Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-12-10
BIBLE INTERPRETATION,

Do we take the Bible as it reads or
do we twist-Which?
The question is frequently asked,
why is it that there are SO many diff
ferent ideas, views and opinions con-
cerning the bible? We are taught |
that it is Gods word, and hence it !
must be free from ambiguity, for iti
was dictated by an errorless God, and
if there had been any error or mis-
take made He surely would have cor
rected it. He never said any thing
ironically. He said what He meant
and meant what He said.
The great trouble with man. So
many people-even professed chris
tlans- are not willing to take God
at His word but are using a wrench
and sledge hammer to twist it in a
way to harmonic with their life, their
creed instead of making their life
harmonic with the bible. No doubt
you have heard the old adage, "The
bible is like an old fiddle on which each
person can play tune to suit him
SELF" This is true when we aim to
make the bible harmonic with our
lives, our creed. But listen, when we
aim to make our lives harmonic with
the bible we can play but one tune,
and that is holiness tune.
Truly we can move and twist the
bible to chime with our ideas, but if
there is any truth in the bible, (and
| believe it is all truth) eternal banish-
ment from the presence of the Lord
awaits US. 2, Thess 1, 9. A perver-
sion of the truth is one among the
worst evils we have to contend with
to day. 1t is one of the worst lies
that can be told. 1t looks to me some
times as though God is sending a
strong dilusion among the people
making them believe a lie that they
may be damned. z, Thess. 2, IL, IL.
When God says ''be ye holy" He
means it. Now, brother shall we take
this and many similar passages as
they read or shall we give it a twist
by telling the people that it is i'm
|, possible to live holy life. I find a
great many people who are building
on their good works to take them
through to heaven. They will surely
, miss it, for my bible says plainly, "we
, are saved by grace (not by good
, works. through faith; not of ourselves
, it is gift of God; not of works. lest
! any man should boast" Eph. 2, 8, 9
j Intelligent readers you can see this
is giving it nice little twist. Coco
, works are all right but they will save
: nobody. Read 1, Cor. Is, for proof
: When we are wholly sanctified to Goo
! our good works will crop out just al
: naturally as it is for rambo apple
, tree to bear rambo apples. Dare yor
+, gainsay this statement?
Il A disposition or desire to distort
= the scripture can be completely era
! dicated by sanctifcation or holmes.
These will root it out if nothing els,
i will. They are synonymous terms
t classed as such by the most profount
e scholars. 1t is the only thing on thi
y side of heaven that will give us al
f abundant entrance into heaven. Ye
| know ministers to shamefully ignor
it, to twist it to chime with their ideas
their creeds until Icould almost hear i
snap. They fail to preach pungently
definitely on the subject. They hav
J become silent on the subject until
} has become almost ruled out of tn
faith of the church. No man cal
lpreach that doctrine with good result
until he has been baptised with tn
y Holy Ghost. There are only two bap
: tisms mentioned in the scriptures
e Johns baptism, unto repentance, an
Q Christ's baptism, with the Hol
Ghost. A person may have the bap
y tism of repentance and know nothing
: of the baptism with the Holy Ghost.
e A minister may be learned mar
" highly educated, eloquent, mighty i
, the scripture, successful in his labor
q yet know only the baptism Of repent
ance and know no more Of the bap
t tism with the Holy Ghost than hot
: tentot. can prove this statement b
r a number of passages but will cit
e you to one. Please read Acts. 18, "a
t 25 for proof.
There is not another portion o
" scripture in the bible that is distrte
r any more than the story of Jonah
: and yet Jesus Christ endorses il
t Please read Matt. IL, 4O Now if tn
I whale (as Matt. calls it) did no
swallow Jonah, if he did not live thre
!, days and three nights in the whale
II then Christ never was three days an
I three nights in the heart of the earth
y and of course He never rose for ou
redemption. So you see it knocks tn
bottom out of the whole affair, fo
Paul tells us plainly, eff Christ b
: not risen, (could He rise if He had no
been buried), your faith is vain; y
: are yet in your sins.
: lean give you many passages of scrip
y ture but will not weary your patienc
with them, but will conclude this ar
ticle by citing you to 2, Peter 8, 1e
This gives US an idea of the awful
ness of nervartino tha ScrintI1ro w
read there that it is the unlearne
and unstable that wrest the scrip
ture to their own destruction. In tn
seventeenth verse it tells us "bewar
lest we be led away with the error O
the wicked" Another awful doom /
pronounced on such persons in Rev
%, 18, 10. May God bless US wit
plenty of grace and good common
sense that will teach US not to vast
our time running after the devils