|
|
How Are Facts Interpreted? At the time of this writing the political pundits, politicians in Washington D.C., and a host of television personalities are trying to interpret Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts. Ted Kennedy filled a senate seat for this state for about 37 years. This was the same seat his brother, John F. Kennedy, filled before he became President of the United States. This is a so-called blue state. Meaning it is supposed to be a pretty safe place for a democrat to win in a state wide election. Democrats outnumber Republicans almost 3 to 1. Ted Kennedy passed away and his seat was temporarily filled by, you guessed it, a democrat appointed by the Governor. Martha Coakley won the democratic primary in December and was considered a shoo-in in the general election. However, the Republican, Scott Brown ran and won the Senate Seat. So now a bunch of folks are trying to understand and explain what happened. There are all kinds of different ideas being floated around. Some are saying this is proof that the Democratic Party has been too slow in enacting its agenda. President Obama needs to stay the course and get this bill through Congress. Others are saying that people are just angry and they are voting against the establishment. It just so happens that the establishment is the democratic party. They separate the policies of the current administration from the election. Still others are saying that this was really a referendum on President Obama and his administration. I even heard one lady say that Brown won because he once posed in a magazine in the 1980's and he is a hunk. My point is not to tell you why I think Brown won and Coakley lost, but to point out that the same facts are often interpreted differently. This may be because some are trying to minimize the damage of being wrong. Others may be trying to deceive people into believing something that is not so. Yet some may actually believe what they are saying and want others to believe as they do. Few if any are actually letting the facts speak for themselves. The same can be said in relation to interpreting the Bible. The Bible contains facts, commands, and promises. It is written so as to be understood and for a specific purpose. "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20.30-31). "As I wrote before in a few words, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ" (Ephesians 3.3b-4). Yet it is interpreted differently. Why? Some are blinded by the God of this world. "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians 4.4, ESV) The plainest and simplest of facts can be misconstrued because of the prism people are looking through. To them the Bible and in particular the Gospel is pure foolishness. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being perishing" (1 Corinthians 1.18a). It is not the facts that confound them, but their own heart. Some may be fooled by false teachers. Just as ground can be poisoned and rendered useless so can false teaching cause people to reject the facts laid out in the Bible. But what motivates the false teacher to twist and distort the facts in the Bible? Perhaps Peter answers that question for us in 2 Peter 2.14b, "They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children." Yet some will not listen to the facts because of the traditions handed down to them by their parents or other loved ones. Much like the Jews in the days of Jesus they have made the Law of God of no effect by their traditions, Matthew 15.6. Some will have been taught that Jesus is not the Messiah promised in the Old Testament by their parents and will not listen to the Bible. Some will believe a person is saved by faith only or by grace only and will not obey the Gospel of Christ. The fact is, the facts are the facts. No matter how one may want to interpret the facts they are still the facts. You cannot spin God or His word. It is His word that will judge us on the last day, John 12.49. Therefore we need to make sure we are honestly searching for the truth. Just as there are real reasons for the election to turn out as it did, there will be real reasons why some will be saved and some will be lost. We need to make sure we are looking with honest and sincere hearts. -- Dennis Tucker
|