When Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, he demanded, “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample” (Philippians 3:15-17). The Holy Spirit, through Paul, expected the saints at Philippi to see the Bible alike! They were to walk “by the same rule,” denoting a standard or a pattern. That pattern or standard is God’s Word. Sadly, many today see the Bible in different ways. Some interpret it one way and others another way. However, the Bible does not mean different things to each reader. If it meant different things to different people, there would be no way we could “walk by the same rule,” for we would all have different rules – different standards. Nevertheless, that is exactly what is happening in our world and sadly, in some cases, even in the church. The question “Can we see the Bible alike?” begs an answer.
The Facts
The very Book we are discussing affirms that we can see the Bible alike. In fact, to say that the Bible means different things to different people is to completely misunderstand its contents. Moses affirmed that we can all see the Bible alike when he penned, “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” (Deuteronomy 29:29). David declared that the Bible can be seen by all alike when he wrote, “Through thy precepts I get understanding…” (Psalm 119:104). Notice carefully David did not say that God’s Precepts create confusion and dismay but rather understanding! The apostle of love was clear about our understanding the Bible alike as he scribed, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30-31). Paul was clear about the universal interpretation of Scripture when he wrote, “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4).
The Fog
The Bible is obviously quite clear in affirming that we can all see its contents alike, but many fail to see the Bible alike. Why is that? While I am certain there are other reasons than we will notice in this article, following are a few of the fogs that cause people to see the Bible differently.
- People can cause us to see the Bible differently. Sometimes people in our clan or family will persuade us to not understand the Bible properly. Some insist on believing things religiously because of what their mothers or grandmothers believed. “If it was good enough for grandpa to believe, it is good enough for me to believe as well.” How sad (Matthew 10:34-37; 19:29)! Sometimes people in crowds cause a fog that prevents us from seeing the Bible alike. However, we must remember that the majority is often not right religiously (Matthew 7:13-21).
- Pride can cause us to not see the Bible alike. It takes humility to admit we do not know certain things. Sadly, some are so proud that they will never admit they do not know something or may have practiced something wrong religiously. Truth seekers, not self-seekers, find truth (Matthew 5:3; 6).
- Phony doctrine is another cause for not seeing the Bible alike (Matthew 13:14-15; 1 John 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). The persuader, Satan himself, is another fog that causes people to see the Bible differently. Paul confirmed that “the god of this world” can and will blind people’s eyes to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
The Fortune
Truth can be known and understood (John 8:32). When we clear the fog from our eyes, the fact remains that the Bible is meant to be read, studied, understood and obeyed. When we see truth for what it really is, we have found a real fortune! We have the fortune of a standard. We can know what is right and what is wrong. We know how to conduct ourselves in every daily situation when we know truth. We have found the fortune of sturdiness. We are no longer carried about by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). We have an anchor to hold us in times of distress (Hebrews 6:19-20). We have found the fortune of the Savior. To find and understand truth is to find Jesus the Lord! In fact, without God’s Word, we can never really know Jesus (John 5:39).
Can we all see the Bible alike? Absolutely! We can and must “walk by the same rule”! Religiously, may we only speak those things that are sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). Peter’s command is so fitting. “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God…” (1 Peter 4:11). If we would just do that, we all could see the Bible alike!
