Friday, January 13, 2017

Plain Meaning, Right Division, and Feet Washing


I encounter a lot of Christians who insist upon the "plain meaning" method of interpreting the scriptures. They will often state things like,
You need to accept the 'plain meaning' of I John 2:2 - which says that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for the whole world. When you do that it is obvious that the atonement is universal. (common statement)



The first thing that comes to my mind is always the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who said, "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." (John 13:14-15) I would ask - What is the plain meaning of this text? Clearly it is an affirmation that the Lord Jesus Christ literally washed the feet of his disciples and that he commanded his disciples to do likewise. It follows that to the extent that one does not affirm the literal washing of the saints' feet, as the Lord Jesus Christ both exemplified and commanded, one's claim to interpreting the bible based "plain meaning" is spurious.


God's people are to rightly divide the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15), not understand it via sheer "plain meaning." This involves comparing spiritual things with spiritual (I Corinthians 2:13), line upon line and precept upon precept (Isaiah 28:10) so that we may come to a proper, non-contradictory understanding of God's revelation to us. When we do that we find many PRECEPTS that undermine the commonly proffered "plain meaning" interpretation of I John 2:2 (John 10:11,26; Romans 8:31-39, Matthew 1:21, Ephesians 1:4-6), and absolutely NO PRECEPTS that undermine the "plain meaning" interpretation of John 13:14-15.

That is why it is important to rightly divide the word of truth... and to wash the feet of the saints.

4 comments:

  1. Hey Teth, can you share with me how you read God's Word? Many chapters a day or just a chapter? Whenever I read, I feel like I'm just reading a storybook. How do I actually get close to God through bible reading? I don't wish to read to gain knowledge, but want to know God intimately and personally. And also I hear people say we are sinners and will be condemned but Jesus came to save us. Which chapter should I begin reading if I wish to know more about why we need a savior?

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    1. TETH ANSWER 101

      ANON: Hey Teth, can you share with me how you read God's Word?

      TETH: I used to read the bible from cover to cover every year. I did that for many years and read several different translations prior to joining the Old Baptist Church (ESV, NIV, NASB) and settling upon the KJV as the word of God in English. I believe the best way to read it is straight through from Genesis to Revelation, thought I have also read it using a One Year Bible that serves up some OT, some NT and some Psalms in each daily reading.

      TETH: In recent years I have not read the entire bible each year. My study has been more spread out. I still do a fair amount of bible reading but it is often mixed in with sermon preparation, reading with my family, responding to various blog comments and questions, and preparing new blog content. So I guess my current reading is more pragmatic and in the service of the ministry more than anything else right now. That said, I do miss dedicated, daily, devotional reading of the bible at a once per year pace.

      ANON: Many chapters a day or just a chapter?

      I think it’s best to read maybe 30 minutes a day and stop when your mind starts to wander. You can read more if you’re engaged and its going well but it’s not beneficial to just keep reading if you’re not really focused on the matter at hand. I think you have to do about 24 chapters a week to be at the right pace – so 3-4 chapters a day. Obviously not all chapters are the same length but this gives you a rule of thumb. I read with a pen in hand to make marginal notes and underline things I find interesting or important and I do NOT use a study bible. I find that I lack the discipline to actually READ a study bible because I can’t resist the temptation to break up the text by skipping down to the footnotes after each verse to see what the commentator said. I keep all commentary and study items OUT of the mix and if I want to investigate something I read, I do that AFTER the reading is finished.

      ANON: Whenever I read, I feel like I'm just reading a storybook. How do I actually get close to God through bible reading?

      TETH: You are reading a story book. I think it’s helpful to consider how the stories in the bible relate to your own personal experiences, or those of others you know. Paul said the things written aforetime were written for our learning. I believe there are a lot of life lessons in the bible provided we make those comparisons.

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    2. TETH ANSWER 102

      ANON: I don't wish to read to gain knowledge, but want to know God intimately and personally.

      TETH: The two are not mutually exclusive. The more you know God intimately the more you will gain knowledge of who he is. I would recommend that you not set these ideas at odds with each other. They are complimentary.

      ANON: And also I hear people say we are sinners and will be condemned but Jesus came to save us.

      TETH: People say a lot of things. It is true that we are sinners (Romans 3:23) and that Jesus Christ came to save sinners (I Timothy 1:15). He chose a people to save (Ephesians 1:4-6). He promised to save them (John 17:2) without the loss of one (John 10:28). He died for his sheep (John 10:11) and some men are NOT sheep (v26). This election of grace is a manifestation of God’s goodness (Exodus 33:19).

      ANON: Which chapter should I begin reading if I wish to know more about why we need a savior?

      TETH: The first three chapters of Romans lays out Paul’s case for why fallen humanity stands in need of salvation by the sovereign, monergistic grace of God. Look at his indictment of fallen man apart from God’s grace in Romans 3:10-18 and ask yourself: can a man in this condition ever choose to love God? Clearly not. That’s why salvation must be by grace and not by our will or by human choice (John 1:13, Romans 9:16).

      ANON: And also many people say simply reading is not enough. We need to meditate on God's word and let it soak in our lives. How do I meditate?

      TETH: Read. Think about what is said. Talk about it with others. Consider it when you’re in your daily walk. Ask, how does this apply to me? Avoid being consumed by media (internet, TV, smartphones, gaming, etc.). Everyone struggles with this today but never having time to be alone with your own thoughts is instrumental in a great deal of depression and intellectual malaise in our society. I think writing is helpful to me. Years ago I became convicted that I should not say that I believe something unless I could point to a scripture that sustained that belief. I began to write those things that I believed along with the scriptures that supported those beliefs down and as I did I believe my understanding of the bible’s teaching became much more clear to me. This is also helpful in identifying FALSE beliefs by making one’s scriptural basis transparent. This makes it easier to see if you’re misusing some scripture for a purpose other than its intent.

      May God bless your efforts to seek him through his word,
      TETH

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  2. And also many people say simply reading is not enough. We need to meditate on God's word and let it soak in our lives. How do I meditate?

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