 Okay Recording is on I will come back everyone. We are continuing with our lecture on interpreting scripture and we are looking at some examples on Scripture passages in the New Testament that are referencing old Testament scripture and we're just trying to apply now what we have learned in Going about interpreting these passages. So we're looking right now as an example Galatians chapter 4 verses 22 to 31 we just read this passage in the previous lecture and We said that in this message The Apostle Paul is making Reference to many Old Testament things first of all is referencing many characters and places He's referencing Abraham Isaac Ishmael, Hagar, Sarah although he doesn't mention Sarah's name here Specifically, but he references her and then he references places like Mount Sinai, earthly Jerusalem, heavenly Jerusalem and then he is Teaching us. He's teaching us New Testament revelation So we want to understand how do we interpret this passage? What is what should we learn? What is the message that we should get in the New Testament? So to do that the first thing we said is we need to understand the context in which all of this is written So what you know, we just leave it open to the class. What is the context? What do you think is the context? In which this passage sits. What is the context? Anybody can have a few people share your thoughts What is the New Conant? Yes, so the Apostle Paul is contrasting Old and New Covenant. Yes What else any more any other thoughts? So what is the context of the episode to Galatians? Any thoughts? I know, you know, we haven't studied Galatians as a whole episode so it's a little early to ask but still you know Those of us who read through Galatians would have some idea Now, what is the context? New Testament spiritual spiritual matters, whereas Old Testament refers to physical things Yes, okay So I think and this Paul is encouraging the Christians or the believers in the church of Galatia to live in the spirit, to grow in the spirit, to come out of to see beyond the laws of the Old Covenant. And he's encouraging them saying that there is more in Jesus free and not to be bounded by I think it's uniquely to them by the constraints of the law Don't live like too diglistic way. Just look beyond it And it's a freedom in the spirit, freedom in Christ, so I think that's what he's getting at Then he's using this symbolically in a way So the Hagar's, Ishmael also represents flesh And so it's encouraging. In a way living by the law could also be seen as living in the flesh. So That's some of the things that I can get off Right, right Okay Anyone else any other thoughts? On the context in which this passage is given, right? So the context if you look at the immediate context chapter 4 context and then the larger context in which The whole episode of Galatians, so if you look at the context of Galatians, as Roshan pointed out The purpose of writing this episode was so he's writing to believers in Galatia, and if if you get a little background to To what was going on Paul in his first mystery journey He had traveled through the region of Galatia. So it included So there's just little background information. Okay, it's not yeah, it's not like you have to know it, but it's good to know it He traveled through The tri-state a tri-city area Lystra, Derby, Biconia. They were all part of This region of Galatia. It's like a district. So we would say Bangalore district or you know, whatever So the district of Galatia had many cities and the cities that he went through or these three were close to each other So he journeyed through he preached the gospel these people believed in Jesus, you know And then he went Paul went back to Antioch Now right after he finished his first missionary journey There were these Hellenistic Jews or these Jews from Jerusalem who went on the same trail. They took the same route and They confused these new believers. They said no, no, you all have to follow the law You have to follow the law It's not enough to believe in Jesus You have to keep the law So these people were so confused Because they decided to believe in Jesus and now These Jewish leaders are coming and saying you have to keep the law and So they are So they are so confused. They are drifting back to keeping the law So that's that's what Paul right mentions these people, you know, he mentions them in chapter 2 and verse 4 He says, you know false brethren They came to Galatians 2 for he said they came to spy out our liberty Which we have in Jesus Christ and to bring us again into bondage. So he calls them false brethren So these people came they came to spy out the freedom we have and to bring bring us back into Bondage to keep the law. So that's the whole issue. So that's the background, right? So he's writing to these new believers in Galatia Who are now sliding back to keeping the law and his whole thing is to help them understand That in Jesus Christ, we are not obligated to keep the law But we are called to a life in the spirit, which is what he brings out in chapter 5 like I kind of ocean is pointed out So that's the context So in while he is trying to explain to them about this whole Difference in chapter 3 he has used this a What to say a picture of a tutor and a student So in chapter 3 previous chapter, he said the law was given like a tutor to Bring us to Christ And once we came to Christ that that is no longer needed the law is no longer needed So he uses that picture in chapter 3 Yeah Versus 23 onwards 23 so on so he uses that picture The law was given like a tutor to bring us to Christ faith in Christ Once we have faith in Christ that that is no longer. It's it served its purpose But in chapter 4 this passage which we read he's using another Picture and this is where he starts referencing Old Testament old testament characters now He's already mentioned Abraham in chapter 3 and you know the seed of Abraham He's already mentioned, you know, he's already used that in chapter 3 chapter 4 is again using some more old testament characters Right. So what is the context context is I? have to help people see That you're not under the law, but you're free from the law in Christ And you have to Don't go back to the law But you have to move forward in the spirit. That's the context so in order to do that One of the things he's doing is he's referencing old testament characters So now we should try to understand. So that's the context now next step Who are the old testament characters and what is it trying to bring out? so He's touching over the Abraham Abraham Hagar Sarah Or Sarah and Hagar Through Sarah there was Isaac through Hagar. There was Ishmael and Then he's continuing this to be selected to trains of thought Or to contrasting pictures using old testament characters So I Think both brother Manawar and Roshan mentioned Ishmael refers to the natural the flesh Isaac he says refers to the promise. So that's worth 24 Galatians 424 Two symbolic things So he's drawing that parallel and then he says Isaac Then he says So the natural one is promise. The other one is promise. Then he says Mount Sinai What happened on Mount Sinai? Mount Sinai is the place where the law was given and Earthly Jerusalem But then he says there is heavily Jerusalem in contrast to that So one is a line of promise. One is a line of the natural law bondage promise Makes us children of promise and there is this heavenly Jerusalem Place of promise so he's drawing that thing But having done this what does he do What is his message then what is the conclusion of what having done drawn this contrast What is he concluding or what is the revelation we need to take from this passage as New Testament believers? So we understand the characters and all of that But what is he concluding here for us? I think you've already mentioned it, but you could say it again What is the conclusion here anyone? I want some of the things he says so We are Children of the promise that is verse 28. So he's saying look He's telling the need these you know something about these telling these Jewish believers Who are we? verse 28 We brethren as Isaac our children of promise. So that's what he wants to get to so he's saying Don't take your identity through Hegar Ishmael Mount Sinai, which is the law or earthly Jerusalem We are children of promise and we have come through Abraham Sarah Isaac heavenly Jerusalem children of promise We come along that lineage children of promise So we are not under Mount Sinai We are not under the law, but we are through Isaac We are children of promise then He says Verse 31 he repeats we are children We are not children of the born woman but of the free So born woman that was Hagar. We are not descendants of Hagar We are through the promise that is through Sarah. We are so he repeats that again in verse 31 So that's the revelation. That's the truth. He's trying to get to these believers Jewish believers, you don't have to keep the law. It's not under Mount Sinai. It's under the heavenly Jerusalem. It's a place of promise And while he's drawing this This is the spiritual truth He wants the New Testament believers understand which you and I will understand right that we are children of promise So while he's doing this He also shares some other things for us. He says Verse 29 he says look, there is a conflict here conflict going on. What is a conflict? What is born of the flesh that's the natural is persecuting or it's opposing is going against What is birthed according to the spirit? So there's this conflict between the natural and the spiritual just like how he referenced, you know, Hagar and Isabel and Isaac Hagar and Sarah there was conflict there Since here also there's conflict the natural the spiritual So that's another thought for us to keep in mind and we can build on that to understand that the natural opposes the But we are children of the spiritual now. We have we have to contend against the the natural but now He quotes two Old Testament passages that's in verse 47. He's quoting from Isaiah 54 and then in verse 30 He's quoting from Genesis 21 and we can see the cross cross reference in many of our Bibles we can see that so What is he telling us? Why is he quoting those passages here? And what do those two passages mean for us when it's quoted here in the Old Testament? So we understood the characters and the places So what they mean for us now We want to understand the two references he's quoting That is Isaiah 54 in Genesis 21 What do they mean for the what's he trying to get to us? Through those two quotations anyone Feel free to share your thoughts. It doesn't have to be right. We're all learning so it's okay if You know, you say something as you know, it's okay. Just just whatever thoughts are What what can we take from those two references? He's the scripture text he's quoting He's quoting it in this context So we have to interpret those passages In this context the New Testament context So try and do that So let's look at it verse 27 Who do you think he has in mind when he says rejoice or bear in you who do not bear? Who do you think he has in mind? Who must he talking about? So we have two women, Agar and Sarah And he's quoting Isaiah 54 Who do you has in mind? So I think Sarah Yeah, right so because He's talking about Sarah because Sarah was barren who now gave birth right So as if 54 is being quoted in this passage and in this context He has already set the stage right? He has referenced two Old Testament characters, which is Agar and Sarah and Sarah has been barren But Sarah is representing for us the line of promise the children of promise Sarah Isaac and he says we are children of the free woman We are children of the promise and so in the context in that context referencing Sarah. He's saying rejoice so barren You who did not bear for more are the children of the desolate And he's saying we are children of the promise that is Sarah so spiritually that's the so he's using as a 54 to refer to both Sarah and to us We are those children whom he says more are the children of the desolate so Sarah is the one who was barren She was the one who was desolate but look we are Children of the promise we are the children that God has blessed that lineage of promise People of the heavenly Jerusalem. So that's what he's using So that's how we understand his quotation of the Old Testament. He's actually talking about Sarah. He's talking about us and then he quotes from Genesis 21 and he says This is verse 30 Cast out the born woman and her son For the son of the born woman shall not be ever the son of the free woman What's he trying to get at over there? verse 30 Walk in the freedom of the New Testament in the traditions of the world correct correct so So he's quoting this text from the Old Testament Of course, he's talking about Sarah and Ismael But he's quoting very strong words What was his words the words was cast out the born woman And her son What is the born woman and her son represent? It's the law It's Mount Sinai He says cast out So You know for the Jewish believers He's it's very it is coming through very clear. Oh Just as God had instructed The cast out many get rid of send away the Higaran ismael the born woman and her son send away. So we also We are children of Promise abram, Sarah, Isaac, heavenly Jerusalem But what was what was we do? Well, just like what happened in the Old Testament they sent away The born woman and her son Higaran ismael representing Mount Sinai We also Must put that away Because we are children of promise. We don't live under the law. We are living under the spirit So the message is coming through very clearly for this Jewish believers. They will understand, you know, they've heard all this They know all this and for them it is a very strong message saying hey No longer under the law You're under the spirit right, so This is you know And then he goes on into chapter five where he just makes it plain to stand fast in the liberty Wherewith the Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage chapter five verse one right, so It you know, it is so nice to see I mean so beautiful to see how The Holy Spirit is is is given of course is given Paul the apostle the revelation To use these Old Testament characters To use an Old Testament incident so the incident actually happened, you know, Abraham so there was conflict between Sarah and Hagar and Abraham had to send Hagar and Ishmael away right so The apostle Paul is using all of that in this context to get a message across to these Jewish New Jewish believers in Jesus that they don't have to keep the law. They don't have to live under the law They don't have to come in bondage to the law. They are not children of the bond woman But we are free we can live in the spirit So just so beautiful How he you know how the Old Testament is being used in the New Testament to bring about revelation of the New Testament And then it points us back To a better understanding of the Old Testament as well So here's an example of we remember in one of the chapters we talked about Types and shadows and illustrations. So here's one example of an illustration right where Something in the Old Testament is being used in the New Testament and is bringing out Meaning is bringing out spiritual truth for us in the New Testament Okay, it's a beautiful example Everybody understood everyone. Everyone is with me so far Any questions? Okay All right, so we just did two examples less or like this, you know, there are many examples In the New Testament where the Old Testament is quoted, you know, you will find this in the Gospels considering the ministry Ministry of Jesus You'll find it in Paul's epistles You will find it in the book of Hebrews Where a lot of references made to the Old Testament And you'll also find it in end time scripture that is in revelation And as well as other, uh, you know scripture so In the New Testament referencing back to The book of Daniel When it may be talking about end times Right, so we'll have those quotations as well. So There's a lot of Quotation in the New Testament concerned the old from the Old Testament on various various things And and you know We're just getting some understanding on how to interpret and apply those I want to move now to the next chapter It's chapter or the next topic that I just want to Speak about and I'll give you the notes on this I will put it up in the classwork um, and this has to do I want to talk a little very briefly about Applying the scripture scripture scriptural Application, right? So the whole purpose here is for us in in in biblical interpretation In learning about Interpreting scripture. Yes Uh for us to apply the scripture in our lives, right? So that means personally right, uh, we have to apply it And uh, then also many of us are have the responsibility to of leading others So we have to make sure that We interpret correctly For what reason? Of course We want to understand it correctly, but ultimately we want to apply it correctly right, so um Keep this in mind keep this in mind that the bible If it is Misinterpreted it can result in mis application and Misapplication of the scripture Can sometimes result in Dire consequences Okay, think of for this simple example Somebody will take a scripture Somebody take a scripture they will take chapter and verse Jesus said if any man Will follow me He must hate his father and his mother His wife his children son and daughter And come and for take up his cross and follow me So You know either somebody can read that verse And say hey Jesus said I must hate everybody. I must follow him Hate all my family father mother wife children Take him across follow him Or somebody can preach a message See if you want to follow Jesus you've got to hate your father mother brother and sister And follow wife and children follow Jesus now That is a that is a true scripture It is in the bible. It is exactly what Jesus said, right? Matthew I think it's man Matthew 14 verse 26 And Jesus said Matthew 14 not Matthew look and I'm looking at Luke and I'm saying Matthew Look 14 26 Jesus said If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother wife and children brothers and sisters He has his own life He cannot be my disciple and over does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple Matthew 14 26 27. Okay, this is scripture Somebody can read it or somebody could preach a message from it And say you have to hate your father and mother Wife and children brothers and sisters follow Jesus Now Misinterpretation can be Leave them leave them all just abandon your family Come and follow Jesus Misinterpretation misapplication some married man He has his parents He has wife. He has his children He abandons all of them. So, okay. See I love Jesus more than all of you. You take care of yourselves. I'm going And he leaves them and he follows Jesus What will happen? People will suffer but He can base it on scripture He can say well, I'm obeying Luke chapter 14 verses 26 and 27. I'm obeying those verses But what has happened? It has been misinterpreted misapplied And somebody or some people are going to face problems Right, and this this is just you know giving a simple example So How would we how should we interpret? You know look 14 26 27, I mean just I'm sure all of us know it already but just for For a little discussion. Yeah, how should we interpret Luke 14 26 27? When Jesus said if you if you do not hate your father and mother, what does that mean? How would we help people understand it correctly? Anyone just go ahead Feel free to share Silatoli, what do you think? Hmm. Yes, but is it right for somebody to You know like a married man who says hey I'm just going to leave my wife and children and brother sister's father mother. I'm going. I'm following Jesus and Dinger Is it a right application? How would we Speak to someone like that? What else can we tell some per person like that anyone? Okay, yeah, I agree with Silatoli and I see brother one who is Coming to the chart. We have to love God more than anyone else right So what do we have to do? is Okay, Luke 14 26 27 is there but scripture Must be interpreted in the light of the rest of Scripture, we can't take these two verses in isolation So our question is what else is given to us in scripture? Right. What else does the New Testament teach? Does the New Testament really tell that you know a man must abandon his wife and children and parents and just Go no, what else do you see in the New Testament? Well, you also see the New Testament things like You know a husband must love his wife Yeah, Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 husband. You have to love your wife you have to nourish and cherish her and then um Fathers you have to care for your children Ephesians 6 You have to bring them up in the nurturing and munition of the Lord. So that's a responsibility And in fact in 1st Timothy Chapter 5. It's a very strong verse 1st Timothy 5 8. He says, you know A believer must provide for his own house And if he doesn't provide for his house 1st Timothy 5 8. He is worse than an unbeliever Right. So we have all these other scriptures also So we can't take Luke 14 26 27 in isolation You've got to interpret it. You got to understand it in the context of all the other scriptures. So as as uh, both of you have correctly shared it means that practically We have to love God above everything else and everyone else love him upper most Then also fulfill our other responsibilities as a husband to love your wife Inertia your children you provide for your household because it's all there in the rest of the New Testament And you love God love the Lord more than in anyone else and You're willing to you know, follow him obey him While you are also obeying the rest of the things he's told us in scripture concerning Family how concerning taking care of our wife and children right So scripture must be interpreted In the light of the rest of scripture. That means all the other things must also be brought to bear on the same subject And then we interpret it and then we apply it Right. So we should never take something in isolation and just Go off on that. No You take the scriptures. That's okay. What does the other scripture say in relation to this? Then you're you know interpreted then we apply so in the application so the point the first point I want to still understand is If scripture is misinterpreted It will lead to misapplication Which can then in some cases have quite Bad outcomes it can cause problems You know, so we have to be Very very careful, right? That's why interpreting scripture Correctly is important so that we can apply it Correctly and we can think of many examples many examples where Scripture has been misinterpreted and therefore it has been misapplied And then people get into problems Okay The second thing in application is And these are some things we've already you know spoken of but I'm just kind of bringing it all together here when you're talking about application Yes we should always understand progressive truth Right And we must apply Present truth or we must live in present truth and I think it's Over in Let me give you the exact for second peter Yeah uh second peter Um chapter one verse 12 could somebody read second peter one verse 12 please for us Ita 112. Maybe I'll type it in the chat here Read that for us second Peter So I will always remind you of these things even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth Yeah What is the last part of that verse again in your version? present established Firmly established in the truth you now have Okay, so okay nanny. All right. So so the nanny says You're firmly established in the truth You now have The new king jim says You know and are established in the present truth It means the same thing, but this the present truth sounds nice. I think He's talking about truth You have now or present truth So That's the second point Which we have established before that is In the bible revelation is progressive That means the light keeps getting brighter and brighter In the scriptures, right? So as you go from genesis All through the new testament the light gets brighter and brighter And what are we to do we must live in the truth? We now have or in the present truth That means in the new testament Right. What has god revealed to us all the way in the new testament in the written scriptures? I'm not talking about things that people make up in these days I'm talking about in the scriptures. What is god revealed in the scripture the present truth we have to live in that so That's another important thing to understand So if somebody is quoting from the old testament Or is quoting, you know any scripture anything We must ask ourselves. See I must apply present truth. So on that subject What is the progressive revelation? What is god continued to unveil In the holy scriptures by which I must live right And we saw this example Then we saw those guidelines about Temporary and permanent About culture When god is speaking to a certain culture Those things were temporary does for them in that place But then there were certain things that were permanent. So what has happened? There are some things that continue through time and there are some things that god has Changed over time and said this is what you must do now example Keeping of the Sabbath So somebody Quotes from the old testament. Oh, you have to keep the Sabbath They can start in Genesis chapter one And said god kept the Sabbath he hallowed the Sabbath So we had to keep the Sabbath And then he gave it as a law the 10 commandments. He gave it as you know, so we have to keep the Sabbath. Okay But what is progressive revelation? What is a new testament say about the Sabbath? The principle applies. What is the principle? Have a day to rest and worship god That's the principle but The new testament tells us that We do not observe sabbaths This is in collusion chapter two, right? I'll give you the exact words and just as a reference We come to collusion chapter two and Verse 16 Collisions to 16 let no one judge you when food or drink or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths Which are a shadow of things to come but the substance is of christ and he goes on in that in that passage Collisions to 16 17. So what is present truth? What is the truth we now have? The truth we now have is nobody is going to judge me on observing you know on the food and drink and Festival and new moon and sabbaths That's the present truth the truth. We now have Of course somebody can quote genesis one somebody can quote exodus 20 saying you have to obey the Sabbath is 10 commandments But then what is the truth we now have? No, let no one judge you concerning sabbaths So What must we apply or what was me applying to ourselves and what must we teach people present truth? The truth we now have Right, so that's the second thing Right, if we are not careful, we could quote scripture We could take up chapter and verse but When we tell people to apply We have to tell people to apply present truth truth. We now have that is given to us on that matter Okay, so application Must be based on present truth. What is because progress revelation is progressive? What did god say now? with that a couple other thoughts here on on application of scripture is Stay with what is well understood and do not let Obscure and difficult passages Become more important Then what is clear and obvious and definite So third act thing in application I will give you the notes, but i'm just saying Stay with what is clear and definite And don't fight about and don't try to go off On passages and scriptures that are obscure that are Maybe not very clear not very easy to understand and start fighting about those things so Example in job the book of Job What did satan do to Job? He came and he's more term and All of those things god took a hedge of protection You know, he told, you know, you've got a hedge of protection. So god told Job. Yeah, okay. He's in your hands go and satan attacked Job now Do we understand everything that I mean what is why did god take off the hedge of protection to let Job go attack and all those things You know, we may not have all the answers to that But don't don't break your head about it. Don't worry about that Because you and I are not disciples of Job We are disciples of jesus christ and We are living by the new testament What is clear in the new testament very clear in the new testament jesus christ conquered the devil So i'm not worried about Job and his struggles And how did god take off that hedge of protection and how why did god let satan afflict Job? i'm not worried about it I may have answers to it, but let's not fight about it Very clear in the new testament On the cross jesus conquered satan Jesus disarmed principalities and powers He has given us authority and the god of peace will crush satan underneath our feet and he has given us Weapons of our warfare that are mighty through god He has given us the shield of faith which will quench every fiery dot of the wicked. So I will live by that truth That truth tells me I can quench every fiery dot of the enemy It is very clear in the new testament that satan is subject to me I'm not afraid of him troubling me the way he troubled Job So we don't try to live by what happened to Job. He lived by what is clear What is very definite in the new testament? So i'm just giving one example where People can get so worried about Job What happened to that hedge of protection? Well, you know, why are you worried about all that? What is uh, I mean if you want you can study out of interest and we can discuss okay But what do we live by what is the application that we must apply? What is the new testament say? About the believer The believer has complete protection The bible says Persian 5 18 19 says That if we abide in christ That wicked one cannot touch us That is new testament teaching that is very clear No questions on it We must live by that. That's what we apply The bible says submit to god resist the devil and he will flee from you The bible says, you know give no place to the devil That is very clear in the new testament So we live by that so There may be some passages that we can't understand that that have some questions We may not be able to answer But we don't live by those things We live by what is clear definite And we practice that Is that okay? There are some more thoughts on this. I will share it next week when we talk about application How do we apply scripture correctly? Keep these simple truths in mind Okay Any questions? There are some more things which we will cover next week. I'm just stopping now because Time is almost over Are you all with me so far? Okay All right. Any questions before we close and prayer and dismiss? Okay Fine, so let's take a moment. Let's Pray together and then we will Close dismiss May I request somebody to just pray with us and we will dismiss Anybody can pray I may call somebody Okay, go ahead. Go ahead Help us Lord that we will be established in these precious teachings and we'll be strong in you Lord when Various Deceptions come You may be strong in your luck to be able to face it knowing The truth of your gospel Understanding and interpreting the scriptures correctly Not by doing this. We may be saved and we may also save those who hear this Lord we give you all the glory. Thank you Lord for speaking Let's pass on for picking this truth to us Help us Lord. Whatever we have heard today It may remain in us and we may go by this truth, you know life and live in victorious Christian life in this world and be your true children and true We give you all the glory from Jesus Thank you, thank you everyone and Enjoy the rest of your day. I will see you again next week. God bless. Bye now