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THE PROPER APPROACH TO GOD'S WORD
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| I | THE PROPER METHOD OF INTERPRETATION |
| A | INTRODUCTION |
| 1 | THE BIBLE IS TO BE INTERPRETED MUCH IN THE SAME WAY ONE READS THE NEWSPAPER |
| 2 | TRUTHS THAT ARE RELAYED IN EACH PASSAGE ARE INCONTROVERTIBLE, ABSOLUTELY TRUSTWORTHY - IRREFUTABLE. THEY ARE THEREFORE NOT EVER CONTRADICTED, CHANGED OR MODIFIED INTO SOMETHING DIFFERENT BY INFORMATION ELSEWHERE IN SCRIPTURE OR OUTSIDE OF SCRIPTURE |
| 3 | THE WORD OF GOD IS TO BE INTERPRETED BY ITS DIVINELY INSPIRED MESSAGE AND NOT BY HOW IT IS APPLIED |
| B | INDUCTIVE RATHER THAN DEDUCTIVE REASONING IS REQUIRED |
| 1 | Deductive Reasoning Defined |
| 2 | Inductive Reasoning Defined |
| 3 | A Deductive Approach To God's Word Means Presuppostion & Often Bad Interpretation |
| 4 | On The Other Hand, Approaching God's Word Inductively Means Taking A Risk |
| C | AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR TEACHER |
| 1 | The Holy Sprit Is The Teacher For The Believer |
| 2 | And He Is The Teacher Of The Unbeliever |
| D | AND WHAT IS REQUIRED IS A SOURCE OUTSIDE OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE SIN NATURE, THE DEVIL AND THE WORLD: THE NORMATIVELY INTERPRETED BIBLE |
| 1 | Introduction |
| 2 | The Normative Rule Defined Relative To Scripture: The Normally Expected Meaning Using The Established Rules Of The Language Of The Time |
| 3 | A Perspective Of The Normative Rule As The Method By Which Men Are To Understand The Bible: |
| a | Following
The Normative Rule Is To Follow The Example Of Our Lord When He
Explained What The Scriptues Meant. That Is The Method That He Used |
| b | Following The Normative Rule Results In A Single, Perfect, Non-contradictory Interpretation |
| c | Otherwise Men Could Plead Ignorance At Judgment - But With The Normative Rule They Are Without Excuse |
| d | Otherwise God Would Have Conspired To Restrict The Knowledge Of His Word To Only A Chosen Few |
| e | Otherwise God Would Have Deliberately Confused Mankind By Permitting Multiple False Interpretations |
| f | Otherwise God's Word Is Made Subject To Whatever Rules Of Interpretation Mankind Can Dream Up With The Aid Of The Devil, The World, And The Sin Nature |
| g | A Violation Of The Normative Rule Indicates That The Holy Spirit Is Not Involved In The Interpretation. Any Violation Of The 'Normative' Rule Is Therefore Not Communication From God |
| h | Proof Of The Validity Of The Normative Rule Is That It Results In An Inerrant Interpretation Absolutely Without Contradiction |
| i | And We Can Have Confidence In Versions Which Have Been Normatively Translated Into The World's Languages |
| E | AND CONSTANT STUDY IS REQUIRED FOR GOD TO INSTRUCT US |
| F | AND SUBMITTING TO THE TEACHING OF OTHER BELIEVERS IS REQUIRED |
| II | GOD'S WORD TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER FEELINGS, EXPERIENCES AND MAN'S REASONING |
| A | MAN'S REASONING AND MENTAL CAPACITY ARE CONTAMINATED BY SIN AND ARE THEREBY FLAWED AND UNACCEPTABLE TO GOD |
| B | BUT GOD'S WORD IS ALWAYS TRUE AND PERFECT, OVERRIDING MAN'S EXPERIENCES, THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS |
| C | SO ONE MUST TRUST EXCLUSIVELY IN WHAT GOD SAYS IN HIS WORD |
| D | FOR GOD'S WORD IS TRUSTWORTHY |
| E | AND GOD'S REVELATION TO MANKIND IS COMPLETE FOR THIS AGE, FULLY CONTAINED IN THE BIBLE |
| F | AND ALL BELIEVERS HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST WITH WHICH TO STUDY, FULLY UNDERSTAND AND OBEY GOD'S WORD |
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SPECIFIC RULES OF INTEPRETATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NORMATIVE RULES OF LANGUAGE, CONTEXT AND LOGIC |