Here is an interlude from Willie Nelson the cat. He wants to remind you that in our recent postings of Bible Studies on Mark 4, we are seeing the application of a basic principle of interpreting the Bible: SCRIPTURE INTERPRETS SCRIPTURE.
When I discuss what the Bible teaches, people will sometimes say to me, “Well, that’s just your interpretation.” Technically, that is not the case. Scripture interprets Scripture – the Bible explains itself. What we really need to do is just get out of way and let the Word of God speak for itself. One passage of Scripture will explain another. The Bible has a unity and clarity. It all fits together nicely. That is why I list multiple Bible passages when discussing a section of Mark. These passages explain what Mark is telling us.
Now, a note on these passages themselves: My first Bible Study that I published was on selected Psalms. It was set up with each Psalm printed out fully and then devotional thoughts and multiple Bible references were listed. The expectation was that you would look up these passages yourself at home. Most Bible Studies are set up this way.
During the Covid lockdowns, I had some extra time on my hands. So, I went back to my book on the Psalms and printed out all the passages in full and republished it. Since then, that’s how I do all my Bible Study books.
These Bible passages that are printed out are an updating on the King James Bible (KJV). Here’s a long explanation of why this is the case: Modern Bibles are copyrighted. In other words, the publishers who created these modern translations hold the copyright. You cannot use copyrighted materials without written permission.
Therefore, since I am basically a lazy person, I didn’t want to get written permission. So, I thought I would just use the KJV, which is public domain. Public domain means that anyone can use something without permission. If a copyright is not renewed, anything published becomes public domain after 100 years from when the book was first printed. Thus, I thought I was all set using the KJV.
However, the ‘bots thought differently. The ‘bots (robots) are what authors call the computer programs that go through the manuscript of a book looking for copyright violations. My book was flagged for copyright infringement.
I tried to explain in numerous different ways the KJV was public domain, but the ‘bots didn’t care. Since the KJV had been recently printed by numerous publishers, it was considered a new book, hence under copyright protection. (Never argue with a ‘bot – you will lose.)
So, what I ended up doing was going through all the passages listed in my book and updating the passages enough so that I could fool the ‘bots. “Thee” become “you,” “Holy Ghost” became “Holy Spirit,” and so forth. I also updated some verses that were too archaic and standardized the words in italics. This worked.
I do have to say that I like how the KJV does not use quotation marks. Perhaps you noticed that. This can be a proofreading nightmare. For example, when Jesus quotes Isaiah who quotes the Lord speaking, and so on. Another thing I like about the KJV is that it does not capitalize pronouns referring to God. This can also become cumbersome. The original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts didn’t do this either. For me, that works fine.
But to return to Willie’s reminder: When you read the Bible and run across a passage that is difficult to understand, check with a good Study Bible. It should direct you to other references that explain and reinforce that passage. A chain-reference is also a nice feature. This will list parallel passages and verses. A concordance is also great.
A good Study Bible will also give you the historical background to each of the books of the Bible. This is very helpful since the Bible describes real people who lived long ago in various places with different cultures and practices. Learning about this history is fascinating.
My point is that the Bible is understandable. God would not give us a message that we could never figure out. Scripture is clear, direct and comprehensible. We read the Bible, and we get it. Sure, there might be some sections that are difficult. But that’s what Bible Study is for. That’s why we study Scripture together.
When the people back then first read the Gospel of Mark, they would get the message and understand what Jesus of Nazareth did for our salvation. We also read the same Gospel and we also get it. Jesus is teaching us today. That is the power and beauty of God’s Word. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God continues to do its work. Thanks be to God for his wondrous gift! Amen.
