Tell us what the Bible says, not what you think or want it to say.
It is not my intent to offend faithful Bible teachers and students. But I realize this article could offend many, my reply to that is this.
We must work harder to interpret the scriptures. Let us study with greater diligence and then teach what the Bible says, not what we want it to say.
Lazy teachers/students just repeat what they have heard and don’t check the source to see if it’s true. There is far too much repetition of unchecked Biblical teaching. Further down I give one example of such an unchecked biblical fact.
Acts 17:11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
That being said, even though I don’t intend to offend, I do feel the need to call attention to numerous Bible teachers who teach things that are simply not in the Bible. They are often fabrications of their own wild imaginations. These teachers construct theories, doctrines, and even conspiracies that are built on poor interpretations of the scriptures.
So my primary point is this — Trustworthy Biblical teaching should be based on what the text says. We should avoid inserting our own particular slant on scripture. Granted, that is very hard to do, but it should be our goal.
Too Many Ridiculous Claims
There are too many Bible teachers that make ridiculous claims regarding what the Bible says. On a few occasions, I have tried to point out discrepancies in a position that is unsupported by the scriptures. So often the indignant reply goes something like this.
“You don’t know anything about the Bible. Watch my favorite YouTube teacher. He/she is so nice. He/she will prove you are wrong.”
That’s the type of lazy Bible study that is rampant in the Church today.
Prophecy is an area of study in which so many wild claims are put forward. We often hear, “The Bible says,” when the bible doesn’t say any such thing. Many teachers and casual readers of God’s Word who repeat those teachers make statements of fact that are not a fact at all.
We need to stop saying “The Bible says,” when the Bible doesn’t say what we claim it says.
The Lord had some stinging rebukes of so-called prophets who said, “the Lord declares,” when he never said what they claimed he said. We should take seriously the Lord’s rebuke and not claim God is saying something when he is not.
Case in point:
I was recently reading through some comments on a video blog post. I agreed with some points and disagreed with others. Nothing unusual about that. I came across one comment in which the commenter referenced a scripture but put things in that were either a fabrication of his own mind or of that of a teacher he follows without question.
Here’s the comment:
“The bible prophesies a seven-year period that will immediately precede the battle of Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus to earth. Many important events are foretold to occur during this final seven years. The seven-year period will begin when a peace agreement is reached between Israelis and Palestinians with the support of the international Community.”
God’s Word does not say anything about a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. Nothing! Nowhere! Well-meaning Bible teachers place this into the scriptures without supporting it with facts.
For the most part, these teachers are repeating what they have learned. They expect an Israeli/Palestinian peace treaty, so they find Bible passages that they believe support that view. But it’s not actually in the scriptures. I expect a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. But I don’t believe that is written as fact in the scriptures. That’s a big difference.
The idea of such an agreement fits with the news cycle and the constant turmoil we see in the Middle East and Israel today. I’m fairly certain I know which scripture the quote refers to. (The likely reference is to Daniel chapter nine.)
Show me one verse in the Bible that says the tribulation period begins with a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. I’ll wait while you scurry through the text looking for one. For those not scurrying, I’ll provide the answer, There isn’t such a verse.
Below, we find the Lord’s rebuke given to those who say “the Lord declares” when he never said any such thing. We need to be more careful before we say the Bible says something, when in fact it doesn’t.
Ezekiel 13:1
Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel.
Ezekiel 13:2
You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the LORD.
Ezekiel 13:3
They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the LORD,’ when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word.
Ezekiel 13:4
Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the LORD,’ although I have not spoken?”
Ezekiel 13:5
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 13:6
My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 13:7
Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the LORD,’ although I have not spoken?”
Ezekiel 13:8
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.
Many times in the past, and certainly in our present day, people speak on behalf of the Lord and declare things that are not true.
Teachers read things into the text that isn’t there. If there are no Palestinians in the text, don’t put them in there. They do not belong. They don’t belong in the land of Israel either but that’s another story for another day.
Keep it, simple student!
Just teach what’s in the text.
Let me know what you think.