So, you want to know what the Bible really says: what it says about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, man, right and wrong, etc.? Then study the Bible. Don’t listen to what a church or some famous preacher or teacher says. Don’t listen to Hollywood, the History Channel, Time magazine, the Pope, Brigham Young, the Watchtower, Joel Olsteen, Billy Graham, Charles Wesley, Martin Luther, John Calvin. Don’t listen to the church fathers (Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, etc.) Don’t listen to your pastor. Don’t listen to me. Especially, don’t assume you know it yourself.

There is an incredible amount of Bible disinformation out in the world today, from verses taken out of context to outright lies. You may think you or someone else has the inside scoop on truth, but how will you know unless you lay aside your own biases and study the scriptures on your own, for yourself. Maybe others are correct in what they teach… but then again, maybe not. If you have access to the Bible, then you are responsible to find out what it says.

Have you come across something in your studies that you don’t understand? Maybe it looks like one verse contradicts another? Let the Bible interpret itself. The only contradictions in the Bible are those you haven’t fully studied yet. Read everything in context: Who was the text written to? When was it written? Why was it written? etc. If you have to, look up the meanings of the original words in a Hebrew or Greek lexicon. Find out how the words are used elsewhere. An exhaustive concordance is your friend. As you know your Bible more, you will be able to recognize error (your own or someone else’s) when you see it.

Don’t think you know the Bible… Know the Bible.