Topic: To Avoid Error – Have The Right Interpretation Of
The Scripture (17)
Continued from last episode-
Preamble: There is obvious gross interpretation of the
Scripture as a result of the way and manner the Scripture has been studied and
read. The inappropriate studying and reading of the Scripture has led to wrong
interpretation of the Scripture and that has resulted into wrong application of
what the Scripture says.
Anchor Text:
“And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the
prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?”
Acts 8:30
Text of Interest:
“But ye have not so learned Christ;”
Ephesians 4:20
Another thing to consider is this fact which is, the
scripture, I mean from Genesis to Revelation is full of symbolic and metaphoric
connotations and that is why it is called the mystery. Therefore, someone
reading them literally will definitely not understand them until they are
revealed to him or her. Now, this is very important to mention, because most of
those symbols and metaphors were unlocked in the New Testament, otherwise known
as the Revelation. The New Testament reveals the scripture which is the mystery
and as a result the kind of knowledge obtainable from the New Testament is
called “Revealed Knowledge”. This implies that the knowledge from the New Testament
is complete knowledge. In the Greek is called epignosis which means, accurate
and precise knowledge. There is no obscurity in it; in its totality it is
clear. Let’s see one of the quotations backing this claim.
“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the
dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even
the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made
manifest to his saints. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the
glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory”
Colossians 1:25-27
From the quotation above, Apostle Paul says that, he was
made a minister to unveil the mystery that was hidden from ages, and that is,
the glory and riches of the mystery should be made known to the Gentiles. This
implies that the glory and riches of the mystery is that Christ will dwell in the
life of the Gentiles, so this was written in the scripture in a symbolic and
metaphoric manner but by the grace given to Apostle Paul, it has been unfolded.
This statement above may not make sense to you, but when one traces the
activities of the Holy Ghost who is the revealer of the mystery one can
understand it better. Let’s see an example of what I am trying to put forward;
“And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending
unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down
to the earth. Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and
wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice
to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have
never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him
again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This
was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.”
Acts 10:11-16
It is understandable from the quotation above that
whatever that happened to Peter wasn’t a literal event but occurred in a vision,
and the making of the vision is stated in symbols and metaphors. As a result, Peter
couldn’t make sense out of it. However, when he had gone to the house of Cornelius,
the totality of what he saw was revealed to him.
Remember no one can ascertain the truth while in error!
To be continued…..
Till I come your way again, keep on basking in the Arena
of Indubitable Truth!
Chukwuemeka C. Asiegbu
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