No one wants to believe they are deceived. No one wants to believe they could ever be deceived. Because of this fact, many are deceived and don’t even have a clue. There’s a song that says “them that don’t know, don’t know they don’t know.” Do you get it? If you don’t know something, then you’re not aware that you don’t know it. If a person is deceived they don’t know they are deceived.
With so many different denominations and religious movements teaching so many different doctrines, it’s difficult to know what the truth is. Difficult, but not impossible. There are those who study the Bible to understand for themselves what it teaches, then there are those who don’t. Those who don’t have set themselves up to be deceived.
In the book of Acts, Paul, and Silas went to the city of Berea and went into the synagogue of the Jews. The Bible says the people of Berea received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures DAILY, to see if what they were being taught was true.
If you don’t want to be deceived concerning the Bible, then you need to read and study it for yourself. Even then you have to be careful and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you to the truth. We can deceive ourselves if we don’t understand a few things first.
We put ourselves into everything we do in life. It’s impossible not to. Have you ever heard the expression, “Wherever You Go, There You Are?” Well, that’s true. Whatever we do, whatever we say, or write, comes from what we have seen, heard, or experienced. It’s no different when it comes to studying the Bible.
When we read something, we understand it based on how we think, and what we have learned. Even our understanding of word definitions color our thought process. That’s one reason there are so many different variations of the same doctrines and so many different denominations.
When reading the Bible there are several things we need in order to understand it properly. One is a desire to know the truth and understand God’s word. Another is a realization that this book was written a long time ago, in a place, and about a place far away from where most of us live today. We also need to understand that there are words and phrases in the Bible that mean something different now than when they were written.
I recommend you have a Strong’s Concordance when studying the Bible. It will help you understand what certain words meant when they were written and what words the English words were translated from. I also recommend the Free computer program called e-Sword which has the Strong’s Concordance integrated and a ton of other helpful tools. e-Sword is now available for iPhones and iPads as well.
The Bible usually interprets itself, and the King James Version has a built-in dictionary that shows you the meanings of many words and phrases right in the text. The more familiar you become with the Bible, the better you’ll understand it, so read it every day.
We should always come to the Bible as little children, with humble, teachable spirits, and be willing to change our beliefs when we realize that they are different from God’s Truth. We should always pray and ask God to guide us in our understanding of scripture. Who better to help us understand the word of God than the One who inspired the men who wrote it? (2 Peter 1:21)
You must put away all preconceived ideas. This may sound radical, but try this the next time you pick up your Bible. Pray first and ask God to show you the truth, and keep you from being deceived. Then, forget everything you think you know about the Bible. Forget all you’ve heard and all you’ve been taught about the Bible. Forget what your denomination teaches, and read the Bible like it’s a brand new book you’re reading for the first time. Only then will you begin to understand the truth of God’s word. If everyone will do this, the Bible will finally become to us the book that God intended it to be from the beginning, and we will join the ranks of those who make up the true church scattered throughout the entire world. The ones who know the truth, and have been made free by it.
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