Reason #2 about meaning...Bible reading week 30, day 3

Our devotional today is another in between chapter one.  It looks like we might be covering Zechariah a chapter at a time.  We will pick up on Zechariah chapter 3 on Friday.  We will continue with our series on "the meaning of the text."

Last time we introduced the question, "What is the 'meaning' of the written text?"  Pastor John Piper gave us this definition:  

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

The meaning is not what I think it should be or what I feel it should be or what I imagine it to be.  The meaning of the text is what the author intended to communicate and last week we saw how even in the Bible people got it wrong and had to be corrected.

The first point was that the Bible assumes it.  It corrects when the readers interpret wrongly.  It reinforces that the author is the determiner of the meaning and not the reader.

The second point is the good old Golden Rule.  We find it in Matthew 7:12 and it says,

Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Let's apply it to our lesson.  As a reader, do unto the authors as you would have readers do unto you as an author.  Flip the roles.  You are now the author and the others are the readers.  Do you want them to know what you have communicated or do you want them to take liberty with your intended meaning?

The Golden Rule is foundational instruction from Jesus for us to act first and for us to put others first.  As you read, treat the author like you would like to be treated if you were the author.  We strive for the author's intention rather than making it whatever we want it to say or mean.  So let's look at a few examples in Scripture.  2 Timothy 4:13 says,

When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments.

Paul, the author, is giving Timothy, the reader, some very specific instructions.  He is to bring a specific cloak or coat that he left in Troas.  He is to bring the scrolls from there and also and especially the parchments.  What if Timothy would have read this and thought, "That old coat, I'll bring Paul a different one, a better one.  Those scrolls are heavy and awkward and I am sure there will be some there that I can borrow.  You can pick up parchment anywhere these days.  I will stop in at the local Roman Walmart and grab a few."   What if Paul would have responded when he got the wrong cloak, scrolls and parchments with, "Timothy, what did I say?  That old cloak had secret compartments in it with important information that I need.  Those scrolls have my personal notes in the margins that help me to preach.  Those parchments were special to me because some of the Apostles wrote down things for me to know."  This is all hypothetical but many times we apply our assumptions to Scripture and try to improve on what the plain text says.  

Here is another in 2 Peter 3:15, 16 which reads,

Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him.  He speaks about these things in all his letters.  There are some matters that are hard to understand.  The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.

Peter says that some of this stuff that Paul is writing is hard to understand but that the readers are not to twist it.  There are some who are twisting his hard words and not only his letters but are twisting the rest of the Scriptures.  The temptation when it is hard to understand is to make up some meaning that usually is a benefit to ourselves in a selfish way.  God's thoughts are higher than man's thoughts and man's thoughts lead to destruction.  Getting back to the Golden Rule, nobody likes or wants their words to be twisted.  You would rather they ask again than to make up something that is not what you as the author intended.

Remember the meaning of the text is what the author intended to communicate by his words.  Reason #1 is that the Bible assumes this meaning of the word meaning when it corrects wrong interpretation.  Reason #2 is the Golden Rule that as a reader, we are to do unto the authors as we would have readers do unto us if we were the author.  We would follow the specific instructions and not revert to twisting hard teachings.

Monday will bring Reason #3 so let us pray.

"Lord, You are the author who gave Your words to human writers to put down for us to read.  You have a clear intention to what we have before us.  Sometimes it is hard to understand.  Sometimes we think we know better than what You have written.  May we seek You more so that we can follow in Your footsteps.  Amen."

Pastor Adam