3 LEVELS OF TRUTH IN THE BIBLE

[Eddie Ramos]

The Bible is like no other book ever written. Inspired by God and penned by men over thousands of years, the Bible was written in such a way that it can be picked up and read by anyone as a regular book (as long as your translation existed at the time).

And because it's within our nature to assume that any book written, is done so, with the express purpose of being clear and concise, the natural inclination is that God wrote His Word in the same manner and so we must approach our reading of the Bible the same way.

1. THE HISTORICAL LEVEL
When we approach the Bible this way, we learn historical facts and truths of actual historical occurances, even supernatural ones (like the parting of the seas).


2. THE MORAL LEVEL
When we approach the Bible as any other book, we still learn moral truths which can help anyone and everyone who applies it, live a good moral life. We also learn that which displeased God.

3. THE SPIRITUAL LEVEL
When we approach the Bible in the same way as we do for the first two levels, at face value, by God's design, we then entirely miss the spiritual level meaning of the Bible because this level was set apart for God's true children, those with the Spirit of God within them. It is this level which God has concealed within the historical and moral levels, as they both contain the gospel message within it. This is what the Bibke means by telling us that the law (the whole Bible) is spiritual (Rom 7:14), and this is the truth concealed from the unsaved which they cannot understand.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14 (KJV)
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Any rebuttals? If so, could you please do so with the scriptures?

[Miles]

CONTRADICTIONS:

Age of Jehoiachin

2KI 24:8
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
2CH 36:9
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

Again, there is no contradiction here once we learn that, at times, in the bible, kings reigned together with their sons (you can call it a co-regency) for different reasons and for different periods of time.

Poppycock, because it doesn't wash.

2 Kings 24:5
5 Everything that Jehoiakim did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah. 6 Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin succeeded him as king.

.

For someone who doesn't believe the Bible is true and trustworthy from God, you seem to keep using it to try and prove your point, but that's ok.

Probably because I can recognize internal inconsistencies of any fiction without necessarily believing it. Can't you?

If you re-read my previous full reply to this, you'll see that both times (meaning when the ruling was done as a co-regency and when it was done alone) the Bible uses the same language. Jehoiachin reigned together with his father as king for 10 years,

Gotta provide chapter and verse for this, and so far, nada.

then when his father Jehoiachin died (1 Kings 24:6-8) Jehoiachin, his son, at the age of 18, reigned in his stead, but this time he reigned along as sole king. 10 years before that, Jehoiachin reigned along with his father at the age of 8 (remember the example of David and Solomon who ruled together).

Still needing the chapter and verse. Mere assertion doesn't cut it.

Here's what verses 5-8 say:

2 Kings 24:5-8
5 The other things that Jehoiakim did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah. 6 Jehoiakim died and was buried with his ancestors. His son Jehoiachin became the new king after him.

7 The king of Babylon captured all the land between the Brook of Egypt and the Euphrates River. This land was previously controlled by Egypt. So the king of Egypt did not leave Egypt anymore.
Nebuchadnezzar Captures Jerusalem

8 Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he began to rule. He ruled three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan from Jerusalem.

See anything about Jehoiachin ruling with his father? Of course not, because it isn't there, except in your imagination.


But I've had it with your apologetic pleadings.

Have a good day.

[Eddie Ramos]

Have a good day.

Likewise.

[Eddie Ramos]

The most prominent way in which God conceals truth within his Word is by way of parables. God explains to us that parables are for the very purpose of concealing spiritual truth. This is why parables require understanding.

Proverbs 1:5–6 (KJV 1900)
5  A wise man will hear, and will increase learning;
And a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6  To understand a proverb, and the interpretation;
The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

If we take the time to look up the word "parables" in the Bible, we'll discover that parables were not spoken by Jesus only, but all throughout the Bible.
39 times alone in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word for word "parables" used, but God has even dedicated a whole book called "The Book of Proverbs", which is the exact same word for parables (The Book of Parables). So, it's no surprise that when we understand that God always spoke in parables, then we can begin to make sense of many doctrinal errors held by many. That's because Jesus Christ (the Word of God and God himself) did not speak without parables.

Matthew 13:34 (KJV 1900)
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

The parabolic nature of the Bible is what has been hid from the understanding of those without the Spirit of God and is foolishness to them because they can only see, read and understand what's plainly written, not realizing that taking the Bible as plainly written, results in doctrines that contradict the very Bible as well as themselves.

Matthew 13:10–13 (KJV 1900)
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (that are without) it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

So, parables are for the express purpose of concealing understanding of the truth. This is why Christ said to the Pharisees (who thought they belonged to God):

John 8:43–47 (KJV 1900)
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

[Eddie Ramos]

The most prominent way in which God conceals truth within his Word is by way of parables. God explains to us that parables are for the very purpose of concealing spiritual truth. This is why parables require understanding.

Proverbs 1:5–6 (KJV 1900)
5  A wise man will hear, and will increase learning;
And a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6  To understand a proverb, and the interpretation;
The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

If we take the time to look up the word "parables" in the Bible, we'll discover that parables were not spoken by Jesus only, but all throughout the Bible.
39 times alone in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word for word "parables" used, but God has even dedicated a whole book called "The Book of Proverbs", which is the exact same word for parables (The Book of Parables). So, it's no surprise that when we understand that God always spoke in parables, then we can begin to make sense of many doctrinal errors held by many. That's because Jesus Christ (the Word of God and God himself) did not speak without parables.

Matthew 13:34 (KJV 1900)
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

The parabolic nature of the Bible is what has been hid from the understanding of those without the Spirit of God and is foolishness to them because they can only see, read and understand what's plainly written, not realizing that taking the Bible as plainly written, results in doctrines that contradict the very Bible as well as themselves.

Matthew 13:10–13 (KJV 1900)
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (that are without) it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

So, parables are for the express purpose of concealing understanding of the truth. This is why Christ said to the Pharisees (who thought they belonged to God):

John 8:43–47 (KJV 1900)
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Bumping this thread due to recent discussions on this forum about the nature of the parabolic nature of the Word of God.

I would now like to begin providing biblical examples of how God conceals spiritual truth within moral and historical records, as well as within the law itself. And God does this to conceal the truth of the gospel in every account.

Example 1:

Numbers 20:11 (KJV 1900)
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

When we read this literal actual historical account, we can see the greatness of God in his kindness in giving the people of Israel water for their thirst in the wilderness, and we think to ourselves, "what a great miracle", and then move on without making this say more than what the text actually says happened.

I mean why would anyone make the claim that there is much more important truth hidden here than just water miraculously coming out of a rock in the wilderness? Because God has taken us by the hand and shown us that there is indeed much much more truth here than what we can figure out for ourselves as natural minded people. We would have just read this historical account and have simply taken that account just as it was written (without adding anything to it) and learned a wonderful historical truth. But that's it. And the Bible was written to provide spiritual truth for the people of God, not just for historical and moral truth which anyone (saved and unsaved) can comprehend from the scriptures. It's this third level of meaning that is the spiritual level and concealed from those who do not have the spirit of God.

Now let's see what happens when God takes us by the hand and shows us that this historical account was indeed hiding a greater spiritual truth.

1 Corinthians 10:1–4 (KJV 1900)
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

So is this saying that the rock which Moses struck was not an actual rock? And that the water that the nation of Israel historically drank was not actual water? No, the historical record is completely accurate in its detailed historical account. The rock was a rock indeed and the water was water indeed, but God recorded this event exactly the way he wanted to in order to conceal a greater spiritual truth. And it isn't until he gave us the answer in the New Testament that we come to finally understand that that historical account was concealing a spiritual picture of the gospel. Namely that when the rock (which is Christ) was smote by the rod in Moses' hand (and the rod represents the Word of God Prov 22:15) and that it was as if though the law of God killed (smote) Christ. And when Christ died, salvation became possible through the gospel (the water that flowed).

And God has taken us by the hand enough times in the Bible for God's people to get it and to continue searching for his Spiritual truths within His Word.