Topic: To Avoid Error – Have The Right Interpretation Of
The Scripture (19)
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
It wasn’t like people were not reading the Scriptures;
they were but the issue is that they couldn’t understand what the scriptures
were saying. Even the prophets that prophesied in the scripture didn’t know
what they were saying because they lack the necessary revelation knowledge to
comprehend whatever they prophesied. For
instance, the eunuch from Ethiopia was eagerly reading the scripture but he was
unable to understand the meaning of what he was reading. It took the arrival
and the teaching of Philip, a man who has been schooled in the knowledge of the
Scripture to unfold what the lines meant. “And Philip ran thither to him, and
heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou
readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he
desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.” (Acts 8:30-31).
The point is that for the scriptures to be understood by
any reader, there is the need for a man who is filled with the knowledge of the
truth, which is the revealed knowledge to teach the reader. It is obvious that
the Pharisees mishandled the content of the scripture because they lack the
understanding of it as Jesus declared to them “Jesus answered and said unto
them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matthew
22:29). Apostle Paul in his teaching declared that his gospel was rooted in the
revealed knowledge of the mystery which is the scripture. Meaning that, he
taught and unfolded those things that are rarely visible to the eyes of the
laymen. “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel,
and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery,
which was kept secret since the world began,” (Romans 16:25). As he also said
to the Ephesians that “How that by revelation he made known unto me the
mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may
understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not
made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles
and prophets by the Spirit;” (Ephesians 3:3-5). Therefore, the revealed
knowledge of the Scripture becomes the key in understanding what the Scripture
says, if not, the tendency to mishandle the content of it will not be averted.
In order to beat the paucity of this revealed knowledge
among people of his era, Apostle Paul didn’t hesitate to organize people and
brought them under the roof of learning. This was done in a school called the
school of Tyrannus. “But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake
evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the
disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.” (Acts 19:9). From
the quotation above it is obvious that what brought the setting of this school
was a disagreement between those that have the revealed knowledge and those who
are yet to come to terms with what the truth is. Hence it becomes a wise step
to take to separate the ones that are eager to learn the truth from the adamant
ones who have decided to root themselves in ignorance. The same goes in the
present dispensation, as many that are eager to learn the truth are taught
under a man that has the revealed knowledge.
Because 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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