Can We Understand the Bible Alike?

INTRODUCTION
I. Question should be, "Can we understand the Bible?"
If we understand it at all, we will understand it alike.

II. Some dismiss religious division by saying, "We can't understand
the Bible alike."
a. The only way religious unity can exist is by all people
understanding the Bible alike.
b. Jesus' prayer for unity is based upon this premise.

III. We can and do agree on hundred percent upon:
a. Twelve inches equal one foot.
b. Sixteen ounces equal one pound.
c. Two plus two equals four.
d. Why? Because we accept the same standards of measurement,
weight, math.

IV. The Bible declares that we can understand it alike:
Eph. 3:4 - "Whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ."
Eph. 5:17 - "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the .."
John 8:31-32 - "Then said, Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If
ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
a. Would God, who created the mind, give us a book the mind could not
understand?
b. Would He command us to study a book we could not understand?
Tim. 2:15 - "Study to show thyself approved..."
c. Would He require that we "speak the same thing and be perfectly joined
to gether in the same mind and the same judgment" if we cannot
understand alike (I Cor. 1:10)?

V. This study will prove that if people accept and practice what the Bible
teaches, they can unite.

BODY
I. We Are Divided Over What The Bible Does Not Say!

A. Gen. 3:1-6 ( R E A D ) All agree fruit was to be eaten - what
KIND divides.
1. Eve understood what God said (v. 1-3).
2. But allowed Satan to add "NOT" to it (v. 4).

B. Ex. 3:1-5 (READ) All agree it was a burning bush out of which the
angel of the Lord appeared - what KIND of bush divides.

C. John 3:1-2 "There was a man of the Pharisees, named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by
night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a
teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that
thou doest, except God be with him."
1. All agree that Nicodemus came by night.
2. WHY he came by night is what divides.

D. You see, it is not what the Bible teaches in these matters
that divide, but rather what it does NOT teach.
a. The trouble starts when men begin to speculate.
b. Note the following:
Deut. 29:29 "The secret things belong unto the Lord our
God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and
to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of
this law."
E. True, the items mentioned are not crucial problems that have
to do with one’s salvation - they merely prove the point.
a. But the Bible can be understood today on commands related
to salvation.
b. To see if this is true, let us take some contemporary
problems and see if we can understand the Bible alike.

II. Subjects For Baptism:

A. Who are proper subjects for baptism?
1. The TAUGHT. John 6:44-45 "No man can come to me, except
the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise
him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And
they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that
hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."
2. Believers (faith): Mark 16:15,16 - "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved"
3. Penitent: Acts 2:38 "Repent and be baptized..."
4. Confessors: Acts 8:36-37; "And as they went on [their] way,
they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See,
[here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart,
thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God."
Rom. 10:8-10 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee,
[even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of
faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
B. Everyone agrees this is OK. Not divided over these.

C. However, some say infants are to be baptized.
1. What does the Bible say about baptizing infants? Nothing!
2. Household baptisms of the Bible did not include infants -
would conflict with other plain passages dealing with
proper subjects for baptism.

D. Now, what is it that divides?
1. What the Bible says? No!
2. It is what the Bible does NOT say.

(Another contemporary problem regards:)
III. Act of Baptism - What Is It? - Burial, Sprinkling, Pouring?

A. The Bible answers - Rom. 6:1-4 -“What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we,
that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many
of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
we also should walk in newness of life.”
Acts 8:38-39 - "And he commanded the chariot to stand still:
and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the
eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out
of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that
the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing."
Col. 2:12 "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are
risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God,
who hath raised him from the dead."
1. Definition: "Immerse, plunge, overwhelm, submerge, dip."
2. Every Bible scholar of note agrees that Bible baptism is by
immersion; no other conclusion can be arrived at from the
Scriptures.
3. No one believes it is wrong to immerse - not what divides.

B. First case on record of sprinkling - Novation, 251 A.D. "He
was seized with a threatening disease and was baptized in his
bed..." (Mosheim).

C. First law for sprinkling obtained from Pope Stephen III -
753 A.D. "To be used in case of emergency only."

D. The council at Ravenna (1311 A.D.) ruled that sprinkling could
be substituted for immersion at any time.

E. Clear that we are not divided over what the Bible says, on the
act of Baptism, but over what it does not say - and where men
have legislated.

IV. What Kind Of Music Does God Want In Our Worship?

A. All agree that it is right to sing - (Eph. 5:19 Col. 3:16)
1. There are two kinds of music: vocal and instrumental.
2. The New Testament is silent on instrumental music.

B. Again, we are divided over what the Bible does NOT teach.

V. What Name Should The Church Wear?

A. Jesus built ONE church. Acts 20:28 - "Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy
Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood."
Matt. 16:18 - "I will build my church..."
Eph. 4:4 - "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are
called in one hope of your calling..."
B. It is referred to as: the church, kingdom, body, bride,
family, church of the firstborn, vineyard, church of Christ.

C. Names of other churches (Baptist, Methodist, Mormon, Lutheran,
etc.) not found in the Bible.

D. We are divided over what the Bible does NOT say regarding names.

VI. Other Reasons Why We Do Not Understand The Bible Alike:

A. Some simply do not believe what the Bible teaches.
1. "I know it says that, but...."
2. We must understand that the Bible is predicated upon one's
attitude toward it.

B. Tradition - influence of parents.
1. Religion settled before birth - nothing but robots!
2. Inconsistent - not willing to dress, travel, work, live like parents.
3. If tradition is OK, what about Hindu, and other religions?

C. Because of the creeds of men.
1. As long as men write and teach different creeds, there will not be unity.
2. Many would rather have the Bible criticized than their creeds!

D. Because of their own desires.
1. Already have mind made up - any reading of the Bible is to prove
their own theory.
Illustration: Man hobbied that it was wrong to marry second time but when his
own divorced him for another man he changed his mind because he
wanted to remarry.
2. In religion, as in other things, many choose the shiny, showy things
because it pleases the eye.
Illustration: Child will prefer a shiny penny to $10 bill until educated to tell the
difference.

CONCLUSION

1. We can understand the Bible alike if we study with an open mind and
willingness to obey whatever God tells us to do and omit that upon
which the Bible is silent.

2. God's word will judge (John 12:49). We MUST understand it!
"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that
judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him
in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father
which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what
I should speak."

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