Reading the Bible Through the Eyes of Faith??
How is it that people can see different things the Bible? It is based upon a person's cultural bringing? Or is it a way to see things they are but yet seek to distort what people see? Most of the times when people begin to read the Bible they bring along with them such cultural baggage and bias by which they deny the authority of the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16). What is the meaning of the authority of the Bible? The authority of what the church ought to believe and how God's people are to live their lives according to God's Word (2 Tim. 3:15). When it comes to the authority of the Bible as it relates to what the Church ought to believe is that people choose to believe differently then what the Bible teach (Rom. 16:17-18). For example when it comes to the biblical teaching of salvation is that many professing Christian teachers teach salvation is a means of works; not grace. In so many words that in order for a person to be saved is to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. Many professing believers will contend that the Church is responsible for maintaining his or her salvation in order for their salvation to be complete (Acts 15:1-2ff; Gal. 3:1, 2-4). Legalism have in fact strangled the spiritual lifeblood out of the church simply because people are made to believe that works of performance is a means by which people can get God's approval (Eph. 2:8-9). We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; not by works of performance and human achievement. If in fact salvation is a means of works and not grace then the death by which Christ died for the sins of the elect are in vain.
The standard Bible passage by which people read the Bible through the "eyes" of faith is according to 2 Corinthians 5:7 where the apostle Paul says, "We walk by faith and not by sight." What the apostle Paul was actually saying, "Even though what we go through on this side of life is that one day we will appear before God's divine glory and presence. The sufferings of this world is not compared to the glory that shall be reveal." As believers we will experience trials and hardship long as we live in this world but that we are going to anticipate future divine glory in heaven. There is nothing that the apostle Paul was saying that even give the idea of denying the reality of suffering in what is true reality (Matt. 4:1-11). The premise by which many Faith leaders attempt to make their argument when it comes to the issue of divine healing (1 Pet. 2:24). According to Faith theology is that divine healing is provided for in Christ death on the cross. Many Faith healers would take a portion of the scripture in 1 Peter 2:24 where it says, "By his stripes we were healed." Many Faith leaders would omit the whole of the context of 1 Peter 2:24 along with previous and preceding verses in order to understand that complete physical healing is not provided in the cross of Christ but that Christ's atonement provides healing of our sin sickness. It is not sin sickness with complete physical healing of our bodies. If that was the case then the moment a person place faith in Jesus Christ in order to be saved then many of us at that moment would no longer have to wear prescribed glasses. Due to the Fall of Man according to Genesis 3:1-7 and Romans 5:21 that it was impossible to have 20/20 vision. To some it may be simple as I give a good analogy but in reality it is difficult for God's people to understand this simple truth. Adam's sin and disobedience brought about the ruin of the human race by which people are going to experience both physical and spiritual death (Rom. 6:23). For Man to experience physical death is to return unto the dust of the ground by which they were created; therefore for sinful humanity to experience spiritual death is to be separated from God (v. 23).
As a result of the Fall of Man that people today will experience hardship, pain, even sickness and ultimately death. Many Faith leaders would whether read 2 Corinthians 5:7 through the "eyes" of faith in order that many of their followers can experience "perfect" divine healing by which it is foreign to the text of scripture. There are many within that of the leadership of the Church today who are poor Bible readers and interpreters of God's Word. The Bible called such men as, "ignorant and unstable by which they distort the truth as they do also the other scripture unto their own destruction." (2 Pet. 3:16). Whenever the leadership of the church distort the truth of God's Word that people who are under their influence will in turn distort the truth as well (2 Tim. 3:13). Subjectivism, legalism, pragmatism, and moralism is at the heart of apostasy in the church today. The remedy for spiritual apostasy is God's judgment (1 Tim. 4:1, 2; Jude 8-10).
Many of the passages of scripture (e.g. Rom.10:17; 2 Cor. 5:7) that are cited by many Faith leaders read the Bible through the "eyes" of faith without taking into account the whole of scripture from a historical, biblical, and theological analysis (2 Tim. 2:15). Many of the writings and teachings of many Faith leaders avoid the plain meaning of the context of scripture in favor of such allegorical interpretation of the Bible (1 Cor. 2:13, 14; 2 Tim. 2:17, 18). Misquoting of scripture, misinterpretation, and misapplication of the Bible runs gamut within the teachings and writings of many Faith leaders today (Matt. 4:1-11). The most sinister and dangerous of false spiritual leaders in the professing church today is to deny truth of God's Word in wake of the truth of what reality is. The apostle Paul concerning a person's conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Tim. 4:2). Whenever a person continues to go against their own conscience they lose all sense of morality. They are unable to distinguish what is morally right from what is morally wrong. They call good evil; evil good. When it comes to interpreting God's Word they look at what scripture says from the vantage point of what is seen through the "eyes" of faith by which it is far fetched from the reality of what is true reality. In so many words when reality steps into the "Faith" world of many Faith leaders they automatically reject the truth of God's Word. They think in a way that is illogical and irrational without thinking such good rational thoughts (2 Cor. 4:1-2; 3-4). Sound judgment in making such good decision is very much absent within the "world" of many Faith leaders today. They make decisions based upon what is within their "inner" witness of the spirit devoid of cognitive reasoning. In the "world" of many Faith leaders is that Faith are opposed to Reason; they are not bedfellows. In so many words as one Faith leaders says, "God does not use your mind but your spirit" in order to get such spiritual revelation (contrast, 2 Pet. 1:20). There is such an anti-intellectualism within the corridors of the church today by which many professing believers have in fact committed such intellectual suicide. In so many words they have thrown away their willingness to think logically and reasonable in favor of what is within their [human] spirit.
In conclusion the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:7 where it says, "We walk by faith and not by sight" is that the apostle Paul was saying what we as believers experience on this side of life is not compared to the glory that should be revealed. One day we will no longer have to face the trials and difficulties in life but that we will appear before God's divine glory and presence. Many of the biblical passages of scripture cited (e.g. "Romans 10:17") by many Faith leaders so as to read the Bible through the "eyes" of faith is their cultural biases and prejudice to fit within the contours of Faith theology. Within the tread of Faith theology is that everything in scripture must be interpreted through the "eyes" of faith by which it becomes wrap and distorted (2 Pet. 3:16). Whenever the truth of God's Word is distorted by false spiritual leaders in the church today will in turn adversely impact those who are under their leadership and ministries (2 Tim. 3:13). Misquoting of scripture, misinterpretation, and misapplication of the Bible runs through the vein of Faith theology. Even though there are some element of truth by which many Faith leaders teach their message but the overall consensus of their theology is replete with such doctrinal errors. The "Faith" world of Faith theology is its antithesis of the whole of the Christian faith, scripture-twisting, and its anti-intellectual stance when it comes to the reasoning. Many Faith leaders have in fact pin Faith against Reason by which they are not bedfellows but they rely upon their "inner" witness of the spirit as their guiding principle in interpreting the Bible.
It is my prayer that those who come across this article will begin to see through the "eyes" of the Holy Spirit; not reading the Bible through the "eyes" of faith in getting such clarity and understanding of God's Word (Jn. 14:26). The Holy Spirit is the believers Divine Teacher by which the character of the Spirit does not contradict Himself. Whenever there is such discrepancy when it comes to many Faith leaders interpretation of the Bible is to test everything that they teach according to God's Word. We must model that of the Bereans in that "they searched the scripture daily to see if those things were so." (Acts 17:11 with 1 Jn. 4:1).
Rev. Darryl L. Miller, president & Chairman of "Darryl Miller International Ministries" in Atlanta, Georgia and travels extensively throughout the United States and continents. Darryl is the bestselling of his book, "The Prosperity Gospel: Where Did It Come From? Gnostic Source? Or Spiritual Revelation?" He is the Podcast Host of, "Ask Darryl" which airs regularly 24/7 @ www.spreaker.com/user/bishopoflyons.com. As a apologist, conference speaker, and lecturer he is in great demand both in the United States and around the world. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside metro Atlanta with their puppy "Little Baby."
The standard Bible passage by which people read the Bible through the "eyes" of faith is according to 2 Corinthians 5:7 where the apostle Paul says, "We walk by faith and not by sight." What the apostle Paul was actually saying, "Even though what we go through on this side of life is that one day we will appear before God's divine glory and presence. The sufferings of this world is not compared to the glory that shall be reveal." As believers we will experience trials and hardship long as we live in this world but that we are going to anticipate future divine glory in heaven. There is nothing that the apostle Paul was saying that even give the idea of denying the reality of suffering in what is true reality (Matt. 4:1-11). The premise by which many Faith leaders attempt to make their argument when it comes to the issue of divine healing (1 Pet. 2:24). According to Faith theology is that divine healing is provided for in Christ death on the cross. Many Faith healers would take a portion of the scripture in 1 Peter 2:24 where it says, "By his stripes we were healed." Many Faith leaders would omit the whole of the context of 1 Peter 2:24 along with previous and preceding verses in order to understand that complete physical healing is not provided in the cross of Christ but that Christ's atonement provides healing of our sin sickness. It is not sin sickness with complete physical healing of our bodies. If that was the case then the moment a person place faith in Jesus Christ in order to be saved then many of us at that moment would no longer have to wear prescribed glasses. Due to the Fall of Man according to Genesis 3:1-7 and Romans 5:21 that it was impossible to have 20/20 vision. To some it may be simple as I give a good analogy but in reality it is difficult for God's people to understand this simple truth. Adam's sin and disobedience brought about the ruin of the human race by which people are going to experience both physical and spiritual death (Rom. 6:23). For Man to experience physical death is to return unto the dust of the ground by which they were created; therefore for sinful humanity to experience spiritual death is to be separated from God (v. 23).
As a result of the Fall of Man that people today will experience hardship, pain, even sickness and ultimately death. Many Faith leaders would whether read 2 Corinthians 5:7 through the "eyes" of faith in order that many of their followers can experience "perfect" divine healing by which it is foreign to the text of scripture. There are many within that of the leadership of the Church today who are poor Bible readers and interpreters of God's Word. The Bible called such men as, "ignorant and unstable by which they distort the truth as they do also the other scripture unto their own destruction." (2 Pet. 3:16). Whenever the leadership of the church distort the truth of God's Word that people who are under their influence will in turn distort the truth as well (2 Tim. 3:13). Subjectivism, legalism, pragmatism, and moralism is at the heart of apostasy in the church today. The remedy for spiritual apostasy is God's judgment (1 Tim. 4:1, 2; Jude 8-10).
Many of the passages of scripture (e.g. Rom.10:17; 2 Cor. 5:7) that are cited by many Faith leaders read the Bible through the "eyes" of faith without taking into account the whole of scripture from a historical, biblical, and theological analysis (2 Tim. 2:15). Many of the writings and teachings of many Faith leaders avoid the plain meaning of the context of scripture in favor of such allegorical interpretation of the Bible (1 Cor. 2:13, 14; 2 Tim. 2:17, 18). Misquoting of scripture, misinterpretation, and misapplication of the Bible runs gamut within the teachings and writings of many Faith leaders today (Matt. 4:1-11). The most sinister and dangerous of false spiritual leaders in the professing church today is to deny truth of God's Word in wake of the truth of what reality is. The apostle Paul concerning a person's conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Tim. 4:2). Whenever a person continues to go against their own conscience they lose all sense of morality. They are unable to distinguish what is morally right from what is morally wrong. They call good evil; evil good. When it comes to interpreting God's Word they look at what scripture says from the vantage point of what is seen through the "eyes" of faith by which it is far fetched from the reality of what is true reality. In so many words when reality steps into the "Faith" world of many Faith leaders they automatically reject the truth of God's Word. They think in a way that is illogical and irrational without thinking such good rational thoughts (2 Cor. 4:1-2; 3-4). Sound judgment in making such good decision is very much absent within the "world" of many Faith leaders today. They make decisions based upon what is within their "inner" witness of the spirit devoid of cognitive reasoning. In the "world" of many Faith leaders is that Faith are opposed to Reason; they are not bedfellows. In so many words as one Faith leaders says, "God does not use your mind but your spirit" in order to get such spiritual revelation (contrast, 2 Pet. 1:20). There is such an anti-intellectualism within the corridors of the church today by which many professing believers have in fact committed such intellectual suicide. In so many words they have thrown away their willingness to think logically and reasonable in favor of what is within their [human] spirit.
In conclusion the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:7 where it says, "We walk by faith and not by sight" is that the apostle Paul was saying what we as believers experience on this side of life is not compared to the glory that should be revealed. One day we will no longer have to face the trials and difficulties in life but that we will appear before God's divine glory and presence. Many of the biblical passages of scripture cited (e.g. "Romans 10:17") by many Faith leaders so as to read the Bible through the "eyes" of faith is their cultural biases and prejudice to fit within the contours of Faith theology. Within the tread of Faith theology is that everything in scripture must be interpreted through the "eyes" of faith by which it becomes wrap and distorted (2 Pet. 3:16). Whenever the truth of God's Word is distorted by false spiritual leaders in the church today will in turn adversely impact those who are under their leadership and ministries (2 Tim. 3:13). Misquoting of scripture, misinterpretation, and misapplication of the Bible runs through the vein of Faith theology. Even though there are some element of truth by which many Faith leaders teach their message but the overall consensus of their theology is replete with such doctrinal errors. The "Faith" world of Faith theology is its antithesis of the whole of the Christian faith, scripture-twisting, and its anti-intellectual stance when it comes to the reasoning. Many Faith leaders have in fact pin Faith against Reason by which they are not bedfellows but they rely upon their "inner" witness of the spirit as their guiding principle in interpreting the Bible.
It is my prayer that those who come across this article will begin to see through the "eyes" of the Holy Spirit; not reading the Bible through the "eyes" of faith in getting such clarity and understanding of God's Word (Jn. 14:26). The Holy Spirit is the believers Divine Teacher by which the character of the Spirit does not contradict Himself. Whenever there is such discrepancy when it comes to many Faith leaders interpretation of the Bible is to test everything that they teach according to God's Word. We must model that of the Bereans in that "they searched the scripture daily to see if those things were so." (Acts 17:11 with 1 Jn. 4:1).
Rev. Darryl L. Miller, president & Chairman of "Darryl Miller International Ministries" in Atlanta, Georgia and travels extensively throughout the United States and continents. Darryl is the bestselling of his book, "The Prosperity Gospel: Where Did It Come From? Gnostic Source? Or Spiritual Revelation?" He is the Podcast Host of, "Ask Darryl" which airs regularly 24/7 @ www.spreaker.com/user/bishopoflyons.com. As a apologist, conference speaker, and lecturer he is in great demand both in the United States and around the world. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside metro Atlanta with their puppy "Little Baby."
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