Introduction: These past few weeks we have examined some of the facets of Bible interpretation, also called the science of hermeneutics. Today we come to the very important concept of approaching the Bible with humility and faith. This is a crucial question for American Christians at the end of the 20th century, because it is being challenged in both seminaries and churches. It would not be unusual now to hear a pastor say from the pulpit in a worship service "Listen for the Word of God" rather than "Hear the Word of God." Is the Bible the Word of God, or does it merely contain the Word of God? Does the Bible sit in authority over us, or do we sit in judgment on the Bible, deciding which parts we will accept as God's Word, and which parts we will reject. This is a real question in American churches today. This is a question of Faith vs Scepticism. As I speak this morning, I want to impress on your hearts three statements about Faith:

1. Faith is supernatural.
2. Faith is rational.
3. Faith is necessary for understanding the Bible.

I. Faith is supernatural.

A. Men, women and children in their natural condition, before they are converted by the power of the Holy Spirit, do not have faith in God and the Bible. (I Corinthians 2:12-14 page 1773 NIV)

The King James has a more literal translation here:

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

B. The natural human being sees the Gospel as either foolish or offensive (I Corinthians 1:22-24, page 1772 in NIV)

1 Cor 1:22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
1 Cor 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
1 Cor 1:24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

C. Paul taught the Christians in Ephesus that faith was a gift from God (Eph. 2:8-10, page 1819 NIV).

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
Eph 2:9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

II. Faith is rational.

A. Unbelievers, pagans, atheists and sceptics accuse Christians of leaving their brains behind. Mark Twain (Samuel Clemons) defined faith as: "Believing what you know ain't so." But here Satan is pulling his old trick of calling black white and white black. He is attempting to make the truth stand on its head.

B. Paul taught the Romans that it is the unbelievers who are acting irrationally, and denying what they know to be true in the depths of their hearts (Romans 1:18-22, 28 page 1747 NIV).

C. The Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who circled the earth in 1965, reported that he saw no sign of God in outer space, thereby supposedly proving somehow that God does not exist. Actually, our lives depend on the existence of things we cannot directly see: light, air, sound, water, electricity, magnetism and so on. I have never seen Paris or Rome, or the billions of stars that lie beyond our most powerful telescopes, but it would be irrational for me to say they do not exist.

D. Creation all around us is shouting forth the existence, power, wisdom and benevolence of God the Creator (Psalm 19:1-4, page 858 NIV):

Psa 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psa 19:2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
Psa 19:3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Psa 19:4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

This is what Paul references in Romans 1:19-20. Let's not let the Devil twist the truth. It is irrational to deny the existence and power of the Creator God. It is completely rational and sensible to see God's fingerprints in all of Creation.

III. Faith is necessary for understanding the Bible.

A. When the preacher reads the Bible in worship on Sunday morning, should he say: "Hear the Word of the Lord," or "Listen for the Word of the Lord?" If he says the second, he is implying that you and I are able to sit in judgment on the Bible, and that we have the power to decide which parts are from God and which aren't. Again, Satan is trying to stand truth on its head.

B. When we come to the Bible, if we want to understand it, we must come with humble, reverent, accepting faith. Paul describes those in Thessalonica who became Christians as having such an attitude toward the Word of God (I Thess. 1:4-7 and 2:13, page 1837):

1 Th 1:4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
1 Th 1:5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
1 Th 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
1 Th 1:7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

1 Th 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

Luke wrote about the Jews in the synogogue in Berea in similar terms in Acts 17:11 (page 1723):

Acts 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

The religions, philosophies and cultures of the world are opposed to the Bible in many particulars: Creation, Noah's flood, the accuracy of Bible history, how to rear children, the sanctity of unborn life, miracles, the Virgin Birth, the resurrection of Jesus, the existence of Heaven and Hell and life after death, to name a few! But Paul wrote to the Romans in chapter 12, verses 2-3:

Rom 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Rom 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Cultures change. Nations change. Human ideas about what is right or wrong change. But God's Word abides forever, and His truth is from generation to generation.

Conclusion: In order to understand the Bible, you need to know something about the history of the Bible. You need to understand that the Bible contains poetry and figures of speech. You need to understand that we claim inerrancy only for the original writings and not for the copies. But perhaps more than any of the above, you need to have a heart controlled by humble, reverent faith. We need to approach the Bible with faith; not to sit in judgment on it; not to pick and choose which verses support what we want; but to put ourselves under the authority of God's Word, even if it goes against the teachings of the time and place in which we live. Amen.