Interpreting Scripture: Guarding Against Personal Bias

I just want to throw out a couple of thoughts um as you interpret scripture when necessary um be aware of three things your desire your logic and your experience your desire your logic and your experience this is where I've seen myself and others go go astray in Bible interpretation our interpretation is Tainted by our own desire our own logic or our own experiences rather than looking at the word of God objectively and through the power of the Holy Spirit. [00:00:00]

We often bring our desires into the interpretation so you have to look at a passage like this and and other passage I look at there's there's passages I look at and I don't really like the way they read it's not my desire and so a lot of times when I go to the scriptures I go okay what do I want this to say what is my fleshly desire because what we end up doing is going well I want this to be true. [00:00:48]

I used to do this when I didn't believe in miracles and I didn't believe in spiritual gifts it wasn't that that was the natural reading of scripture I just didn't want to become one of those weird prophetic guys it's like oh I Heard a Voice from the Lord he told me this you know and I I look at all those people and go gosh they're so weird they don't care about the scriptures they're just making up stories they're seeing visions. [00:01:23]

Every time I'd read a passage of scripture that would talk about the supernatural I would explain it away and and go well that was for back then that must have been for back then when it says don't forbid the speaking of tongues don't despise prophecy I'm like well and that was for back then and the literal sense of the scriptures I because I had a desire in me I don't want to get into that world. [00:01:55]

Another mistake I've seen people make is their own logic they use their own logic and go yeah I don't think God would say that I mean he says that we're all equal so why would he and you start using your own logic I remember years ago there was a book called love wins and uh and it was all based upon human life logic it was it was kind of like well why would there be a hell I mean I wouldn't create a hell. [00:02:36]

Isaiah 55 God makes it very clear God says my thoughts are not like your thought thoughts and he goes my ways are not like your ways you see how the heavens are so much higher than the earth that's the way my thoughts are compared to yours and that's the way my ways are compared to yours so if you look at a piece a portion of scripture and go well I don't think like I don't think that way who cares. [00:03:23]

Sometimes we come into scripture with presuppositions too like we were all taught or many of us you start off in your Christian walk and you're taught a certain thing um you're instructed a certain way and so in your mind you already go oh I already someone already explained that to me that that submit means don't submit uh you know they are you know I I was raised with and you were taught these things. [00:04:12]

Our experiences can really affect this and I want to I want to think about this for a second you know some of us have had horrible experiences in life maybe you've seen passages abused maybe some of you guys grew home grew up in homes where there was abuse and maybe your dad beat your mother and use passages like this to justify what he did maybe some of you ladies have been in abusive relationships. [00:04:57]

Understand that your hurt can also cause like this defense mechanism where I will never come under the leadership of a man cuz cuz I've seen what happens I saw what happened to my mom and so now suddenly you're coming to the word of God and based upon your experience you're going I will not ever believe that because of what I've experienced I'm just saying look I am so sorry. [00:05:44]

We want to love you through those difficult situations care for you during those situations but let let be careful when we are reading the word of God not to alter it to what we want based upon our experience our desire or our logic does that make sense. [00:06:21]

Be aware of three things your desire your logic and your experience your desire your logic and your experience this is where I've seen myself and others go go astray in Bible interpretation our interpretation is Tainted by our own desire our own logic or our own experiences rather than looking at the word of God objectively and through the power of the Holy Spirit. [00:00:12]

We often bring our desires into the interpretation so you have to look at a passage like this and and other passage I look at there's there's passages I look at and I don't really like the way they read it's not my desire and so a lot of times when I go to the scriptures I go okay what do I want this to say what is my fleshly desire because what we end up doing is going well I want this to be true. [00:00:48]