Principle 1 of what is meant...Bible reading week 29 and day 5

Today is an in between chapter devotional that I think I will string into a series between the chapters of Zechariah.  I have been going through a study with Pastor John Piper who is zeroing in on the principles to help us keep the meaning of the text the actual meaning of the text.  There are 7 principles to follow so I will give you an introduction to what I have been studying and applying to my own approach to a passage of Scripture.  I can see coming back to this for a Sunday School class or a Sunday night series in the future.  Let's start with a definition.

"The meaning of the text is what the author intended to communicate by his words."

I, the reader, am trying to get at what the author actually meant when he put the words down on the scroll.  I will need to minimize my importance as the reader and what I may feel about what I am reading and maximize the importance of the author's actual intention of the text for us to understand.  Let's give another quote from the study.

"Thus the meaning of the text is defined by the author not the reader.  What the author puts into the text is decisive in determining its meaning, not what the reader gets out of the text."

So we have 7 principles to support this definition of meaning and applying it to the text but we will only handle one today.

The first one is that the Bible assumes it.  The Bible gives us correction when needed when the readers have misinterpreted what the author has said or written.  The Bible assumes that we want to know the intention of the author rather than what we think or feel about what was written or said.  The original intention has a higher value and what we should be striving for in our study of Scripture.

Let's look at three examples of this.  The first is 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 and I will stop and comment along the way.

v.9 - I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.

So the author, Paul, did not want his readers, the Corinthians and us, to associate with sexually immoral people.  Sounds simple, right?  Paul goes on to point out a misinterpretation of what he said.

v.10 - I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.

So Paul, the author, is correcting the readers and their interpretation of the meaning with "I did not mean...".  They were not reaching out to the sexually immoral, greedy, swindlers, and idolaters with the gospel.  They were isolating themselves from those in the world.  Paul, the author, gives his readers and us what he really meant in verse 11.

v.11 - But actually I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler,.  Do not even eat with such a person.

Paul, the author, states his original statement with "actually I wrote you."  They were not to associate with those who were living a double life.  This was a specific group of people who were claiming to be a part of the church and having an appearance of holiness but were living a life of sin.  This group is different than those of the world who were not claiming Christ but also living a sinful life.  It is important that the author clear up this misinterpretation and also that the Bible records this value that we get the truth right.

Let's look at another and it is found in John 21:21-23.

v.21 - When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him?"

v.22 - "If I want him to remain until I come," Jesus answered, "what is that to you?  As for you, follow Me."

Peter points at John and asks Jesus about John's fate because he had just heard about his and it didn't sound good.  Jesus basically tells Peter to keep his focus on himself and his eyes on Jesus rather than trying to make it fair that John would receive the same fate.  Jesus responds with a big "if" and stating the ability of Himself that He could have John live forever but that makes no difference on Peter's life.  Look at what happens with this statement in verse 23.

v.23 - So this rumor spread to the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die.  Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?"

 John, the author of this recording of Jesus' words corrects the readers who have started a rumor about what Jesus said.  He makes it very clear that Jesus said, "if."  The Bible again makes sure the readers know the true meaning of the author and it was important to clear up this rumor.  One last one to look at is found in John 11:11-14.

v.11 - He said this, and then He told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm on My way to wake him up."

Jesus, the author, is conveying to His disciples what has happened to His friend Lazarus and what He was going to do about it.  What did the disciples hear?  Look at verse 12.

v.12 - Then the disciples said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well."

The disciples and us readers could interpret this statement from Jesus, the author, as Lazarus just physically sleeping and maybe ill but going to get better.  The Bible and Jesus does not let this interpretation stand.  It is important that the disciples and us readers have the original intent of the author.  Jesus corrects with verses 13 and 14.

v.13, 14 - Jesus, however, was speaking about his death, but they thought he was speaking about natural sleep.  So Jesus then told them plainly, "Lazarus has died."

It is great that the Bible gives us exactly what is going on here.  The disciples thought Jesus was speaking about but Jesus then tells them plainly.  The Bible assumes that you would want to know the original intent and be corrected if needed when you erred in your interpretation.  

The Bible assumes that the meaning of the text is what the author intended it to be and not something the reader creates.  The reader is to find out what the author intended and not think he or she can change it but then I am getting ahead of myself.  Be looking for the other 6 principles coming up in the near future.  Thanks for listening and reading and let's pray.

"Lord, may we be good readers.  Thank You for being the Author who put down for us what we need to know.  May we not be satisfied with what we might feel or think and go for what was meant.  Holy Spirit help us to understand.  Amen."

Pastor Adam