Portland, Oregon Church  -  Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

SUBJECT:  Interpretations of Scripture and the subject of one’s Calling

QUESTION:  There are many interpretations of the scriptures, so what makes your beliefs any more right than mine?  How is one called?

ANSWER:

This one question touches on a number of subjects that must be brought to the table for discussion if we are going to understand the truth of this matter.

Here is what we are going to look at:

1)    The Bible is of no private interpretation.  That is, the Bible is the pure word of God.

2)    If the Bible is of no private interpretation how can we declare it our private interpretation?  There is only one God, one Jesus Christ, and one truth. 

3)    To understand the Word of God, God has to open your mind.  No minister, no church, no human can open your mind.  Once a mind is opened by God, that person can gain more and more knowledge.  The ministry and/or the church can feed you but ultimately the understanding comes because of a direct relationship between you and God through Jesus Christ.  We call this process a “calling” from God.

4)    Not everyone is being called right now.  Most people will be given all this knowledge AFTER Christ returns.

5)    Everyone will ultimately be given a chance…one chance to have this understanding of God.  No one will be left out.

ONE:  The Bible is of no private interpretation.  That is, the Bible is the pure word of God.

2 Peter 1:20-21

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Note:  This verse speaks specifically of prophecy but it follows that the whole scripture is of no private interpretation.

We know that Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible, but were they his words?

Exodus 24:4

And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD…

Psalm 12:6-7

6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Psalm 33:4

For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

God is in absolute control of the Word of God.

TWO:  If the Bible is of no private interpretation how can we declare it our private interpretation?  There is only one God, one Jesus Christ, and one truth. 

Ephesians 4:1-6

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

We see that there is only one of these things with God.  There could not after all that be several meanings or interpretations could there.  Notice also that God talks about a calling.  Some are being called now to do the work of God, spreading the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ and feeding the flock leading up to the return of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 20:16

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

God has called many people to be of the firstfruits but not all have responded to the calling and received the Holy Spirit or walked away from their calling.

Luke 10:2

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

The harvest will take place in the second resurrection.  The labourers are the ones called out now.

John 15:16

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

God through Christ chooses people to bring forth fruit (do the work of God and build character).  No where does it say that he is calling all of mankind now.  Remember that there are billions of people that are not Christians on this earth and what about all the people that have lived and never known Christ and are now dead? 

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

You can see by these verses that there is a distinction between the firstfruits and the greater mass of people that have ever lived.

1 Corinthians 15:23

But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

Revelation 20:4-5

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

This verse speaks of a first resurrection (those called now) but “the rest of the dead lived not again until the 1000 years were finished.  These will come up at the end of the 1000 years in a second resurrection.

These people will all know the truth of God after they are resurrected.  They will understand the Word of God fully.  Until God opens the mind to understand the Word of God, man is left to himself to try to understand it.  This is why you have people saying to you that there are many interpretations and many meanings.

Proverbs 16:25

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death.

2 Timothy 3:5-7

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Again this is talking about a calling.

THREE:  To understand the Word of God, God has to open your mind.  No minister, no church, no human can open your mind.  Once a mind is opened by God, that person can gain more and more knowledge.  The ministry and/or the church can feed you but ultimately the understanding comes because of a direct relationship between you and God through Jesus Christ.  We call this process a “calling” from God.

John 8:31-32

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

This verse says that we are called by Him, become his disciples and know the truth.

Proverbs 2:6-12

6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

1 Peter 3:12

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Clearly not all are righteous.  Only the righteous know the truth….the full truth at this time.

FOUR: Not everyone is being called right now.  Most people will be given all this knowledge AFTER Christ returns.

Matthew 20:16

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Matthew 22:14

For many are called, but few are chosen.

Only a few are being called now.  They are doing God’s Work to get the Gospel out before the return of Christ.

FIVE: Everyone will ultimately be given a chance…one chance to have this understanding of God.  No one will be left out.

1Thessalonians 5:9-10

9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Luke 3:5-6

5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

John 3:17

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

The world…the whole world.

1 Timothy 2:1-6

1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

God wants all men saved. 

Finally, in closing, I want to say something about what your friend said.  He said, “What makes your beliefs any more right than mine?”

This is an intellectual trap.  It matters not what the other one believes especially if his or her beliefs are opposite from yours.  If, for the sake of conversation, you are called by God and given an understanding of His truth and Word, you will not convince the other person about what is truth.  Therefore it matters not what he believes.  If he asks you about your beliefs, you can answer him and that is a witness but there are no guarantees that he will accept it or not.  There is no need to attack another person’s beliefs.  You must be about the Work of God.

Portland, Oregon Church  -  Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association