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Weightiness (meaning, depth of thought) of different biblical texts is
not the same everywhere. This becomes clear when compared, for example, John
3.16 and Acts 18.1. However, there is no information that is irrelevant in the
Bible.
The Bible contains all the basic principles that we need. It is
exhaustive in the sense that it has everything necessary to guide us in this
life and to help achieve the eternal goal: "Look in the book of the Lord,
and read; None of these preminjot come and one other will not be replaced"
(Is 34.16).
The Bible is nowhere to be contradicted.
The apparent contradictions are mostly investigated. The main reasons
for such contradictions are non-observance of some Biblical principles:
1. Often the messages of the Bible are very compressed. Thus, the
treatment of Levi (Matthew) refers to only one verse (Matthew 9.9). The
frequently asked question about the wives of Adam's sons can only be answered
in meager, which are not intended for completeness, the Bible's messages. This
problem can be solved with the help of the following conclusion: According to
Genesis 5.4, Adam had sons and daughters; In the midst of the beginning they
married each other; In the subsequent generation in marriage already entered
the cousins. Immediately after the creation of inbreeding did not give a
detrimental effect.
2. Some events are described in parallel locations in another plan.
Example 1: Jesus' lineages of Matthew 1.1-17 and Luke 3.23-38 set two
different goals. In the first case the Tsarist origin of Mary on the line of
David ("son of David") is proved, and in other case it is the
pedigree of Joseph.
Example 2: The various reports of the resurrection of Jesus in some
minor details diverge.
3. Some spiritual statements convey the true meaning only in the form of
a supplement. For example, the physics of light can be described only in a
complementary way (lat. Complementum - Supplement): On the one hand it spreads
in the form of waves, on the other side has properties of particles (photons).
Only when both, in fact, conflicting properties are combined, can one
comprehend reality.
Such complementary statements are also found in the Bible. Thus, for the
saving faith there are two seemingly contradictory and in fact complementary
statements:
a) "For we acknowledge that man is justified by faith, regardless
of the affairs of the Law" (Romans 3.28).
b) "Do you see that man is justified by deeds, not by faith
only?" (Jacob 2.24).
4. Some difficulties arise due to translation. Thus, the text of Genesis
2.23 is impossible to understand without knowledge of the Hebrew words
"ish" (man) and "Isha" (woman).
Matt 5.8 In the traditional Russian translation sounds "to produce
the same worthy fruit of repentance", whereas in the Greek original it is
written: "To produce a fruit worthy of repentance". In Rome 10.4 In
fact it is said not "the end of the law - Christ", and "the
purpose of the Law - Christ" (Greek. "telos" is the target).
Some testament verses are translated incorrectly, because not ruler one
pretext, which in the Greek language completely changes the meaning of the
whole sentence.
5. In some cases it is difficult but possible to find out the apparent
contradictions.
Examples: The death of Judas (Matt 27.5 - Acts 1.18); Contents of the
Ark of the Covenant (1 Sam 8.9 - Heb 9.4); Death of Saul (1 Sam 31 - 2 Sam 1).
Matthew says that Judas hanged himself, and in another place it is said that
"the womb of him is settled". They seem contradictory, but fit
together if the second statement is taken as a strong, colorful description.
6. To fully explain the Bible of a topic, you need to take several texts
and compare them (Is 28.10). It is unacceptable to tear separate text from the
context (chapter) and build the doctrine on it.
Aphorism: "People reject the Bible not
because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them".
The Bible is the only book that communicates the prophecies that have
been fulfilled over time.
Definition: Prophecy is the exact prediction of a certain event of the
future, which is not done with the help of ordinary means of human cognition.
It is thus an early announcement of the events of the future, unlike the
description of history, when it comes to the subsequent description of the past
events. In John 13.19, Jesus emphasizes enabling faith the purpose of prophecy:
"Now told you, before it has come to pass, that when it comes to pass, you
believe that it is Me".
Often God begins his revelation with the message of only one detail,
which is gradually revealed further. The most vivid example of this technique
is the prophecies about the parish in this world of Jesus.
At
superficial reading of the text there is a danger to relate to details of statements
as to small trifles. For common understanding, however, they have a profound
meaning.
Example 1: The Roman custom of beating the legs of the victim hanging on
the cross was applied to the robbers, but not to Jesus (John 19.32-36). Therefore,
the prophetic justification of this from Exodus 12.46 "His bone is not
broken" is difficult to recognize, because in testament place it is a
Easter lamb.
Example 2: According to the Testament custom, Jesus had to be executed
outside the wall of Jerusalem, because in the Old Testament times the
sacrificial animals were burnt behind the camp (Lev 16.27, Heb 13.11-12).
Biblical statements have such a profound meaning that it is impossible
to measure humanly (1 Cor 13.12). Georg Huntemann came to the conclusion: "What
the Bible wants to tell us is beyond the research capabilities of the human
mind."
The richness of biblical utterances surpasses all human thinking. It
covers the period of "before the creation of the World" (Ephesus 1.4)
to God's eternity (Revelation 22.5). The Bible answers to all those questions
that are not able to answer natural:
- What is the essence of death, why it exists and how long it will
exist?
- What is a person? Where are we from? Why do we live and where we go?
- What awaits us in eternity?
The Bible is a special literary work.
The richness of the Biblical language allows to carry the message of
salvation in such a variety of literary genres, which we do not find in any
other book: a poem (Ps 119), a hymn (Col 1.15-17), a song about Love (Song of
songs), a scientific message in the language of everyday Communication (Gen 1),
historical Message (Ezra), Parable (Greek. "parabole", i.e., supplied
by the side) - the general situation from everyday life in the form of the
object of comparison (Matt 13.3-23), as well as a special situation as an
instructive story with allegorical meaning (Luke 18.1-8), figurative speech
(John 15.1), prophetic figurative speech (Rev 6), prophetic speech (Matt 24),
Paradox (Phil 2.12-13), sermon (Acts 17.22-31), edification (Num 3.16-17),
Doxology (Eph 1.3), Blessing (Phil 4.7), Teaching (Rom 5.12-21), Family
Chronicle (1 Par 3), prayer (Ps 35), personal testimony ( 1 John 1.1-2), Dream
(Gen 37.6-7), Direct message of God (Matt 3.17), the conversation about the
salvation of the Soul (John 4.7-38), the case (Acts 15.7-21), the hearing of
the trial (John 18.28-38), the Wise sayings (Prov 13.7), the Promise (Mark
16.16), the verdict (Matt 11. 21-24), Riddle (Judg 14.12-14), Diary (Acts 16), personal
correspondence (Philimon), monologue (Job 32-37), dialogue (Job 3-31), lyrical
poetry (song of songs), biography (Nehemiah), Prologue (Luke 1.1-4), Epilogue
(John 21.25), Ellipse (Greek. Skipping, omission of the unimportant - Matt
9.9), metaphor (figurative meaning - Obadiah 4), inscription (John 19.19),
cipher (Rev 13.18). In addition, the legislation (civil, judicial, moral,
ritual), Apokaliptika (Danial and Revelation) and the temporary concealment of
the Truth (Dan 12.9).
In contrast, the Bible lacks: Saga, legend, myth, fairy tale, fable,
satire, irony, comedy, joke, Utopia. Only stylistic methods of hyperbole
(exaggeration) and irony (changes - 2 Cor 12.11) are sometimes used as clearly
recognizable.
There is no such rich palette of expressive means in any historical book
of the World, and no book is so truthful in its statements. The Bible uses the
richness of expressive means of language. Along with the most common form of
direct speech, we find in the Bible numerous specific speech forms:
1. Phenomenological language. When the causes of a phenomenon are
unclear, it is described from the viewpoint of the Observer: Modern astronomy,
like the Bible, speaks of sunrise and sunset, although this phenomenon is not
explained by the "Running of the Sun" but by the rotation of the
earth.
2. Idiomatic Revolutions. Brief speech revolutions occur in certain
situations more often than estimating constructions (Judges 14.18 - "you
yelled at my Telice").
3. Poetic decorations. "My left hand is under the head, and the
right side Hugs Me" (Song of songs 8.3).
4. Paintings and descriptions of modern concepts of science and
technology. Bible describes the technical achievements that occurred during the
period of its not yet existed, and the situations to which science has given
special names:
- instead of the words "satellite", "Space Lab" and
"Orbital station" the Bible says colorfully: "But at least you
were, as an eagle, rose high, and among the stars arranged your nest, and from
there I nizrinu thee, saith the Lord" (Obad 4).
- instead of
to speak the language of gynecology about ontogenesis (embryonic development)
in the uterus, the Bible describes the development of the child in the womb:
"My bones were not concealed from thee, when I was creating in secret, in
the depths of the womb" (Ps 138.15).
5. Specific natural - scientific formulations. An example of this is the
description of the act of Creation when, for example, the method of measuring
time and the specific unit of its measurement are described (Gen. 1.14, 19).
6. The paintings of everyday life serve as an explanation of spiritual
truths. Thus, in the parable of Matt 13.3-23 Sower is the spokesman Biblical
lead, the seed - the word of God, thorns - obstacle, and the good soil - the
open heart of man.
Given the abundance of literary genres and speech techniques, it is
attentivelly to treat each biblical text. So, expressions should be either
taken verbatim, or in a figurative, but exact sense.
(a) Verbatim: In Luke 24.44, Jesus teaches this understanding of the
Scriptures: "Here is what I have been saying to you, having been with you,
that it is to be fulfilled all that is written about me in the law of Moses and
in the Prophets and in the Psalms." This is emphasized in other places:
"Let the said of God come to pass through the prophet who spoke"
(Matt 2.15); "Now the scripture is fulfilled, heard you" (Luke 4.21);
Have you never read in scripture?" (Matt 21.42).
b) in a figurative but quite certain meaning: when Jesus says: "I
am the vine, and you are the branches" (John 15.5), it is not necessary to
understand this verbatim, but in a figurative sense. In most cases, the nested
meaning can be easily learned, because the colorful turnover increases the
visibility and facilitates understanding.
In this case, a proposal containing the main idea is added:
"You
can't do anything without me."
ABOUT THE MEANING OF THE BIBLE'S SAYINGS.
The testimony of the Bible is the most valuable information. Well-known
evangelist Wilhelm Paals rightly emphasizes: "The Gospel is the best
tidings ever reported to people. Never before have we, the people, been
preached anything like that". Psalm 118 repeatedly glorifies the meaning
of the Word of God: "The law of Thy mouth is better than thousands of gold
and silver" (p.72). "I rejoice in thy word as having received great
profit" (p.162).
Those who disregard the word of God will be condemned. As the hearing of
the word leads to faith (Rome 10.17), and thus to salvation, so the rejection
of the word.
Leads to destruction:
1 Samuel 15.23: "For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and he
has rejected you".
John 8.47: "Who is from God, he listens to the words of God; You do
not listen because you are not from God".
Acts 13.46: "You were the first to be sermon the word of God; But
how do you reject him and make yourself unworthy of eternal life".
The Bible consists of the old and New Testaments.
Both parts are equally the word of God and one cannot be used against
another. The New Testament often cites excerpts from the dilapidated. Note that
this is not always done verbatim, but God links them to new revelations.
In the New Testament the basic prophecies of the old are fulfilled:
"and all these (people of the Old Testament), attested in faith, have not
received the promised, because that God has provided for us something better,
that they should not without us attain perfection "(Hebrews 11.39). The
Lord Jesus is already present in the Old Testament: "Explore the
Scriptures, for you think through them to have eternal life; And they testify
of Me" (John 5.39).
In the Bible:
- History and narratives should be perceived
literally
- also literally must be perceived laws and
commands
- The prophecies sometimes use a symbolic
language. Symbols of
the same biblical
Prophecy explains the Bible itself:
1. "Sea" and "Water" means peoples (Rev 17.15).
2. "Winds" mean Wars (Jer 51.2).
3. "Beasts" and "horns" mean the Kingdom (Dan
8.20-21).
4. The "Day" in prophetic calculus means the year (Ezek 4.6).
Note: It is important to consider how much, for example, a symbolic
beast has heads and horns, if they are mentioned, but no matter that he has 4
legs, if about them doesn't say anything.
About ApocryphaS
Testament apocrypha, only 11 (Greek. "Apokrifos" - hidden,
secret, not-real), can not be considered the word of God.
They are written in the time between the old and the New Testament.
The main objections to equating them by the meaning of the Bible are as
follows:
1. They contain some contradictory teachings, such as Forgiveness of
sins through alms (Tobit 12.9), the approval of magic (Tobit 6.9), the
forgiveness of the sins of the dead by the prayers of the Living (2 Mack
12.46).
2. They have never been and are not part of the Tanakh (Jewish Canon),
as here about the later additions. So, the 3rd book of Ezra generally there is
only in Vulgate (Latin Bible). So apocrypha always been the subject of
controversy.
At the Trients Cathedral in 1546, the Catholic church equalized
Apocrypha with the Old and New Testaments, which should be regarded as a
reaction to the Reformation.
3. They are not quoted by any author of the New Testament, although the
New Testament cites almost all books are old, except for four small books.
4. Apocrypha themselves that they are not unmistakable. So in the foreword
of the book.
Sirah says: "So, please, read this book favorably and Carefully and
have the indulgence to the fact that in some places we may be, suspicions,
working on translation". NOT in any of the canonical books the Bible does
not have such expressions.
About the same can be said about Testament apocrypha (the Gospel of
Thomas, etc.).
Should apocrypha be completely rejected? Luther gave a good wording to these scriptures: "Although these books cannot be placed on the same footing as the Holy Scriptures, it is instructive to read them". This opinion is shared by other Christian writers. If you read apocrypha, not giving them the meaning of the Bible, and treating them as historically noteworthy books (for example, books of Makkabeyes), we dissect for ourselves a considerable benefit. Especially valuable is the book of Sirah, which touches all sorts of life situations, in content and form approaching biblical books about wisdom, without claiming to be considered the word of God.
