Class Outline:

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2024

 

MAT 4:5-7

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,

 

'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU';

 

and

 

'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,

SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"

 

7 Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"

 

Doesn’t Scripture say this? 

PSA 91:11-12

For He will give His angels charge concerning you,

To guard you in all your ways. 

12 They will bear you up in their hands,

That you do not strike your foot against a stone. 

 

Idea: Those who know they should live by the Scripture will be tempted with false interpretations that lead to false application.

 

Jesus is being tempted on whether He should live in faith, trust, and patience; leaving the resultant circumstances of His life to the will of the Father (suffering or prosperity; want or abundance) just like any other “ordinary” human being. 

 

False interpretation of Scripture leads to wrong application. 

 

Hermeneutics - define (Greek: hermeneuo). “HERMENEUTICS is the science and art of Biblical interpretation. It is a science because it is guided by rules within a system; and it is an art because the application of the rules is by skill, and not by mechanical imitation.”(An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics, Kaiser / Silva)

 

What does it say? What does it mean? How does it apply to me? 

 

Reasons for wrong interpretation are many. 

 

Not believing the text is inspired. 

Not believing the text is historical. 

Allowing allegorical interpretation. 

Preunderstanding (preconceptions)

Desire to make the Bible say what you already think. 

Taking passages out of context (prooftexting). 

Cultural, historical, language misunderstandings. 

Literature type. 

The Bible is a human and divine book. 

 

One of these, “What does the Bible mean to me?” of “To me this verse means …” without a care for what it means. As if that is the ultimate qualification. 

 

The main hermeneutical principle is context. 

 

Jesus shows us another very important hermeneutical principle: Scripture interprets Scripture. 

 

If the Son is going to quote Scripture, the devil selects a passage in order to tempt Him to do something He shouldn’t - tempt the Lord. 

Devil quotes Psa 91 after he commands Jesus to jump off the temple. 

 

Context of Psa 91. 

A psalm of praise for protecting and rescuing grace. 

 

Conclusion: What does the life of a believer who trusts, loves, and knows the Lord look like? 

 

It’s not that such people are not going to suffer. Like the Lord they are going to overcome in truly miraculous ways, but not the way of physical miracle, testing the Lord over and over so as to gain trust. 

 

Such people are going to overcome through much greater miracles than defying gravity. They (you are, you must) are going to love others like God. They are going to patiently trust, knowing God. They are going to do good in the midst of pain and pressure, having the power of God. They are going to have contentment and joy in their lives though they suffer want and loss, filled with God.  

 

Some false interpretations lead to life damaging applications. 

 

Read to and study to know the Lord. (read Psa 91 as God’s song written to you.)

 

Finally, do not let interpretation divide you from your eternal brothers and sisters in Christ. Be a humble learner and a humble teacher.