Topic: What part of the Bible applies to us today?

[Dee]

I'm sorry for all these questions.  I just don't know these things.

There's the old testament and the new testament.  Jews and Greeks.  Circumcision and uncircumcision.  Law and grace.  Old covenants and new covenants.  It's all so confusing.

It seems that different parts of the bible apply to different people at different times.

What part of the bible am I suppose to be following today?  I mean, what part of the bible is still relevant to living life in our modern society?

[Ann Doupont]

Dee,

The letters to the churches are for us today. There are 21 of them, called epistles, written mostly through the apostle Paul, starting from the book of Romans, ending with the book of Jude in the New Testament.

That's where I spend a lot of my time reading the Bible, wanting to know how it is I'm to live my life, taking it step by step (one principle at a time).

Ann

[liveonlinechurch]

Ann I do understand what you are saying about the Epistles and that they do provide us
with excellent advice and instruction.

But we would definetly be amiss if we ignored the other Books of the Bible.  Each Book
has value or else they wouldn't be included as part of the cannon of Scripture.

Take for instance the Psalms:  the most wonderful collection of praise and
instruction found anywhere. The Psalmist provides  us with an insight of God and
His love rarely found anywhere. I turn to the Psalms often for devotional help.

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul says this:

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that the man (person) of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work."

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth."  (2 Timothy 2:15)

And Dee, all Scripture can apply to us - remember when reading the Bible
it is so important to ask the Holy Spirit to give us understanding and wisdom
to be able to apply the words correctly - without the Spirit's participation
the Bible can be confusing.

God bless you!
Pastor Len Bellamy

[Doreen]

I'm sorry for all these questions.  I just don't know these things.

There's the old testament and the new testament.  Jews and Greeks.  Circumcision and uncircumcision.  Law and grace.  Old covenants and new covenants.  It's all so confusing.

It seems that different parts of the bible apply to different people at different times.

What part of the bible am I suppose to be following today?  I mean, what part of the bible is still relevant to living life in our modern society?

Hello everyone ((waving hi)) 

Dee,

You do have some interesting and thought
provoking questions about many things. This
is refreshing because it tells us that you are
a seeker of the Truth.

The bible says to ask, seek and knock and it
will be opened to you. Good goin, Dee.

I began in the Gospel of John. I got to know
who Jesus is and I fell in love with Him.

He said "Follow Me!"

See, Christianity as I see it isn't a bunch of
rules and regulations.......All those "wouldda,
shouldda, couldda" things.

For me, it's a relationship with The God of Love.
All He ever wanted from me is my heart.   

Jesus said "Follow Me!"  And when you set out
to follow Jesus, He will lead you and guide you
into all the Truth, and this Truth will set you free.

I hope this helps a bit.

Keep looking up.   

Pastor Doreen ><>

[Tim Russ]

Hello Dee,

You've asked a very good question.  Unfortunately the answer isn't so simple.

As Pastor Len has pointed out all scripture can be used to teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness.  In that sense all scripture applies to us.

You also mentioned that it seemed to apply to different people at different times.  This is actually somewhat of a theological debate.

You see, there were things that Jesus said to the Jews that applied to them and other things he said to the Gentiles (anyone who wasn't a Jew) that applied to them. 

For instance, he instructed the Jews to follow the law.  Yet, he fulfilled the law so that he could provide grace.  In the book of Acts in chapter 15 the Jewish council who was in charge of the new testament church held a meeting to see whether the Gentiles should follow the law as the Jews were required to do.

The apostle Paul held the view that they should honor Jewish custom but that the way of Grace was the newly ordained path to follow.  Others felt that everyone should follow the law but accept that Jesus was the messiah (savior).

In the end they wrote a letter to the Gentiles only instructing them not to follow the law but to follow a few basic common sense rules and to live in grace. 

The best way I know to explain this is that rather than reading the bible literally as applying to you specifically you may want to read the bible to learn the principles being taught to the particular people being talked to.  Learn why that principle is being taught to them. 

After you feel you know all that, go to the Lord in prayer and ask him if this is a principle you should apply to your life.  If common sense tells you it's something you should apply to your life then do so without praying.  For example if you see something in the old testament that says don't lie and you know that lies hurt people and are generally a display of a lack of integrity then it's pretty obvious that you shouldn't lie.

Basically what I'm describing is a Christian moral relativism.  In other words it's a system where sin for one person isn't necessarily sin for another person.  Rather than create a new covenant of new laws Jesus' death and resurrection provided a personal mentor, the Holy Spirit, to guide each one of us on the path we should take.

This may be a little confusing to you or to others so please if anyone is confused about this speak up and I'll answer your questions and address your concerns.

Let's say that you have a Christian who has been growing for 50 years.  They've read the bible a lot.  They've studied it a lot.  They've meditated on it a lot.  The bible says to whom much is given, much is required.  That person would be required to behave in a much more responsible manner than a new Christian who's only been saved a few months.

Each of them are under grace but each of them have different responsibilities toward the Lord.  Something that's sinful that the new Christian could do and God would simply overlook might not be overlooked for the older Christian.  What's morally wrong for the older Christian may be morally acceptable for the younger Christian because they're working on other more important areas.

God gives people time to learn, repent, and grow.  If you get saved and have hundreds of sins and faults God's not going to demand that every one of them be instantly corrected.  That's why grace is so necessary.  In the book of James you'll read that if anyone breaks even one of the tiniest of the laws in the old testament they are guilty of having broken them all.  You'll also read that nobody can keep them all.

I hope this helps a little to explain what's applicable to you in the bible. 

[Dee]

So what you're saying is "it depends"? 

Isn't the bible supposed to be a book of standards?

It sounds like what you're saying is that the bible isn't literal but is just a general guide and if I like what I see I should do it but if I don't like it I shouldn't do it.  Is that what you're saying?  That doesn't sound quite right.

I'm a little confused.

[Ro]

Dee,  The first thing is for you to do is continue reading the bible.  Reading the bible and praying often are probably the two most important things we can do to be in the will of God. 

I know the whole bible was given to us but I agree with Ann, sometimes we have favorite parts that speak to us more vividly than others. As you read the bible you will begin to see what portions of scripture talk to you more than others.  That does not mean we should not read the others. 

The most important thing is that you ARE reading the bible.  You will soon realize that you have more understanding than most people in the world about the bible.  The average Christian has a lot of opinions but not a lot of knowledge of the bible. 

The second important thing is to pray often.  Ask God for HIS understanding to be imparted to you and that you will not interpret the scripture yourself but that you will let the bible interpret itself and you will let God reval things to you.

When Jesus left this world he said he had to go so the Holy Spirit could come.  He said the Holy Spirit would not only comfort us but that the Holy Spirit would reveal truth to us.  That is a promise from God. 

An added point here. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will reveal things to us that is just what we needed to understand specific scripture we have puzzled over. 

God wants us to trust him and obey.  He does understand we are all learning and we are at different levels of that learning.  He is patient to lead us to more understanding.  We are like children learning to walk and grow up in spiritual truth. 

So, I want to encourage you to keep reading and praying.  GOd will meet you where you are and lead you in his truth from his word through the Holy Spirit.

Blessings to you Dee!

Your Sister in Christ,
~Ro~

[Ro]

It would seem reasonable that all the Bible was given to us as the word of God.  (II Tim 3:17) As scripture is given as instruction, reproof....etc.

God gives us so much to get to know him.  He has not left us without what we need.

Isn't God good.

[Tim Russ]

So the part of the bible where it says to stone a rebellious son outside the city gates applies to us?   

[Ro]

No we are under grace.

[Tim Russ]

Hmmm,

So part of the bible doesn't apply to us if we're under grace.  Which part applies and which part doesn't apply to those under grace?

[Ro]

I want to pick your brain on this ....in May.   

[Tim Russ]

Fair enough.  I'll wait...probably.

[Tony]

I might not.

[Ro]

roflol