Avoid Biblical controversies

The Bible says of itself that it is “living and active, sharper than any two edged sword”. When I initially read this and gave it some deep thought, I changed the way I read the Bible altogether. I used to read it like a book; now I read it slowly, stopping often as I await further explanation through my mind of what God wants to tell me through this Scripture. I treat it like it is actually alive and I am conversing with God’s Holy Spirit. I read a verse or two and then carefully reflect on its meaning, often praying that God will further explain it to me. After all if the word of God is actually “living and active” one would expect that it would be interactive.

Much to my delight I now get far more out of reading and studying the Bible using this approach than ever before. I have found that the more I study it, the more God reveals to me.

Take Baptism for example. I believe in immersion and not sprinkling, (sorry about that my Methodist friends). I derive my belief system in part from the verses that describe the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River and from my interactive meditation process. Baptism symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and the salvation of mankind. It made sense to me that as someone was slowly lowered underneath the water and then brought back above the surface that it would more accurately represent or picture the death, burial, and resurrection Of Jesus Christ.

Some translations state that Jesus “emerged” from the water which to me added further proof that He was first immersed and then He “emerged”; however in fairness that is not entirely accurate. I have since come to understand that the verse is more accurately translated “Jesus came up out of the water”, which could still signify that Jesus was immersed and then emerged, or it could mean that He could have been sprinkled and then waded over to the bank and “come up out of the water” onto the bank of the Jordan River. In short it can be interpreted different ways and the verbiage “come up out of the water” might not have anything to do with Baptism by immersion.

I was not content and went to the Greek to see if it shed any light. The original Greek words, baptisma and baptizo, used for baptism and to baptize respectively in the New Testament, mean immersion or dipping into water and to immerse or dip into water respectively. Therefore, in addressing the question how one should be Baptized, I am satisfied that on the basis of the Biblical meaning of the word Baptism, it is indeed a self-contradiction of its fundamental meaning to Baptize in any other form aside from immersion into water.

Yesterday in WFTD I stated my interpretation of the Bible as to the requirements of a deacon not to have been divorced. A couple of readers took exception to that and stated that the Bible does not say that. 1 Timothy 3:12, the scripture that most churches use to qualify this requirement states, “A deacon must be the husband of but one wife”. I derived my interpretation of this Scripture using my interactive thought process. This could refer to, (as I believe that it does) divorce, but in fairness it could be a reference to polygamy and that a man must only have one wife at a time, or it could also mean that the candidate must not be an adulterer.

Literally the text “husband of but one wife” reads in the Greek “one woman man”. I am indeed a “one woman man” now, but I believe the text refers to not having been divorced. To my way of thinking the church is the “bride of Christ” and I just happen to believe that ordained deacons of this cherished entity should not have been divorced.

Different people can read and interpret the Bible and come away with diverse opinions. Indeed I believe that is why we have different denominations. Catholics derive their basis for the Pope going back to Jesus stating that He was founding His church upon “this rock”. They believe the “rock” was Peter and all the surrogate Peters that have come and gone since are Popes; I believe the “rock” was Jesus Christ and we don’t need Popes or priests or anyone other than Jesus Christ whom we can directly petition.

Personally I don’t believe God is too concerned about much of this. If He was I believe He would have made those passages more clear. What is important is that we have faith in Him and most importantly that He died for our sins in order to be reconciled once again. We should want to be Baptized because Jesus was Baptized and we should want to emulate Him. I don’t think He minds if we are sprinkled or immersed. If someone has been divorced and then later remarried and now can faithfully serve as a deacon in good conscience then more power to them. If others do not think it is right, then they should avoid it.

I suppose what I am trying to say can be summed up below:

Titus 3:911
But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.