Wrestling The BibleThe apostle Peter made this observation about the apostle Paul's epistles: Some of the Scripture which Paul wrote is difficult to understand. Therefore, uneducated and careless readers twist it or wrestle with it to make Scripture teach something false. To treat the Word of God in this manner is spiritually hurtful. "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:15-16).To "wrest" means to wrestle with, fight against, twist or pervert. Also, some teachers and preachers pervert the Bible. Their false teaching condemns them and those who are taught by them. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of" (2 Peter 2:1-2).Every student of the Word of God has a great responsibility to properly study the Bible to learn what it truly teaches. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). Further, every student of the Word of God has a great responsibility to compare what teachers and preachers teach with what the Bible teaches. "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). Finally, anyone who teaches the Word of God to others has a great responsibility to teach only the truth. What a teacher or preacher teaches affects both those who are taught AND the one doing the teaching. Therefore, teachers or preachers will be more strictly examined in the judgment. "My brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the heavier judgment" (James 3:1). Dear Friend, wrestling the Bible will result in no good and is sinful. However, the proper and frequent study of the Bible will lead one to forgiveness of sins and the hope of spending forever in heaven. |