12. Beginner Bible Course: One key rule for applying what we read in Scripture

EPISODE 12  The simple Bible overview of…ONE KEY RULE FOR INTERPRETING THE BIBLE

My mother's treatment of choice for all diseases...

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...shy of those that were terminal was something she called a poultice. Poultices go way back. The word comes from the Greek word porridge. It's a soft mast of mixed yuck, usually placed on a cloth and placed on a wound or an area needing healing. My mother preferred onions or mustard to mix up that gooey porridge like mass. I'm not sure how effective it was at treating my injuries or disease, but I do know what kept it from spreading to my siblings. Imagine with me for a moment, I didn't grow up to be a teacher, but a doctor, your family doctor, and you're sitting in my examination room with a deep respiratory issue.

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As I sit at my computer screen visiting with you, I began to explain that I had a very similar ailment when I was a child. And then I described to you the mustard or onion poultice. My mother stuck on my chest to treat it further. Imagine with me that I was suddenly called out of the exam room promptly, ending the appointment on your drive home. You ask yourself an important question was Dr. Nelson describing what his mother did to him as a child or prescribing for me, what I should do when I get home description or prescription, get those two terms in your head.

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The Bible is not written for us to master its facts so we could win at Bible trivia. It was written to change the trajectory of our journey. Most of its contents were meant to apply to us in some way. A new Testament writer says about the old Testament. All these things were written as an example to us, as we moved to open up the text, Genesis one, one, and move our way through it from cover to cover those two words should come to mind in what I am reading. Is that a description of what happened then or a prescription for what I should do now, either on my own or in community with others?

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Or is it something in between this may? Well be one of the most difficult tasks of applying the Scripture to our lives. I asked Siri this morning, how many Christian denominations there were in the world today? Her answer was 41,000 Christian denominations. This is a generalization, but I believe very true. Most of those denominations happen because of a difference in viewing the meaning or application of texts. Many of them started because a disagreement over a DESCRIPTIVE or PRESCRIPTIVE application, for example, should you have church on Saturday or Sunday?

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What should your diet be as a follower of God? How should men and women dress and relate to each other? How should the important sacraments or regular practices of the church be carried out? And what do they mean before you throw shade at all of the denominations or in Christianity in general? Because we can agree, please know that most Christians and denominations are good people, desperately trying to follow God's plan and way they just see and apply it differently. So cut us some Slack. Remember we're Pygmies who found an iPhone, but this will be a helpful tool asking yourself the question.

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Is this describing something that happened at a certain point in time? Is this prescribing what should happen at all times? Or is it somewhere in between a description of what happened then with an underlying principle that perhaps can be applied differently? Now, these first 12 podcasts have been an introduction before we crack open the pages of the Bible. These insights and skills will help make the journey, all of the richer and that journey through the text of Scripture will begin in our next wordpicture.