Interpretation of God's Word

Understanding the meaning and purpose of God's word requires the understanding of its spiritual nature. From the words of Christ, we are told what manner we are to worship (John 4: 23-24) , and in what manner the words of God exist (John 6:63). The manner I speak of is the manner of spirit. God's Spirit is eternal (Hebrews 9:14), and by that, his word is eternal. The line of thought is as follows:

What does this tell us about the manner of interpretation? Well, interpretation of God's word must also be eternal. Such interpretations must reflect and show the eternal nature of the Lord God and his truth; least we change God's word into something that has no spiritual life. Anything less causes the scriptures to loose the eternal word of God by becoming "as the flesh;", making the word and its meaning temporary. An interpretation that becomes as the flesh, being temporary, is not of God and thus cannot serve your salvation or serve proper spiritual study.

To speak a word, it comes from our minds. If our thoughts and mind are of a carnal nature and manner, then any interpretation of the scriptures will reflect that same carnal nature. Since we follow our own perceptions and choices, we then follow that carnal nature and direction, which is spiritual death not spiritual life. (Romans 8:6-7) As such, carnal words from a carnal mind are temporary in nature, whose meaning and substance has no root in God's rod. (Matthew 13:6) The flesh or carnal meaning of the word is one that cannot sustain us spiritually and will mislead us as well. It may seem that such carnal interpretations works for a while, but in time and under spiritual testing they fail (Luke 8:13).

The carnal manner and definition of the word cannot lead us to redemption and salvation, because to follow a carnal definition causes our work to follow the same pattern. When the work follows the word created unto carnal natures, being unto the flesh, which is the manner of flesh and man's wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:4 / 1 Corinthians 2:13) , then our works are dead without the spirit of the Lord. (James 2:26)

We are then to seek a spiritual understanding, so our understanding of God's word is in the nature of his spirit. To perceive the spiritual meaning is in the manner that God wants, not what we want. In how God defines, not how we define. Allow me to show a comparison between the carnal interpretation of God's word to that of a spiritual one.

The carnal interpretation assumes that man, with all his greed, selfishness, and limited mind, has not affected the scriptures over the many centuries of apostasy. This manner of interpretation excludes any teaching by the Holy Spirit because it restricts the mind and heart to a written (physical) form of the word, and automatically states that God has no power or right to provide any further truth, or replace any missing truth from the scriptures. The carnal nature assumes that man is capable of knowing "all" God's truth, making him (man) and his (man's) carnal mind and flesh equal to God. The carnal interpretation contradicts many of the scriptures within the Bible as it stands. Such as being equal to or above our Master, our Lord God (Matthew 10:24 / John 5:30) or stating, claiming, suggesting or inferring that the flesh or carnal natural is equal to God (John 6:63) , even denying that that there is more but we are unable to receive it now (John 16:12)

A carnal interpretation disables people from being able to discern if any missing scripture is a word of God. This is because they will view the "new" or "different" scripture as not physically listed within the physical bindings of the present day Bible. Yet in contrast and in contradiction, people easily use "other" versions of the Bible without any thought or concern to the nature and method of editing.

That despite the grave changes between Bible versions, such is not considered as "diminishing or removing" God's word, when such editing affects the nature and purpose to the spiritual words used by the Lord to convey his will, truth and eternal spirit. This is the inherent hypocrisy to the carnal way of thinking, that its ethics and values are transient and self-serving, holding no root or eternal truth, but wanders in the musings of the lusts of vanity.

Essentially, the carnal nature serves self-interests and when such self-interests are challenged, the perceived challenge is denied and condemned. As such, the carnal manner of thought seeks the writings of men who use man's wisdom to remove, deny, alter, modify, redirect or diminish God's word because it suits their personal tastes and interests. This last sentence reveals the truth within the scripture of Romans 2:11 where God is not a respector of man.

How many times have you seen men use the scriptures for their political, finanical or other selfish interests?

Spiritually speaking, God's word is spirit and it is never ending. In that, God's knowledge is also never ending because his Spirit is never ending and eternal. This says that the written words used by God will not limit his eternal nature, will or direction. Since God is forever and never ending, then so shall we set ourselves toward that same unlimited nature opening ourselves to God. This will open the door to his infinite teachings by his Spirit, for only his Spirit can provide such infinite teachings. Says a lot about our abilities to teach ourselves doesn't it?

This does not mean that we, by our own choosing, should step beyond the scriptures as given by the Lord God. There is more than enough for us to learn now, but in order for us to perceive the eternal nature of his word within the scriptures, we must open ourselves to it. This is the spiritual nature if his word and the study of it.

This infinite spiritual nature is found written in many different ways throughout the scriptures. It is what makes God's word as God's doctrine, being God's truth, as God's principles. It is what unifies each single scripture to make the whole. For example, spiritual truth found in the scripture of "sow to reap" (Galatians 6:7), speaks the same spiritual word (truth) as "living what you judge" (Romans 2:1) while it also speaks the same spiritual word as "love thy neighbour as yourself" (Matthew 22:39) The same spiritual truth in those scriptures is in the phrase; "life outside of you reflects what you truly are", and there is much more.

To be accurate, it is more a revealing of his truth, than adding. God is whole and never changing, so he does not add, he reveals to us the deeper truths when we are ready to receive them. (See John 16:12 above) Since he does not add, and he is whole, and all spiritual truth is included within that, then when God says we are not to add to his word, it refers to our manner of word and thought. For if a person speaks divine truth as given by the Spirit of the Lord, he is therefore not adding, but revealing the same truth and nature as found within the scriptures. This is because the truth and nature of what is revealed is not separate from the truth and nature of what is found within the scriptures. If God suddenly appears before all of us, the words he speaks will include and be in line with all the spiritual truths and principles found in the scriptures.

If it is God's will to reveal more truth in the form of scriptures, then, this adds to our knowledge of the Lord and his nature, which improves our spiritual disposition. This is supported by the words of Christ in John 16:12 (see above), who tells us that there is more knowledge, but we are unable to bear it. Unable to bear refers to the inability to perceive, understand, sustain, maintain, and nurture the sacred seeds (word) of God's knowledge within us. (Please refer to the seed parable - Matthew 13:18-40)

Spiritual understanding tells us that God's word is not restricted by the bindings of a physical book, that people who follow the Spirit of the Lord will know that there is knowledge of God beyond our present level of understanding. After all, since God is the author of the universe and its worlds, too many to number, (Revelation 10:6 / Psalm 147:4), who are we to claim that we have the knowledge to say "we have it all". Is this not what God refers to as "the deep mysteries of the Lord (Ephesians 3:3-5)

(Please note, when you read the full scripture of Ephesians, that the speaker made note of "...in other ages was not made known...". This reveals that we receive God's knowledge in a progressive manner, which is dependent on our nature, ability to perceive, receive, understand, contain, properly use, sanctify and nurture his word.)

With such an infinite nature of God and his word, it becomes important to note the difference between the carnal and spiritual manner of thought, perception and understanding. The carnal premise of perceiving, choosing and acting creates separation and unrighteous division. It relies on the outward appearances of things. The spiritual is an inward focus. It relates to the nature of what is "within" us. Hence the importance of the "heart", not the physical heart, but the nature of it. It is the inner nature that determines what is without (or manifested into the outside – Mark 7: 21). This coincides with – Galatians 5:22 where it gives examples of the fruit of the spirit. When you review that scripture, you will see that the words used refer to the nature of it, not the form or physical act. These are words that are expressed and experienced.. Such natures emanate from within us and are not "form" dependent. These natures cannot be made into a rule, for restriction of them defiles their spirit. This precept shows the encompassing nature of Love, which is also the fruit of the spirit. This formless aspect of Love gives it the power to be what all God's law hangs on (Matthew 22:37-40) Therefore, the act by itself, does not determine the spirit, it is the expression from within that determines what spirit it promotes.

This is the meaning of spirit and spiritual. I have referred to something as before the "act," or "first" before the physical. In your own life, try to remember times when you felt peaceful and joyful, without even doing anything in particular. From that feeling within you, your choices and actions thereafter were fulfilling. That is an example of the spirit, where you experienced the nature of joy and truth, then used that to express into your work or action. Creating "fruit" from your work.

This is an important key to understand the scriptures and to interpret them properly. This manner of "first before the act" is called "Spiritual before the temporal", which is the manner of God's word and work. It is the basis of God telling us that the body without the spirit is dead. Hence the spirit is first, the body (carnal, flesh, temporal) is second. Read the following scriptures to see this pattern of God:

God's word and work follows this pattern, spiritual first, temporal second, then spiritual last. Jesus Christ our saviour came to us in that manner. He was first in Spirit, descended into the flesh and blood, then returned to the Spirit after his physical death. This is also the pattern and manner of how God speaks. Always, the spirit is first. Without this spiritual aspect, any form (body) is dead. This is the basis for God telling that the body is dead without the spirit. (James 2: 26)

Then, so it is with his word, it is also dead without the spiritual meaning first. When God speaks (and some have experienced this), you feel whole, peaceful, focused, stable, and expanded. All of these words portray the spirit, and that is the "life" of the word. That which is something you feel and experience, not necessarily see with your eyes.

Perceiving the spiritual meaning gives true life to the word, because spirit is life (John 6:63 / Romans 8:6-10). It comes down to what you think you also do (Romans 2:1). Being that if you view and interpret God's word in the manner of flesh, then so it is in how you express that interpretation in your life. This is what creates dead works or work that is not of God, but only of the flesh.

Where do we acquire this ability and skill of perceiving the word in a spiritual manner; and not fall to the methods and manner of man's wisdom? The answer is to seek the Spirit of the Lord thy God to teach you. This is through prayer and proper worship (John 4: 23-24). In his own time and will (Daniel 4:35), he will give to you his teaching through the Holy Spirit (Psalms 143:10 / 1 Corinthians 2:13)

As it is in God's time, it then takes time to achieve a state of awareness, knowledge, wisdom and perception that follows the will and word of God. It is something that is not automatic and certainly not consistent. It does take hard work, enduring and longsuffering to establish the Spirit of God's knowledge within you. This is not something that is automatic to be "in" you just because someone thinks that the scriptures automatically gives you God's wisdom. There will be many times when the spirit of God's word will be absent from you, although you studied and learned it. The nature of the flesh, and our minds leads to periodic absence of the Spirit (Genesis 6:3).

If ye follows the nature of the flesh, seeking not the Spirit for instruction, then ye is not of the Spirit, (Isaiah. 30:1) and the absence of the Spirit is therefore continual.

If ye seeks and follows the Spirit, then its absence will be sporadic. Fear not, for this latter part is God's process and part of quickening, enduring, testing of faith and longsuffering. If ye has no experience in these spiritual measures I have just mentioned, then ye has none of God within you. A hard thing for many to accept let alone understanding, but I can tell you by experience with the Spirit of the Lord, that this is true. To continually seek the Spirit, then endure its absence and the struggles that come with it, is called "carrying the cross" for Christ ( Luke 14:27). Now consider this, if someone is not carrying the cross, he/she is not the disciple of Christ. It is reasonable to perceive that the Spirit of Christ is therefore not in that person. In order to have the Spirit of Christ within, one is to practice devotion, faith, worship, and obedience to the Lord and to seek correct understanding by his Spirit. It is that, which obtains and retains the Spirit of the Lord for the spirit of the word. These are the pre-requisites for us to fulfill, because without these pre-requisites, we cannot receive the Holy Spirit. If ye cannot receive the Holy Spirit, then ye cannot learn the word of God properly, neither can ye speak it.

Amen