Every Christian denomination declares its own views that differ from others. The Bible is however the same. So is there an objective truth in the Bible? Can it be, that God has made it unreachable for unambiguous understanding? What then the following statement would mean: “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4: 5)? Were these words just empty ambitions of the writer or not?

The Bible or the Christians?

Some years ago I decided for the first time in my life to attentively read my Bible and pray. One of the preliminary conclusions I then made for myself was the following: all Christian denominations are mistaken. Why? Well, the differences between the Holy Scriptures and what I had seen in real life, were just too great!  The world of the Bible seemed to me bright and perfect, and the teachings and styles of all known to me existing denominations were gray and unpromising. Have you also experienced something like that? I was asking myself: “Is it possible to resolve all those discrepancies in different Christian beliefs?”. Have you ever asked yourself such a question?

An objective truth in the Bible

For example, do the gifts of tongues imply angelic or regular foreign languages? There are different understandings about that. Is the human soul mortal or immortal? There are opposite opinions on that. Does God want women to be ordained for pastoral ministry? Different Christians will bring different arguments on all these and other significant theological issues. If Christians differ like that among themselves, what should a non-Christian think about the truth?

An objective truth in the Bible … Can anyone find it at all? Be in good spirits! The caring God has provided for every believer the opportunity to find it and place himself on the solid foundation of truth.

Does the truth exist?

“What is truth?”, Pilate asked Jesus. In other words, was there really any truth in all these contradictory Jewish interpretations of the Torah? The procurator of Judea did not wait for an answer and let the Savior be scourged and crucified. Did not the ruler even try to find an answer for himself? …

Was Pilate right? So does the truth exist?

“Truth exists; only lies are invented”. Georges Braque

Jesus preached in his own special manner

Jesus would always find a clear answer to most difficult questions. At the same time he quoted the Old Testament with the power of persuasion. Fascinated soldiers did not dare to execute the order and arrest him. His relatives were surprised. People felt that they had heard something very important, therefore they followed Him. Opponents were defeated. Unlike this new teacher, they would interpret the sacred texts in many different ways.

So, what would have happened if Christ had walked on our streets today and preached? No doubt, he would speak no less convincingly and directly than He did 2000 years ago. Jesus was a man of integrity. He said:

For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth (Joh 18:37 NAU).

He would represent the truth as something whole, not divided into thousands of opinions.

An objective truth in the Bible, unambiguous and comprehensive, had existed both before and after the First Coming of Christ. It exists today as well. Why would it have grown more ambiguous in our days?

Interpretations from God and a man

Yes, the truth must be one. It is us, people, who choose different methods of interpretation, leading therefore to different conclusions. These methods are not so many, one could describe them on one page. But we are not going to do this. Let’s try to understand ONE of them – how Jesus interpreted the Scriptures. His method is surely worth investigation! Knowing this, we will be able to distinguish between false interpretations and the true ones. Does it inspire you? I am looking forward to discover His method and it for sure encourages me.

By doing so, we will prepare the grounds for discovering an unambiguous truth on any important issue. The fact is that the method of interpretation determines the system of practical beliefs, which influence our day to day life as Christians. Now, when we apply the Divine method of interpretation, then we come to the Divine beliefs. And this is right. Did God want to hide from us that which is so important? Of course not.

Let’s call the ways of interpreting the Bible “biblical key”, and the ways of interpretation used by Jesus, “the Bible key of Jesus.” What was this key?

Jesus and Satan quoting Scriptures

The interpretation of the Bible begins with its quoting. “Faith comes from hearing” (Romans 10:17). Even when we quote, we automatically put our interpretation into the quotation. “The Biblical Key” is actually about how we quote the Scripture.

The following example is very revealing. Jesus and Satan quoting the Scriptures. Are we seeing the differences?

… the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.‘” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.‘” (Mat 4:5-7 NAU)

Behold, Satan also quotes the Word of God! It turns out that he is fond of theological methods! We know that Satan’s goal is to destroy, and the goal of Jesus is to recreate. Thus, the Scriptures are used by both sides, despite a sharp contrast in the purposes and methods of spiritual struggle that both sides use.

All should become familiar with God’s Word, because Satan perverts and misquotes Scripture (Ellen G. White, Manuscript 153, 1899)

 

We are convinced that to find an objective truth in the Bible seems to be a difficult task only because of the incorrect quoting of the Bible itself.

How great is the responsibility of the preachers, and those who hear sermons! How important it is to use the true “biblical key of Jesus,” not Satan’s methods of interpretation, to lead to the truth, not to false doctrines! We want to know the biblical Jesus, not his counterpart, not a Jesus that has been misinterpreted and misquoted. (Matthew 24:24)

The Biblical key of Jesus

In our coming articles, we are going to identify the seven parts of the “biblical key of Jesus.” Perhaps you will find other important parts of it in the process of personal research. May God bless you!

To be continued in future articles…

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? Is this a new topic ? Not at all. Since the main task of our church has been to proclaim Jesus’ soon return, it should be clear that we already have used some biblical principles of quoting the Scriptures. In the Seventh-day Adventist church, the General Conference formalized these principles back in 1986. You can find them published here.

The book of Revelation, chapter 10 clearly shows that Jesus leads the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

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