I’ve adapted this excerpt from my soon to be released book that will help believers familiar with Scripture get far more out of it while building a meaningful reading routine.

I’ll be sharing from the book on Saturdays now through the book’s release in late December. This is from a chapter that really resonated with my beta readers.

I’d love to hear your thoughts:

When your theology is incorrect, the consequences are enormous. Later in the book I’ll be showing you how to do proper word and topical studies.

It will help you better understand how to determine theological context. Suffice it to say you’re going to get so much more out of your Bible once you make these part of your routine.

Remember the question from chapter three? “If I only had the Bible, would this be a logical conclusion?"

It's going to help sort through what you or other people claim the Bible says or teaches.

It’s a question that serves as a good filter.

If you had no theological bias or current belief system to influence you, no study aides or years of listening to sermons, would this be the natural conclusion when the text is taken at face value?

If not, why not?

This may seem obvious, but if what you believe is incorrect, change what you believe.

It’s the right thing to do.

God did not call you to a theological belief system, denomination or private interpretation.

He called you to study the Scripture using sound principles and allow the truth to lead you.

My Red-Letter Friend and Guy with The Boots Had Something in Common

Sam got upset like that visitor with the boots.

As I put his favorite verses in context and asked him the questions you're learning in this book, his arguments were unsustainable.

He believed Christians were to do everything Jesus said.

At least that's what he said.

But when asked why he still had two hands he had a disapproving look on his face.

Did he know of or encounter believers that cut their hands off for offending others?

That’s when he asserted that Jesus reserved this teaching for the time of His second coming.

That felt like a dodge.

I used his own words and said, "but Jesus said". Shouldn't you do it?

When pressed, he couldn’t point to specific Scripture that pointed Jesus’ word to a future time or any example of others in the Bible doing what Jesus said.

He read that belief into the Bible because he violated an important rule of context.

Since there was no place in Scripture that spoke of people in such a condition, he invented a place to put it for his theology to work.

That is private interpretation (2 Pet. 1:19-21).

He was getting uncomfortable.

I knew he didn't observe the sabbath day and he often expressed his disdain for "tithing".

Jesus taught both.

Our friendship allowed for candor, so I gently reminded him that he was also living in a manner that violated a strong and consequential teaching of Jesus.

Why didn’t he change that to honor Jesus’ teaching?

As he tried to explain his beliefs, he was violating his own stated belief system.

I used more examples to reveal his inconsistencies. He’s like many who do similar things over different issues or beliefs.

He chose whether to form his beliefs using the allegorical or literal method depending upon which one worked for him.

And his inconsistency was showing.

Unless confined by the rules of context, one lacks coherence and will conflate Scripture or invent it.

By showing Sam what else the Scripture said his views no longer made sense.

He needed the rest of the equally inspired Scripture that Jesus quoted and His Spirit wrote.

I wasn't trying to win the argument; I wanted him to see that he needed to do a better job of forming beliefs while also avoiding adopting the beliefs of other influencers.

Now, what about you? How are you forming your beliefs?

If you’d like to get far more out of your personal Bible reading and have a faith you can truly call your own, there’s still time to join the ten-session free training that started last Saturday.

It’s what my upcoming book is all about, only better. I recorded the first class so you can catch up and jump in. After this final beta test, it won’t be offered for free again.

I’d love to have you join us. It will improve how you read and interpret the Bible and runs each Saturday at 11a eastern time. You can sign up for free here.

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Free Live Bible Training Saturdays @ 11a eastern. You can still sign up. In as little as three sessions you’ll open the Bible more, hear from the Author personally and begin building a meaningful reading routine you’ll enjoy. You’ll finally read the Bible the way God intended and have a faith you can call your own. If you can’t make every class, but can make most, sign up! Learn more & register today.

Steve is married to Lorie and together have four grown children and three grandchildren. Now in their forty-fourth year together you’ll find them busy with family, church, ministry or taking a walk around the neighborhood.

Retired from pastoral ministry Steve authored his first book that will help those who quietly struggle because they don’t get more from their personal Bible reading.

His mission is to help as many believers as he can fall in love with God’s word and have a faith they can truly call their own.

He also teaches the live online cohort that is companion to his book, teaches in the Bible Institute at his local church and writes this bi-weekly newsletter.

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