Auxano Ministry
By the grace of God I am what I am:
1 Cor. 15:10a
Our Time God Breathed
Developing a Scope
A scope of God’s Word is seeing the whole picture that God is presenting from Genesis through Revelation. The scope comes more into focus as you learn to build God’s Word in your mind word by word, verse by verse, section by section, aspect by aspect, this develops your clarity of God’s plan throughout all the ages.
But you start by reading God’s Word.
What is God’s Word?
The Bible IS God’s Word!
2 Peter 1:20-21
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
“Knowing this first” is an interesting phrase. This exact grammatical phrase is used twice in God’s Word and they act together to form bookends.
2 Peter 3:3-4
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
Knowing this first, that NO scripture is of any private, or one’s own, interpretation for the scriptures were written by holy men that God inspired. Yet, in the last days some men will do exactly that, have their own private interpretation of God’s scriptures. If you can see this, then you are already developing a clearer scope of God’s Word.
God has inspired holy men to write what He has wanted written but those who do not believe the integrity of God’s Word scoff at it and follow their own path of salvation. Eve fell into the trap of seduction because she did not believe God meant what He said to Adam.
“Knowing this first”…you and I do not have the privilege to self-interpret God’s Word, we need to allow God to lay it out for us as we see His plan develop from age to age.
Bookends! God completes what He starts. He brings His-story from beginning to end. We can see it, we can participate in it, but we do not have the right or privilege to alter it.
God begins with a marriage in Paradise, then moves to dealing with the entire world, then He stands with one nation, then His anointed one comes to accomplish His redemption and salvation. Then He closes His plan as He opened it. He returns to one nation, then goes to the world, then wraps everything up with another marriage in another Paradise.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
All scripture is God-breathed, theopneustos in the Koine Greek. A compound word from theo meaning God and pneo meaning to breath. When you speak, you breath. If you are short of breath you will notice you lack the ability to speak.
God is once again using a figure of speech to express very vividly a point, His point. The figure is condescensio or anthropopatheia which gives human characteristics to God, who does not need to breath, but we do. When we speak, we are required to breath so that air passes over the vocal cords to makes sounds. Therefore, when God says the whole of scripture was breathed by Him, He is saying He spoke His Word to those holy men of 2 Peter 1.
Jesus said that man should live by every word that comes out of the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). Jeremiah tells us that the words of God were the joy and rejoicing of his heart (Jer. 15:16). Mary said, “be it unto me according to your Word” (Lk. 1:38). Through the centuries many have believed God’s Word, and all have been better for it.
The goal of this series is the True Knowledge from 1 Timothy 2:4. True Knowledge is a genitive of origin, meaning the origin of Truth is God. There is absolute Truth in our world today and it comes from God.
True Knowledge will point the way to those words that are written instructions specifically to us. This series will not negate any aspect of God’s Word but rather bring to light exactly what God is saying in our day and time. Thereby enriching and invigorating His knowledge from Genesis to Revelation.
So, what is the best way to read the Bible?
Should it be read with dispensations as your mindset?
Should it be read with covenants as your mindset?
Should I read it with the idea of Systematic Theology?
Should I just read it?
Most people would answer these questions with, “I don’t know!”
Honestly, that is the best answer until you begin to see the scope of God’s Word.
Many have heard of covenants but beyond saying there is an Old and a New, they have no authentic knowledge. Few are aware of dispensations and systematic theology sounds too complicated before you even get past the title.
In Judaism and Christianity there are many incomplete answers and many outright wrong answers. Too many answers from both systems are based upon a foundation of traditions.
What Jesus said about traditions is still true.
Matthew 15:1-3
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Not every tradition is wrong or inaccurate, but many have missed the mark, missed the standard for Truth, which is to hold to the Word of God.
What happens when a tradition is off concerning God’s Word?
Matthew 15:6b-9
…Thus, have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Often man-made traditions are based upon assumed knowledge, or knowledge by “age” meaning we have “known” this “Truth” for a long time. Generally, having known something for a long time means we have not personally studied the subject, but the answers have been handed down from generations ago when those people studied it.
Then when we study one of these subjects, we begin our study already having the right answers. Already having the answers before you begin to study means you are not studying; you are simply looking for more verses to back up what you already believe.
When you study God’s Word you receive answers to questions you have brought with you. You bring questions to God’s Word, not answers. You bring a lack of understanding to God’s Word. You bring mental confusion or uncertainty to God’s Word.
This is a picture of a manuscript of the New Testament. Notice there are no chapters, no punctuation and that all the letters are upper case. So, all punctuation has been man’s interpretation. All we see as chapter and verse is someone’s interpretation. All capitalization is a man’s interpretation.
The only answer you should ever bring to God’s Word is the knowledge that God has answers for you in His Word.
Jesus held himself subordinate to the words of God.
Adam held God’s words subordinate to his own.
Who received the better result?
One is with God; the other is in the ground.
God loves you. Ever heard that phrase before?
I doubt there are many on this planet who have not heard that phrase. I have been told by some that we understand this subject so completely that there is no longer a need to study this subject.
Koine Greek, the picture you just saw, is the textual language of the Bible. Koine Greek had at least seven words for love, each one expressing a different type or kind of love. How many layers are there in understanding the love between a man and a woman? How many facets are there to the love a parent has for a child? In how many ways does God express His love for humanity? What is the depth of God’s love?
Consider a figure of speech we looked at in another series, the figure merism.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This following is a quote from the series Mechanics of The Mind.
“These two verses in Romans form a figure of speech called a Merism. “A merism is a figure of speech in which something is referred to by a conventional or socially popular phrase that points out some of its traits. Merisms often indicate completeness and are used and reused often by most speakers of a language. A merism describes a whole thing by describing some or all its parts and is used…two different ways. The first is through using contrasting extremes, and the second is using several, but not necessarily all, of its parts to describe a thing. The word “merism” is derived from the Greek word merismos meaning “dividing” or “partition.”1
“One rather common merism within the English language would consist of the phrase "lock, stock, and barrel". Of course, this phrase essentially just means "everything", since the three words in the merism capture the full scope of a given object.”2
We see merism in common every day phrases used in America today; ladies and gentlemen referring to everyone, we hear it in marriage vows…for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer referring to the completeness of life and living as a couple; the Bible opens with a merism…God created the heaven and the earth to represent the totality of Creation.
So, what does this figure of speech merism teach us in Romans 8?
Neither death, nor life represents human existence; nor angels, principalities, powers represents the devilish supernatural; things present, nor things to come represents time; nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature [any created thing] represents all of the godly supernatural; shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
In other words, and not nearly as colorful and vivid, nothing in human experience, nothing in the supernatural, either devilish or godly, and nothing in the realm of time can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus.
A figure of speech is used to amplify and bring to life, by adding color, to an otherwise simple statement. God using the figure of speech Merism here certainly accomplished the goal of amplification!
Nothing in human experience, from the time you are born until the time when you take your last breath, can separate you from the love God has for you. Whether it is an experience from an action on your part or an action on the part of another, no experience has the power to make God stop loving you! That is amazing! That is awesome! That is overwhelmingly exciting and comforting!
The same Truth is a living reality in relation to time also. It makes no difference how many years you live, how many experiences occur during those years, God will never stop loving you in His son, Christ Jesus.
Hold that in your mind. Control your mind with that living reality.
Have you ever thought, “Surely God has walked away from me now? I really screwed up this time.”
Throw that thought out NOW! It is a LIE! God will NEVER STOP LOVING YOU!
Every time you read, or consider, or study God’s love for you there is another layer to peel back and reveal even more depth. When it comes to God’s love for you it is a moment by moment spiritual experience of discovery. What does it mean to have the spirit from God created within you? What does it mean to be justified, righteous, redeemed?
Studying God’s Word does not produce pat answers. The Bible is a discovery of our human nature and of the spiritual nature God provides for those who believe. Human nature and spiritual nature require a lifetime of investigation and comprehension.
Man-made traditions will always stunt the growth of an individual. They will always interfere with and oppose the True Knowledge found in God’s Word.
God made the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve whom He loved. God gave them specific instructions that pertained to living in the Garden. Those instructions to Adam and Eve no longer apply once they leave the Garden, just as they do not apply to you today. The instructions do not apply but there is learning for you and me in the events that transpired in the Garden of Eden.
Every book, every verse, every word is important to every person who desires to have a close, personal relationship with God. But there are also specific instructions written for each specific time in God’s Word.
Abraham did not follow the Law given to Moses. Is the Law given to Moses the instructions we are to follow today? Or were they the instructions for Israel?
If I worked in a factory and one day, while standing next to a co-worker, the boss walks in and while looking is our general direction declares, “You’re Fired!” It would be nice to know if he was speaking to me or the co-worker before I empty my locker and go home.
Adam and Eve began to receive new instructions for life and living in Genesis chapter 3. Just as God had given instructions for them in the Garden, He gave them instructions for living outside the Garden. Those new instructions took effect the moment they left the Garden.
The main question for Israel has been what instructions do we follow? When Jesus walked in Judea, Israel received its instructions from the traditions of men.
John 5:37-39
And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Had Israel stayed with God’s Word verses their own traditions, they would have recognized the Christ when he came.
Christianity has experienced the same exact problem as Israel. Which instructions in the Bible are the ones we are to follow today. Is it the Law of Moses? Maybe the words in red?
In Matthew 15 Jesus confronted the religious leaders of his day for making their national and religious traditions more important than the words of God. Even today Christianity does things that are similar.
Some teach that Adam and Eve, as well as the flood in Noah’s day were myths to make or prove a point. Others teach that since Mark was not one of the original 12, he received his gospel from notes he took while traveling with the Apostle Peter. Anyone who teaches such things has rejected the first and most important aspect of God’s Word, “knowing this first…”
The Apostle Paul was very thankful for those who believed in Thessalonica as he states in his first epistle to them.
1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
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1.https://www.ultius.com/glossary/literature/rhetorical-devices/merism.html
2.https://www.ultius.com/glossary/literature/rhetorical-devices/merism.html
© Auxano Ministry 2020
All verses quoted in this teaching are from the King James Version unless otherwise noted.
A Marriage – Adam and Eve
The World -The time of the Patriarchs
One Nation – Israel
The Anointed One - Christ
One Nation – Israel
The World – The time of the Church
A Marriage – Christ to his Bride Israel
Our Time
