Who is the Wise Interpreter of the Bible?
About 2000 Christian churches and groups are existing and they all teach the Bible a different way; therefore they cannot unite together. About 200 groups that have come out of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church believe the doctrines different ways; therefore they cannot unite together.
Some believe in Sister White’s writings and others do not. Some believe the Holy Spirit is a person and other believe He is the Active Power of God. Some believe Jesus is the natural Son of God, others believe He is equal with God, including in age. Some believe Jesus was tempted in all points, even as we are, others believe He was tempted as Adam before his fall. Some believe the investigative judgment, others do not. Some believe that the 144,000 is a literal number and others believe it is a symbolic number.
There are differences in the interpretation of the seven trumpets and other prophesies. There are differences in the Health Reform, and in the meat eating. Many do not believe that the organization is necessary. This list could go on endlessly. Practically every teaching, that we have in our own church, some group believes and teaches differently. Especially when it comes to the Christ Righteousness message and the perfection.
In all these different groups there are Bible students who have read the Bible through several times. They are intelligent, educated men and women. Each group that I have talked to are very sure that they are right and everybody else is wrong. They have no doubts in their minds. They are ready to die for what they believe. They take the word of God to prove their doctrines, yet they are vastly different, one from another.
Now the question comes: Whom can we trust as a wise interpreter of the Bible? Apostle Paul was an educated, intelligent Bible student. He believed that the Christians who believed in Christ had to be put to death. He approved the stoning of Stephen.
Who would have explained to the disciples that Jesus was the Messiah, and that He had to die for the sins of the world? We may think that perhaps John the Baptist. But he himself had doubts about it, therefore he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He really was the Son of God. Only one person could explain correctly the Old Testament prophesies about Christ’s mission and that was Jesus Himself. All the Bible interpreters in the nation were in error about it.
Who could explain the disappointment in 1844? We may think that the best person would have been William Miller. He had divine wisdom to interpret the prophesy of the 2300 days. Yet he did not understand the sanctuary truth neither the Sabbath truth.
Jesus prayed to his Father, “I thank Thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” Matt. 11:25 It is not human wisdom or logic that can be used to interpret the word of God. It is the revelation of God that the Holy Spirit brings to us, and then the divine truth comes clear to us. Uneducated men and women and children understand the truth clearly while the wise and prudent are confused.
“God will arouse His people’ if other means fail, heresies will come in among them, which will sift them, separating the chaff from the wheat.” Test. V. 5 p. 707
We can expect that heresies will be introduced to our members and workers. These heresies will be so powerful that many are willing to leave the church because of them. When the Holy Spirit leaves a person he will be in an outer darkness. His darkness will be greater than that of the unbelievers. The Roman Governor or Centurion were not so much in darkness as were the High Priest and the Pharisees of the very church of God.
Finally the question comes, how can we escape these heresies that will come into our church? Humanly we will be confused and believe a lie.
If we love the truth that God has revealed to us, then it will become clearer and clearer to us as the time passes on. To love the truth means to obey it and to teach it to others. We cannot trust the wisest among us nor the one in the highest office, nor the majority. God will reveal His truth to the humble seekers, “Who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.” Isa. 66:2. Then we all may become the wise interpreters of the Bible.
AMEN