Lesson 3) Interpret the Difficult Texts by the Easy Texts

Interpreting Difficult Passages by Clearer Scripture

Well, welcome to Lesson 3 in this short course on Harmonetics. This is an introductory level course. We've already looked at the importance of context, very important. We looked at the importance of understanding the difference between a descriptive passage and a prescriptive passage.

And today what we want to do is cover the topic of interpreting the more difficult to understand passages by the easier passages to understand. So what does that mean? Well, there are some texts of scripture that are hard to understand and some that are easier to understand.

Even Peter says that because Peter even says that Paul's writings are kind of hard to understand. Isn't that encouraging? We aren't alone in thinking that Paul could be difficult to understand sometimes.

Peter thinks so too. So understanding that we have to know that there's certain passages that may seem like they're saying one thing, and yet when we compare it to other scripture, not so much. Good example would be in James 2.

It seems that James is saying we're saved by works, and yet we see Paul very clearly saying that we're saved by faith. And so you say, well, which one is true? Well, there you compare the two. The answer actually is in verse 14.

That's context. Back to the context lesson. Because he's answering a question that's asked in verse 14, saying someone already has the faith, but they don't have the works. That's the key. So if you're going to understand that conflict, you have to look at the clear teachings of Paul, look at James and say, well, James can't be teaching the opposite of Paul, so what's going on here?

And what you do is realize that they're talking about two different things. Paul is talking about how we get regenerated, and James is talking about the act of sanctification. Let's take another example in Hebrews 6.

Many people will look at Hebrews 6, and it says, starting in verse 4, for it is impossible in the case for those who have been enlightened, who have tasted of the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come, and then having fallen away to restore them again to repentance since they crucify once again, the son of God in their own harm and holding up to contentment.

That sounds like you can lose your salvation. But Paul makes it clear in Romans chapter 8 in verse 35, where he says, who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulations or distress, persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

No, none of those things can separate us. In fact, he makes it even clearer in Romans chapter 11, verse 29, when Paul says for the gifts and those gifts, if you look at the context of salvation for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Well, if they're irrevocable, you can't lose them. If you can't be separated from the love of God, you can't lose them. So how do we deal with this? Well, Hebrews itself is a very difficult book to understand.

Actually one of the more difficult of the New Testament, probably the most difficult outside of Revelation. So knowing that, you first to understand Hebrews, you have to have a really good understanding of Leviticus and many people don't have a good understanding of that book either.

So you're not going to start with this doctrine in a book that's difficult and has a lot of complexity to it. No, you start in a clear teachings. You start in the clear teaching as I read in Romans. That's very clear on the subject.

Nothing can separate you from the love of God. Once God saves you, it's irrevocable. In fact, when you look at it and you think about what salvation is, this is something God does. How can we take it away?

If God says he won't let us go. So then how do you deal with Hebrews 6? Well, this is again the same cases in James where people have a confusion, but it really is a confusion because they are assuming regeneration instead of sanctification.

Here what he's talking about is people who attend church, they sit in church, they hear the word of God week in and week out, they fellowship with believers, they have all those, and they reject God. What says there it's impossible for them to ever be saved after all that information they had and reject them.

By the way, if you think that you could lose your salvation from that verse, then it's impossible to ever get it back again. So you see what you want to do is go to easier to understand passages, clearer passages to then understand those that are more difficult.

Questioning Presuppositions in Interpretation

Now what we want to do in the class for tomorrow is to address the fact that we have to be willing to question our presuppositions because sometimes they could lead us astray.