Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar...(Romans 3: 4)
It is absolutely true that anybody can be wrong
about the Bible. That’s why you should
never totally just take a preacher’s word for what the Bible says or
means. You should listen carefully,
check the Bible for yourself, read the full context of the scriptures,
cross-reference the quoted verses against other verses, and pray.
Pray, pray, pray for God to show you the truth or error of the
preacher’s message.
The sermon is where your truth-seeking can begin,
but the sermon is never where your personal truth seeking should terminate.
Anybody, even the most highly-credentialed and
well-intentioned man/ woman of God can be wrong about the Bible. That is absolutely true.
But.
It is absolutely WRONG to say that everybody is
RIGHT about God and the Bible.
Who am I to say that somebody else is wrong in their
interpretation of God? I’m nobody.
But God said that
no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation (2 Peter 1: 20).
It sound quite progressive and enlightened to talk
about every individual finding his or her own truth in scripture. That sounds good, but it is absolutely incorrect.
I’m not the ultimate judge of whose interpretation
of any given is closest to the original Author’s intents. Multiple interpretations are right, but
multiple other interpretations are wrong.
And just because an interpretation is sincere
doesn’t mean that it’s accurate.
In 2 Samuel 7, the prophet Nathan sincerely endorsed
David’s plan to build a temple to God.
Nathan was sincerely wrong.
In Kings 13, an old prophet sincerely sought out another prophet, telling him
that God wanted him to dine at his house that evening. The old prophet contradicted the Word of God
that had been given to the younger prophet.
Only one of those interpretations was correct. Following the wrong interpretation cost the
young man of God his life.
Jeremiah 27 relates the powerful and inspiring words
of prophets who said declared an decreed that Israel would not go into exile in
Babylon while Jeremiah sadly proclaimed that exile was inevitable. They weren’t all right.
But there were also false prophets among the people,
even as there will be false teachers among you…(2 Peter 2: 1)
No prophecy of Scripture is of any private
interpretation (2 Peter 1: 20).
Each of us has to test their words against the whole
counsel of The Word. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but
test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have
gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)
“This works
for me” does not validate scripture, for
prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1: 21)
Ultimately, what’s supposed to happen is that the
Bible interprets our lives more than our life experiences interpret the Bible.
Anybody can be right, but everybody can’t be.
---Anderson
T. Graves II is a writer, community organizer
and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.
Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the
Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for
the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
If this message helps or touches you, please help
support this ministry. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116
