The 'world' in John 3:16 is the world of God's elect, not every individual, because Christ did not take away the sin of every person.

Weaver quotes Arthur W. Pink and references John 8:21, 24 to show that some die in their sins, and 2 Peter 2:5 to show a 'world of the ungodly.'

Explanatory words resolve apparent contradictions

Adding a clarifying word like 'condoningly' or distinguishing between secret and revealed will harmonizes seemingly contradictory verses.

Weaver explains Habakkuk 1:13 with Proverbs 15:3 by adding 'condoningly,' and Romans 9:19 with 1 Thessalonians 4:3 by referencing Deuteronomy 29:29.

Knowledge without application is useless

Scripture is meant to be applied; knowledge that only puffs up is worthless.

Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 and quotes John Trapp: 'Wine is good when it goes to the heart... but when it fumes all up in the head, it maketh it giddy, so doth knowledge.'

Scripture References

2 Timothy 2:7: Introduction: Paul tells Timothy to consider what he says, and the Lord will give understanding.
Matthew 27:5: Example of taking a verse out of context: Judas hanged himself.
Luke 10:37: Example of taking a verse out of context: 'Go and do thou likewise.'
2 Timothy 4:14: Humorous example of misinterpreting 'be thou ware also' to mean moving to Ware County.
Proverbs 25:2: It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.
Isaiah 40:5-8: All flesh is grass; 'flesh' here means all humanity.
1 Peter 1:24-25: Peter quotes Isaiah 40; 'flesh' as all humanity.
Job 19:25-27: 'Flesh' designates the body; Job says in his flesh he shall see God.
Romans 7:18-20: 'Flesh' as the evil principle of sin; in his flesh dwells no good thing.
1 Corinthians 15:39: 'Flesh' as meat; all flesh is not the same flesh.
Acts 17:24: 'World' (kosmos) as the universe; God made the world and all things therein.
John 13:1: 'World' as the earth; Jesus departs out of this world.
John 12:31: 'World' as the world system; now is the judgment of this world.
Romans 3:19: 'World' as all humanity; all the world may become guilty before God.
John 15:18-19: 'World' as humanity minus believers; if the world hate you.
Romans 11:11-12: 'World' as Gentiles contrasted with Israel; the fall of them be the riches of the world.
John 1:29: 'World' as believers only; the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.
John 3:16-17: God so loved the world; argued to refer to the world of believers.
2 Peter 2:5: God brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly, implying a world of the godly.
Habakkuk 1:13: God cannot look on iniquity; explained by adding 'condoningly.'

Historical References

Arthur W. Pink: Quoted regarding the meaning of 'world' in John 3:16 and the need for careful contextual study.
John Trapp (Puritan): Quoted: 'Wine is good when it goes to the heart... but when it fumes all up in the head, it maketh it giddy, so doth knowledge.'
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance: Cited for its definition of kosmos, listing multiple meanings.

Important Quotes

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

Foundational verse for the series, emphasizing the need for divine understanding in interpretation.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Encourages diligent study and searching of Scripture.

Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

Warns that knowledge without love and application leads to pride and ignorance.

Wine is good when it goes to the heart to cheer it, but when it fumes all up in the head, it maketh it giddy, so doth knowledge.

John Trapp's analogy illustrating that knowledge must be applied to the heart, not just the intellect.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why is it dangerous to assume that a biblical word always has the same meaning in every passage?

[Context]

Weaver demonstrates that 'flesh' and 'world' have multiple meanings.

[Question]

How does the context of John 3:16 support the interpretation that 'world' refers to believers rather than every individual?

[Context]

Weaver argues that the purpose clause limits the scope to those who believe.

[Question]

What is the difference between adding an explanatory word in your mind and adding to Scripture?

[Context]

Weaver clarifies that inserting 'condoningly' in Habakkuk 1:13 is interpretation, not addition.

[Question]

How can distinguishing between God's secret and revealed will help resolve apparent contradictions in Scripture?

[Context]

Weaver uses Romans 9:19 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3 as an example.

[Question]

What are some practical ways to ensure that our Bible knowledge leads to application rather than pride?

[Context]

Weaver concludes with the warning from 1 Corinthians 8:1-2.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T11:04:03Z