The scriptures read are Jeremiah 1-3, Psalm 47 and Hebrews 3.
Jeremiah 1. Jeremiah was a good man living at a bad time: the twilight of Judah just prior to and during the Babylonian defeat and destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent exile of its people. Jeremiah's name could mean, "The Lord exalts" or it could mean "The Lord throws" because the prophet is thrown into the deep end of events. He is not always popular with the kings he served under and spent a lot of time in prison. Jeremiah is frank about his feelings, making him one of the most personally revealing of the prophets.
God commissions Jeremiah to be his prophet before he even drew a breath. God can use a mere boy to spread his message and he will protect him from harm. Good thing, too, because Jeremiah is going to make enemies in high places.
Jeremiah 2. God's people did stick with him through the early years but lately they've been trashing the land. They have gone after other gods, gods of the fertility and human sacrifice kind. They don't see their idolatry as adultery. So here comes judgment. God's people only turn to him when things get bad.
Jeremiah 3. God sees both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah as promiscuous sisters. Nevertheless, God in love pleads with Israel to repent, to turn her life around. We get quite a heartfelt scene of the prodigal nation returning to God.
Psalm 47. A very joyful gospel version of a very joyful psalm!
Hebrews 3. The writer is comparing Christ with Moses. Moses was a good servant but Christ built the house, which is all believers. He urges the listeners not to be spiritually deaf like the Israelites coming out of Egypt.
CAN I UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE?
ReplyDeleteIs it possible for Christians to read the Bible and comprehend it without church leaders interpreting it for them? Did God intend for the clergy to search the Scriptures; then write their private interpretation in a creed book so the laity could understand His doctrines?
Colossians 4:16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea.
The apostle Paul instructed that his letters be read to the churches. Paul did not tell the church leaders to interpret his letters and write them in a creed book so the common church member could understand them. NOTE: PAUL'S LETTERS WERE SCRIPTURES.
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hears the words of the prophecy, and heeds the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
The apostle John said blessed is he who reads the things written, he did not say interpret my letters, then write them in a catechism so the laity can understand them.
2 Timothy 3:15 and that from childhood you have know the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
The apostle Paul told Timothy that the Holy Scriptures were able to give him wisdom that leads to salvation. Paul did not mention anything about the church hierarchy writing their opinions of Scripture in a creed book, catechism, or statement of faith, so he could understand the Scriptures.
God wrote the Bible so all men might know and understand His doctrines.
GOD DID NOT AUTHORIZE CHURCH LEADERS TO WRITE PRIVATE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE BIBLE IN THE FORM OF CREED BOOKS, CATECHISMS, STATEMENTS OF FAITH, ETC.
YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY CHRISTIAN BLOG. Bing search>>> steve finnell a christian view
I read your blog, Steve. Every time you summarize or comment upon scripture you are interpreting it, however closely you are following it. Otherwise your blog would have to be only scripture and no comments from you or anyone else. But you, like I, are trying to bring out or emphasize something in scripture. And that is a Biblically valid thing to do. In Nehemiah 8, we are told that when Ezra read the Law to the people, the Levites were giving the sense of it so the people could understand. (Neh. 8:8) They were religious leaders and they were giving interpretations. Jesus and the Gospel writers and the apostles all quote the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible and those translations are not exactly the same as the Hebrew. The gist, however, is preserved. The problem isn't in giving interpretations but in giving correct ones.
ReplyDelete