Is "Bible truth" found only within a Christian denomination or through ones own personal scriptural study?

Question

Please give only serious comments which answer the 2 part question with your reasoning.

I consider myself a Christian and bible student. I was asking what other's felt.

A thumbs up to all of you for being so kind to answer.

Answer 1

The "truth" is found throughout ones journey developing their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Most of this relationship is cultivated with the reading of the Bible.

Answer 2

No one Christian denomination holds the truths of the Bible. You may study the Scriptures for yourself, but without the Holy Spirit to enlighten you it will not make much sense to you. You should also join a Bible believing congregation in a church where the Bible is preached. All of these things with an acceptance of the Lord Jesus as your Savior and you will want to study the Bible on your own as well as in the group type environment.

Answer 3

The answer is both.

Anyone reading the Bible is bound to derive some elements of God's Truth from the pages of Scripture, but they are also bound to miss much of this Truth. Further, one is bound to misunderstand certain teachings as well.

There has to be some sort of litmus test: A checks and balance system, where a reader of the Bible can go and compare what they believe to be Truth with Truth itself - otherwise, how would any of us know if we had the Truth or not.

You can't simply assume your interpretation is going to be the infallible one. If this were true, everyone who read the Bible would interpret it exactly the same way.

What's more, we need to have a way of discerning the difference between our personal interpretations (correct or incorrect) and legit help from the Holy Spirit.

I can tell you what that source is but first you need to ask yourself how bad you really want to know the Truth. Are you ready to accept God's Truth?

Answer 4

To me "Bible truth" can be a combination. I'm not waffling, this is what I'm saying and why:

Different denominations have different interpretations of some key biblical issues (like "once saved, always saved" or not--hard to get bigger than that). Therefore, if you belong to a denomination, I'd hope you agree with THEIR major takes on these things. If not, time to shop for a different one IF you are personally convinced they are in error.

So there you had the denomination, BUT your own belief could over-ride their teaching and you need to find one compatible with your system. However, this is where it gets tricky because it's NOT legit to say, "I don't like the idea that I'm not automatically saved so I'll shop around for a better deal." There IS an answer and clearly "are saved" and "are NOT saved" can not both be true. So that means you'd have to study on your own, and pray, to discern the truth. Then you need to act based upon that. It's illogical and wrong to claim to be a member of a church that you have FUNDAMENTAL differences with on KEY issues--however, too many folks seem to take on either what their parents did or what's "convenient" (location, people at work or whatever, go there). To me that is appalling. WHAT is more important than your relationship with God? Why waste time trying to reinvent the wheel when with study you can move along at a good pace and HOPEFULLY find spiritually wise individuals who can GUIDE you in life?

I also personally feel that it is essential if one is going to profess to be a Christian that one get some sense of history--there are people out there with masters degrees at the very least who tout nonsense such as Catholics are not Christian. Who exactly did the Protestants protest against if not the Catholic Church? They may find error in the Church, but to incorrectly state the Church is not Christian is without merit. It is also appalling to hear people go on about some doctrinal issues when they clearly do NOT know what that denomination's founder believed. The disdain which SOME Lutherans proclaim for Mary would NOT fit with Martin Luther's views at all. In fact, LONG before the "Immaculate Conception" was promulgated in the Catholic Church, Luther expressed it himself:

"It is a sweet and pious belief that the infusion of Mary's soul was effected without original sin; so that in the very infusion of her soul she was also purified from original sin and adorned with God's gifts, receiving a pure soul infused by God; thus from the first moment she began to live she was free from all sin" (Sermon: "On the Day of the Conception of the Mother of God," 1527).

I selected Luther simply because he really got the Protestant Reformation ball rolling.

Ultimately, we answer to God for our actions and inactions. God will NOT accept "he said it so I followed him" as a good reason for our supposed beliefs and actions (or lack thereof) because he gave us free will AND clearly commanded us to love Him with our MINDS as well as hearts (Matthew 22:36-40). That means we should be using our MINDS to determine what He was telling us in the Bible.

Answer 5

Yes.... Both are needed... as well as gaining insight form those that study the original languages and customes of the Bible

Answer 6

IT starts with a personal relationship with Christ.But there is a church that follows The teaching of the Church of Smyrna and Philadelphia.They have the key of David that no man can shut.

Peace

Pete

Answer 7

Read it and seek God, if you don't have Jesus you wont understand scripture, you'll only see words, you need the helper, the Holy Spirit.

Answer 8

Both.

The Lord has revealed Himself to us through His scriptures, and those scriptures (including the life of Christ on earth) reveal to mankind that the "Universal Truth" is that of the Christian faith.

While church attendance is not required, it is important to the growth and maintenance of one's spiritual life. So, belonging to a specific denomination, while not "required" is yet, important.

As for personal scriptural study, yes, this is good. However, it is not as important and "group" study. The combining of many minds/hearts/spirits leads to better understanding and insight AND LESS chance for MISINTERPRETATION that can happen when one does it "privately" with no other source of guidance.


Have a blessed day.