Some 2,000 years ago, the greatest miracle happened. “The Word became flesh…and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). When Christ was born in Bethlehem, the incarnation happened, the Word became flesh! And through the incarnation, the divine and human are united in Christ — atonement! The atonement did not just happen on the cross! It happened even earlier, when Christ was born!

The Christmas Message: Jesus is Immanuel!

According to theologian Thomas F. Torrance, there are two facts that are important to remember. He said that in the gospels, there are two names that were given to the Savior namely: 1) Jesus and, 2) Immanuel. Jesus means “The God who saves” while Immanuel means “God with us.” This is the Christmas message.

The God who saves (Jesus) is God with us (Immanuel)! In other words, Jesus is Immanuel! This is so filled with meaning. Through the incarnation, mankind is now forever in union with the Lord Jesus. And that changes everything. He became our representative and substitute. He stood for us. He vicariously (in our place) lived and died for us. Paul said, “I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). He assumed our humanity. He died instead of us, in our place, for our sins. And he lived a righteous life for us too. By becoming one of us, by living a righteous life on our behalf, His righteousness became our righteousness. Through Christ’s birth (incarnation), life, death, resurrection and ascension, we now have been included in God’s life and love! We now have reconciliation. We now have redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Good News!

This is something worth thinking about. Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate our redemption! God is inviting you and me to believe it, accept it and enjoy life and love in Jesus! The good news is that you are already loved, included and accepted! Will you accept your acceptance in Him? This is the good news!

When reading an ordinary textbook, a science book, a novel or some other book, people would somehow generally agree with what that particular book means — more or less. But when it comes to the Bible, a lot of confusion is usually generated and a lot of people claim that only they — or their denomination — have the correct interpretation of Scripture and all the others are wrong. Surely, God is not the author of confusion!

Pretext — Text without Context

“A text without context is pretext” so I’ve heard and I agree. This is a good reminder that if someone quotes Scripture without considering its surrounding context, then that quoted part of Scripture must have been quoted in pretext. This means that the quoted Scripture is being misused without really understanding the surrounding background behind the passage. Oftentimes, a part of Scripture is quoted with an already-formed conclusion in mind. The Scripture is only used to support a preconceived idea and it’s not really what that part of Scripture is really saying. This is called proof texting.

The Surrounding Context

One of the most important lessons — a basic lesson for students of Bible interpretation — is the matter of considering the surrounding context of that part of Scripture which is being quoted. It is a must — if we are to accurately interpret Scripture — not to lift Scripture out of its surrounding context. Let me discuss two points here: 1) the immediate context and, 2) the larger context.

Proper Interpretation — Common Sense

According to the book, “How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth” by Fee & Stuart, a good interpretation is one that makes good sense—common sense — of the text quoted. It normally doesn’t need to be explained by other books of the Bible. It makes good sense right within its immediate context and larger context.

Immediate Context

Immediate context means that we have to check and consider one or two verses before the quoted text and also consider one or two verses after the quoted text to find out what is being talked about. In other words, check the verses immediately before and after the cited part of Scripture. Check its immediate background — immediate context. It should make good sense — common sense — to the text, within its immediate context. Oftentimes, the immediate context will help clarify the verse under discussion and there is no need to quote other books of Scripture to help explain the verse. The immediate context explains itself. It should fit. It should make sense. But we’re not done yet. We also have to consider the larger context.

The Larger Context

Considering the larger context will also help us greatly in our understanding of the text under discussion. This means that aside from checking the verses  immediately before and the verses after the text in question (immediate context), we also need to go backwards several chapters and forward several chapters to get the larger context. We can broaden our search for understanding by reading the whole book if need be. That’s the larger context.

We have to remember that words and/or phrases derive its meaning depending on how it is used in a particular context in Scripture. Words do change in meaning depending on the context.

Don’t just interpret Scripture with just one verse without considering its immediate and larger contexts. This will help us become more accurate in our understanding and interpretation of Scripture. If we interpret Scripture by placing our own preconceived ideas into it, that is being dishonest and is called eisegesis. We should allow Scripture to speak for itself based on its own context (exegesis) — not our own.

Other Contexts — Background Check

Of course, we also need to check its literary context, historical context, cultural context, grammatical context and all other relevant background checks (like who the author of the book is, why did he write the book, who is the audience being addressed by the book or letter, when was it written, etc.) to arrive at a much better appreciation and interpretation of Scripture.

Who is Jesus Christ?

And lastly — this actually should be the first step — and most importantly, I have learned that in order to properly interpret Scripture, we need to consider the truth about who Jesus Christ is, the Living Word. We need to learn the truth about who God is as revealed in Jesus Christ. This should be our guiding principle in biblical interpretation. Jesus Christ should be our basis and our criterion. Jesus said that the Bible is talking about him (John 5:39). We need to consider “the whole counsel of God” if we are to interpret the Bible properly. Another way of saying it is, Jesus Christ should be our “lens” in interpreting Scripture. This truth should guide our interpretation of Scripture.

May the Lord guide you into all truth (John 16:13).

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40)

From the Fringe to the Fold

I became a member of my denomination, the Worldwide Church of God when I was 18 years old sometime in 1972. I was convinced and I really believed in my denomination’s teachings and I followed it faithfully until more than two decades later when I found out that not all of its teachings were accurate after all. By God’s grace, our denominational leadership was led by God’s Spirit to see the truth more clearly and we changed for the better. God has led our denomination from darkness into light. Or as Ruth Tucker once said, “from the fringe to the fold.” We now have changed our denominational name to Grace Communion International to reflect that change.

Qualifying to Be Saved

For all those 23 years, it was drilled strongly into my mind that I should “develop holy, righteous and perfect character.” Along with this phrase, I always heard our pastors preach about the need to “qualify” in order to enter the kingdom of God and be saved.

Shocking Personal Realization

Back then, I usually read the Bible using the 1611 King James Version and it was therefore shocking to me to find out and understand later on what the Bible is saying about being “qualified” in Colossians 1:12-14 in the New International Version. This word, “qualified” can also be found in the New American Standard Bible, the New Jerusalem Bible and the New King James Version of the Bible. Here is Colossians 1:12-14 in the New International Version:

“and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. “

God has Qualified Me and Rescued Me!

In this passage, I was shocked to discover that it is God the Father who has “qualified” me or “enabled” me! I did not understand it in the 1611 King James Version of the Bible. I found out that I don’t have to do good works or “develop holy righteous and perfect character” in order to “qualify” and be saved! God has already “qualified“ me—past tense! He has already brought us (and me!—past tense) into Jesus’ kingdom. He has already rescued me, redeemed me and forgave me even before I asked for forgiveness.

Paul said that while I was still a sinner, Christ has already died for me (Rom. 5:8). He did not wait for me to “develop holy, righteous and perfect character” first before accepting me. It is by God’s grace that I have been saved—past tense (Ephesians 2:8).

The Objective Gospel Truth

This objective truth (indicative of grace) that God has already rescued me out of darkness and brought me into the Kingdom of the Son whom he loves, compels me to respond positively to God’s love and grace (imperative of grace). Because of God’s love and mercy, it is just but proper that I respond by loving him and obeying his commandments in return. This is what Paul calls as “the obedience that comes from faith” (Romans 1:5, 16:26). God’s love compels me to love him in return and not sin against him and against my fellowmen.

God is Love not a contract-God

I’m happy to know that God is interested to have a relationship with me like a father to his son. He is not a contract-God who is merely interested in and watching over my every move whether I obey his commandments or not. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are a union and communion of loving relationship and through our Lord Jesus Christ, I have been included into that awesome relationship. What a wonderful truth that is! I’m just glad the Lord has brought me out of darkness and into his marvelous Light! (1 Pet. 2:9)

Updated: 3/7/2020

Learning effective communication skills is always a plus. Being misunderstood is a common thing and it’s amazingly and  especially true when it comes to biblical and doctrinal discussions. Doctrinal misunderstanding can develop into heated arguments and sometimes worse things can happen. It can show people’s character in the midst of a heated discussion.

Is there a way to better understand what the Bible is saying? Yes, there is a simple way. In understanding Scripture, it is always important to understand the main point of a passage or text under discussion. Always ask, “What’s the point?” That is very important in biblical interpretation as well as in our daily conversations. Getting the point will help remove a lot of misunderstanding and confusion.

Misinterpreting Scripture

Without realizing it, many of us misinterpret Scripture. We think that our views about  the Bible are exactly God’s views. We think we have the mind of God and that our interpretation of the Bible is the only accurate one. This is fine as long as our views are really what God is truly saying in the Bible.

But oftentimes, we think that our perception, our understanding, our interpretation, our view on the matter, is the only correct interpretation of the Bible. We think that our view is what God is really saying in the Bible and all the others are wrong. And this is where we might be wrong sometimes — or oftentimes.

Hermeneutics

It is good to study something about biblical interpretation. The scholarly world calls it, Hermeneutics. It can intimidate some simple folks like us but Hermeneutics simply means the study of biblical interpretation. It is good to know that there are some basic principles to understand and consider when interpreting the Bible. Lacking this “tool”—without this knowledge and skill on how to properly interpret Scripture—some people come up with their own heretical ideas and “out-of-this-world” doctrines leading them to wrong beliefs and practices.

The Bible is a book composed of many books with different contexts, different authors, different literary backgrounds—poem, song, history, letter, etc. It also has different historical backgrounds, different cultural backgrounds, different eras spanning over a thousand years, written in several languages and grammatical construction, different purposes why a book was written, different audiences to whom the literature was written, and more!

Eisegesis

Reading into the Bible what is not there—your personal opinions, thoughts and ideas—interpreting the Bible without considering its various contexts is the reason why we have all kinds of conflicting religions and ideologies.

Exegesis

Reading the Bible based on what is really in the Bible considering all its various contexts (literary, historical, grammatical, cultural, geographical, etc.) is the right approach to understanding what God’s will really is in the Bible. Learning about Hermeneutics can be a great tool and help in our study of the Bible. There’s no harm in using this tool especially for would-be pastors, teachers, biblical interpreters and theologians.

Jesus Interprets Scripture

And the most important context that we should put into our every interpretation of Scripture is this: Jesus Christ. All our interpretation should have a center on Jesus Christ. He is the criterion and the basis for all our interpretation of Scripture. Jesus Christ should be our “lens.” We interpret Scripture in the light of who Jesus Christ really is. This is always the correct way to interpret Scripture. Jesus said all Scripture points to him and is all about him. Jesus Christ who is the Living Word interprets for us the Written Word, the Bible. All our biblical interpretation should center on Jesus Christ not on ourselves and our own experience. Our Bible interpretations should be Christ-centered and not man-centered.

Thankfully, the Lord Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). He will not leave us to grope in the dark as to what the Lord’s will really is. He will in his own good time, correct our misunderstanding, correct our erroneous views. Now that I’m a bit older, I have found it wiser to be more tolerant about other people’s views and to follow the traditional advice regarding one’s theological stand: “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. But at all times charity (love).”

And so, what’s the point? Don’t forget to always ask that question when reading Scripture. It will help you understand the Bible better—hopefully.