 Okay, recording is on. Welcome everybody to BC 106, interpreting scripture. This actually, for those of you who are going to be watching this video on the e-learning portal, this actually is the recording of the second lecture that we are doing on January 24th, Tuesday, January 24th. So we missed recording the first lecture that happened earlier, and we apologize for that. But in the earlier lecture, I just did a quick review of the first five chapters in the book, God's Word, The Miracle Seed. We just quickly reviewed that. And then we went into chapter 6, which is we were talking about the process of meditation, how we meditate in God's Word. And we outlined the three steps or the three actions we take during meditation. We contemplate on the Word of God, we visualize the Word of God, and we also confess the Word of God. And what we emphasized is that through the process of meditation, the Word of God gets sewn into our hearts, into our spirit. And the Word must go into our hearts. It must not stay in our minds. It must go into our hearts for it to be able to germinate, for it to release the life and the power that's in the Word so that it can produce in our lives. So we went that far. So we're picking up now in chapter 7. Let me go ahead and share this. Let's see how far we can go. Maybe even we can try and finish this book. I just wanted to give us a quick overview of it. And of course, I encourage you to read the book and understand the basic message of the book. So in chapter 7, as we go back to the parable of the sower, we learn from the parable of the sower that the seed must be protected and nurtured. Because Jesus, in the parable, he made it very clear. He said, some seed, it fell on the wayside, on the footpath. And the birds of the air came and they picked up the seed. They ate it. But that is representing or is figurative of what Satan does, as he's explained it later on. He said, Satan comes immediately and takes away the Word. So think about this. Even Satan doesn't want us to hear and receive the Word and how important it is. So that means he understands, hey, if the Word goes into their heart, into their lives, it is going to produce. So let me try to stop that. They will experience the work of God. They will experience God working in their lives. I don't want that to happen. So let me go and try to take away the Word. So the enemy is trying to steal that Word. Now, he can't just arbitrarily take away the Word from our hearts. Jesus said in Matthew 1319, when anyone hears the Word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and takes away. So one of the things that enables the enemy to take over the Word is when we don't understand it, we are hearing it. Of course, you can hear it, but if you don't understand, then the enemy can come and take that Word away. So understanding the Scriptures is important. Mentally grasping it, or I would say more than mentally, like in your heart, you get an understanding, get a revelation. This is what God is saying. You get an understanding of that Word, then the devil cannot take that Word, he cannot steal it. So one of the things that we understand from the parable of the sober is we have to protect the seed. We also have to nurture the seed. So protect the seed from the devil coming and taking away because he's trying to take that Word away. So don't let the devil take away the Word of God that is being sown into your hearts because he wants to do that. But there's also another part where Jesus said, the next part, some of the seed fell among stones. And then he explained to us what it means. He said, persecution and affliction come because of the Word, arise because of the Word's sake. That means, see there's one, the devil is coming, but there's also persecutions and affliction. Difficulties, challenges are coming in life in relation to the Word that you have heard. They are connected to that Word. So that's what he meant when they said, he talked about the stones. The stones are representing hardships, difficulties that arise because of the Word's sake, because you have heard the Word in that area, their challenges are coming. So that's the second thing. We have to guard our heart, protect the seed of the Word just because there are difficulties, just because there are challenges that are coming in relation to the Word that you've heard, don't give up on the Word. So example, when we hear the Word of God concerning healing, okay, we may have some challenges. Don't give up, hold on to the Word. Or hear the Word of God concerning God's provision for your life concerning finances, or concerning boldness of different areas. In that area, you will find challenge, difficulty, persecution and affliction. But that's when you have to hold on to the Word. Don't give up on the Word just because of the persecution, affliction that's coming in that area where you're hearing the Word of God. You got it? Yeah, so that's another important learning that we can take from the Word of God. So in that same part, in Mark 4, after Jesus spoke about the parable of the Sower, he went on to say, the Kingdom of God is like a man who sow seed in the ground. This is in Mark 4, 26 to 29, Mark 4, 26 to 29. He said, the Kingdom of God is like this. So he gave the parable of the Sower, the Kingdom of God is like this. Then he extended it further and he said, the Kingdom of God is like this. He's continuing with the same thought of the seed and he says, the Kingdom of God is like this. It's a man who should put seed on the ground. Then he would sleep and rise night and day and then the seed will spring and grow up. He doesn't know how. But then when the seed is full grown and it breathes fruit, he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come. In other words, he's extending the parable of the Sower to tell us that the Kingdom of God is just like this whole process of sowing seeds. And you don't know how long it takes. But then you know that seed is going to produce and there will be the fruit. So then you put the harvest, put in the sickle because the harvest has come. He says, the man, he doesn't know. He doesn't know how the seed is going to produce. He just put the seed on the ground. So you go ask the farmer, do you know how the seed grows? Most farmers, he's never studied. He did not do his bachelor's degree in botany. He did not do his bachelor's degree in agriculture. But he knows, I put the seed like this, I water it, I will get the harvest after so many months or weeks or whatever it is. He knows. So he puts the seed, he goes to sleep. He's not worrying at night, will the seed grow or not? He's not worrying at night. Are you sure the seed will grow this time? I know 25 years it has been growing, but this year will it grow? He's not worried. He sleeps and rises, gets up and he does his job. And the right time, the seed will produce its harvest. And Jesus said, Kingdom God is like that. You sow the seed of his word. You don't worry. You go to sleep, get up, keep going with your life. Keep sowing the seed, taking care of that seed. That seed will produce in its time. It will come. So Jesus said that's where the Kingdom God is. But we have to protect the seed and we have to nurture the seed. We have to protect the seed and we have to nurture it. Protect it because Satan wants to steal it. Protect it from, don't give up on that seed when there are afflictions and persecutions because of that word. Oppositions, hardships. Don't give up on that seed when you protect and nurture it and it will produce in our lives. So I got the next chapter chapter 8, which is we must receive revelation, spiritual understanding. So it is the enemy, Satan, who takes the seed away when we don't understand the word. When we don't receive revelation of that word, then it gives the enemy a chance to take away. So this is where we need to recognize the importance of depending on the Holy Spirit to give us spiritual understanding. We use our human intellect to understand the word, to understand the meaning of the text, what we are reading. But we need the illumination or the revelation of the Holy Spirit to help us receive the word. So that is why you and I pray, you know, like the psalmist prayed, he said, Lord, open my eyes that I may see wonderful things out of your words. That means he's able to read it. So it's not the issue of reading it or it's not the question of whether he understands the text. But he's still praying, Lord, open my eyes. So what eyes is he talking about the eyes of the Spirit? Because in the natural, he can read the text. He can understand the text. Good. That's important. But in understanding the human understanding or the understanding of the intellect, we need spiritual understanding or understanding that comes by the revelation of the Holy Spirit. So we need both. You understand it intellectually, but you also understand it spiritually with the help of the Holy Spirit. When you and I get a spiritual understanding of the scripture, then the devil cannot steal it from us. Can't take it. So that's what we must pray for. As we read, Lord, you reveal, you unveil, you open my eyes to see. Paul prayed that in Ephesians 1, as he was praying for the believers in Ephesians 1, 17 through 19, he prayed. He said, the God may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you will know him. You will know his purpose, that you will know the inheritance he has and that you will know the power he has made available to us. So he said, Lord, I want to know, open my eyes, help me to see, help me to understand. Revelation is very important. Continuing on in looking at this parable, chapter 9, we identify harvest blockers. What are the things that can prevent the seed from producing? So one of the harvest blockers Jesus mentioned is opposition to the word, chapter 9, right? Opposition to the word. That means like it's represented by the stones. So as you start receiving the word, there may be challenges in life in relation to the words. But that's when you shouldn't give up on the word. Don't give up on the word just because there are challenges. You hold on to the word of God. If we give in to the opposition and we let go of the word, then that word will not produce in our lives. Okay, sometimes you might meet people like that. Oh, I don't believe in this anymore. Why? So I'm having so much struggle. Oh, the struggle is coming because you're hearing the word and it's an attempt to prevent you from holding on to that word. So don't give up on the word just because of the struggle or the opposition, the hardship, persecution. No, hold on that much more to the word. And when you press past the opposition, you press past the persecution or the affliction, the word will produce. So sometimes people do the wrong thing. They give up on the word just because they don't want the hardship, the persecution, the affliction, then the word won't produce. Okay, so we must stand through the opposition, hold on to the word. But when we do that, that's when the word of God takes deep root in our lives. Another harvest blocker that we see in the parable of the sower are thorns. So Jesus said, the third set of seed, they fell among thorns. And this is chapter 10, thorns. And what happened? The seed started growing. It started germinating, it started growing. That means, okay, you're on your way to see the harvest. It's growing. The seed is growing. But these thorns choke the word. They choke the plant. They cut off the sunlight, they cut off whatever nutrients it can take. It chokes the word. And the word becomes unfruitful. The word doesn't produce. Nothing wrong with the seed. The seed was good. It started growing. But thorns came and choked the word. And then Jesus says, okay, what are the thorns? The thorns are the, you know, he says, the cares, the deceitfulness of riches and the desire for other things. The cares, the responsibilities of the world, the cares of this world. The deceitfulness of riches and the desire for other things. So he said, the thorns represent this. So we have to be careful. That means, as we are sowing the seed of God's word, you see, we all have responsibilities in life. There are the responsibilities of life, the cares of this world. But you cannot let the cares of the world become so big, where it chokes the word. Yeah, you fulfill your responsibility. Do what you have to do. Get up in the morning and go to the class. Do your, you know, fulfill your responsibilities. But don't let the cares of this world become more important than the word of God. The deceitfulness of riches. Yeah, we all need money, but don't go running after money. Don't let money deceive your eyes, deceitful it, and desire for other things. Yeah, the world, there's so many things in the world you can enjoy. But don't make that your main desire. So what happens if a believer is hearing the word of God, but either the cares of this world's or the deceitfulness of riches or the desire for other things pull on him and he gives into those things. What happens? The word becomes unfruitful in his life. He's not the word, the life and the power of the word is not released in him. Right? So he may hear the word. He may understand it. You may receive it. It's beginning to grow, but then if he gives into these things, the thorns, they come and they choke the word and it doesn't produce. So he's not experiencing God working in his life. So believers say, why is God not working in my life? I'm coming to this church. I'm hearing the word of God. I'm sitting along with the same people. We're all listening to the same sermon. I'm taking notes. I am hearing the same message. But why is then God is not working in my life? Ah, the seed is growing. But the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches or the desire for other things are choking the word. So it's not producing. You're understanding, right? So we have to be careful that while we receive the word, don't let these things choke the words. Okay. Nothing wrong with the seed. The seed is good seed. Your heart is good, but now these thorns are coming in and they're disturbing the whole thing. And God is there for you. He's ready to work in you and me, but we have to guard our hearts. So we have to guard against these thorns that choke the word of God. And so let love for God and His word always be supreme in our hearts, guard our hearts. And finally, what can we take away from the parable of the sober? Three keys, three things Jesus says. This is chapter 11. Three things in order for the seed of the word to produce. Three things. If you look at Matthew 13, Mark 4 and Luke 8, Jesus, you know, these three got the gospel summarized it like this. In Matthew 13, 23, the Gospel writer Matthew says, we have to understand. Then in Mark, he says receive, sorry, we have to receive Mark 4 and verse 20. And then look in Luke 8, 15 says retain. So I want to just emphasize these three things. Understand, receive and retain. For the word of God to produce in our lives three things. I must understand the word. I must receive it. That means I accept it. I embrace it. I take it as for me. I make it part of me. I receive it. So yes, Lord, this is for me. I'm accepting it. I receive it. And third, I must retain it. I must keep it. I must continue with it. Or Jesus said, you must abide in my word. That means you don't just start with it, but you are journeying with the word, holding on to the word, standing with the word, going with the word. Continue. Retain. So three things. I must understand. I must receive. I must retain. Keep it. Then this word will produce in our lives. Sometimes 30 times, sometimes 60, sometimes more, 100 times. It will produce. That means the life and the power of the word will produce. God will work in us. God will work in us by His words. But three things. Understand, spiritually understand the word. Receive it into your heart, accept it and say, okay, God, I believe it. It's for me. I'm not questioning this. I'm mixing faith with it. And then I'll retain it. That means I'm going to hold on to this. I'm going to live by this. Keep living by the word. And then the word will produce in our lives. So Jesus spoke about that. So in closing, in the parable of the Sova, and basically what we're communicating in this book, we must see ourselves as God's garden. You are God's garden. And the Bible has all kinds of seeds. All kinds of seeds. All kinds. And then we put the seed of God's word into our hearts and let the word begin to produce. And there's no limit to the harvest that we can have from the word of God. So any questions now before I go to the next lesson? So we finished the book, all right? And I would encourage you to read it. Read the book. And we will go to the next lesson. So any questions before I change and I go to the next lesson? Any questions on this? Okay. So let me just open up the... Okay. I will go to chapter two, which is handling God's word. I did not put the PDF upon the Google classroom, but I will put it up later today once I got the office. I'll put it up. So I'm moving forward. Everybody's okay? Any questions? Let me see online. Any questions? Okay. Any questions from our online students? Everybody's okay? All right. All right. I'm going to go forward now to our second chapter. And let me share this online. I did not put this PDF of lesson number two, handling God's word up. I will put it online afterwards, right? Right after, later this afternoon. So chapter number two, we're talking about handling God's word. I will just mention some terminology. I wish we had the projectors. Anyway, the word hominutics. So you'll get the PDF. So don't worry about writing it down. You'll get it. Okay. You can listen. A hominutics, which is what this course is about. Basically, it means interpreting, understanding the meaning of the text, right? Exegesis, another word exegesis. Now, don't worry about it. I won't be asking you all these things. This is just that. Okay. At least you've heard these words. Exegesis means to bring out the meaning of the text. Exegesis is bringing out the meaning. What is the meaning of the text? Then exposition, exposition means to communicate the meaning. So they call it expository preaching. So expository preaching means it's a preaching that is bringing out, based on the text, you're bringing out the meaning, the application of the text to the people. So you call it expository preaching. So hominutics, exegesis, exposition or expository preaching. Hominutics is simply another word, which means the art of preaching. Hominutics has to do with the art of preaching. How do you preach? How do you teach and preach the word of God? The art of preaching or pedagogy would be teaching. So hominutics has to do with preaching. Pedagogy has to do with teaching. So you can forget all those terms. Don't worry about it. So let's talk about handling the word of God. Now we know, and I'll just quickly mention these scriptures, 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and 17. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and 17. We know that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and 17. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God. So when you and I look at the Bible, our understanding and our perception of the Bible is this scripture, all scripture is inspired by God. So remember when Paul was writing 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and 17, at that time they didn't have this full Bible like we have. They had the Old Testament. So he was primarily, when he said all scripture, for him primarily it was the Old Testament at that time. And Paul was writing 2 Timothy and he said all scripture. It's primarily the Old Testament. Now of course Paul was Paul and the others had also been working on writing what we know as the New Testament scripture. And then that was brought together a little later on. But when Paul was writing 2 Timothy 3 verse 16, in his mind it was mainly the Old Testament, all scripture. But then today we have the New Testament as well. And so when we read 2 Timothy 3 verse 16 and it says all scripture, for us it's the whole Bible. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. That means God's hand is behind this. But we also understand that people wrote it. It wasn't like God sat and wrote the book and he dropped it from heaven. Somebody got it here on earth. It's not like that. God inspired it. But human beings living on this planet, living in that part of the world, the Middle East, they wrote it. Which means they wrote in the language that they had. It recorded things that happened in that part of the world. And they used examples, pictures, language that was relevant to that part of the world. So it was inspired by God. But it was written by human, but man, people wrote it. So they used human tools or human language, human expressions to communicate what God was speaking. So there is the divine, but there is also the human in the Bible. Both. And then 2 Timothy 3 verse 16 and 17, we also see that all of scripture is given so that it can teach us how to live. It's given by the inspiration of God and it is profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. So that the man of God may be complete. So it's given for us to teach us, to train us, to show us how to live, to equip us. So that means that is the application of the words. So I understand there is the inspiration of the words, which was divine. I understand the communication of the word, that means the recording of the writing of the word, which took place through human beings. And here we are in time, about 2,000 years later, and we are learning how to apply the words today in our day and time. The inspiration was given hundreds, thousands of years ago. It was given to people who recorded it hundreds and thousands of years ago. Here we are 2,000 years later. We are looking at the application of that word into our lives, into our situation in this world. So which means there has to be interpretation. I have to understand what did God say through what this person wrote? How does it apply to me in my life today? Interpretation. I have to interpret it correctly, so that then I can apply it in my life today. So that's the part we want to understand, how to do that part correctly. Yes, we believe in the inspiration of the word of God. We believe in the communication that this was written by holy men who recorded it. There is authenticity in it. But how do I interpret it correctly, so that I can apply it into my life today? So that's part of what we are going to look at. Now, the need for interpreting scripture, because people can read it and they may not understand it. One example is in Acts 8, 27-35. Acts 8, 27-35, where there is this Ethiopian who is sitting in the chariot. He is sitting in the chariot and he is reading Isaiah chapter 53. And the Holy Spirit directs Philip to go join him in the chariot and Philip asks him, what are you reading? He says, I'm reading Isaiah 53. And this Ethiopian, he's a very educated man. He is serving next to the Queen in Ethiopia, but he does not understand what he's reading. He doesn't understand. Isaiah 53, he's saying, who is the prophet speaking about? Is he talking about himself or is he talking about somebody else? So he doesn't understand. And so Philip comes and Philip interprets that passage for him. Philip helps him understand that passage. So even today, there could be people who, they read the scriptures, they don't understand. What does it mean? What is it saying? How is it relevant to me today in my life? And so we need to interpret. We need to correctly understand what did God say through the prophets and then interpret it to people in today's world. So there is a need for interpreting scripture. Another great example is in Nehemiah chapter 8. Let's go to Nehemiah chapter 8. We look at that. I will just look at a few verses there. Nehemiah, I'll give you the exact verse to read. Nehemiah chapter 8. We will look at, I'll just say, okay, let's just look at verse 8. Nehemiah chapter 8 and verse number 8. Okay. So basically this was a time when the people had returned, some of them had returned back to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. So they'd come back. It's been a long time since they actually heard God's word being read to them. So the word of God is read to them. Ezra, the priest is there, described. The word of God is read to them. And then look at verse 8. It says, so they read distinctly from the book and the law of God. And they gave the sense and helped them to understand the reading. So they read distinctly and very clearly. And they gave the sense and they helped the people understand the meaning of what was being read. So that is hermeneutics or as we call it hermeneutics. It is helping people understand the meaning and read very clearly and help them understand what was being, what is being said, what is the meaning of what we are reading from the scriptures. So even in those days, people did that, right? That was the responsibility of the priests and the scribes to correctly interpret the scriptures for the people. Now some of them went off in the wrong way and they made up a lot of rules and regulations and it became a burden on the people unnecessarily. But that's not what we want to do. We want to correctly interpret the scriptures for the people. So we must learn how to interpret scriptures correctly. If we don't, we may end up making mistakes. Now let me just present to us the challenge that we have in interpreting the Bible and what we are trying to address. Why is it difficult to interpret the Bible? Because of the following things. There is a spiritual gap. The revelation of God is progressive. So God is progressively revealing more and more or has revealed more and more. Starting from the very first book of Genesis on as we go, things are becoming clearer and clearer until we come into the New Testament and we see everything clearly in the person of Jesus Christ. So there is a progressive spiritual revelation in Scripture. So for example, Abraham, David, Isaiah. Abraham didn't know everything that you and I know today because he didn't have the whole Bible. He spoke according to the revelation God had, he had at that time. Then there is a little bit more. David could look back, he could read the books of Moses. Abraham did not have the books of Moses to read, but David had. David could read. He understood what God had done in the past. He had more understanding, more revelation. And so that was what he lived by. Then he come to Isaiah. Isaiah could look back and he had everything Abraham had and David had and the Psalms. And Isaiah had a little bit more revelation. And of course, as a prophet, they would look forward into the future as God gave them revelation. But then we come to the person of Jesus Christ. And in Jesus, we can see everything. Oh, everything makes sense. And so we have that much more revelation in the person of Jesus Christ. So you see, the revelation of Scripture is progressive, right? And here we are today, 2000 years after Jesus, we are looking back. And we have the privilege of having the entire Scriptures. And we have from Genesis to Revelation. We have the privilege. David didn't have book or revelation to read, right? But we have the privilege. And so we are living here and as we look back into the Scriptures, we need to be able to correctly understand. Realize that each one was speaking in their day and time according to the spiritual revelation that was given. Here we are today, 2000 years later, looking back. And as we read, you know, as you read Job or as you read Psalms, we need to interpret it in the light of the full spiritual revelation, given till now, given till, you know, Genesis Revelation. They do interpret all of Scripture based on everything God has said till Revelation. So I cannot take example. If I read in something in the Psalms, I have to understand it, not only from the context of what was being revealed to the psalmist, but I also need to understand it from all the way to Revelation, because God has revealed so much more. So example. In Psalm 16, David said, You will not suffer my soul to be in hell. You will not allow your Holy One to see corruption. Suppose you had asked David, David, what did you say? Did you understand what you said? So I know I just felt inspiration. I just spoke. Did David fully know he was talking about Jesus? I don't know. Maybe he would not have known. But today, and you and I read Psalm 16, we are not looking at it from David's place. We are looking at it all the way from, oh, there's so much more. Because when Peter was preaching to someone, Peter explained, you know, hey, David was talking about Jesus. God would not leave his soul in hell. He will not see corruption. He's going to be raised up from the dead. So we understand in a much, what to say, much more clear of a, in a much more full of a, because there's so much more revelation that God has given since the time of David. So there's a spiritual gap difference, where we are things spiritually. And so we need to understand that in a proper way. Secondly, there's also a time gap. Just like spiritual gap, there's a time gap, meaning times have changed. And so we need to see, you know, what has God changed during this time? I will explain this, you know, when we look at scripture, there are some things that God said are temporary. There are some things God said are permanent. That means they will stay through time. So we need to understand the difference. I'll explain that. There's also geographical gap, meaning these things happened in a particular part of the world, the Middle East. You and I are living in other parts of the world. And so we need to understand what was happening in that geography, you know, because some of it has to do with what was taking place at that time. So like that, there is a cultural gap, a language gap, and a literary gap. So six things. A spiritual gap, a time gap, a geographical gap, a cultural gap, a language gap, and a literary gap. A cultural gap because there's a difference in culture. We are here, Indian culture, they're Middle Eastern culture. Things are different. There's a language gap. It was written in Hebrew, Greek, and a few portions were written in Arabic. Here we are, we are speaking English. We may not be using the same phrases like they used. You know, we need to understand what that phrase, an example in English, we say, it's raining cats and dogs. That doesn't mean cats and dogs are falling from the sky. It is just a phrase. We just say, it's raining cats and dogs. But we know literally cats and dogs are not coming down from the sky. It's just a phrase, an idiom. Similarly, in their Hebrew or in their Greek, they would have similar phrases. And so we'll have to interpret that from their language to our language in our understanding. So there's a language gap, a literary gap, how they write. So in English, we have certain major right, similar in Hebrew or in Greek, certain major right. So we have to transcend these gaps as we interpret scripture. So this is part of what we're going to address as we go forward in the course. How do we overcome these challenges? How do we interpret scripture, keeping these things in mind? Okay. So I'm going to pause here today. I will make sure you get these notes, get it down. Maybe I will just tell Diana to Xerox everything and give to you because usually what I like to do is I like to update the notes based on interactions and then give you the notes. But maybe I'll just get everything done and then we can update it as we go along. Okay. Let me just see if there are any questions from any questions from the online students. Okay. Any questions from anyone here? Okay. Let's pray and we close. I will pick this up next week. So now we're getting into the main part of the course, which is how do we interpret scripture? Father, we thank you for this time. We ask Lord for the continued ministry of your spirit to enlighten our hearts and our minds, to give us understanding, to teach us, to train us, to equip us, to rightly handle your word of truth and power each of us, Father. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Okay. God bless you all. See you. I'll continue this next week. Thank you.