Bible Interpretation
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.Mark 16:16
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Is Your Name in the Bible?
When you read these passages, what do you think about first? I imagine that you would consider the magnificent grace of the Lord which He extends to you. I suppose you would have feelings of appreciation for the patience that God extends to you. To do all these things would be to make an assumption that each of these verses applies to you. You are not wrong in doing this because they apply to you and me. Yet, the Holy Spirit or Christ Himself did not say if Ryan believes on Him that he would not perish and have eternal life. Peter did not say that God is not wishing that Ryan should perish, but that Ryan should come to repentance. So how do I come to the conclusion that the things written apply to me? It requires a proper interpretation of the Scriptures.
We Must Make an Inference
When we look at the above passages, we see that there are certain commands, examples that are given. First, in John 3:16, there is a command given to believe. This same command, along with baptism, is included in Mark 16:16. Peter describes that God’s will for man is repentance, and Paul states in Romans 5:8 that God’s example of love is shown in that we were still in sin and Christ died for us. I can understand the commands given correctly and that they apply to me. However, my given name is not stated. I am left with the need to infer that these commands and examples are applicable to me and every other human though we are not specifically named. This is called inference.
Study of the Bible Requires Proper Examination
We must realize that this is a very basic concept that has its origin in the Scriptures. The Lord made us with the cognitive ability as His prize creation to reason and use rationality when we interact in our daily lives and with the Word of God. The Christian must strive to properly understand what God has taught, whether it be explicit or implicit. We must be careful to only infer what the Lord has implied in His Holy Word.
Those in Berea were nobler than those in Thessalonica because they received the word with all readiness of mind, but they checked Paul against the Scriptures daily to ensure what he was saying was so (cf. Acts 17:11). Honest seekers will search and seek to find the truth. The Lord has made it abundantly clear that we will find it if we come at the truth with sincerity and steadfastness (cf. Jer 29:13; Prov. 8:17; Matt. 7:7).
Grace and Peace,
R.D. Beavers
