Believing the Bible: Five Tools for Interpretation

The sermon presents five key tools for understanding supernatural elements in Scripture: seeking instruction and encouragement, focusing on original meaning, researching context, deriving practices solely from Scripture, and embracing faith's supernatural nature. While science helps us understand natural truth, supernatural truth requires divine revelation through Scripture since these realities exist beyond natural investigation. The framework emphasizes that biblical supernatural elements are essential for understanding God's character and Christ's mission, culminating in the assurance that while spiritual battles continue, Christ's victory at the cross has already secured the final outcome.

Synopsis:

In our modern Western world, we have long been governed by science and reason, looking to the natural order and logic to determine truth. While these methods of discovering truth through natural observation and logical reasoning are valid - as God created nature and gave us the faculty of reason - they cannot tell us everything we need to know about reality. Specifically, they cannot fully reveal supernatural truths.

The word "supernatural" itself gives us insight into this limitation - the prefix "super" means "above" or "beyond." Just as Superman transcends normal human capabilities and a superball defies the normal constraints of ordinary balls, supernatural realities exist beyond the reach of natural investigation. By definition, if something supernatural could be fully explained by natural means, it would not be supernatural at all.

This presents us with an important question: How do we learn about supernatural realities if we cannot discover them through scientific investigation and reason alone? The Apostle Paul addresses this directly in 1 Corinthians 2:11-13: "For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God...explaining spiritual things to spiritual people."

The Bible serves as our primary source for understanding supernatural truth, but reading and interpreting Scripture requires careful attention to certain principles. Here are five essential tools for properly interpreting the supernatural elements of Scripture:

1. Look for Instruction and Encouragement

When encountering difficult or unusual passages, we should look for their instructional value and encouragement. Consider Jude 6, which states: "The angels who did not keep their own position, but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains and deep darkness for the judgment of the great day." This passage reveals several supernatural realities: angels who abandoned their appointed positions, left their proper dwelling, and were imprisoned by God until judgment day.

While the full context and implications may not be immediately clear, we can find encouragement in knowing that God protects His people by restraining the most dangerous supernatural forces. As Paul wrote in Romans 15:4: "Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures."

2. Focus on Original Meaning Rather Than Personal Interpretation

We must resist the temptation to ask, "What does this text mean to me?" instead of seeking its original, intended meaning. The Bible's truth doesn't change from person to person, even though applications may vary. The serpent's deception in Genesis 3:1-6 demonstrates how twisting God's words to suit personal desires leads to devastating consequences.

Consider Paul's writing in Romans 1:22-25: "Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served what has been created instead of the creator who is praised forever." Modern readers might dismiss this as merely referring to primitive idol worship, but in its original context, it addressed the very real spiritual warfare between the worship of the one true God and the supernatural entities represented by these images.

3. Research Original Context and Audience

The Bereans provide an excellent model for this approach, as described in Acts 17:11: "These people were of noble character...since they received the word with eagerness and examined the scriptures daily to see if these things were so." They validated Paul's teaching by consulting original sources.

Similarly, Nehemiah 8:8 describes how the returning exiles needed help understanding Scripture: "They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that people could understand what was read." Sometimes, supernatural truth requires explanation and careful study to be properly understood.

4. Derive Faith and Practice Solely from Scripture

Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 4:6: "Nothing beyond what is written." We must not add practices or beliefs that aren't found in Scripture, nor should we ignore parts of Scripture that seem difficult or supernatural. As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 affirms: "All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness."

Consider the account of Judas's betrayal in Luke 22:3: "Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve." Some try to reduce this to metaphor, suggesting Satan isn't real and ancient people simply used this language to describe evil behavior. However, the text presents this as a literal supernatural event, and we must take it seriously.

5. Embrace the Supernatural Nature of Faith

John emphasizes the importance of supernatural signs in John 20:30-31: "Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name." The supernatural elements of Scripture are essential for understanding Jesus's true nature and mission.

This supernatural understanding becomes particularly crucial when we consider Paul's warning in Ephesians 6:12: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil spiritual forces in the heavens." The Christian life involves spiritual warfare against supernatural forces of evil.

However, we need not despair. Paul commands us to "be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength" (Ephesians 6:10). This strengthening comes through standing for truth and righteousness, being ready to proclaim the gospel, maintaining unwavering faith, claiming our salvation, and praying for perseverance in spiritual battle.

The Lord's Supper serves as a powerful reminder that while spiritual battles continue, the ultimate war was won at the cross. When Jesus declared, "It is finished," He secured victory over all supernatural forces of evil. Our participation in communion commemorates this supernatural victory and reminds us that through Christ's broken body and shed blood, we have hope for eternal life in His supernatural kingdom.

Understanding the supernatural dimension of Scripture isn't optional for Christians - it's essential for properly interpreting God's Word and living out our faith. While these concepts might seem strange or even frightening, remember that God's power far exceeds any supernatural force we might encounter. Through Christ, we can face these realities with confidence, knowing that the war is already won, even as we continue to fight individual battles in His strength.