Beware of those who say you can’t just read words of the scripture!
1. They say you must meditate after you read words recorded in the Bible and pray to the Holy Spirit to give you the spiritual meaning of those recorded words!2.They say that they got this idea from 2 Cor.3:6 and Ro.7:6!
3. Now let us read 2 Cor.3:6à God has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant-— not of he letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
They say the word “letter” here means words recorded in the Bible! Then they say, words recorded in the Bible kills!
Then they continue to reason and say, the Spirit gives life means you have to pray to the Spirit to tell you what the recorded words really mean! And the Spirit gives different people different meanings! And that is why different people read the same recorded words came up with different meanings! When I was in Theological school I had heard lots of people do this!
4. It is by the grace of God, that we know how to read on to verse 9!
Apostle Paul explained what he meant in verse 7 to verse 9!
Verse 7à Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was. By the grace of God, we know how to read on and suddenly it is clear!
The one thing engraved in letters on stone is the Ten Commandment! And the time when Moses’ face was glowing with glory is the time when he receives the Ten Commandment on the Mount!
Suddenly it is clear letter kills mean people insisted to be saved by obeying the Law of Moses will end up in death! Anyone who read the book of Hebrew, Galatians and Romans will know this! Now let us continue to read verse 8 and 9à will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
I know why these people who say “letter” in 2 Cor.3:6 means words recorded in the Bible are trapped in the devil’s trap! Otherwise how can they not know how to read on one more verse?
And how can we read on and understand even without going into the books of Hebrew, Galatians and Romans! Is it because we are smarter? No! it is because God wants us to be saved! As Apostle Paul said in 2 Cor.4:3-4 à And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn (upon them). (There is no more I need to say here!)
As all can see I read what the recorded words in the Bible says! The recorded words is clear, there is no more I need to say!
If I have to say, I will just read it again! à If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish!
5. To fulfill my Christian responsibility I will still try to quote Romans 10:4 to show our Christian love for these people!
Apostle Paul wrote Ro.10:4 saysà Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
6. Therefore, the original meaning of 2 Cor.3:6 is this, those who minister in the New Testament time must follow rules of the New Testament! Those who minister in the New Testament must not do things according to what Ten Commandment says!
7. Now that we got this clear, it is easy for Ro. 7:6!
All we need is to read Ro.7:1-6, then you will know Apostle Paul was also talking about the Old Testament and the New Testament! To me it is simple and clear, Apostle Paul was using a marriage relation between a woman and a man to explain the relation between the church and Christ, the new husband of the church!
From Eph.5:22-31 we know Paul like to use this kind of illustration! He is simply saying that the Old Testament to the church is like the old husband of a woman. The New Testament to the church is like another man, a new man to the woman. If the woman wants to marry to the new man she must wait until the old husband is dead! A woman cannot have two husbands at the same time! The message here in Romans 7:1-6 is this, the church in the New Testament can only follow rules set forth in the New Testament!
If at anytime, the church follow rules set forth in Old Testament and also in the New Testament, the church become a whore! Like a woman has two husband at the same time!
Again, why the scripture is clear to us and not to them!? Again, it is not that we are smarter! It is because God want us saved! Why can’t they understand? Please read 2 Cor.4:3-4!
I don’t want to say it again! For it is not good for anyone!