Articles
The Importance of Personal, Organic Bible Study [podcast]
To study the Bible organically means simply to study God’s Word without the undue influence, the taintings of mere men!
God’s Word is your life (Proverbs 4:20-23). The Word is your “daily bread” and your life depends on knowing and obeying it (Matthew 6:11). Knowing and adhering to Holy Scripture is your protection (Proverbs 30:5-6).
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield (protection) unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5-6
RECENTLY: In a very engaging fellowship discussion this morning with a dear brother in Christ, it was a blessing to witness his Berean approach to the LORD and His kingdom (Acts 17:10-11). He was factoring everything we discussed with Scripture, stopping to meditate and cite Holy Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 anyone? Amen Jesus!
God gave us His Word in written format so we would not be deceived by false teachers, so they’d be no confusion, and also, no excuse on Judgment Day (Proverbs 22:17-21; 30:5; John 12:48; Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 14:33; 2 Timothy 3:16-17, etc.). The Word of God is the basis by which the LORD shall judge each of us.
ORGANIC Bible study, organic fellowship, and organic ministry. Organic simply refers to being “without foreign additives – poisons, taintings, pure.” May Jesus bless His people with absolute authenticity.
HOW do you know if someone is imposing something upon the Scripture text they are reading from IF you haven’t personally, organically, thoroughly studied the whole of God’s Word for yourself? You don’t.
So many among us are living wasted lives – lives where they’ve been seduced into systems of theology – which contain poisons in the pond of their body of truth (the whole of what they believe).
The unchanging Word of God, the Bible itself, and the Holy Spirit are the divine Teachers of truth – and not mere men or sinful man’s concocted theological systems and/or charts! Beware saints. See Psalms 119:105, 130; Mark 13:31; John 14:26; 16:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17, etc.
Saints, let’s beware of the charts and systems men create to “help people understand the Bible better.” RED FLAG! God has ordered, commanded you to learn straight from Him and that’s why you have access to His Word. You have a Bible. Study it for yourself. Your knowledge and understanding of God must of necessity come straight from your own personal, daily study of His Word. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Antichrist cults in our midst that push the use of their charts and theological systems include the demonic dispensationalists, and many of the eschatology (end times) wolves.
The word theology simply means the study of God. And, if we shall see Him correctly, we must obtain our theology, our view, our knowledge of God, directly from the Word of God alone – allowing Him to speak for Himself, to reveal Himself to us without the tainting of mere men. We must learn of the LORD, learn for ourselves who the LORD is and what He said, and stop following man’s philosophies, notions, systems, and charts. When the Bereans tested what Paul taught, they didn’t break out some mere man’s system, theology, or a chart. No, they “searched the scriptures daily” to see if Paul was preaching the truth (Acts 17:10-11).
Many a believer has been misled by the teachings, the charts, and systems of evil men posing as Christ’s elders. Run from them! Stop and think: “Why would those men build a system, a theology, chart for you to follow instead of exhorting you to study the topic in God’s Word for yourself—just as God commanded you to do?” The only reason why wolves create systems and charts is to get you to believe their errors and to derail gullible people who refuse to study God’s Word for themselves (2 Timothy 2:15).
If a person isn’t in the Word, learning the Word and meditating on the Word, he has no business acting as if he are ministering for Christ! Such a person’s knowledge of God is second hand at best. Wisdom would be to repent now and get into God’s Word with reckless abandonment! When we into the Word it will then and only then get into us! (2 Timothy 2:15)
Paul got Timothy into the Word for himself – else how could Timothy be an authentic minister for Christ? Think about all the phony men represent Christ today. They have a secondhand, a skewed knowledge of God – learned from mere men. Paul charged Timothy and us to:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
In other words, Paul didn’t lead Timothy to come to Paul for the Word but rather to go to God to get His Word directly from Him!
After confronting a lady who is being misled by dispensational wolves, exhorting her to study God’s Word organically for herself instead of via wolves, she replied:
“We can’t claim the whole Bible to ourselves. We don’t all have to go out and build arks … Paul’s epistles are different for a reason as with Hebrews.”
REPLY:
You are using mere human reasoning. The Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures are our Teachers, not mere men. Paul told Timothy to study the Bible for himself (2 Timothy 2:15). Yes we, as Christ’s true body, are to dwell richly in God’s Word and yet, regrettably, you’ve been misled by an enemy of Christ, a false teacher, who is not the body of Christ but rather one of the wolves Jesus and His apostles so often warned us about (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:17, etc.).
Contrary to the apostles of Jesus, Most ministries and ministers today intentionally foster in their target market, their prey, a dependence upon them and not Christ. They want to entice and seduce in order to create a following, a repeat customer, and build their church or ministry busine$$. Beware saints.
Are you “Taught of God” or are you taught of man? (John 6:45; 1 Thessalonians 4:9) | “Taught of God”
“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:” Isaiah 29:13
Those not diligently, daily in God’s Word for themselves are sitting ducks for a deceiver to come along in their vacuum and fill the void with heresy. IT WILL HAPPEN IF IT HASN’T ALREADY. If you wish to endure to the end, you must personally fill your heart and mind with God’s Word or you will be turned over to “strong delusion.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) God takes it personal when you don’t choose to LOVE His truth!
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
The personal nature of this instruction is introduced at the onset of this verse – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God.” YOU do it.
Yet, instead of personally studying the Bible organically, some want a short cut and so what they do is hook up with some ministry that is pushing a system. Laziness is also a contributing factor when men choose to go to seminary – to supposedly study a book they’ve had in their possession for years. Enlisting to be indoctrinated would sum up the course of seminarians.
SAINTS of Christ, be aware that clever men, operating as Christian pastors, authors, singers, etc., can make nearly anything look biblical. They perform this slight of hand, this trickery by selectively siphoning out Bible verses to make THEIR point, to make THEIR tradition look legit. Yet they do this to the exclusion of the whole of Scripture, which they hope you never thoroughly study. These are the very wolves in sheep’s clothing whom we’ve been warned about. They prey upon the ignorance of their prey (Hosea 4:6). We must ask, we must test the spirits by asking whether or not their doctrine is expressly, directly, explicitly stated in Holy Scripture, or not – just exactly as the Berean disciples did (Acts 17:10-11; 1 John 4:1). Again, nearly anything can be extrapolated using select Scriptures and yet, is that what the whole of Scripture communicates? Test. Discern.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1
TODAY, the true body of Christ, is “Looking unto JESUS” and not mere men (Hebrews 12:1-3).
One of the great deceptions in today’s “church” land is that many the “pastors” verbally claim that God’s Word is the highest authority and then they cling to something(s) that contradicts God’s Word. When confronted they ditch the Word of God for their tradition, their heresy, or doctrine of men. This is exactly what Jesus cited the false leaders of His day for doing (Mark 7:6-9, 13).
Praying in the name of Jesus to the Father, asking Him to help you never be misled, is vital.
“Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail.” Isaiah 34:16
Many today would rather find someone to tell them what the Bible says instead of studying it for themselves. Deadly mistake.
IF YOU don’t personally diligently study God’s written Word for yourself, you will forfeit a myriad of divine blessings and will be deceived – and in the end “destroyed.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Hosea 4:6; Matthew 22:29; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17)
Studying the Bible organically is the best method, thoroughly, topically, stacking Scripture upon Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:13). The less involvement of man, the better.
What happens in most apostate modern churches is indoctrination – not true Bible learning. People are being poisoned by the doctrines of men and devils.
YOU have a Bible? Good. Read it for yourself (2 Timothy 2:15). Stop relying on mere men to teach you what only the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit who gave them can teach you.
Let the Bible speak for itself. If somebody is having to tell you that the Bible says something instead of letting God speak for Himself, letting His Word speak to the individual, that should be a red flag. There are lots of voices saying “the Bible says” and yet until you personally behold it with your own eyes in God’s Word, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses” in Scripture, you should not embrace it.
“In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” 2 Corinthians 13:1
We as men can find Scripture to justify nearly anything. Men can deceitfully extrapolate and “prove” nearly anything using the right mixture of Scripture taken out of the context of what the whole of Scripture teaches.
No Greek or Hebrew is needed and is certainly not the main rule of interpretation. We must take God’s preserved Word for what it clearly states in our own language, as we compile, compound, put together, and compare Scripture with Scripture (Isaiah 28:16; 1 Corinthians 2:13). This is the method of priority in apprehending truth, the highest, stated rule of interpreting truth. A thorough gathering of all Scripture pertaining to the given study, is essential.
Just because someone’s book, this website or any other, or some man standing in a pulpit says something, in no way makes it true. You must “prove (test) all things” and only hold fast the true (1 Thessalonians 5:21). This is exactly what the disciples at Berea did when they heard Paul preach – they put what he taught to the test, diligently searching Holy Scripture to see if it was God’s truth:
“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:10-11
Are You being “Taught of God”?
Praying daily for the LORD’s understanding is imperative.
To bring light to the reality of how people are imposing things upon the Bible that simply do not bear out through honest, organic, thorough study, below is a list of examples. These are some of the falsehoods being peddled as biblical that simply aren’t. Those who thoroughly study God’s Word for themselves, being “taught of God” Himself, will never come out of their study of God’s Word and say things like:
- “keeping Saturday as the sabbath is essential/important”
- “once saved always saved”
- “man has no free will” (calvinism)
- “eternal security”
- “the gifts of the Spirit passed away with the apostles” (cessationism)
- “there’s more than one gospel”
- “you have to learn the Bible through dispensationalism”
- “pretrib rapture” (escapism)
- “Jesus only died to save a pre-selected elect people” (calvinism)
- “you have to keep the law to be saved”
- “I received all of the Holy Spirit I need at the moment of salvation”
- “God no longer does miracles” (cessationism, agnosticism)
- “every believer needs a human, pastoral ‘covering‘ (deeds and doctrine of the nicolaitans)
- “God doesn’t require that His people apply ‘ALL scripture’ to ourselves and gave us permission to decide what in His Word applies and what doesn’t” (Revelation 22:18-19)
- “You can’t understand the Bible without mere men teaching you” (John 14:26; 16:13-14; 1 John 2:20, 27)
- “All whom the LORD saves lose their free will and are forced to continue serving Him and forced to go to Heaven” (robotic, calvinism)
- “fellowship is limited to a certain physical “church” building and organization that meets on Sunday mornings”
- “The town drunk was saved and bearing fruit for Christ earlier in his life, is now living in open sinful rebellion but is still going to Heaven” (once saved always saved)
These are all errors induced upon the minds of men by other beguiled men. They misuse, twist Scripture as we’ve been warned about.
The list of man-imposed heresies goes on and on and on…… This is a mere sampling of man-induced falsehoods which Scripture never expressly states and that other known biblical truth contradicts. Letting God speak for Himself is essential to remaining in His truth saints. Today, there are countless doctrines of mere men imposed upon the Bible and being called “biblical” by those who perpetrate them.
Many things are being said to be “biblical” today which simply aren’t. Only the astute student who is being taught God’s Word via personal study and the Holy Ghost, will escape the many false “wind(s) of doctrine” blowing through the church world in this last hour (Ephesians 4:14).
“For we are not as many, which corrupt (twist) the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:17
“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (corrupt, twist), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:15-16
Notice that Scripture tells us that “destruction” is the future of all “false teachers.” (2 Peter 2:1-3)
Paul warned and was very concerned about the “enticing words” of mere sinful men who posed as men of God:
“And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. … Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:4,8
Men are misled, deceived due to their own dishonesty before the LORD.
“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. … But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” 2 Timothy 3:7,13
Remember, the LORD says this concerning the 4th and only heart soil His Word falls upon who will be eternally with Him:
“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Luke 8:15
Many men today, refuse to follow Paul’s example of denouncing all motives except knowing Christ. Their own depraved hearts therefore beguile and ultimately destroy them and those who allow themselves to be misled by such men.
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:1-2
Like David, God-fearing men cry out to God perpetually for the purification of their heart motives (Psalms 19:12-13; 51:1-13; 139:23-24). They are able to lead many to righteousness. They are able to lead many to righteousness as they handle the Word of God without guile.
“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” 1 Timothy 4:16
Topically studying God’s Word is extremely beneficial – where Scriptures are gathered on a certain topic. Yet, when the wrong ministry is putting those verses together, it can be dangerous. Again, this is why it’s imperative to study God’s Word for oneself.
Exhorting other saints to study God’s Word for themselves is one thing and a godly thing. Yet, forcing YOUR interpretation is another, an evil thing. Jesus gave us His Word and told us that the Holy Spirit is the ultimate Teacher. We must thoroughly study it, collate it, and let God, the Author, speak for Himself (1 Corinthians 2:13).
Beware of any man who unduly uses his position to usurp unwarranted control over your mind concerning the Holy Scriptures. This is how many have been deceived – when they allow mere men to impose their own views, or some regurgitated theology over their minds. Millions today abide deceived via this method of indoctrination, mind control. Beware of the curriculums.
Seeking to have or to exercise dominion over others, over their faith, is witchcraft!
“Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.” 2 Corinthians 1:24
Trust no man with your eternal soul. God paid for your sins in Christ and commanded you to trust Him, and to lean not to your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-7).
“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” 1 Corinthians 7:23
The LORD made you. He intentionally gave you the complete faculties to know Him for yourself – by reasoning out the whole counsel of His Word – synthesizing it all together (Isaiah 28:10, 16; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:15). Study His Word daily, diligently and ask Him to lead you into all truth. Trust the Holy Ghost to teach you, to lead you into His holy truth and to protect you from the many poisons in the pond of the modern church (John 14:26; 16:13-14; 1 John 2:20, 27).
When man is controlling the study and interpretation of the Bible, that in itself is dangerous. People, individual saints are to be “taught of God” and not taught of men. There are people in leadership who insist upon presiding over the interpretation of Holy Scripture instead of letting GOD’s people read it for themselves, being “taught of God.” This presumption to supposedly hold the keys to interpretation is a farce. GOD alone holds the keys to understanding HIS own Word and He alone can ultimately teach HIS own people. When undue control is asserted by mere men over the interpretation of God ‘s Word, that’s a big red flag. This is how indoctrination occurs, this is how heresies spread.
“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all TAUGHT OF GOD. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” John 6:45
“But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are TAUGHT OF GOD to love one another.” 1 Thessalonians 4:9
Are you being “taught of God” or are you being taught of men? Jesus warns:
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Revelation 3:11
Beware of Being a “Back it Up” Bubba
Personally studying God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation, organically, is ultra-important. | The Importance of Personal, Organic Bible Study
To “back up” a belief with Scripture seems to really mean: “I believe ABC doctrine and I’m hell bent on finding Bible verses to prove it!” In other words someone like this doesn’t really care what the whole of Scripture teaches as much as they care to hold on to some pet doctrine (it’s usually something to justify their sin such as the falsehood of eternal security).
Some put forth their subjective beliefs and defend those beliefs by saying “I can back everything up with scripture.” Satan can too as we see him do when tempting Jesus (Luke 4). The devil used Scripture out of context as many today do. Are we merely backing up what WE say and what WE currently believe with Scripture or are we simply reading and diligently studying the whole counsel of Holy Scripture and letting GOD speak for Himself as we “compare spiritual things (Scripture, known truth) with spiritual things”? (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:15) Big difference. Think about that. Men and devils can deceitfully make the Bible say anything THEY want it to say but that doesn’t make it biblically sound and true. We must beware of our own tendency to espouse and hold on to philosophies, notions, and doctrines that do not line up with the whole counsel of God’s Word and we must be corrected (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
We must honestly examine our own selves to see WHY we believe WHAT we currently believe. Discernment, “rightly dividing the word of truth” seem to be concretely connected to searching the Scriptures as we see with the Bereans who tested Paul and all that he taught, right? (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:10-11) Lots of people who talk about discernment trust their own subjective discernment instead of letting the written WORD be their two edged sword of discernment (Hebrews 4:12). Many believe they are discerning correctly and yet aren’t daily, diligently being grounded in the written Word, which God will never contradict (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21).
IT’S ESSENTIAL TO PRAY ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS LIFE AND AS WE STUDY HOLY SCRIPTURE – FOR THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF KNOWING THE LORD (John 5:39-40; 17:3; Philippians 3:10; Hosea 6:6).
Knowing the text, the words of Scripture is one thing – and knowing the LORD and possessing HIS understanding of HIS Word is yet another.
Those in ministry must be careful never to be forceful, coercive toward “GOD’s heritage.” (1 Peter 5:1-6; Ezekiel 34:4)
“but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.” Ezekiel 34:4
It should be a concern when we see men who spend more energy getting people to listen to themselves and to go through a curriculum than they do exhorting God’s people to seek His face in prayer for HIS understanding of HIS Word. Isn’t this exactly what Christ’s apostle Paul prayed for the body of Christ?
“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 1:15-20
PRAYER: Holy Father in Heaven, I come to You now in the name and by the blood of my LORD Jesus Christ. LORD, I confess that I’ve been dishonest and deceitful before You and those around me. I confess the deceit and guile for what it is – sin. Please forgive, cleanse and allow the mind of Christ to dwell in, to find a home in, and to permeate my being. I ask this for Your glory and in Your holy name LORD Jesus. Amen.
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