The best interpreter of the Bible is the Holy Spirit speaking directly to your heart — not a preacher, commentary, FB post, Tweet, or Google search. Think outside yourself. Read the Bible daily and let Christ give you fresh, new points of view.
Jesus paid the full price for your guilt, sin, and rebellion against God, so you don’t need to bargain for a pardon. Just surrender and follow Him daily.
Discipleship is experienced not taught. It’s a Christian contagion, not a church curriculum. Trying to keep Christ’s fire in your heart private, is like trying to keep a giant oil geyser in your backyard private.
Reading the Bible with an open heart stirs my soul and connects me with the risen Jesus much more than hearing a sermon does. Early Christians experienced Jesus and wrote His words and their experiences with Him, in a miracle releasing book. Read it and see.
Steve,
I appreciate your perspective. Thanks for the article. It sparked a few of questions:
1. Even with the Holy Spirit, there are still a multitude of conflicting interpretations of the Bible. Is there something that can unify us that transcends our differing interpretations of the Bible?
2. If the Holy Spirit helps us rightly interpret Scripture, why do the disagreements persist?
3. Do you think the Holy Spirit leads us and guides us other than just through the Bible?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Norm
1) Yes. When we focus on the risen Jesus and radically following Him we don’t have the time to argue over minor biblical differences between us.
2) Disagreements persist because we don’t clearly listen to the Spirit. Our flesh, pride, ego, traditions, etc. get in the way and we follow them (often subconsciously) rather than the Spirit.
3) Yes. The Spirit speaks inside of us and wants to personally and directly lead us. He also speaks through the pages of the Bible. Since the Spirit is God and is perfect, he won’t contradict what He says in those two places (our heart and Scripture).
Hope this helps.
Steve,
Love it! Thanks for the reply.