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.“What does the Word say?”  That used to be the response to so many questions I had about life, about God, about Christianity, about myself, about Jesus, the gospel, about relationships.  Of course what I meant when I said that (or heard it said) was, “What does God say in the Bible?”  Or simply, “What does the Bible say?”  I have been discovering that that question is the wrong question.  The right question is not, “What does the Word say,” it’s “What does the Word reveal?”

First of all, the Bible doesn’t say anything.  The Bible is simply words on a page, brought to you by a publisher and a printing press.  If the Bible sits on a table, and no one is in the room, the Bible says nothing.  Now if I go read a specific verse in the Bible, I will (probably) get something out of it; but if another person comes and reads that same specific verse, will he/she get the exact same thing out of it?  A good chance the answer would be “no.”  That’s because the Bible does no objective speaking – it only has meaning when and where it finds a home in the understanding of a man’s heart.  It has no meaning sitting there on the table with no one around.

I was just witness to a fairly strong discussion online about the subject of water baptism.  There were mainly two people in this discussion.  One thought water baptism necessary for salvation, the other didn’t believe there was any necessity at all to be water baptized.  And both were quoting the same Bible.  One man kept quoting John 3:

Jesus responded, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  John 3:5

That man believed “born of water” means getting water baptized.  The other man pointed out to him that it means the physical birth, indicating the rupture of the amniotic sac.  (He went to the verses immediately before and after to strengthen his viewpoint, which both mention the physical birth).  This second man pointed out that water baptism was never referred to in the Bible as “being born,” but rather always referred to a cleansing, whether actual or figurative.  Despite this evidence, and now knowing what this second man believed about that verse, the first man kept quoting it as proof for the need for water baptism.  So both these believers were referencing the exact same verse, and getting two entirely different truths out of it, to the point of strong debate (polite words for an argument).  Neither person changed his own or the other’s point of view.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he shall  direct your paths.  Proverbs 3:5, 6

A logical thinker would read that verse and come to the (correct) conclusion that the Bible itself is telling us not to trust what we understand it to be saying.  Rather, we are to trust the Lord.  But how can we trust a Lord we do not know, much less be able to acknowledge Him in all our ways?  Well of course we can’t!

… for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.  Revelation 19:10b

Prophecy is God speaking now.  The spirit of God speaking now is the testimony, or witness of Jesus.  Since all the problems of mankind have been solved by God working through His son, Jesus is exactly who or what needs to be preached and testified of, and that takes God speaking now!  Since all the inheritance which God has promised that His children will possess forever has been secured for us by God working through His son, Jesus is the one who needs to be sought and found, his spirit revealed within us, which takes God speaking now.

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 
II Peter 1:16-18

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(Prior to these verses, Peter had told the beloved believers he was writing to, that he would be sure they were reminded of the truths he had just shared, even after his death.  Keep this in mind as we go through the rest of the verses in chapter 1.)

The above verse is referencing what has come to be called the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17), where Peter and John and James heard the voice of God speaking, calling Jesus His Son.  God Himself testified that Jesus was the Christ, His Son.  As far as I know, it’s the only record in the gospels where other men (other than Jesus himself and John the Baptizer) heard God testify of His Son.  Let’s continue in Peter.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; unto which you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts;  II Peter 1:19

What is this “more sure word of prophecy?”  I’ve heard it said that our Bible is the more sure word of prophecy.  Can’t be!  Why?  Because the Bible didn’t exist at the time Peter wrote this, yet Peter indicates that this more sure word of prophecy was in the possession of those he was writing to at that time!  How could he (and they)  “have” and be referring to something that didn’t exist?

What was translated “also” is really “and,” and should be at the beginning of the sentence.  Also, the translators translated the definite article (the) as the indefinite (a).  Thus, “a” should be “the.”  The definite article “the” always indicates a specific thing.  “The more sure word of prophecy” is speaking about a specific prophecy, and is not referring to prophecy in general.

A more proper translation of the first part of this verse could be as follows:    And we have the more sure word (logos – that which is spoken) of prophecy.”  “And” starts the verse, because it’s a continuation of what came just before.  Peter is telling the readers, “We heard God testify that Jesus was His Son, the Christ.”  What is the spirit of prophecy?  The testimony of Jesus.  Who did it first?  God!  The “more sure” word of prophecy Peter is talking about is what he just wrote about in the verses before!  It’s what God had spoken from heaven.  That’s more sure than what any man says, because God Himself spoke it into the ears of men!  This is “the more sure word of prophecy” Peter is speaking of.

Furthermore, the second part of verse 19 confirms that the “more sure word of prophecy” is talking about what God said of His Son, by telling us that the result of us “taking heed to it” (paying attention to it) will be that the day star (referring to the spirit of Christ) will “arise” (be revealed) in our hearts.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, To reveal his Son in me….  Galatians 1:15, 16a

The more sure word of God speaking now (today) is what He testifies of His son, through the same spirit which inspires the prophets, which results in us having the spirit of His son revealed to our hearts.  THAT is how we get to know the Lord whom we are to trust in, and how we become able to acknowledge him in all our ways.

(I, Paul) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge (epignosis – thorough experiential knowing,) of him.  Ephesians 1:16, 17

How perfectly fit together is the correct understanding of the written word of God, how deeply unified its meaning and true intention.  It’s primary purpose for existence is to point us in the direction of the revelation of the spirit of Christ within us.  Wouldn’t you know it, this is also the primary purpose of the spirit of God.

But when the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me.  John 15:26

And now we’ll take a look at the last two verses of II Peter 1, and how they fit perfectly together  with this entire subject of how true prophecy today seeks to reveal within us the spirit of God’s son, Christ.  Following is a correct translation of these last two verses, based on the original texts.

Knowing (gnosko’ing) this first, that every prophecy of scripture (in writing) is not of its own interpretation (figuring out).  For prophecy was not at any time brought forth by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke (what was) brought forth by the holy spirit.   II Peter 1:20, 21

Peter is saying that the first, primary thing to experience when reading any prophecy (God speaking) is that what you are reading is not man’s explanation of the original prophecy.  The prophecies which are written down are not the writer’s explanation of what he thought the spoken prophecy meant, they were simply written down as is.  As you read this study, know that it is my explanation of what I believe the scriptures mean.  This study is not prophecy (though it may contain prophecy).

The spoken prophecies which were recorded in writing are simply that – recordings of prophecies; they are not explanations of those prophecies.  These prophecies didn’t originally come by man’s will but by being brought forth by (the inspiration of) the holy spirit.  And we know from John 15:26 that Christ is intended to be made known by them.

When prophecy first comes, directed by the working within of the holy spirit, it is spoken by a prophet at the right time, to the right audience, with the right message.  When it is written down, so much of that can be lost.  Therefore, when reading what God has spoken through His prophets, we must never trust our own understanding to come up with what we think it means, or meant, but rather must allow the spirit of God to today speak to us once again, and to make known the Christ within us.

You are the Christ, the son of the living God.  Blessed are you Simon, bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you, but my Father who is in heaven…  And upon this rock will I build my church. 
Matthew 16:16b, 17, 18b

The church of the body of Christ is being built today by the revelation of the spirit of the Son of God within us.  God’s prophets today are speaking for God, continuing to make that spirit of Christ manifest to the world.  Praise the Lord!

But now (the mystery of Christ) is made manifest, and by the writings of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God,  made known to all nations for (eis – unto) the obedience of faith.  Romans  16:26

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Related Studies

If you enjoyed how this study challenged your thinking and opened up your understanding of Christ, click on one of the related studies below:

The Obedience of Faith
What is the Word of God
The Role of Bible Research
God’s Point of View
How Christ is Building His Church
How Do We Get Faith? ….. God GIVES It To Us
The Living Word – Part 1
The Living Word – Part 2

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Posted on May 24, 2019 by stevehartlaub@gmail.com | 2 Comments

The Living Word – Part 2

Posted on April 28, 2019 by stevehartlaub@gmail.com

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And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us …  (John 1:14)

Ever since the time of Jesus the Christ, emphasis in the Bible has transitioned from the written word to the living word, Jesus Christ.

Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.  (John 16:13a, 14)

Why do we need a guide when we have the written word? Because the written word alone is not enough.  We need the spirit which inspired the written word in order to understand it properly, in order to actually grasp the word of God.  Why? The devil himself will try to give you an understanding of the written word, like he did Jesus in the wilderness; and many times after, through others. He will unlovingly, angrily, adamantly and harshly demand that you bow to his interpretation of the Bible, claiming it to be “The Word.”  He will use the Bible in his personal attacks against you, usually through the words and actions of others, who use it to attack you.

And he (the devil) brought him (Jesus) to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If you are the son of God, cast yourself down from here; For it is written, He shall give His angels charge of you, to keep you; And in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.  (Luke 4:9, 10)

Well, what the devil quoted to Jesus had been the spoken word of God  before it was written down as Scripture,, but was it God’s actual word in the mouth of the devil?  No.  In the mouth of the devil, what was quoted was simply wrongly divided Scripture.

For we are not as many, who corrupt the word of God; but as of  (ek – from out of) sincerity (genuineness), but as of (ek) God, in the sight of (lowered in the presence of) God speak we in Christ.  (II Corinthians 2:17)

The word “corrupt” comes from the word for huckster, or charlatan.  We’ve got a lot of those in organized churchianity today.  Their main function is to make a very good living off of exerting power over others, using the word of God to make that happen.  They are preaching and teaching the Bible, but is it the word of God they’re teaching?  Are they presenting the will of God or their own will (inspired by the devil)?  Usually it’s a mix.  The devil’s great trick is to only change one or two minor details, thereby corrupting the word of God completely. For example (and I’ve heard this so often!), a preacher will preach to his congregation, “It’s by grace alone, and there’s nothing we can do to deserve it.  Now, here’s what you have to do …”  I hear this and think, “Does he even hear himself?”  The first phrase is the word of God, the second is contrary to the will of God.  So is the preacher’s message as a whole the word of God, or not?

I have been taught that the Bible (the holy scriptures) “interprets itself.” If that is true, then we don’t need the spirit of Christ, the holy spirit, to guide us into “all truth.” Then we only need the written word, and not the spirit. But of course this is false. The Bible does not “interpret itself.”  This was a term invented by someone who wanted everyone to believe his understanding of the Bible as being the only true understanding.  (those words are never found in the Bible, and in fact are a false-logic extrapolation which came out of II Peter 1:20, 21).  I do believe there are keys to reading the Bible that will bring us in the right direction of understanding with our minds (context, scope of topic, administrational context, etc.), but our minds can only bring us so far, which is still far short of grasping God’s true intent. 

 I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No man comes to the Father but by me.  (John 14:6)

This is one of my favorite verses, and the one which led me to first believe unto Jesus Christ so many years ago.  Jesus did not say that the written word of God is the way and the truth and the life.  He said that he was; he, the living word.

Yea doubtless, and I reckon all things loss for the excellency of the intimate knowing of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them dung, that I may gain Christ, And be found in him…  (Philippians 3:8, 9a)

Paul did not write that he was willing to endure the loss of all he had held dear in life in order that he might learn the Holy Sriptures more.  (He was one of the most Scripturally well-versed men alive at that time, and yet he missed God’s true intent, until he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus)  No, he didn’t want more of the written word, he wanted the living word – Christ!

Your words were found, and I did eat them; and Your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; … (Jeremiah 15:16a)

This (and many other Old Testament scriptures referring to “the word of God”) is speaking about the written word, for Jeremiah literally found the scrolls which contained the writings of God.  He rejoiced in them.  But remember, this was during the time when man was not born of the spirit of God, Christ had not yet come and died and been risen; the holy spirit had not yet been sent.  This written word was what carnal man had to connect with a spiritual God.  The word of God was perfect, but carnal man (without God’s spirit within) was not.   Today is entirely different.

You are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.  Who (God) also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit; ;for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. (II Corinthians 3:3, 6)

Here is the true word of God, proclaimed to, believed by and now residing in the hearts of God’s people, the body of Christ.  Today the word of God is not ink on a page, as the above verse indicates ; is not written in stone, like the commandments given to Moses, but it is the living Christ in the hearts of God’s people.  The spirit of Christ is literally writing the revelation of himself in the hearts and lives of people every day.

Immediately after Peter had professed his belief that Jesus was “the Christ, the son of the living God,” and Jesus had informed him that he had gotten that understanding by revelation from God, Jesus continued,

And I say also unto you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock (of the revelation of Christ) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  (Matthew 16:18)

It is by either the spoken word or the written word that a person even gets an inkling that there is a revelation of Christ to be had. So how do we know that we’re seeing the written word ( Old Testament or New Testament) in the proper way, with God’s  true intent? Simply, is our understanding of what the Bible is saying pointing toward the knowing (gnosis – experiential knowing, or encountering) of Christ, or in some other direction, like toward our behavior and the actions of others? The written word is not our destination, but rather is a means to an end; and the end is the revelation of Christ.

If, in your study of the Bible, you find yourself becoming increasingly critical of yourself and of others, then you are not understanding it properly, and in fact are being influenced in your understanding by the enemy of God, the devil, just as Jesus was tempted to be. On the other hand, if your reading and understanding is pointing to the Christ within you and others, and what he has accomplished and what he desires to accomplish for us and in us, then that absolutely can not be the devil, but is the spirit of truth.

If your worship of the written word of God brings you to a place of anger and harsh judgment toward those with whom you don’t agree, then the spirit of truth is not guiding your understanding of God’s word. It’s one thing to know what the Bible says, quite another to be living in its truth. The only way we can faithfully and powerfully live in the truth of the Bible is by walking in the revelation of the Christ, the living word of God, which it points us toward.

 How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote before in few words, Whereby, when you read, you may grasp my understanding in the mystery of Christ);  (Ephesians 3:3, 4)

Trying to bludgeon me over the head with your harsh, fear-inspired message of “Watch out, the word of God says…” is the devil trying to make me kneel before him and his interpretation of it. He desperately wants to keep us away from coming into the knowing of Christ.  Why?  Our understanding of the Bible is something he can influence, whereas the revelation of Christ is something he can not touch!

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another; in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.  And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by means of him.  (Colossians 3:16, 17)

We can only give thanks to God the Father by means of the Lord Jesus to the degree he has been revealed within us, and as we walk in the reality of that revelation within.  Jesus Christ truly is the living word, and he beckons us to receive the testimony of his spirit within, so that he might lead us into all the truth, as he has before promised. ______________________________________

Related Studies

If you enjoyed how this study challenged your thinking and opened up your understanding of Christ, click on one of the related studies below:

What is the Word of God
The Role of Bible Research
God’s Point of View
What is Life?
How Christ is Building His Church
How Do We Get Faith? ….. God GIVES It To Us

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The Living Word – Part 1

Posted on April 20, 2019 by stevehartlaub@gmail.com

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The name of this study could be “What is the Word of God?”, but I’ve already done a study by that name, though this is exploring the topic from a different angle.  I believe there’s a need for this study because the term “the word of God” is used so often, and I don’t think people really appreciate (in general) what that term actually means.   I want to know what God means when He says “the word of God,” not what man means.  We call the Bible the word of God, but you know what word is never found in the Bible?  Bible.

First of all, today we’ll be taking a look at the logos of God, not the rhema of God.  Both Greek words are translated “word” in the Bible.  In short, logos indicates that which is expressed or communicated, rhema indicates that which is heard or received.  All our efforts in this study will be to better understand what is and what is not the expression or communication of God.

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by it (the word of God); and without it was not anything made that was made.  In it was life; and the life was the light of men.  (John 1:1-4)

In light of “the word was with God and the word was God” it might be beneficial to take a look at the “of” in the expression “the word of God.”  “Of” is in the genitive case, of which there are several types.  E.W. Bullinger, in Appendix 17 of his Companion Bible, lists 9 different senses, or types of the genitive.  I won’t spend too much time on  them here, but to explain some of the differences, I’ll use the terms a cup of coffee, a cup of Steve’s, a cup of porcelain,  a cup of the Lattimer Company and a cup of morning contentment.  You see, I’m talking about the exact same cup of coffee!  There is the genitive of contents, of possession, of material, of origin and of character.

In the term, “the word of God,” since we know that the word was God, this “of” is the genitive of contents; that is, the word is made up of God.  Also, in that the word was with God, it is also the genitive of origin; that is, the word which came out from God.  But, it is also the genitive of possession; that is, God owns it.  All are true.  It won’t be easy, but try to keep all these aspects of the genitive in mind as you read “the word of God.”  The word which came out from God, which God owns, which is also made up of God.  You might also understand it this way: The word of God is God’s expression of Himself in and to His creation.

Since it was “in the beginning,” the word of God being spoken of in John 1 was not written or spoken.   God doesn’t have vocal chords; besides, in the beginning there was no one to hear.  John 1:1 thus tells us that the word of God exists outside of writing or speaking.  This is new information!  We already know that the word of God can be contained or embodied within writing or speaking, but now we know that it originates outside of writing or speaking!  The word of God carries with it the life of God, which is the light of men.  It also has the power to create, which means to express the spiritual into the physical world.

For the word of God is quick (alive, living) and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword….  (Hebrews 4:12a)

The word of God carries or embodies more than the life and creative power of God.

So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  (Isaiah 55:11)

(At least) two great truths are here revealed regarding the word of God:  One – the word of God carries with it God’s intent, His will; and Two – God’s word carries with it the power to accomplish His intent, bring it to fruition.

Four great truths regarding the word of God we’ve seen so far:
1)  It is not necessarily written or spoken.
2) It carries, or embodies the life of God.
3)  It carries, or embodies the intent (will) of God.
4)  It carries, or embodies the power to accomplish the will of God.

Once God expresses His word to an individual (received by what we call revelation), it is then possible that that individual may either speak it and/or write it down, but not necessarily, and then only by the will of God.  Even before it is ever spoken or written, (if it ever is), it is still the word of God living and giving life in the mind and heart of that individual.

But I guarantee you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught, but by revelation of Jesus Christ.  (Galatians 1:11, 12)

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is (made up) of any private (idios – one’s own) interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.  (II Peter 1:20, 21)

But now (the mystery) is made manifest, and by the writings of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith;  (Romans 16:26)

So neither the contents of the word of God are made up by a person; nor the motivation to speak it or to write it down.  This is God’s doing, His will.  The intent of this communication of God is integral to the message itself, and in fact is more important than the factual existence of the message, since it is extraneous to it.  Tell me, is the fact that there are words on a page more important than what is meant to be conveyed by them? 

Sometimes what God says to you is for you alone, and sometimes it is meant for someone else, or to accomplish something else, or a combination.  That is up to God, not you.  So if God tells you to say something to bless someone, but you say it to hurt them, is it still the word of God?  No!  Because even though it might be the same words, it carries your intent and not God’s.

There are a lot of people today who are speaking words which come out of the Bible, but who are not speaking the word of God, because what they are speaking (how they are speaking,  when they are speaking, to whom they are speaking, etc.) is not the will of God.  As such, the words they are speaking carry no Godly life,  power, or intent.   

This is the danger in simply looking at the Bible and saying, “That is the word of God.”  Because man often takes what is written and applies it in ways not intended by God, or he extrapolates erroneously.  “Well, God says this, therefore, that must also be true;”  or, “And this is how we think you should interpret that.”  Well intentioned but often wrong!

And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.  (Luke 6:7)

God had commanded to keep holy the Sabbath day (Saturday), and man had decided how he thought that ought to be done, and then decided his extrapolations were the word of God.   Healing (done by a doctor) was something man had decided should not be done on the sabbath., as a part of keeping holy the Sabbath.  But was that the word of God?  No.

Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil?  to save life, or to destroy it?
(Luke 6:9)

Man points to the Bible and says, “There is the word of God.”  But that is an extraordinary oversimplification.  Yes, there is the word God which He gave to a man at one time, who then, by God’s will, wrote it down, which has since been copied and recopied, printed and reprinted.   But who was it written down for?  For what purpose?  Unless and until we read what is written and grasp God’s intent, we don’t yet have His word.  We have His word when we open the Bible and grasp His truth and intent, and that can only happen by the spirit of God.

For whatsoever things were written aforetime (before the present age of grace in which Paul was living, and in which we live today) were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.  (Romans 15:4)

I never read the Old Testament looking for God’s instruction to me today (unless God points me there – but that is a unique situation), else I would be ignoring the above truth.  It’s for my learning, not my instruction on how to live today.  It’s simply not addressed to me today.  In it I see (for example) the patience and comfort of God which sustained a people looking for the coming Messiah.  This helps me understand God better, and also the times leading up to this age of grace wherein we live today.  God often talks to me as I read the Old Testament.  I just never read it as if it were the New Testament.

A person who wants to test for his driver’s license in Wisconsin doesn’t get a driver’s ed instructional booklet from England to prepare.  There may be similarities, things that are true in England which are also true in Wisconsin, but unless and until I comprehend Wisconsin’s rules and regs, I won’t know which English rules are similar and which aren’t!  So people say to me, “Hey it’s all the rules of the road!”  (Hey, it’s all God’s word!).  That’s true, but it’s not all for me today!

Today, we who want what God has to give us don’t go to the Old Testament to discover what that is.  I can’t take what were His instructions to people 3,000 years ago and say, “This is God’s will for me today.”  Again, God often teaches me through the words He intended for another people, but it’s important I’m aware that what He had written then was intended for those other people. 

Perhaps God singles out a verse and tells me, “There, that is meant for you today!”  That then becomes the word of God to me!  (even though it was written in the Old Testament to another people in another age).  But I’ve had the same thing happen watching a television commercial.  So it’s not the writing in the Bible that has some mystical, magical power – it’s the presence and power of God embodied in that writing which does.  That is what we look for when we read the Bible, nothing less!

There are many timeless truths in the Old Testament that have not changed since Jesus Christ came, which is one reason reading the Old Testament can be very beneficial, but without God’s help, how can we know which is which? As we learn in Genesis, we were never meant to understand the true intent of the word of God by our own abilities.  Oh, there is an understanding of God’s word which is carnal, but that is not His will, it’s just our carnal understanding of His will.  Without the help of God, true understanding remains quite elusive.  In the second part of this study, we’ll learn how God accomplished the feat of giving us the ability to truly grasp His word.

And they said to him (Joseph), We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.  And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God?  Tell me them, I pray you.  (Genesis 40:8)

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Related Studies

If you enjoyed how this study challenged your thinking and opened up your understanding of Christ, click on one of the related studies below:

What is the Word of God
God’s Point of View
The Role of Bible Research  
How Christ is Building His Church
How Do We Get Faith? ….. God GIVES It To Us

Get notified when new studies are posted by subscribing in the upper right corner. Your information will not be shared.
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What is Revelation and How to Get It.

Posted on April 6, 2019 by stevehartlaub@gmail.com

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That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the intimate knowing of him (Christ); the eyes of your heart being enlightened … (Ephesians 1:17, 18a)
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You may have a number of questions regarding revelation.  A lot of the talk in the Bible about revelation seems to be about telling the future.  Is revelation always about telling the future?  What control, if any, do I have in getting revelation?  How do I know if what I’m getting/thinking/knowing is revelation?  Is getting revelation a rarity?

The word “revelation”  is translated from the Greek apokalupsis, made up of apo and kalupsis.  Apo is a preposition denoting motion from the surface of an object.  Kalupsis means “a covering.”  So apokalupsis means the removal of a covering from an object.  This indicates that the thing being revealed is already present, but was hidden, or covered up. In the case of a foretelling of a future event or condition, the future itself is the covering which is removed, bringing a seeing or understanding of that event or condition into the present.  In the case of spiritual truths, the limitations of of our mind to what we can physically perceive and/or relate to, is the covering which is being removed.

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(From this Greek word for revelation, we get the word apocalypse.  The meaning of this word can also be “appearing,” (which also happens when something is uncovered) and what we know as “The Apocalypse” is actually the appearing of Jesus Christ on the earth.  Because this appearing happens during some very nasty times, people have come to think of the Apocalypse as meaning those nasty times.  The Book of Revelation in the Bible could be known as The Book of the Appearing of Jesus Christ).

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Perhaps you can thus see how Jesus Christ is the means by which the natural man can ever get to the point of being able to receive revelation; because the death of the son of God and the idea of his being raised from the dead is a physical thing which our minds can grasp, can believe, yet which requires a supernatural, spiritual working.

But their (those of Israel) minds were blinded; for until this day remains the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which veil is done away in Christ.  (II Corinthians 3:14)
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This exactly describes the process of revelation.  A veil covered the face of Moses, because the sight of his ecstatic face distracted Israel from what he had to say.  This covering is likened to what keeps Israel (or anyone) today from a true understanding of the Old Testament.  If you’ve ever had any questions as to what God meant in the Old Testament, why He did what He did, those questions will only, can only, begin to be answered in and by the light of the spirit of Christ.  The same can be said for a true understanding of the New Testament.

If you have heard of the administration of the grace of God which is given to me for you; How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery (of Christ); (as I wrote before in few words), Whereby (by which [revelation]), when you read, you may (will have the power to) perceive (grasp with your mind) my understanding in the mystery of Christ.  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it was now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the spirit (by revelation).  (Ephesians 3:2-5)
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Paul (and other apostles and prophets) received their understanding of the mystery of Christ by revelation of the spirit.  But they are only the first ones to receive it.  Today, all of God’s children are to receive the revelation of the mystery of Christ.  It is the only way the mind of a man can grasp it, for it is a spiritual reality.  The revelation of the Christ within takes man from having a mind which deals with what it has experienced in the flesh,  to  becoming a mind which perceives the reality of the things of the spirit of God.  Where before the things of God could only be theoretical, theological and philosophical; now by revelation, the things of God become powerfully realistic, pervasive and practical.

The moment a person believes unto Jesus Christ, the holy spirit of God becomes born within.  It becomes the new nature of that person, whether male or female.  In fact, it trumps the old nature.

For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26-28)
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This “faith in Christ Jesus” first came to us the very first time we believed unto Jesus Christ, which occurred the very first time Christ was revealed to us, the very first time we got a revelation of Christ.  The feeling we got when this happened was very powerful, because for the first time the life of God became a part of our being.  The spiritual became real to us because Christ was revealed in us.  What began our lives with God is meant to continue in us as a normal, regular part of our lives.

This only would I learn of you.  Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law (by being good enough in your flesh), or by the hearing of faith (which comes by revelation – Romans 10:17)?  Are you so foolish?  Having begun in the spirit, are you now made perfect (brought to spiritual maturity) by the flesh?  (Galatians 3:2, 3)
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Paul is asking the Galatians a rhetorical question, meaning the answer is obvious.  Of course, since we began our lives with God by means of a revelation of the spirit of Christ, so we are to continue our lives with God by means of the ongoing revelation of the Christ within.

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.  (Galatians 4:19)
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Christ forms within us as he is revealed to our minds and hearts by way of his spirit within us.  This has always been the main job of the holy spirit of God, which we received when we first believed – to make known the Christ within!

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me;  He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.  All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. 
(John 15:26; 16:14, 15)
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The revelation of Christ is the actual experiential knowing (gnosis) of Christ, for Christ is the spirit within us, and how can we know anything of that spirit, except the covering of our carnal understanding be removed and that spirit of Christ which is already dwelling within be revealed to our minds?  Whenever this revelation happens, we gain Christ, in that we now have more of Christ accessible to our understanding.

Yea doubtless, and I reckon all things loss for the excellency of the intimate experiential knowing (epignosis) of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but waste, that I man gain Christ.  And be found in him… (Philippians 3:8, 9a)
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To be “found in him” means to be consciously (and conscientiously) in him, in Christ, living and walking in our understanding of the Christ within.  How can you expect to be aware that you are in him; except only where, and how, and to the degree that he is and has been revealed within you?  This is the importance of the revelation of Christ; it changes your heart’s perception of who you are in this world, thus changing your perception of the entire world.

If you’d like to see everything pink in this world, you could either spend your life fruitlessly coloring everything pink which you encounter in this life, or you could simply put on pink-shaded glasses and voila!  So it is with the revelation of Christ.  Every time some aspect of Christ is revealed within us; our perception of ourselves, of others, of God, of the possibilities of life become more God-like.  Or… we could spend all our time trying to change our own (and others’) thoughts and attitudes and behavior to become more God-like, which effort defines vanity and futility and despair.

I have enumerated a number of truths concerning revelation in this study:
1:  Is revelation always about telling the future? – Most of the time it is revealing the
    Christ within.
2:  What control, if any, do you have in getting revelation: – Subject yourself to the apostle        Paul’s Christ-ordained ministry, by reading what Paul wrote with a meek heart,                     humbly open to the instruction of the Christ within.   
3:  Ask God to make it clear:  As you read, ask God (and yourself), “Can I relate to what
     is written?  Does it make sense to my real life?”  If not, ask God to give that
    understanding.  This might seem overly simplistic, but this is how God works.  I can’t
    tell you how many times, after asking these questions and coming to the realization
    that I was totally clueless, and then asking God to give me an understanding – HE
    WOULD DO SO!
3:  How can you know if a thought is revelation from God?  – It reveals a truth or aspect
     of the Christ within.
4:  Is receiving revelation a rarity? – It’s not meant to be.  It can be and is meant  to
     be a part of everyday life.  It’s like being homeschooled by God.  The teacher is
    always there because you live with Him, everything in life can be a lesson, and the
    curriculum for each student is uniquely tailor-made.

But when it pleased God… to reveal His son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen… (Galatians 1:15a, 16a)
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How open are you to the instruction of God?  How ready are you to walk away from your old self and find a new and better self?  Read the revelation which God gave to Paul, which God intended for us, and God will reveal to you too what He revealed to the apostle Paul – the mystery of the Christ within.

… whereby, when you read, you may have my understanding in the mystery of Christ.  (Ephesians 3:4)
Whereof I am made a minster, according to the administration of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints; To whom God would make known (by revelation) what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory; Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect (fully mature) in Christ Jesus;  (Colossians 1:25-28)
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I have said that revelation today is chiefly concerned with making known the Christ within.  Here is what God has to say about the “manifestation of the spirit” of revelation:

But the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man for actual profit.  For for one (profit) is given by the spirit a word (logos – communication) of wisdom; for another (profit) a word (logos – communication) of knowledge (gnosis – experiential knowing) by the same spirit …
(I Corinthians 12:7-8, 9).

That “logos of knowledge” (communication of experiential knowing) points directly to our experiencing of the Christ within.

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Related Studies

If you enjoyed how this study challenged your thinking and opened up your understanding of Christ, click on one of the related studies below:

The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
The Role of Bible Research
The Manifestation of the Spirit
The Form of our Doctrine
How Christ is Building His Church
How Do We Get Faith? ….. God GIVES It To Us

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The book, Give Me Christ … Revelations of the Glorified Christ is now available on Amazon

   Send article as PDF   
Posted in ---Doctrine and Understanding, ---Galatians, ---Growth and practice, BY SCRIPTURE SECTION, IN-DEPTH STUDIES | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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