{"id":1856,"date":"2016-04-25T05:37:58","date_gmt":"2016-04-25T10:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/?page_id=1856"},"modified":"2025-07-30T08:11:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T13:11:33","slug":"literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-1","title":{"rendered":"Literal  or Symbolic Interpretation Part 1 of 3"},"content":{"rendered":"<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\">STUDY NOTE: This series of pages must be considered along with these pages:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">Mystery<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-1687 page_item_has_children\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\">Symbols, Signs, Types, Copies, Shadows and Patterns <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">God\u2019s Written Word and God\u2019s Spoken Voice<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-2\">Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 2<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-3\">Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 3<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>GOD ALWAYS SPEAKS IN PARABLES<\/strong><br \/>\nMany surveys have been conducted over the years to document what people of different religions believe about how the Bible should be interpreted. Most survey respondents believe that it is the actual, inspired word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word, while some will allow that some of it should be taken literally and other parts symbolically. These responses show how little religious people really understand about<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:34-35;+mark+4:33-34;+matthew+13:10-13;+hosea+12:10;+john+10:6;+john+16:24-31\"> parables in scripture, <\/a>about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\">Symbols, Signs, Types, Copies, Shadows and Patterns<\/a> and the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">mystery<\/a> of the Bible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 160px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:34-35;+matthew+22:1;+mark+4:33-34;+mark+3:23;+john+16:25\">this link for what the Bible says about Jesus speaking in parables.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For obvious reasons, it is beyond the scope of those surveys to identify which, if any, parts of the Bible should, or should not, be taken literally. This is not surprising given the volume, complexity and mystery of the Bible. As a practical matter, however, it can be said that those parts which do not easily lend themselves to literal interpretation are the parts which are parables. These are the parts that make no sense literally and are difficult or impossible for the average person of modest means to apply in a meaningful way. They are the parts that include <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:34-35;+mark+4:33-34;+matthew+13:10-13;+hosea+12:10;+john+10:6;+john+16:24-31\">parables,<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\">Symbols, Signs, Types, Copies, Shadows and Patterns<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">mystery<\/a>, which are the substance of most of the Bible.<\/p>\n<p>Why the Bible is so difficult to understand is hard for most people to understand. We might logically think that if God really wants people to love and obey him, and if he want people to learn about him from the written Bible, he would make Bible reading easy and simple. Simple and easy is how man would write a technical manual, but <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/isaiah\/55-8.html\">God does not think and do the way man does. <\/a>Therefore, if we are honest in our assessment of the Bible, we would be forced to admit that the Bible is very hard to understand and impossible to obey.<\/p>\n<p>When we look at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\">substance of religion, <\/a>however, we find that the origins of Judaism and Christianity exist in those parts of the Bible that can be interpreted literally &#8212; even the parts which are in fact parables. In other words, the parts which should be interpreted as parables to teach spiritual truth are interpreted literally, or as close to literally as possible, by religious people. This the big problem for Jews and Christians who don&#8217;t understand that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">God&#8217;s voice and the Bible are not the same<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Jews and Christians understand that the Bible contains much symbolism and do their best to adapt that symbolism to their religions. Consider the following examples:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/breadfood-and-wine\">Biblical bread, food and wine are associated with natural bread, food and wine.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/sacrifices-tithes-and-offerings\">Biblical tithes and offerings are associated with money<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/tabernacles-temples-altars-high-places-and-pilgrimages\">Biblical temples are associated with physical buildings<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\">Symbols, Signs, Types, Copies, Shadows and Patterns<\/a> and subordinate pages for for examples.<\/p>\n<p>Association of natural objects found in the Bible with other natural\u00a0 objects is not what God wants his people to do. Associating natural things with other natural things results in religion &#8212; not righteousness.<\/p>\n<p>God wants his people to learn how to interpret the spiritual symbolism of natural things, people and events found in the Bible. He makes this clear in scripture that discusses the &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-2\/3\">first the natural and then the spiritual<\/a>&#8221; principle. He also tells us this when he says that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/2-timothy\/passage\/?q=2-timothy+3:14-17\">all scripture useful for training in righteousness. <\/a>Even scriptures and parables that Old\/First Covenant religionists find impossible to understand are useful for training in righteousness by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/2#newcovenant\">New Covenant<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/#disciple\">disciples <\/a>because New Covenant disciples <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/study\/2\">listen to hear God&#8217;s spoken voice while reading.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Just the simple act of reading does not result in understanding of parables. If reading resulted in understanding, there would be no confusion or uncertainty. And if there were no confusion or uncertainty, there would not be so many different religions trying to make sense out of what they read.<\/p>\n<p>The truth that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=romans+10:16-18;+galatians+3:1-5\">faith comes by hearing<\/a> is the reason that just reading the Bible does not result in understanding.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 160px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/faith-grace-mercy-peace-love-heart-glory-blessing-spirit-and-truth\/oil-water-face-hands\/belief-and-trust\/3#comparetruefaithfakefaith\">this link for understanding of true faith<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/nas\/dikaiosune.html\">Righteousness<\/a> is an inner, spiritual condition of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=1-kings+8:35-39;+jeremiah+17:10;+psalm+44:20-21;+proverbs+15:11;+1-samuel+16:7;+1-chronicles+28:9;+2-chronicles+6:28-31;+psalm+44:21;+acts+1:24\">heart that only God can see<\/a>. Righteousness is a matter of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\">faith that cannot be seen. Interpretation of natural things found in the Bible as natural things in contemporary life contributes to religion which can be seen.<\/a> Therefore, if we use scripture as a source of rules for religious living, we have missed God&#8217;s purpose in giving us the Bible.<\/p>\n<p>God is not unaware of the tendency of man to wrongly interpret the Bible. He accounts for that inclination when he tells us that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/the-law-is-a-stumbling-block\">law is a stumbling block<\/a>. But God also provides a remedy for people who wrongly interpret the Bible literally: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=exodus+15:22-26;+exodus+23:21;+exodus+19:5;+jeremiah+7:23-26;+jeremiah+11:1-4;+matthew+4:1-4;+deuteronomy+8:1-3;+job+22:21-23;+psalm+119:9-13;+psalm+138:4;+isaiah+28:23;+jeremiah+11:1-7;+jeremiah+22:21;+psalm+106:25;+nehemiah+9:29;+jeremiah+11:10;+jeremiah+13:11;+zechariah+7:11;+isaiah+46:12;+matthew+13:15\">Listen to his voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">\u00a0STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">God\u2019s Written Word and God\u2019s Spoken Voice Part 1<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice-part-2\">God\u2019s Written Word and God\u2019s Spoken Voice Part 2<\/a> for more about listening to God&#8217;s voice.<\/p>\n<p>People who do not listen to God&#8217;s voice are stuck in religion. This is why God is so opposed to religion: It substitutes literal interpretation for listening to his voice. Thus, as religion focuses on natural things found in the Bible (e.g. rituals, places, artifacts), it successfully diverts people from listening to God voice and the spiritual truth which he <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;+1-thessalonians+4:9;+1-john+2:27;+john+14:11-17;+john+14:26;+1-corinthians+2:12;+hebrews+8:10-11\">speaks to their hearts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Religion based on literal interpretations pose serious problems for religious people who sincerely desire to please God. They sincerely believe that by interpreting the Bible literally they have grasped what God expects of them. And then they work very hard to apply their literal interpretations to their religion. They have stumbled over the written law. They are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/death-resurrection-life\/2#lifedeathblesscurse\">under a curse<\/a> that condemns them to practicing the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-sin\">sin of religion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>People who have read <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/study\/relevancy-of-all-scriptures\">Relevancy of All Scriptures<\/a> are hopefully convinced that their standing with God and their understanding of the Bible depends on their ability to accurately interpret and apply all scripture &#8212; including those parts which are difficult, and even impossible, to understand and apply. This will not happen, of course, unless they first understand that there is generally a big difference between reading <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">God&#8217;s written word and listening to his spoken voice. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes the literal words of the Bible have the same value as God&#8217;s spoken word. But readers will not know when this is true or not unless God communicates the truth to them. It is always true, therefore, that hearing God&#8217;s voice is necessary to understanding the spiritual meaning.<\/p>\n<p>Readers must always wrestle with the question of whether or not the Bible should be interpreted literally, or symbolically, or both. In this series of pages we will discuss the many ways that God informs us that symbolic interpretation is the only way to come to the spiritual understanding of all scripture. We will also review the many origins of religion found in literal interpretations of the Bible. These are found in scriptures that, with a little tweaking, have been easily converted to human rules (i.e. works of the flesh, religion) which are<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=isaiah+29:13;+matthew+15:8-9;+mark+7:6-7;+colossians+2:6-23\"> made up by men<\/a> whose rules are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=romans+8:1-2;+romans+7:1-5;+1+corinthians+15:50-56\">laws that lead to death.<\/a> And we will show how some of the mysterious scriptures should have been interpreted and applied.<\/p>\n<p>The statement that literal interpretation of the Bible leads to death &#8212; and not to life &#8212; will be surprising, and even offensive, to people who base their religion on literal interpretations of the Bible. Such people must be informed that God equates religion based on literal interpretation of his word to being <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=romans+2:12;romans+7:6;1+corinthians+9:20;galatians+3:10;galatians+3:23;galatians+4:4-5;galatians+5:18\">under the law<\/a>. This truth will not be readily apparent to most readers, however, because they practice their religion according to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/6#religiouslaws\">religious laws<\/a> that they think the Bible commands them to do. In their way of thinking, this is only reasonable because God&#8217;s word is truth. What they do not realize, however, that references to God&#8217;s word are to his spoken word &#8212; not to his literal word. Failure to make this important distinction is a stumbling block that has led both Jews and Christians astray for hundreds of generations.<\/p>\n<p>Readers who are willing to plow their way through this website will learn to depend more on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice#howtoheargodsvoice\">God&#8217;s voice <\/a>and less and less on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=isaiah+29:13-14;+matthew+15:1-9;+mark+7:1-13;+colossians+2:1-8;+colossians+2:20-23;+titus+1:5-16\">religious doctrines and traditions created and promoted by men<\/a> from their literal understanding of scripture. As that happens for each individual, they will end their wandering through the wilderness of religion and enter the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/land-and-earth\/3\">Promised Land<\/a>. They will pass through the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+27:45-51;+exodus+26:31-34;+mark+15:37-38;+luke+23:44-46;+hebrews+9:1-5\"> veil (i.e. religion) that separates Old\/First Covenant religionists from God<\/a>. In the language of the Bible, they will transition from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=john+5:24;+romans+5:17;+romans+5:20-21;+romans+6:4;+romans+8:2;+romans+8:6;+revelation+2:10-11\">spiritual death to spiritual life<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/death-resurrection-life\">Death, Resurrection and New Life <\/a>for more about the transition from death to life.<\/p>\n<p>God calls this process<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/nas\/hagiasmos.html\"> sanctification<\/a>. It is accomplished when <span class=\"verse-2\">we are no longer<\/span> conformed to this world (i.e. World of Religion), but are transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we may correctly <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/nas\/dokimazo.html\">examine and test<\/a> God&#8217;s will.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/romans\/passage\/?q=romans+12:1-2\">Romans 12:1-2: <\/a><span class=\"verse-1\">Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">2<\/span> <span class=\"verse-2\"> And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/ephesians\/passage\/?q=ephesians+4:22-25\">Ephesians 4:22-25: <\/a><span class=\"verse-22\">Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">23<\/span> <span class=\"verse-23\"> and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">24<\/span> <span class=\"verse-24\"> and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">25<\/span> <span class=\"verse-25\"> Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Examining and testing God&#8217;s will requires the ability to hear God&#8217;s spoken voice. It cannot be done by listening to the voices of human religious leaders. Therefore, it will not happen unless we first change our minds about listening to the voices of false prophets and about interpreting the Bible literally.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong><a id=\"heroesoffaith\"><\/a>HEROES OF FAITH HEARD GOD&#8217;S VOICE<\/strong><br \/>\nMost people would agree that the main reason they read the Bible is to acquire knowledge about God, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=exodus+33:13;+job+24:13;+psalm+25:1-4;+psalm+95:8-11;+isaiah+58:1-2;+hosea+14:9;+hebrews+3:10\">know his ways<\/a> and how he relates to his people. They do this because their cultures value and encourage reading and study for gaining knowledge of all kinds &#8212; including knowledge of religion and God. In general, it can be said, then, that reading and study are critical skills for acquiring knowledge in culture and religion.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to knowledge of God, however, we must look at the examples of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses who are considered to be God-followers and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Patriarchs_(Bible)\">patriarchs<\/a> of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=genesis+17:5;+matthew+3:9;+john+8:56;+romans+4:12-16\">Abraham in particular, is considered to be the father of Judaism and Christianity, <\/a>even though he nor his sons had anything written from which they could learn about God.<\/p>\n<p>Given that these well-known God followers did not learn about God from any written documents (i.e. Bible), must ask the question: &#8220;How could these and other <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/hebrews\/11.html\">men and women of faith<\/a> learn about God and be held up as models of faith without the Bible or anything written to teach them?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The simple answer to the question is this: They had <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\">faith which is the substance of things not seen. <\/a>But, we must then ask, if they didn&#8217;t learn about God from something written that they could see, what did they have other than faith? The simple answer to the question is this: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=2-corinthians+5:1-7;+2-corinthians+4:15-18;+1-peter+1:1-5;+ephesians+2:1-8;+mark+5:34;+luke+7:50;+romans+10:8;+romans+10:17\">Faith is all that they needed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But the question still remains about the object of the faith of the heroes of faith in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/hebrews\/11.html\">Hebrews 11<\/a>. In other words, what exactly was it that they had faith in? Here are a few\u00a0 facts to consider:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>Because they did not have written Bibles or manuscripts, we know that their faith was not in literal words written on pages.<\/li>\n<li>Since they did not have pastors, priests or prophets, we know that their faith was not built on the teachings of religious leaders or prophets.<\/li>\n<li>Because there is no mention in scripture about expectations the heroes of faith might have had about going to heaven after they died, their faith was not in their eternal salvation.<\/li>\n<li>Since Jesus the man was not alive when any of them lived, their faith was not in Jesus.<\/li>\n<li>Since all of the heroes of faith experienced much conflict and heartache, their faith was not in the expectation that God would give them an easy, prosperous life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>If these heroes of faith didn&#8217;t have Bibles or teachers to teach them about faith, what is left for them to have faith in? Here is a brief summary of what we can learn from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/hebrews\/11.html\">Hebrews 11<\/a>:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>They all believed that God rewards people who seek him (i.e. listen to his voice) by speaking to them and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/deuteronomy\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+29:1-4\">giving them the ability to understand his voice.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>They all obeyed what they heard God tell them to do.<\/li>\n<li>They were all warriors who fought against <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-the-enemy\">God&#8217;s enemies<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>They <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=hebrews+11:13;+hebrews+11:39\">did not see in their lifetimes the promises that God made to them.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>When we boil these common traits down, what we are left with is this: The object of their faith was in the ability to hear the spoken word of God. Their faith was not in what they read, not in their religion, and not even in the person Jesus. It was all about hearing God&#8217;s voice and acting on what they heard.<\/p>\n<p>If faith in the ability to hear God&#8217;s spoken voice was what made these models of faith heroes in God&#8217;s eyes, it is reasonable and logical to say that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=romans+10:8;+romans+10:17;+hebrews+4:1-2;+acts+6:7\">faith that we can hear God&#8217;s word (i.e. his spoken voice)<\/a> is all that we in these modern times need also.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>BIBLICAL HISTORICAL ACCURACY AND <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dictionary.com\/browse\/inerrancy\">INERRANCY<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nThe historical accuracy of the Bible is rarely in question or doubt within Judaism and Christianity. In fact, within most strains of both religions, anyone who expressed doubt that the Bible is an accurate, detailed account of history would probably be considered a heretic and soon disenfranchised from their religion. For sure, no religious leader who argued about historical accuracy or even expressed a little bit of doubt about the Bible&#8217;s complete <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/thesaurus\/factuality\">factuality <\/a>would soon lose his or her credibility as a Bible teacher.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: There is much study and dispute among Biblical scholars about its historical accuracy and inerrancy. The volume of such study is way beyond the scope of this website, but we offer the following links for readers who are inclined to do their own research:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li id=\"firstHeading\" class=\"firstHeading\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Biblical_inerrancy\">Biblical Inerrancy (Wikipedia)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"firstHeading\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Biblical_infallibility\">Biblical Infallibility (Wikipedia)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li id=\"firstHeading\" class=\"firstHeading\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chicago_Statement_on_Biblical_Inerrancy\">Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"firstHeading\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Biblical_studies\">Biblical studies (Wikipedia)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"firstHeading\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Biblical_studies\">Historicity of the Bible (Wikipedia)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Anyone who is familiar with debates about Biblical history knows that there is disagreement about it. What scholars and theologians say about it all is unimportant, however, compared to what God says.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-12\">\n<div class=\"scripture\" lang=\"en\">\n<div id=\"v-9\" class=\"verse font-helvetica\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+8:1-9\"><span class=\"verse-number\">Jeremiah 8:1-9<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<span class=\"verse-1\">&#8220;At that time, says the LORD, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs; <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">2<\/span> <span class=\"verse-2\"> and they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped; and they shall not be gathered or buried; they shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">3<\/span> <span class=\"verse-3\"> Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, says the LORD of hosts. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">4<\/span> <span class=\"verse-4\"> &#8220;You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return? <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">5<\/span> <span class=\"verse-5\"> Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to return. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">6<\/span> <span class=\"verse-6\"> I have given heed and listened, but they have not spoken aright; no man repents of his wickedness, saying, &#8216;What have I done?&#8217; Every one turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">7<\/span> <span class=\"verse-7\"> Even the stork in the heavens knows her times; and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming; but my people know not the ordinance of the LORD. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">8<\/span> <span class=\"verse-8\"> &#8220;How can you say, &#8216;We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us&#8217;? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">9<\/span> <span class=\"verse-9\"> The wise men shall be put to shame, they shall be dismayed and taken; lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD, and what wisdom is in them? <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This short passage about the sin and treachery of Judah applies to all of Judaism and Christianity. Essentially, it is an account of the descent into religion from faith. The main points of the scripture are found in verses 8 and 9 where we see the following:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>Scribes (i.e. people who transcribe God&#8217;s spoken words into the Bible) have taken his spoken words (i.e. his laws) have made what God said into a lie.<\/li>\n<li>Scribes are considered by people who value what they write to be wise. But, because <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=1-corinthians+1:18-27;+1-corinthians+3:18-21;+2-corinthians+1:12;+james+3:13-18;+1-corinthians+2:1-14;+jeremiah+4:19-22;+isaiah+5:20-21;+isaiah+29:14;+isaiah+47:10;+jeremiah+8:9;+proverbs+3:1-7;+romans+1:22\">they are only wise in their own eyes, and in the eyes of the people who believe what they write, they are foolish compared to those who have Godly wisdom<\/a>. The truth appears to individuals who become <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;+1-thessalonians+4:9;+1-john+2:27;+john+14:11-17;+john+14:26;+1-corinthians+2:12;+hebrews+8:10-11\">New Covenant disciples and begin listening to God&#8217;s voice instead of depending on someone else to teach them.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>The people who are <span class=\"verse-9\">wise <\/span> in their own eyes will be\u00a0<span class=\"verse-9\">dismayed and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/hebrew\/nas\/lakad.html\">captured\/caught\/taken<\/a> because they have rejected <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice#howtoheargodsvoice\">God&#8217;s spoken word <\/a>in favor of the lying words of supposedly wise men<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice#howtoheargodsvoice\">.<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The lesson here for us is that we make a great error when we choose to interpret the Bible literally and\/or listen to or read what false prophets write or say. Instead, as New Covenant disciples, we should always listen for God&#8217;s voice to speak truth to us and never listen to what others, no matter how wise they may appear to be, write or say about their interpretations of the Bible. They are all liars &#8212; not because they intentionally set out to deceive others, but because they, themselves, have been deceived into believing that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">literal Bible is the same thing as\u00a0 God&#8217;s spoken word.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>A SHORT HISTORY OF LITERAL INTERPRETATION<\/strong><br \/>\nIn many denominations it is a settled\u00a0fact that for every scripture there is only one, literal meaning. There are several problems with this thinking:<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>It severely limits what God may want to reveal to anyone.<\/li>\n<li>It discourages individual disciples from\u00a0doing their own spiritual digging\u00a0to discover meanings different from those that religious leaders have already taught.<\/li>\n<li>It contradicts what the Bible says about mystery and parables and other deep sayings about symbolism.<\/li>\n<li>It grossly simplifies God\u2019s character and his ways.<\/li>\n<li>It reinforces the position and control of spiritual leaders in an Old\/First Covenant religious system, and<\/li>\n<li>It effectively constrains individual disciples from maturing into New Covenant disciples.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Reviewing this list, most readers would say that they would not want to be guilty of offending God in any of these ways. Nevertheless, most readers who are totally honest would have to confess that they have consciously or unconsciously adopted the &#8220;literal&#8221; attitude about scripture. It is an easy and understandable attitude to adopt because that is what most religious leaders teach and because the Bible is admittedly hard to understand in many place.<\/p>\n<p>It is a fact that the &#8220;literal&#8221; philosophy has become the default approach to scripture interpretation. We might be wrong about this because we do not have a vantage point from which we can accurately view and judge all Jewish and Christian denominations. Nevertheless, we will venture the opinion that Jewish and Christian denominations, old and new, large and small, have built their organizations and leadership around this philosophy. It is hard, therefore, to be a religionist in good standing in one of these organizations without adopting the same attitude because people who think differently (i.e. they take the symbolic approach) are suspect for their non-literal view of the Bible &#8212; if they dare to express that view publicly.<\/p>\n<p>Because of this prevailing tendency to interpret the Bible literally, a good portion of scripture is confusing to most readers. And we should not be surprised at that because God, in his wisdom, has loaded it with symbolic<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/5\"> mystery<\/a> from beginning to end.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">Mystery<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-2\">Literal or Symbolic Interpretation: Part 2. <\/a>These pages cite many scriptures that verify and explain <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/numbers\/12-8.html\">parables<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/numbers\/12-8.html\">dark sayings,<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/hebrews\/passage\/?q=hebrews+9:1-9\">symbols<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=romans+5:14;+hebrews+11:19\">types and patterns<\/a>, <span class=\"verse-12\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/john\/passage\/?q=john+16:23-25#\">figurative language<\/a><\/span>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=colossians+2:13-22;+hebrews+8:1-10;+hebrews+10:1-18\">shadows <\/a>and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=proverbs+25:2;+deuteronomy+29:29;+matthew+11:25;+psalm+78:1-7;+john+16:17-33;+daniel+2;+romans+11:25;+romans+16:25;+1-corinthians+13:2;+ephesians+1:9;+ephesians+3:1-9;+ephesians+6:19;+colossians+1:25-26\">deep mysteries<\/a> that are hidden in throughout the Bible.<\/p>\n<p>It is curious that, despite the fact that God is very forward about the presence of all these deep things, religious leaders and their followers still hold on to their literal philosophy. Those who are most religious will often claim to believe and trust the entire Bible, but the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/veracity\">veracity<\/a> of their claims breaks down when it comes to all the mysterious stuff that is hard to understand. Somehow they have contrived an exception to their claims that they fail to disclose to their followers.<\/p>\n<p>The conclusion we derive from this inconsistency is that those who claim to trust the Bible are hypocrites. They say one thing but do another. Worse yet, they have led their followers into hypocrisy also. And so both religious leaders and their followers continue merrily along doing their religious thing week after week with never a second thought that might prompt them to begin exploring what God means in all the difficult scriptures that they conveniently slide over when they read and discuss the Bible.<\/p>\n<p>With this irresponsible attitude firmly in place for hundreds of years, it is not surprising that the confusing parts do not become any clearer no matter how many sermons they hear, no matter how much they read their Bibles, and no matter how many spiritual books they have read. If they were humble enough to admit it, they would have to say that much of the Bible remains a mystery to them. But they don&#8217;t say it because no one is asking and saying it would create an internal <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cognitive_dissonance\">cognitive dissonance<\/a> that would be hard for them to live with.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, many religious people will proudly say that the Bible makes perfect sense. Christians get creation, sin, hell, Jesus, salvation and all the other doctrines their respective denominations and teachers emphasize. And Jews get the letter of the Torah. Each will hold up their Bibles or their <a href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/imgres?imgurl=http:\/\/www.gatherthejews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/torah-scroll.jpg&amp;imgrefurl=http:\/\/www.gatherthejews.com\/2010\/12\/rochel%25E2%2580%2599s-self-sacrifice-and-the-womans-role-in-judaism\/torah-scroll\/&amp;h=426&amp;w=450&amp;sz=43&amp;tbnid=q3bmpJMEAx7cyM:&amp;tbnh=87&amp;tbnw=92&amp;zoom=1&amp;usg=__7A6p7xgnJNic3lbQpQA9RIu2LI8=&amp;docid=PzFX66FWunFy_M&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=JTJTUbr8DaPRyAHus4CQAw&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=0CC8Q9QEwAA&amp;dur=3743\">Torah scrolls<\/a> and claim it as God&#8217;s Holy word and that they believe every word of it. When Christians get to the Books of the Law (i.e. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) and the prophets, however, they are less sure, but they don&#8217;t let that bother them too much. They still claim to trust all of it. Jews also have problems with some Old Testament scriptures and with the entire New Testament, but they do not hide or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/equivocate\">equivocate<\/a> in their mistrust of anything related to Jesus.<\/p>\n<p>Somehow, what God said about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/2-timothy\/passage\/?q=2-timothy+3:12-17\">&#8220;All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness&#8221;<\/a> gets set aside by religious people when applied to the parts of the Bible they do not understand or with which they do not agree.\u00a0We don&#8217;t know how religious organizations and individuals reconcile themselves to this inconsistency, but we will say without fear of contradiction that they have somehow learned to live with the confusion and carry on in zealously in their religious pursuits. \u00a0In our way of thinking, such readers are Old\/First Covenant religionists. They have the letter of the law but not the Spirit &#8212; or at least not all of the Spirit.<\/p>\n<p>So, what we have within the great population of those who claim to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is a divergent spectrum of attitudes and understandings about the Bible. The way we see it, all who are honest would need to confess that there is much of the Bible that they do not understand. And even if they would not publicly acknowledge any confusion, it is a Biblical certainty that they do not understand all of it. They may be able to quote chapter and verse of large portions of the Bible, but that is not the same thing as understanding it. A child or a parrot can be trained to quote scripture, but that does not mean they truly understand what they are saying. And if any would dare say that they do understand all of it, \u00a0they would be liars because they would be claiming themselves equal to God.<\/p>\n<p>Most of us, however, will not claim to be God&#8217;s equal. We try to be faithful to do our daily devotions but it is a constant struggle for most believers to keep up. Many solve this problem with help from expert authors who appear to have the Bible figured out. These authors are so confident in their knowledge of the Bible that they create publications and charge people for their accumulated wisdom. Preachers do the same with their preaching. Because this religious lingo is so nicely packaged, Ignorant religionists conclude, that authors and preachers know what they are talking about. Those religionists, believing that they will benefit from the wisdom of religious leaders are willing to pay for it &#8212; all the while ignoring that they are beneficiaries of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-commerce\">commercial religion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Many other readers faithfully (more or less) maintain their Bible reading schedule (e.g. a chapter a day, the Bible in a year, or whatever). They have been exhorted by pastors and friends that reading their Bible is good for their relationship with God, and so they read. But, if they are honest, they would need to confess that reading has become an issue of quantity and has little to do with quality. That means they read more as a chore to be done like brushing our teeth, and less for real understanding. On a good day, there will be little &#8220;aha&#8221; moments of inspiration, understanding, or application, but these do not compare in frequency with pages of boredom (e.g. endless genealogies, the books of Numbers and Leviticus, etc.) or confusion (e.g. stoning, prostitution, idolatry, etc.) \u00a0that are the norm for most Bible readers.<\/p>\n<p>We might regret that this is the way it is more if we did not know that this is the way it has been for over two thousand years going back to the exile of Israel after the destruction of the first temple.<\/p>\n<p>So this is our little review of the history of how Jews and Christians got stuck in Biblical\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/literalism\">literalism<\/a>. It may not seem like a big spiritual deal to most readers, but it really is. Keep reading to learn why it is such a big deal.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>TWO KINDS OF KNOWLEDGE <\/strong><br \/>\nThe New Testament speaks of two different kinds of knowledge: Ginosko and Epiginosko.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em><strong><a id=\"ginosko\"><\/a>Ginosko:<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/nas\/ginosko.html\"> Strongs 1097<\/a>, verb<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em> signifies &#8220;to be taking in knowledge, to come to know, recognize, understand,&#8221; or &#8220;to understand completely,&#8221; e.g., <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/passage\/?q=mark+13:28-29;john+13:12;john+15:18;john+21:17;2+corinthians+8:9;hebrews+10:34;1+john+2:5;1+john+4:1-13;1+john+5:2;1+john+5:20\">Mark 13:28,29; John 13:12; 15:18; 21:17; 2 Cor. 8:9; Heb. 10:34; 1 John 2:5; 4:2,6 (twice),7,13; 5:2,20;<\/a> in its past tenses it frequently means &#8220;to know in the sense of realizing,&#8221; the aorist or point tense usually indicating definiteness, Matt. 13:11; Mark 7:24; John 7:26; in John 10:38 &#8220;that ye may know (aorist tense) and understand, (present tense);&#8221; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/passage\/?q=john+19:4;+acts+1:7;+acts+17:19;+romans+1:21;+1-corinthians+2:11-14;+2-corinthians+2:4;+ephesians+3:19;+ephesians+6:22;+philippians+2:19;+philippians+3:10;+1-thessalonians+3:5;+2-timothy+2:19;+james+2:20;+1-john+2:13;+1-john+3:6;+1-john+4:8;+2-john+1:1;+revelation+2:24;+revelation+3:3;+revelation+3:9\">John 19:4; Acts 1:7; 17:19; Rom. 1:21; 1 Cor. 2:11 (2nd part),14; 2 Cor. 2:4; Eph. 3:19; 6:22; Phil. 2:19; 3:10; 1 Thess. 3:5; 2 Tim. 2:19; Jas. 2:20; 1 John 2:13 (twice),14; 3:6; 4:8; 2 John 1:1; Rev. 2:24; 3:3,9.<\/a> In the Passive Voice, it often signifies &#8220;to become known,&#8221; e.g., Matt. 10:26; Phil. 4:5. In the sense of complete and absolute understanding on God&#8217;s part, it is used e.g., in Luke 16:15; John 10:15 (of the Son as well as the Father); 1 Cor. 3:20. In Luke 12:46, AV, it is rendered &#8220;he is &#8230; aware.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em><strong><a id=\"epiginosko\"><\/a>Epiginosko: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/nas\/epiginosko.html\">Strongs 1921<\/a>, verb<\/em><br \/>\n<em> denotes (a) &#8220;to observe, fully perceive, notice attentively, discern, recognize&#8221; (epi, &#8220;upon,&#8221; and No. 1); it suggests generally a directive, a more special, recognition of the object &#8220;known&#8221; than does No. 1; it also may suggest advanced &#8220;knowledge&#8221; or special appreciation; thus, in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/romans\/1-32.html\">Rom. 1:32<\/a>, &#8220;knowing the ordinance of God&#8221; (epiginosko) means &#8220;knowing full well,&#8221; whereas in verse <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/romans\/1-21.html\">Rom. 1:21<\/a> &#8220;knowing God&#8221; (ginosko) simply suggests that they could not avoid the perception. Sometimes epiginosko implies a special participation in the object &#8220;known,&#8221; and gives greater weight to what is stated; thus in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/john\/8-32.html\">John 8:32<\/a>, &#8220;ye shall know the truth,&#8221; ginosko is used, whereas in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/1-timothy\/4-3.html\">1 Tim. 4:3<\/a>, &#8220;them that believe and know the truth,&#8221; epiginosko lays stress on participation in the truth. Cp. the stronger statement in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/passage\/?q=colossians+1:6;+2-corinthians+8:9\">Col. 1:6 (epiginosko) with that in 2 Cor. 8:9 (ginosko)<\/a>, and the two verbs in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/1-corinthians\/13-12.html\">1 Cor. 13:12<\/a>, &#8220;now I know in part (ginosko); but then shall I know (epiginosko) even as also I have been known (epiginosko),&#8221; &#8220;a knowledge which perfectly unites the subject with the object; (b) &#8220;to discover, ascertain, determine,&#8221; e.g.,<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/passage\/?q=luke+7:37;+luke+23:7;+acts+9:30;+acts+19:34;+acts+22:29;+acts+28:1\"> Luke 7:37; 23:7; Acts 9:30; 19:34; 22:29; 28:1;<\/a> in Acts 24:11 the best mss. have this verb instead of No. 1; hence the RV, &#8220;take knowledge.&#8221; J. Armitage Robinson (on Ephesians) points out that epignosis is &#8220;knowledge directed towards a particular object, perceiving, discerning,&#8221; whereas gnosis is knowledge in the abstract.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 120px;\">STUDY NOTE: The above narrative of ginosko and epiginosko is found in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.studylight.org\/dictionaries\/ved\/k\/know-known-knowledge-unknown.html\">Vine&#8217;s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words<\/a>. This is a very useful resources for Bible study.<\/p>\n<p>In comparing these two words it can be\u00a0 said that ginosko essentially refers to the kind of knowledge that we acquire by using our human skills and abilities (e.g. eyes, ears, intellect, etc.). This is the kind of knowledge that is available to Old\/First Covenant religionists but not to New Covenant disciples as we read in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/1-corinthians\/passage\/?q=1-corinthians+13:11-13\">1 Corinthians 13:11-13<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">When I was a child, I spake as a child, I <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/phroneo.html\">understood<\/a> as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. <span class=\"verse-number\">12<\/span> <span class=\"verse-12\"> For now we see through a glass, darkly*; but then face to face: now I <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/ginosko.html\">know<\/a> in part; but then shall I <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/epiginosko.html\">know<\/a> even as also I am <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/epiginosko.html\">known<\/a>. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">13<\/span> <span class=\"verse-13\"> And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>We see here that epiginosko kind of knowing refers to a deep, thorough kind of knowledge and face-to-face intimacy that we acquire through spiritual perception. Epiginosko does not employ simple, immature (i.e. childish) human abilities and skills applied by Old\/First Covenant religionists who interpret the Bible literally. Instead, epiginosko knowing is the kind of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=romans+10:2;+ephesians+1:16-17;+ephesians+4:12-13;+philippians+1:9;+colossians+1:9-10;+colossians+2:2;+colossians+3:10;+1-timothy+2:4;+2-timothy+2:25;+2-timothy+3:7;+titus+1:1;+philemon+1:6;+hebrews+10:26;+2-peter+1:2-3;+2-peter+1:8;+2-peter+2:20-21;+matthew+11:27;+matthew+14:35;+mark+2:8;+mark+5:30;+mark+6:54;+luke+1:1-4;+luke+5:22;+luke+24:16;+acts+4:13;+1-corinthians+13:12;+1-corinthians+14:37;+2-corinthians+1:13-14;+colossians+1:1-6;+1-timothy+4:1-3#\">knowledge\/knowing\/recognition\/awareness\/understanding of truth <\/a>that is only available to New Covenant disciples who listen to God&#8217;s spoken voice (i.e. spirit).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Because epiginosko knowledge comes from hearing God&#8217;s spoken voice, it is the perfect, ultimate kind of knowledge that leads to faith because<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=romans+10:16-18;+galatians+3:1-5\"> faith comes by hearing God&#8217;s spoken word<\/a> which is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=john+5:19;+matthew+26:39;+john+5:30;+john+6:38;+john+8:28;+john+12:49;+john+14:10\">spoken <\/a>by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;+1-thessalonians+4:9;+1-john+2:27;+john+14:11-17;+john+14:26;+1-corinthians+2:12;+hebrews+8:10-11\">God&#8217;s spirit<\/a> through <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\">true prophets<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;+1-thessalonians+4:9;+1-john+2:27;+john+14:11-17;+john+14:26;+1-corinthians+2:12;+hebrews+8:10-11\">. <\/a>It is impossible to come to true faith without hearing God&#8217;s voice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">When we continue to study Greek words related to knowledge, we find that there is a third kind of knowledge: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/nas\/gnosis.html\">Gnosis.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/parallel-bible\/passage\/?q=1-corinthians+8:1-2&amp;t=nas&amp;t2=niv\">1 Corinthians 8:1-2: <\/a><span class=\"verse-1\">Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">2<\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"verse-2\">If anyone supposes that he<strong> knows<\/strong> anything, he has not yet <strong>known<\/strong> as he ought to <strong>know<\/strong>; <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Knowledge in plain text in these verses is the gnosis kind of knowledge that is available to anyone. It is the Greek word from which the term &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theopedia.com\/gnosticism\">Gnosticism<\/a>&#8221; originates. The words <span class=\"verse-2\"><strong>knows<\/strong><\/span>, <span class=\"verse-2\"><strong>known<\/strong><\/span> and <span class=\"verse-2\"><strong>know<\/strong><\/span> in <strong>bold text<\/strong> are the ginosko kind of knowing.<\/p>\n<p>The point of studying these Greek words is to understand that there are different kinds of knowledge. Each religion has its own kinds of ginosko and gnosis knowledge that is recorded in books and taught by its theologians and religious leaders. Judaism and Christianity have accumulated thousands of years of gnosis and ginosko knowledge that<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=proverbs+14:11-15;+proverbs+16:25;+proverbs+12:15;+proverbs+21:2\"> seem right in the minds <\/a>of both religions because that knowledge seems to be solidly based on the literal words of the Bible. And indeed it does have some limited value, but the truth is that the literal words of the Bible are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+7:24-27\">foundations of sand &#8212; not rock.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>God&#8217;s spoken word is the only firm, unshakable foundation on which belief can be built. New Covenant disciples who hear the voice of God <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+7:24-29\">build on this foundation. <\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE IMPORTANCE OF BIBLICAL SYMBOLISM<\/strong><br \/>\nIt is beyond dispute that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/john\/4-24.html\">God is a spirit<\/a>. As a Spirit, there is no visible proof that he exists, but we can see where he has been and what he has done.<\/p>\n<p>We see this principle when <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/exodus\/passage\/?q=exodus+33:12-23\">Moses asked to see God&#8217;s glory, God placed him in the cleft of a rock and then basically showed Moses his back<\/a>. Instead of revealing himself tangibly or visibly, God merely <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/exodus\/33-19.html\">proclaimed his name.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/third-commandment\">Third Commandment <\/a>for discussion about the symbolic meaning of God&#8217;s name.<\/p>\n<p>This brief story about God&#8217;s glory is loaded with symbolic meaning that far exceeds the literal meaning. Here is a small sample:<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-color: #474062; border-width: 1px; height: 166px;\" border=\"1\" width=\"422\" align=\"center\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #474062; text-align: center;\"><strong>LITERAL READING<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #474062; text-align: center;\"><strong>SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #474062; text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/exodus\/33-13.html\">Moses asked that God would allow Moses to know him and his ways. But Moses did not just ask for himself, he also asked on behalf of the entire nation of Israel.<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #474062;\">These verses come directly after the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/exodus\/32.html\">golden calf incident in which God punished Israel<\/a> for creating <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/music-singing-and-dancing\/3#goldencalf1\">religion which is symbolized by the golden calf.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Moses already knew who God was but he did not know God&#8217;s ways. What he was asking for was a deeper kind of knowledge of God for himself and others. This concern for others will always be found in New Covenant disciples.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #474062; text-align: left;\">God&#8217;s response was that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/exodus\/33-14.html\">his presence would go with Moses and the nation of Israel.<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #474062;\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?q=+pillar+cloud+fire&amp;c=&amp;t=niv&amp;ps=100&amp;s=Bibles\">God&#8217;s spiritual presence is symbolically represented as a cloud and fire. <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenants-part-2\/7#godspeaksfromcloud\">Clouds are symbolic representations of people (i.e. New Covenant disciples) who speak for God.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Clouds are always found in the sky which is often referred to as the heavens.<\/li>\n<li>Since the kingdom where God makes his home is in heaven, and since the kingdom of heaven is within people, God makes his home within people.<\/li>\n<li>The place within people where God makes his home is in their hearts because the heart is the place where his laws are written.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;+jeremiah+32:40;+hebrews+8:10-11\">New Covenant disciples have God&#8217;s laws written on their hearts.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Following this symbolic sequence we conclude that God&#8217;s presence is found in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/2#newcovenant\">New Covenant<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/#disciple\">disciples.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?s=bibles&amp;q=kingdom%2Bof%2Bgod&amp;t=nas&amp;c=all\">kingdom of God<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?s=bibles&amp;q=kingdom%2Bof%2Bheaven&amp;t=nas&amp;c=all\">kingdom of heaven are the same thing<\/a> because both terms symbolically represent the place where God makes his home and from which he rules the hearts of New Covenant disciples because his laws are written on their hearts.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>God said that<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/exodus\/33-14.html\"> he would give Israel rest.<\/a><\/td>\n<td>See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/fourth-commandment\/sabbath-fasting-rest\">Sabbath, Fasting and Rest<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/fourth-commandment\">Fourth Commandment<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>When talking about Moses being in the cleft of the rock, it is important to recognize that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/1-corinthians\/passage\/?q=1-corinthians+10:1-4\">rock is a symbolic reference to Christ<\/a>. And since Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant, Moses was symbolically established in the New Covenant. Thus, the New Covenant was the vantage point from which he could see God&#8217;s glory. That means he could hear God&#8217;s voice. This is a reminder to us that we also need to be established in the New Covenant so that we can hear God&#8217;s voice and see God&#8217;s glory passing by in our lives.<\/p>\n<p>God also <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/1-kings\/passage\/?q=1-kings+19:1-13\">revealed himself to Elijah, but only with a small voice &#8212; not with anything tangible that could be seen or touched. <\/a>The small voice is symbolic of the Spirit. The smallness symbolically implies that what God revealed was a quiet revelation and not a loud and clear exclamation (i.e. literal, written words on a page of the Bible)<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/1-kings\/passage\/?q=1-kings+19:1-13\">. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>If that was all that God was willing to reveal to Moses and Elijah, two of his greatest prophets, we should not expect to receive anything more from God in terms of revelation of his glory.<\/p>\n<p>Another basic point to remember about symbolic interpretation is that it opens us up to the fullness of who God is. The written words on a page are finite. There are a fixed number of them and each word has its own literal meanings. God, on the other hand is not finite. He is much bigger than words can possibly describe.<\/p>\n<p>It is absurd to imagine that everything that can be known about God, or that everything he wants to teach his people can be contained in the written pages of the Bible or any collection of theological writings or sermons written and spoken by religious leaders. People who assume that all that can be known about God can be found in these creations of men have an exaggerated view of men and an underestimated view of a big God. These views discredit and devalue God.<\/p>\n<p>Symbolic interpretation, on the other hand allows for an open-ended understanding of an infinite God because openness to deep symbolism creates the ripe environment in which God&#8217;s spirit can break through all of our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=1+corinthians+2;+isaiah+64:1-4;+isaiah+65:17\">preexisting worldly wisdom to reveal his truth to us. <\/a>But, people who only accept the literal word of the Bible are not open to this expanded view of God. Thus they serve a very small god.<\/p>\n<p>How to move from literal to symbolic interpretation is simple, but hard. It begins with repentance for believing that we were able to learn what we needed to know by listening to others and by using our natural intellect to understand. After that, the appropriate strategy to follow is to assume that everything we read in the Bible is a parable for which God has not yet given us the ability to understand. We can read it with our natural eyes and ears, but\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+29:1-4;+isaiah+6:8-10;+ezekiel+12:2;+matthew+13:14;+acts+28:23-28\">God has not yet given us\u00a0a mind to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear.\u00a0<\/a>Why\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+29:1-4;isaiah+32:1-4;isaiah+48:8;jeremiah+5:21;ezekiel+12:2;matthew+13:15;acts+28:26-27;romans+11:1-8;ephesians+4:18\">God chooses to open our eyes to \u00a0the deep mysteries of some scripture and not to others is a matter of the hardness of our own hearts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>What God reveals to whom and when he reveals it is a matter of him<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/deuteronomy\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+8:1-3\"> testing us to reveal what is in our hearts<\/a>. \u00a0In our pride we think we love God deeply, and we do not know that hardness exists, but if we humbly acknowledge that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=romans+3:10;psalms+143:2;psalms+14:3;ecclesiastes+7:20\">we are not righteous<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=psalm+139:23-24;job+13:23;psalm+26:2;1+chronicles+29:17;psalm+7:9;proverbs+17:3;jeremiah+11:20;revelation+2:23;deuteronomy+6:6;jeremiah+20:12;ezekiel+11:5\">ask him to allow us to see our hearts as he sees them,<\/a> he will reveal the truth to us. And when we are faithful to repent for our religious pride after God shows us our hearts, he will be faithful to open our eyes and ears to spiritual understanding of those difficult scriptures.\u00a0Then we can move on with expectations that he will open our spiritual eyes and ears to some greater degree thereafter.<\/p>\n<p>In this process of stumbling and repenting we make some small or great progress in our transition from being Old\/First Covenant religionists to New Covenant disciples. It is not a momentary, all at once event, but it is a process that we go through little by little. Just as Israel passed through the wilderness little by little on its way to the promised land (i.e. New Covenant) while acquiring spiritual wealth and overcoming Old\/First Covenant religious enemies along the way, we make the same trip by overcoming our enemies on the way to the promised land where we will know God more deeply because he gives to us the ability to interpret the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\">symbols and parables<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>We must be mindful, however, that even after Israel entered the promised land it continued doing battle with neighboring pagan nations that already occupied the land. Our enemies, however, are not natural enemies as represented in Old Testament stories. Rather, they are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-the-enemy\">spiritual enemies<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/ephesians\/passage\/?q=ephesians+6:10-12\">\u00a0<\/a>within each one of us, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\">within the world of religion<\/a>, that inhibit our spiritual growth. These enemies always argue strongly for continued literal interpretations upon which religion is founded.<\/p>\n<p>Israel&#8217;s enemies are characterized as pagan nations such as the\u00a0Hivite, Canaanite, and Hittite. These were no doubt real nations, but we must be careful that we interpret them as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/ephesians\/passage\/?q=ephesians+6:10-12\">spiritual enemies<\/a>\u00a0and not simply as ancient, warring, pagan nations that bothered Israel but \u00a0no longer exist to bother us. Looking at the spiritual interpretations of these nations and their many encounters withe Israel we find that these ancient nations represent aggressive cultures that we know very well in these modern times as religious institutions that hold people in bondage to their deceptive religious practices.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-the-enemy\">Religion is the Enemy<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-the-enemy\/gods-at-war\">Gods at War,<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-injustice-and-slavery\">Religion is Injustice Slavery and Oppression<\/a> for understanding of spiritual enemies.<\/p>\n<p>These enemies exist today as religious leaders, churches, synagogues, denominations, and ministries of all sizes, shapes and doctrines. They are typically led by a charismatic religious personalities that convincingly present themselves as experts in one or more areas of spiritual life. They are able to prosper and thrive in a competitive religious environment because they know what it takes to keep religious people coming back for more of the tasty, but spiritually empty, food these leaders keep dishing out week after week.<\/p>\n<p>These leaders are the human manifestations of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/breadfood-and-wine\/3#treeofknowledgeofgoodandevil\">Trees of Knowledge of Good and Evil.<\/a> They are pleasant to look at and good for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/breadfood-and-wine\">food<\/a> just like the tree of which Adam and Eve ate. They are Old\/First Covenant religionists who survive because their followers are deceived into believing that they are spiritual and have a direct connection to God. The truth is, however, that\u00a0 those who trust them and listen to them are Old\/First Covenant religionists who, because they do not know how to discern good from evil, are not able to understand all the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/ezekiel\/passage\/?q=ezekiel+14:1-11\">warnings the prophets gave to not listen to religious leaders. <\/a>And so they continue to listen to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\">false prophets<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>KNOWING LITERAL SCRIPTURE IS NOT ENOUGH<\/strong><br \/>\nThe take-away message in this series of pages is that we need to be careful in thinking that we know God just because we can quote the Bible. Knowing the stories and scriptures well enough to locate them and quote them does not equate with understanding them in your heart. It is true that a measure of intellectual understanding generally (but not always) precedes spiritual understanding, but mere intellectual understanding is not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to understand with the heart, and the scope of what that may mean is not limited to the meanings of words created by and used by men.<\/p>\n<p>God has designed a system in which he uses man\u2019s words to communicate spiritual truth, but the truth does not\u00a0 begin and end with the words. The words are only the vehicles through which God begins to reveal truths that can ultimately only be understood spiritually (i.e. with the heart). It all goes back to the fact that God is spirit and we are basically flesh. He is in the ongoing process of\u00a0 transforming us from flesh to Spirit. Since words are creations of men, they are creations of the flesh, and God is trying to wean us off the use of literal words (i.e. seeing with our eyes and hearing with our ears) as He trains us to see and hear with spiritual\u00a0 eyes and ears (i.e. our hearts). We can either work with God in this process or obstruct his efforts to train us. We obstruct when we proudly believe that we know what he is trying to say because we have a good intellectual understanding of the man-made words. That means we have an intellectual\u00a0knowledge of natural truth but that our hearts have become calloused to spiritual truth. We participate with God in the process of training us when we agree in advance\u00a0that symbolic interpretations exist, and then work (i.e. study, listen to his voice) until God reveals the spiritual understanding to us.<\/p>\n<p>Since God is spirit, and since <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=1+corinthians+15:49;romans+8:28-29;2+corinthians+3:18;philippians+3:20-21;1+john+3:2\">we are in the process of being re-created (i.e. transformed) into his image<\/a>, we should not want to be satisfied with natural truth alone.\u00a0 Therefore, we participate in the transformation process when we study the words with humility that allows that, in our fleshly nature, we do not really understand what God is trying to communicate to us, and then ask God to reveal the deeper spiritual truths (i.e. beyond the words) to us. If we do our part, he will be faithful to reveal those truths to us. But if we proudly stick to our intellectual knowledge, we inhibit gaining spiritual knowledge and limit our ability to know God more deeply. We can facilitate this transformation process by assuming that Jesus\u2019 principle of speaking in parables is not limited to those scriptures that are specifically labeled as parables in the Biblical text. In other words, it is helpful to think of everything in the Bible as being a parable with a meaning that transcends the literal meaning.<\/p>\n<p>It seems reasonable to us that God would apply that principle throughout the Bible and not just in New Covenant scriptures. In our experience, applying this perspective has made the way for understanding of many scriptures that are obscure, confusing, contradictory, and otherwise impossible to understand. And indeed they are obscure, confusing, contradictory, and downright impossible to understand \u2014 but we need to allow that this is true because we are limited by our understanding of the man-made words we read and by our natural intellect. But the real problem is that we do not know how to listen to God&#8217;s voice.<\/p>\n<p>Would we dare to conclude that\u00a0 God himself is also handicapped in his ability to explain what we find impossible to understand? Of course we would not think that, and yet we somehow resign ourselves to believing that understanding is beyond us, that we will never \u201cget it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: The truth is that we will not &#8220;get it&#8221; until we are know the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">difference between God&#8217;s written word and his spoken voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The attitude that some scripture is over our heads is in blatant contradiction to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nrs\/passage\/?q=romans+12:1-3;ephesians+4:17-24;romans+6:4;colossians+3:5-10;2+corinthians+5:17;2+corinthians+3:18\">doctrine that we are being transformed into God\u2019s likeness.<\/a>\u00a0 If God can \u201cget it,\u201d we have the very real potential to \u201cget it.\u201d If we do not \u201cget it,\u201d the reason is that we have become so proud in our intellectual understanding of the man-made words that God has seen fit to harden our hearts to spiritual understanding. This is a very bad state to be in for many reasons.<\/p>\n<p>One sad thing about this attitude is that it totally denies the truth that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/2-timothy\/passage\/?q=2-timothy+3:14-17\">\u201cAll scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.\u201d<\/a> If we hold to the lie that the meanings of some scriptures are way over our heads and that we will never understand them, we, in effect, call God a liar. When this attitude is at work we not only deprive ourselves of understanding, but we also offend God. This attitude is not at all conducive to spiritual growth. On the contrary, it is an attitude that will yield spiritual death \u2014 not life. That is the saddest outcome of all.It is not an easy process to go through.<\/p>\n<p>Part of the problem exists in those scriptures that are obscure, confusing, contradictory, and downright impossible to understand. Many pose real and difficult problems when it comes to taking a strictly literal interpretation of scripture. Consider, for example, many apparent commands to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nrs\/passage\/?q=leviticus+20:27;leviticus+24:16;numbers+15:36;deuteronomy+13:10;deuteronomy+17:5;deuteronomy+21:21\">put someone to death by stoning.<\/a> How does one deal with application of those scriptures when the only interpretation you use can be literal? Obviously something is lacking in our understanding, and that is the spiritual (symbolic) interpretation. So if anyone tries to tell you that the only way to interpret the Bible is literally, and that symbolic interpretations are wrong, don\u2019t listen to them. They are false prophets.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong><a id=\"askquestions\"><\/a>KEY TO TRANSFORMATION: ASK QUESTIONS<\/strong><br \/>\nThe process of being made in God&#8217;s image is a matter of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=romans+12:1-2;+ephesians+4:17-24;+titus+3:1-5\">transformation of the mind<\/a>. Transformation is possible only when we do the following:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>Stop thinking <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/pride\">we already know all that we need to know about God.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\/3\">Learn to identify false prophets<\/a> and stop listening to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\">false prophets.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Stop using intellect and reasoning (i.e. flesh) to understand the literal words (i.e. parables) of the Bible.<\/li>\n<li>Start asking questions about the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">mysteries<\/a> of the Bible that only God can answer.<\/li>\n<li>Start looking for the meaning of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\" aria-haspopup=\"true\">Symbols, Signs, Types, Parables, Copies, and Shadows .<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Begin <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/study\/2\">studying the Bible while listening for God <\/a>to answer our questions by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;+1-thessalonians+4:9;+1-john+2:27;+john+14:11-17;+john+14:26;+1-corinthians+2:12;+hebrews+8:10-11\">writing his laws on our hearts.<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 120px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/how-to-hear-gods-spoken-voice\/4\">BE LIKE A LITTLE CHILD: ASK QUESTIONS<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>We see these principles in the following stories:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:10-17\">Matthew 13:10-17<\/a>:<span class=\"verse\"> <span id=\"verse-10\">The disciples came to him and asked, &#8220;Why do you speak to the people in parables?&#8221;<\/span> <\/span> 11 <span id=\"verse-11\">He replied, &#8220;The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: The secrets of the kingdom of heaven are the revelations that God only gives to New Covenant disciples. They qualify themselves as disciples when they disengage from their religious system &#8212; especially its religious leaders &#8212; and tune their spiritual ears to listen only to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">God&#8217;s voice<\/a>. It can be said that when they read the Bible, they listen for the meanings between the lines of the written words<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">This attitude contrasts with Old\/First Covenant religionists who interpret the Bible literally and look to religious leaders to teach them. Even though they are reading the same words that New Covenant disciples read, they interpret the Bible as parables and mystery because they do not have <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+29:1-4;+isaiah+6:8-10;+ezekiel+12:2;+matthew+13:14;+acts+28:23-28\">spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear God&#8217;s spoken voice<\/a>. There are three main reason why they do not understand the secrets:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ol>\n<li>They practice idolatry.<\/li>\n<li>They choose to interpret the Bible literally.<\/li>\n<li>They do not listen to God&#8217;s voice.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">12 <span id=\"verse-12\">Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: Only New Covenant disciples have the ability to understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Because they no longer waste their time listening to false prophets\u00a0 and reading their Bibles for literal understanding, they have <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice#howtoheargodsvoice\">learned how to hear God&#8217;s voice<\/a>. The more they listen, the more they hear.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Old\/First Covenant religionists do not have the ability to hear God&#8217;s voice. All they have is their literal, intellectual knowledge of scripture. They may not actually lose what they know, but, in comparison to New Covenant disciples, who are growing in understanding, they appear to be losing what little understanding they do have.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">13 <span id=\"verse-13\">This is why I speak to them in parables: &#8220;Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.<\/span> 14 <span id=\"verse-14\">In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: &#8221; &#8216;You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: Old\/First Covenant religionists are diligent in their efforts to see the literal meanings of scripture and hear the literal interpretations of scriptures spoken by false prophets, but they do not hear God&#8217;s voice or understand the secrets he has planted in scripture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">15 <span id=\"verse-15\">For this people&#8217;s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.&#8217;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: Old\/First Covenant religionists have spent so much time trying to interpret the Bible literally that their ability to hear God&#8217;s voice has been greatly limited. They are so preoccupied with trying to understand the literal Bible using their intellect that they do not understand symbolic, spiritual meanings with their hearts.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">16 <span id=\"verse-16\">But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.<\/span> 17 <span id=\"verse-17\">For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/faith-grace-mercy-peace-love-heart-glory-blessing-spirit-and-truth\/11\">Blessing is code language for hearing God&#8217;s spoken voice.<\/a> New Covenant disciples are blessed because they hear God&#8217;s voice. They <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:10-17;+isaiah+6:1-10\">see and hear (i.e. understand) with their spiritual eyes and ears (i.e. hearts).<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The prophets and righteous men are Old\/First Covenant religionists who have studied long and hard to find meaning in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">mysteries <\/a>of the Bible. Their righteousness is self-righteousness based on their fleshly efforts to connect to God through physical, intellectual effort.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a id=\"parables\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:33-35\">Matthew 13:33-35<\/a> He told them still another parable: &#8220;The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.&#8221; 34 <span id=\"verse-34\">Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.<\/span> 35 <span id=\"verse-35\">So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: &#8220;I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the <\/span><span class=\"verse\"><span id=\"verse-35\">world.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY ON PARABLES: We understand in verse 34 that Jesus always spoke in parables. This is a verse that we can interpret at face value. There is no mystery here. It means what it says: Jesus always spoke in parables. It also means that if we don&#8217;t understand the parables, we don&#8217;t understand Jesus&#8217; teachings. And if we don&#8217;t understand Jesus&#8217; teachings, we are not <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-2\/5\">true disciples<\/a>. Moreover, if we don&#8217;t understand Jesus&#8217; teachings we don&#8217;t really know Jesus nor do we really know the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\/jesus\/5\">God whose words Jesus spoke<\/a>. Therefore any claims to love Jesus and love God are false claims. How can we claim to love someone we don&#8217;t know? How can we claim to be followers of Jesus if we don&#8217;t understand his teachings?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">In verse 35 we understand that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-1\">God always speaks in parables.<\/a> This verse references <a href=\"https:\/\/biblehub.com\/psalms\/78-2.htm\">Psalm 78:2 <\/a>in which God makes plain that he always speaks in parables. Therefore, what was said about Jesus speaking in parables is fully consistent with what God said about himself. From that truth we conclude that the entire Bible is full of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\">Symbols, Signs, Types, Parables, Copies, and Shadows<\/a> that we are challenged to interpret.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\/messiah\/2\">Correct interpretation of scripture was one of the functions of Jesus&#8217; ministry.<\/a> As verse 35 says, he was uttering things hidden since the creation of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/world\">the world<\/a>. He was in fact<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\/jesus\/5\"> speaking God&#8217;s words <\/a>which have always been hidden from religious people and accessible only to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/2#newcovenant\">New Covenant<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/#disciple\">disciples <\/a>who have God&#8217;s laws written on their hearts.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/1-corinthians\/passage\/?q=1-corinthians+2:13-14\">symbolic meanings of parables are not understandable to Old\/First Covenant religionists who can only grasp the literal meanings of the literal words<\/a>. These literal interpretations are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+7:24-29\">foundations of religion<\/a>. They are not the foundations of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=romans+10:17;+galatians+3:2-5;+mark+4:21-25\">faith which comes by hearing God&#8217;s spoken word<\/a>. New Covenant disciples, on the other hand, grasp the deeper, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">mysterious<\/a>, spiritual meanings of Bible stories (i.e. parables) which convey much more than simple words can convey. They grasp the deeper meaning because the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=2-samuel+23:1-2;+john+14:26;+john+16:13;+1-corinthians+2:12;+psalm+143:10;+luke+12:11-12;+matthew+10:17-20;+mark+13:11;+1-thessalonians+2:13;+exodus+4:12;+isaiah+50:4;+ephesians+6:19-20;+2-peter+1:19-21\">spirit of God reveals it to them<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">That is why <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/how-to-hear-gods-spoken-voice#whatgodsvoiceislike\">hearing God&#8217;s voice is like seeing a vision,\u00a0<\/a>for which the interpretation is limitless, while words are always limited to the intellectual and cultural knowledge of the reader. In other words, the truth of the statement that\u00a0 &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/A_picture_is_worth_a_thousand_words\">a picture is worth a thousand words&#8221; <\/a>is fulfilled in parables.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">These <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=1-thessalonians+4:9;+1-john+2:27;+john+14:11-17;+john+14:26;+1-corinthians+2:12;+hebrews+8:10-11;+jeremiah+31:31-34\">spiritual meanings (i.e. truth) are communicated by the spirit of God speaking to the hearts<\/a> of New Covenant disciples whose <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/matthew\/18-4.html\">hearts are open and humble like little children <\/a>who are not ashamed to ask questions that might make them look ignorant or unspiritual.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Old\/First Covenant religionists who are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=proverbs+3:7;+proverbs+12:15;+proverbs+26:5;+proverbs+26:12;+proverbs+28:11;+isaiah+5:21\">wise in their own eyes, however, are denied<\/a> deep spiritual knowledge of God. Their limited knowledge of God comes from the literal words of the Bible and human teachers who repackage their personal interpretations of the literal words for others to hear. And what they lack in knowledge they compensate for with the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=genesis+6:5;+genesis+8:21;+jeremiah+16:12;+jeremiah+7:24;+jeremiah+11:8;+jeremiah+14:14;+jeremiah+18:12;+jeremiah+3:17;+jeremiah+13:10;+luke+1:51;+colossians+2:18;+jeremiah+27:9-17;+jeremiah+23:16;+jeremiah+28:15;+jeremiah+29:8;+1-john+4:1;+matthew+7:15;+2-corinthians+11:13-15;+galatians+1:8-9;+ezekiel+13:1-6;+ezekiel+13:23;+ezekiel+21:29;+ezekiel+22:28;+proverbs+12:6;+proverbs+1:11;+proverbs+1:16;+ecclesiastes+10:12;+ezekiel+33:31;+revelation+13:1-5\"> imaginations of their minds.<\/a> This is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/nas\/gnosis.html\">knowledge of a kind, but it is human knowledge,<\/a> not the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/epiginosko.html\">deep, intimate, precise, thorough kind of knowledge<\/a> that comes as a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/1-corinthians\/12-8.html\">spiritual gift to those who listen to God&#8217;s spoken word\/voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=Mark+4:30-34\">Mark 4:30-34<\/a>:<span class=\"verse\"> <span id=\"verse-30\">Again he said, &#8220;What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?<\/span> <\/span> 31 <span id=\"verse-31\">It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.<\/span> 32 <span id=\"verse-32\">Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.&#8221;<\/span> 33 <span id=\"verse-33\">With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.<\/span> 34 <span id=\"verse-34\">He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: The Bible is full of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">mysterious parables<\/a> that can also be described as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\">symbolic language<\/a> in which God uses natural things (e.g. people, places, activities, etc.) to represent spiritual truths.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Religion promises to teach the meanings of the Bible to people who gather together to hear the teachings of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\">false prophets. <\/a>God, on the other hand speaks to his disciples when he is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=psalm+27:5;+psalm+31:20;+song+of+solomon+2:14;+ezekiel+7:22;+proverbs+9:17;+matthew+6:4;+matthew+6:6;+matthew+6:17-18;+john+7:10\">alone with them in their secret place (i.e. heart<\/a>) and when they study with one another. It is only while alone with God that people have opportunity to ask questions. And it is only when people <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=matthew+7:7-11;luke+11:5-13;proverbs+8:17;jeremiah+29:12-13\">ask God for understanding<\/a> that he explains deep mysteries to them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Deep mysteries are not all explained at one time. Revelation is usually a slow process. We see this principle in the statement about the mustard seed maturing into a great tree. Faith that God will speak to his people directly is very small when they first leave religion where they previously put their faith and trust in false prophets to teach them. If they stay disconnected from religion, however, and if they are faithful to ask, seek and knock with the faith of a little child, they will sooner or later <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice#howtoheargodsvoice\">hear Gods voice speak and reveal mysteries to them<\/a>. Their faith will grow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=exponentially&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8\">exponentially<\/a> with each succeeding revelation, and it will be proportional to the degree with which they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+7:7-8;+luke+11:9;+psalm+37:4;+jeremiah+29:13;+isaiah+30:19;+james+1:5;+1-john+5:14\">ask, seek and knock<\/a> for answers to mysteries.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=John+10:1-6\">John 10:1-6<\/a>:\u00a0 <span class=\"verse\"><span id=\"verse-1\">&#8220;<\/span><\/span><span id=\"verse-1\">I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.<\/span> 2 <span id=\"verse-2\">The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.<\/span> 3 <span id=\"verse-3\">The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.<\/span> 4 <span id=\"verse-4\">When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.<\/span> 5 <span id=\"verse-5\">But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger&#8217;s voice.&#8221;<\/span> 6 <span id=\"verse-6\">Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them<\/span><span class=\"verse\"><span id=\"verse-6\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: The gate to understanding is the spoken word of God. The sheep pen is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-injustice-and-slavery\">religion that enslaves people. <\/a>That is why they need to be led out. New Covenant disciples who speak for God are shepherds who lead them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Watchmen are New Covenant disciples who open the gate so that the sheep can understand that they must listen to God&#8217;s voice themselves. After they learn to hear God&#8217;s voice, they will never again listen to strangers (i.e. false prophets) who try to lead them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/luke\/passage\/?q=luke+10:17-24\">Luke 10:17-24<\/a>: <span class=\"verse-17\">The seventy returned w<\/span>ith joy, saying, &#8220;Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.&#8221; 18 And He said to them, &#8220;I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 &#8220;Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 &#8220;Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.&#8221;\u00a0 21 At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, &#8220;I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 22 &#8220;All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.&#8221;\u00a0 23 Turning to the disciples, He said privately *, &#8220;Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: The wise and intelligent people are those who interpret the Bible literally. But they are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=isaiah+5:21;+proverbs+3:7;+proverbs+28:11;+proverbs+26:12;+proverbs+26:5;+proverbs+12:15\">wise an intelligent only in their own eyes <\/a>and in the eyes of those who trust them. They are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\/kings-queens-and-princes\">Kings, Queens and Princes<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\">False Prophets<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Infants, on the other hand, are New Covenant disciples who are like little children who do not pretend to know anything and are eager to learn. They are full of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-1\/8#askquestions\">questions\u00a0 which they do not hesitate to ask <\/a>because they have no fear of looking stupid or unspiritual.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">These infants read the same words in the Bible that Old\/First Covenant religionists read, but they never assume that they understand the literal words. They constantly question what the mysterious, confusing parts mean and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">listen for God&#8217;s voice<\/a> to explain those parts to them. They <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/ezekiel\/passage\/?q=ezekiel+14:1-14\">do not go to false prophets who pretend to to have the answers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/john\/passage\/?q=john+6:1-69\">John 6:1-69:\u00a0 <\/a>After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber&#8217;i-as. 2 And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased.\u00a0 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.\u00a0 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, &#8220;How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?&#8221; 6 This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: Jews and Christians think God evaluates them according to the extent of their religious activity. The truth is that he does not look at outward appearances but looks at the heart to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=exodus+16:4;+exodus+15:25;+exodus+20:20;+2+chronicles+32:31;+deuteronomy+8:16\"> test what is in the hearts.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 230px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/place-where-god-will-place-his-name\/4\">this link for understanding of God&#8217;s evaluation of hearts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">It is hard for Jews and Christians, therefore, to understand when they are being tested because they are generally unaware\u00a0 of the true conditions of their hearts. They are unaware because of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-deception\">deceptions<\/a> foisted upon them by generations of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\">false prophets <\/a>who emphasize religious activity rather than the heart.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The testings are all forecast by the choice Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden: Eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or the Tree of Life. This\u00a0 choice is the essence of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/#temptationsofjesus\">temptation<\/a>. Putting this in Biblical language, the choice is between Old\/First Covenant religion and the New Covenant. It is also the choice between interpreting the Bible literally or listening to God&#8217;s spoken voice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">7 <span class=\"verse-7\"> Philip answered him, &#8220;Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little<\/span>.&#8221; 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter&#8217;s brother, said to him, 9 &#8220;There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?&#8221; 10 Jesus said, &#8220;Make the people sit down.&#8221; Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, &#8220;Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.&#8221; 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: Philip and Andrew failed the test by looking at the situation in a purely natural way. All they could think about was a multitude of physically hungry people with only a small amount of natural food for them to eat.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Most people who read and interpret these verses literally will relate to Philip and Andrew. They see a natural problem and look for natural ways to solve the problem. This is what religionists do. They cannot see the spiritual side of a situation. They fail the test.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Jesus, on the other hand, understood the spiritual context of the situation. He did not see physically hungry people. Rather he saw spiritually hungry people and he knew how to feed them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The miracle that Jesus did was not a natural miracle. It was a spiritual miracle. The bread and fish that he gave to the people was spiritual food &#8212; not natural food.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The test for Jews and Christians is to interpret the story as a spiritual miracle. Anyone who interprets the story in literal terms fails the test.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">14 When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, &#8220;This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!&#8221; 15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: It is interesting to notice that Jesus resisted the possibility that the people who were following him would make him king over him. Jews who are strictly monotheistic will find this commendable, but Jesus&#8217; actions should be incomprehensible to Christians who like to think of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=1+timothy+6:15;+revelation+1:5;+revelation+17:14;+revelation+19:16\">Jesus as their king<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Verse 15 should also be a caution for religious leaders who, in God&#8217;s view, are<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\/kings-queens-and-princes\"> kings<\/a> of their own <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/nations\">religious kingdoms.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Caper&#8217;na-um. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, 20 but he said to them, &#8220;It is I; do not be afraid.&#8221; 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\"><a id=\"symbolismwater\"><\/a>COMMENTARY ON THE SYMBOLISM OF WATER: Christians who like to quote the miracle of Jesus walking on water totally miss that the story is a picture of God overcoming the evil of religion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">All through the Bible, water has two meanings that must be understood if the imagery of the picture is to be understood. On the one hand, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+32:45-47;+john+6:63;+revelation+22:1-2;+jeremiah+2:13;+jeremiah+17:13;+john+4:10-14;+john+7:38;+psalm+36:9;+proverbs+4:10;+1+john+1:1-2;+philippians+2:12-16;+john+6:68\">water symbolizes spiritual life that comes from God&#8217;s word<\/a> spoken to the hearts of New Covenant disciples. And on the other hand, water symbolizes the destructive power of religion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Large bodies of water such as floods, seas and lakes symbolize large religious institutions, movements, or powerful religious leaders. The sea of Galilee, for example, symbolizes a formidable religious influence. The story of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=matthew+8:23-27;matthew+14:22-32\">Jesus walking on the surface of the Sea of Galilee and sleeping in a boat<\/a> symbolize God&#8217;s word overcoming religion. While the disciples were in the boat alone they were afraid of the power of the sea (i.e. religion.) But while Jesus was in the boat they were not afraid of religion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Perhaps the best known example of water symbolizing religion is the great flood in the time of Noah. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/genesis\/passage\/?q=genesis+6:1-8\">Where the bible says the people of Noah&#8217;s day were very wicked, <\/a>it means they were very religious. Because God&#8217;s punishment for religion is to allow it to flourish, he punished the religious people of Noah&#8217;s day by allowing it to flourish. The symbolism for this is a flood of water, or a flood of religion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Applying the symbolism of water as God&#8217;s spoken word, we see a picture of a dove which symbolizes the spirit of God coming to speak words of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/faith-grace-mercy-peace-love-heart-glory-blessing-spirit-and-truth\/7#peace\">peace<\/a> to religious people. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=john+4:7-14;+john+7:37-38;+jeremiah+2:13;+revelation+7:17;+revelation+21:6;+revelation+22:1;+revelation+22:17;+song+of+solomon+4:14-15;+jeremiah+17:12-13;+leviticus+14:49-52\">This symbolism is repeated in the person of Jesus, the source of living water<\/a>, who was sent to overcome the flood of religion. Jesus overcomes religion by speaking God&#8217;s words to religious people who are tossed about and frightened\u00a0 (i.e.<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-injustice-and-slavery\"> oppressed<\/a>) by religion. The oppression is removed immediately when they welcomed the living word into their lives. It is a picture of the New Covenant succeeding, and overcoming Old\/Covenant religion. It is the same imagery found in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/genesis\/passage\/?q=genesis+1:1-5\">Genesis 1:1-5 where we see the spirit hovering over the water and bringing forth light from darkness.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 200px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/circumcision\/6\">this link about baptism<\/a> for more understanding of water.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">22 On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 However, boats from Tiber&#8217;i-as came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, , they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper&#8217;na-um, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, &#8220;Rabbi, when did you come here?&#8221; 26 Jesus answered them, &#8220;Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: The people who followed Jesus in boats did not do so because they had observed the miracle of multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Rather, they sought Jesus because they had eaten the spiritual bread that only Jesus provides. They had tasted this spiritual bread and wanted more. That is why they were willing to cross over the sea of religion to get to the other side where they could receive more <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/breadfood-and-wine#goodspiritualfood\">good spiritual food<\/a> from Jesus.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/prayer\/prayer-2\/public-prayer#feedingfivethousand\">this link<\/a> for understanding of the miracle of the feeding of five thousand people.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: The message here is that religious food based on literal interpretations of the written Bible perishes, and that spiritual food gives eternal life. We find this principle <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/exodus\/16.html\">in the wilderness story where Israel was compelled to work to acquire perishable food by physically picking it up every day except the seventh day. <\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">This story of Israel in the wilderness is a parable of the Old\/First Covenant when people work to learn about God by reading the literal Bible. It is a more or less daily process in which what is learned spoils and does not last. But on the seventh day (i.e. Sabbath) they did not have to work for spiritual food. It was a day of rest. Instead of doing religious work, all they need to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+4:1-4;+deuteronomy+8:1-3;+exodus+15:26;+exodus+23:21;+exodus+19:5;+jeremiah+7:23\">listen to the God&#8217;s voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">This story is a parable of the transition from Old\/First Covenant to New Covenant. Old\/First Covenant religionists feed themselves more or less daily by performing religious work &#8212; including reading the Bible. This <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=exodus+16:35;+joshua+5:12\">daily gathering of manna ended, however, when Israel made the transition from the wilderness to the promised land<\/a> (i.e. New Covenant).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">After entering the promised land, New Covenant disciples live in a perpetual, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/fourth-commandment\/sabbath-fasting-rest\">seventh day Sabbath<\/a> in which they do no religious work because they are fed spiritual food by the spirit of God. God feeds them by his spirit when they <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+4:1-4;+deuteronomy+8:1-3;+exodus+15:26;+exodus+23:21;+exodus+19:5;+jeremiah+7:23\">listen to his voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The wilderness period of working for religious food that does not last represents written, Old\/First Covenant laws given by Moses to Israel. This is a parable of all religious laws and traditions created by religious leaders who use the written words of the Bible as their guides. God contrasts this wilderness experience with the promised land which in which people listen to<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\"> God&#8217;s spoken voice and do not depend on the literal, written words of the Bible<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The seventh day (i.e. Sabbath) represents the Promised Land which is the New Covenant. No religious work is necessary for New Covenant people and they do not follow a law-giver (i.e. religious leader) like Moses. They do follow a spiritual leader in the form of Joshua who is a type of Jesus and a model warrior who fulfilled God&#8217;s spiritual laws by leading Israel into battles to overcome the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-the-enemy\">religious enemies<\/a> that represent<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/nations\"> religious cities, kingdoms and nations<\/a> that occupied the promised land.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">28 Then they said to him, &#8220;What must we do, to be doing the works of God?&#8221; 29 Jesus answered them, &#8220;This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">30 So they said to him, &#8220;Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, &#8216;He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'&#8221; 32 Jesus then said to them, &#8220;Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: In the Bible, bread, like water, has two kinds of symbolic meanings. It can mean religious food which does not give life or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+4:1-4;+deuteronomy+8:1-3;+exodus+15:26;+exodus+23:21;+exodus+19:5;+jeremiah+7:23\">spiritual food from the mouth of God which does give life.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Moses gave Israel religious food in the form of written laws given on Mt. Sinai. These written laws are the basis for religion. They are equated with manna which perishes, and are contrasted with true, life-giving bread which comes directly from God when he speaks from heaven.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Since <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=psalm+11:1-4;+psalm+103:19;+isaiah+66:1;+matthew+5:34\">God&#8217;s throne is in heaven<\/a>, and since <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=numbers+35:34;+zechariah+2:10;+exodus+29:45;+exodus+25:8\">God dwells in the midst (i.e. in the inner man\/spirit) of his people<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=luke+17:20-21;+isaiah+66:1;+1+kings+8:27\">heaven is within the spirit of people<\/a> &#8212; not up in the sky. Thus, the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=john+6:45;+jeremiah+31:31-34;+1+thessalonians+4:9;+1+john+2:27;+john+14:11-17;+john+14:26;+1+corinthians+2:12;+hebrews+8:10-11;+philippians+3:15\"> bread of life comes from God when he speaks to New Covenant disciples through the holy spirit to the spirit of man<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">34 They said to him, &#8220;Lord, give us this bread always.&#8221; 35 Jesus said to them, &#8220;I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me;\u00a0 39 and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: Jesus&#8217; statement that he is the bread of life must be reconciled with God&#8217;s statement that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+8:1-3;+deuteronomy+30:15-20;+john+6:63-68;+matthew+4:1-4;+luke+4:1-4;+john+5:24;+deuteronomy+32:45-47;+1-peter+1:22-25;+hebrews+4:12;+1-john+1:1-3;+john+1:1-4\">man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God<\/a>. To understand this, we must first understand the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/breadfood-and-wine\">Biblical symbolism of bread<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The only conclusion we can take from Jesus&#8217; response is that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=john+12:49;+john+14:10;+john+5:19;+matthew+26:39;+john+5:30;+john+6:38;+john+8:28\">whatever he says is the spiritual equivalent of words spoken by God<\/a>. This is possible not only for Jesus but for all New Covenant disciples who embody Jesus name\/character. That is why he says elsewhere that his follower will do even greater things than he has done.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, &#8220;I am the bread which came down from heaven.&#8221; 42 They said, &#8220;Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, &#8216;I have come down from heaven&#8217;?&#8221; 43 Jesus answered them, &#8220;Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, &#8216;And they shall all be taught by God.&#8217; Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: The statement &#8216;And <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=1-thessalonians+4:9;+1-john+2:27;+john+14:11-17;+john+14:26;+1-corinthians+2:12;+hebrews+8:10-11;+jeremiah+31:31-34\">they shall all be taught by God&#8217; is a reference to the New Covenant which provides that God will teach his people directly by his mouth through his spirit.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: To understand this verse, we must first accept that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+8:1-3;+matthew+4:1-4;+luke+4:1-4;+deuteronomy+30:15-20;+john+6:63-68;+john+5:24;+deuteronomy+32:45-47;+1-peter+1:22-25;+hebrews+4:12;+1-john+1:1-3;+john+1:1-4\">man does not live by natural bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God<\/a>. Belief, then, must refer to belief in the spoken word of God.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">We must conclude then that Jesus, the one speaking, was speaking on God&#8217;s behalf and not speaking for himself. This is consistent with Jesus&#8217; statements elsewhere that he <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=john+5:19;+john+5:30;+john+6:38;+john+8:28;+john+12:49;+john+14:10-11\">speaks for God. <\/a>That qualifies Jesus as a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\">true prophet<\/a>. We conclude, therefore, that all true prophets speak words that are the bread of life.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.\u00a0 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: In <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/breadfood-and-wine\">Bread, Food and Wine<\/a> we report that manna is symbolic language for the written word of God.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">In verse 49 we read that those who ate the manna died in the wilderness. This is hard to understand until we remember that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+8:1-3;+deuteronomy+30:15-20;+john+6:63-68;+matthew+4:1-4;+luke+4:1-4;+john+5:24;+deuteronomy+32:45-47;+1-peter+1:22-25;+hebrews+4:12;+1-john+1:1-3;+john+1:1-4\">only God&#8217;s spoken word gives spiritual life<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Verse 50 refers to the spiritual, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/breadfood-and-wine\/4#hiddenmanna\">hidden manna<\/a> that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=isaiah+66:1-3;+psalm+11:4;+matthew+5:34-35;+matthew+23:22\">God speaks from his throne in heaven<\/a> (i.e. the hearts of New Covenant disciples.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Because <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=john+12:49;+john+14:10;+john+5:19;+matthew+26:39;+john+5:30;+john+6:38;+john+8:28\">Jesus spoke for God<\/a>, his words gave spiritual life just like God&#8217;s words. These spiritual, life-giving words (i.e. bread) are also symbolically called flesh.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Religion unnecessarily and wrongly converts spiritual bread\/flesh to physical bread that is used for <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eucharist\">religious ceremonies (e.g. Eucharist, communion). <\/a>This is wrong because the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/john\/passage\/?q=john+3:6-8\">nature of spirit is that it cannot be seen or handled in any way<\/a>. If a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\">religious activity can be seen, it is not a matter of faith because faith cannot be seen<\/a>. These religious ceremonies, therefore, are unclean food.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, &#8220;How can this man give us his flesh to eat?&#8221;\u00a0 53 So Jesus said to them, &#8220;Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;\u00a0 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.\u00a0 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.\u00a0 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.&#8221; 59 This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper&#8217;na-um.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: This is a very difficult passage for people who interpret the Bible literally to understand and apply. Understanding depends on belief that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+8:1-3;+deuteronomy+30:15-20;+john+6:63-68;+matthew+4:1-4;+luke+4:1-4;+john+5:24;+deuteronomy+32:45-47;+1-peter+1:22-25;+hebrews+4:12;+1-john+1:1-3;+john+1:1-4\">spiritual life comes only from the spoken word of God.<\/a> Eternal life, therefore, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+8:1-3;+deuteronomy+30:15-20;+john+6:63-68;+matthew+4:1-4;+luke+4:1-4;+john+5:24;+deuteronomy+32:45-47;+1-peter+1:22-25;+hebrews+4:12;+1-john+1:1-3;+john+1:1-4\">is only available to people who listen to and obey God&#8217;s voice.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">This series of verses makes sense only when interpreted symbolically<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+8:1-3;+deuteronomy+30:15-20;+john+6:63-68;+matthew+4:1-4;+luke+4:1-4;+john+5:24;+deuteronomy+32:45-47;+1-peter+1:22-25;+hebrews+4:12;+1-john+1:1-3;+john+1:1-4\">Life-giving bread is the spoken word of God<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/leviticus\/17-11.html\">Life-giving blood is the spoken word of God<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Eating flesh and drinking blood is equated with hearing and obeying the spoken word of God.<\/li>\n<li>Jesus&#8217; flesh is the spoken word of God.<\/li>\n<li>Eating Jesus&#8217; flesh and drinking Jesus&#8217; blood is equated with hearing and obeying the spoken word of God.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\"><a id=\"eternallife\"><\/a>COMMENTARY ABOUT BLOOD AND ETERNAL LIFE: As was reported above, religion wrongly associates flesh with Eucharist\/communion bread, and blood with Eucharist\/communion wine. This attempt to apply symbolism to scripture is wrong because it associates two natural objects (i.e. bread with bread and blood with wine). This is not the intent of Biblical symbolism.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The intent of Biblical symbolism is to associate a physical\/natural object with a spiritual concept as provided in the &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-2\/3\">first the natural and then the spiritual<\/a>&#8221; principle. Associating physical bread with physical bread and physical blood with physical wine is meaningless religion.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Bread and blood are the natural objects used throughout the Bible to symbolize God&#8217;s voice. That is why we read so many scriptures in the Old Testament about blood sprinkled on the people. The imagery of being covered with the blood always symbolizes being covered with the spoken word of God. See\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/blood\">Blood, Swords and Arrows<\/a> for more about this symbolism.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Religion always makes\u00a0 the mistake of wrongly applying <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\">symbolism<\/a> to its rituals and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=artifact&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8\">artifacts. <\/a>This is why God is so opposed to religion: It substitutes natural objects and activities for spiritual truth. Thus, as religion focuses on natural things (i.e. rituals and artifacts), it successfully diverts people from spiritual truth.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">This problem especially relates to the issue of eternal life in the following way:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>In religion, eternal life is perceived as a positive extension of the religious life that people enjoy while they are physically alive. The only difference is that eternal life is thought to exist somewhere in heaven above instead of on earth.<\/p>\n<p>In religion, eternal life is perceived as the positive opposite of a negative eternity spent in hell by people who are not suitably religious.<\/p>\n<p>There are at least five problems with this theology:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ol>\n<li>It ignores what <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/nas\/aionios.html\">eternal life means: Life with out beginning and without end. <\/a>Thus, for religious people who desire to go to heaven after they physically die, the life to which they aspire begins only after they die. Thus, by definition, that life is not eternal (i.e. without beginning or end).<\/li>\n<li>It ignores the spiritual <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+8:1-3;+deuteronomy+30:15-20;+john+6:63-68;+matthew+4:1-4;+luke+4:1-4;+john+5:24;+deuteronomy+32:45-47;+1-peter+1:22-25;+hebrews+4:12;+1-john+1:1-3;+john+1:1-4\">life that is available to people who hear and obey God&#8217;s spoken voice<\/a> while physically alive on earth.<\/li>\n<li>It allows people to continue <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-sin\">sinning by practicing religion<\/a> while they are physically alive.<\/li>\n<li>It deflects people from obeying God&#8217;s commands to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-sin\/religion-is-idolatry\/4\">tear down idols and high places<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>It deflects people from engaging with the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-the-enemy\">enemy<\/a> as warriors who desire to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-injustice-and-slavery\">set people free from religion.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, &#8220;This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?&#8221; 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, &#8220;Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: Verse 63 affirms that religious activity has no spiritual value. Only spiritual words spoken by God or his <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\">true prophets<\/a> (i.e. New Covenant disciples) are able to impart spiritual life because they are the only people who have God&#8217;s spiritual laws written on their hearts.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">64 But there are some of you that do not believe.&#8221; For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him.\u00a0 65 And he said, &#8220;This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.&#8221; 66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. 67 Jesus said to the twelve, &#8220;Do you also wish to go away?&#8221; 68 Simon Peter answered him, &#8220;Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: The context of verse 66 following verses 60-61 suggests that the ones who drew back from Jesus were bothered by his teaching about eating flesh and drinking blood. Looking only at the literal meaning of eating flesh and drinking blood, it is easy to understand why they were repelled at such teaching.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">If we assume that those who drew back from Jesus understood the spiritual meaning of what Jesus said, it is also easy to understand why they were repelled. If they understood that eating Jesus&#8217; flesh and drinking his blood meant that God wanted them to stop listening to religious leaders and start listening to God&#8217;s voice spoken through Jesus, this interpretation would also be difficult for them to accept. Making such a break from religion is very hard to do. Not everyone is willing to suffer the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+10:16-39;+psalm+55;+job+19:14-22;+psalm+41;+micah+7:1-6\">backlash from friends and family that the Bible promises. <\/a>See<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+10:16-39;+psalm+55;+job+19:14-22;+psalm+41;+micah+7:1-6\">\u00a0<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-the-enemy\">Religion is the Enemy <\/a>and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-the-enemy\/sibling-warfare\">Sibling Conflict<\/a> for more about the conflict that people who leave religion can expect to experience.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">It appears that Jesus&#8217; disciples understood the difference between religion and the New Covenant. They were willing to suffer the consequences of leaving religion for the sake of obtaining eternal life with God.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=John+16:16-29\">John 16:16-29<\/a>: 16 <span id=\"verse-16\">&#8220;In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.&#8221;<\/span> 17 <span id=\"verse-17\">Some of his disciples said to one another, &#8220;What does he mean by saying, &#8216;In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,&#8217; and &#8216;Because I am going to the Father&#8217;?&#8221;<\/span> 18 <span id=\"verse-18\">They kept asking, &#8220;What does he mean by &#8216;a little while&#8217;? We don&#8217;t understand what he is saying.&#8221;<\/span> 19 <span id=\"verse-19\">Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, &#8220;Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, &#8216;In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me&#8217;?<\/span> 20 <span id=\"verse-20\">I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.<\/span> 21 <span id=\"verse-21\">A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.<\/span> 22 <span id=\"verse-22\">So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.<\/span> 23 <span id=\"verse-23\">In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.<\/span> 24 <span id=\"verse-24\">Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.<\/span> 25 <span id=\"verse-25\">&#8220;Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.<\/span> 26 <span id=\"verse-26\">In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.<\/span> 27 <span id=\"verse-27\">No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.<\/span> 28 <span id=\"verse-28\">I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.&#8221;<\/span> 29 <span id=\"verse-29\">Then Jesus&#8217; disciples said, &#8220;Now you are speaking clearly a<\/span><span class=\"verse\"><span id=\"verse-29\">nd without figures of speech. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: This story make the point about asking questions when you do not understand the meaning of the parables. Since the Bible is mainly parables (i.e. figures of speech), it is critical to ask questions all the time while reading &#8212; especially when encountering passages that do not make sense.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The time that is coming to which Jesus refers is the time when people become New Covenant disciples. These are people who have Jesus&#8217; name (i.e. spiritual character). They understand the figures of speech without Jesus&#8217; help because they can <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice#howtoheargodsvoice\">hear God&#8217;s voice <\/a>for themselves.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>WHERE WE ARE IN THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS<\/strong><br \/>\nFor our convenience, we think, God has simplified the transformation process into two steps. Step One is the Old\/First Covenant which is God&#8217;s initial introduction of himself to people. Step Two is the New Covenant which is where God wants us to be (i.e. his spirit resides in us). All Jews and Christians are somewhere in that two-step continuum. Everyone else is outside the continuum watching. Most of what the outsiders see is Old\/First Covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>We understand the human tendency to go with the literal interpretation and the attempts to explain mysterious concepts with natural phenomenon with which we are familiar. It is the easy way to go, and it seems to work &#8212; at least to a point. Religious leaders that came before Jesus <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/john\/passage\/?q=john+5:39-40#\">searched the scriptures<\/a> for their literal meanings out of the belief that they were<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/genesis\/passage\/?q=genesis+3:1-7\"> good for spiritual food. <\/a>Literal meanings do provide some nourishment for the flesh, but it is not the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/john\/passage\/?q=john+10:1-10\">abundant spiritual life<\/a> that is available to people who interpret the Bible symbolically. Moreover, because literal interpretation is how everyone we know interprets scripture, it seems like it must be acceptable to God if it is acceptable to all religious people. The problem is that it is not acceptable to God.<\/p>\n<p>How do we know that literal interpretation of scripture is not acceptable to God? He has told us in many ways that we are to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=2+corinthians+5:7;1+corinthians+13:12;2+corinthians+4:17-18;romans+8:24;hebrews+11:1;romans+8:1-4;galatians+5:16;galatians+5:25\">walk by the Spirit (i.e. being open to deep, symbolic interpretations of mysteries) and not by sight (i.e. what we can understand with our natural intellect). <\/a><\/p>\n<p>What we need to do to experience the abundant life, therefore, is be transformed in our minds about the need to reject literal interpretation in favor of symbolic interpretation.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE ESSENCE OF TRANSFORMATION<\/strong><br \/>\nThe basic truth that must be grasped for anyone who hopes to be transformed is that the law is holy and spiritual as provided in these verses:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/romans\/passage\/?q=romans+7:12-14\">Romans 7:12-14<\/a>: <span id=\"ro7-12\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"> So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. <\/span> <span id=\"ro7-13\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">13<\/span> Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. <\/span> <span id=\"ro7-14\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">14<\/span> We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">What we learn here is that the law is good and holy. This makes sense to our logical minds, but we find an apparent contradiction in other scriptures that say we should not want to be <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=romans+2:12;romans+7:6;1+corinthians+9:20;galatians+3:10;galatians+3:23;galatians+4:4-5;galatians+5:18\">under the law <\/a>because the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=romans+7:6;2+corinthians+3:5-8\">letter of the law brings death<\/a>. This apparent contradiction challenges us to discover what God means by &#8220;the law&#8221; because understanding appears to be the difference between life and death.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\">The Law, <\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\">Two Covenants Part 1, <\/a>and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenants-part-2\">Two Covenants Part 2 <\/a>for scriptural answers to the law. Also see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-sin\">Religion is Sin<\/a> for a Biblical understanding of sin.<\/p>\n<p>Putting it as simplistically as possible, the life and death issue hinges on whether the Bible is interpreted literally or symbolically. Or to put it another way, life and death depends on our ability to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">listen to God&#8217;s voice<\/a>. We know that such a statement will offend both Jews and Christians because both religions have based their doctrines on literal interpretations of scripture. The way we see it, however, both religions have erred greatly in adopting such doctrines.<\/p>\n<p>That is <a href=\" http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\/messiah\/4#gospel\">the bad news. The good news,<\/a> however, is that the challenges of literal vs. symbolic interpretation are all part of God&#8217;s redemptive plan.<\/p>\n<p>The symbolic interpretations are hidden in the literal words of God as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">mysteries,<\/a> but they are not found in the literal words themselves. The written word is but a shadow of the spiritual word that is revealed only to New Covenant disciples who can hear God&#8217;s voice.<\/p>\n<p>From the prophets who first recorded God&#8217;s word to the interpreters who translated from Hebrew and Greek to English and other languages, all were unable to say adequately or competently in natural words written on paper what God can say with spiritual words spoken to and written on the hearts of people.<\/p>\n<p>The plain fact is that man&#8217;s ability to understand and communicate through the written and spoken word is limited. The plain fact is that God&#8217;s ability to communicate through his spirit is unlimited. The sooner people realize these facts the better off they will be.<\/p>\n<p>God knows these facts, of course, and that is why his preferred method of communication is directly with man through the spirit of man. People who are willing to settle for only a little bit of God will be satisfied with the written word of God and its interpretation by mortal men. People who want to know God as fully as possible will listen for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">God\u2019s voice<\/a> spoken to their hearts.<\/p>\n<p>It is impossible for literal translations to accurately and reliably represent truth because of the basic differences between flesh and spirit. Anything that is physical is limited in its ability to communicate. The translation will always be influenced by personal and cultural experiences and understandings. This fact opens up the very real possibility that God will be misunderstood and misrepresented. It also results in lack of agreement on what God means as mortal men use their natural languages, both written and spoken, to represent their personal views about God. This is why we have so many different versions of the Bible and so many different religions that claim to represent God. The broad disagreement on theology, liturgy and religious practices found on the religious landscape are evidence that literal interpretations will always be faulty in one way or another.<\/p>\n<p>God&#8217;s solution for overcoming all of the problems and limitations of the written word has always been to have his people <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=genesis+22:18;+exodus+23:21-22;+numbers+7:89;+numbers+14:22;+deuteronomy+4:12;+deuteronomy+4:30;+deuteronomy+4:36;+deuteronomy+5:22-26;+deuteronomy+8:20;+deuteronomy+9:23;+deuteronomy+13:4;+deuteronomy+13:18;+deuteronomy+15:5;+deuteronomy+26:14;+deuteronomy+26:17;+deuteronomy+30:20;+joshua+5:6;+joshua+10:14;+joshua+22:2;+joshua+24:24;+psalm+81:11;+psalm+95:7;+psalm+106:25;+jeremiah+3:13;+jeremiah+3:25;+jeremiah+7:23;+jeremiah+7:28;+jeremiah+9:13;+jeremiah+11:4;+jeremiah+11:7;+jeremiah+18:10;+jeremiah+22:20-21;+jeremiah+26:13;+jeremiah+32:23;+jeremiah+40:3;+jeremiah+42:6;+jeremiah+42:13-14;+jeremiah+43:1-7;+jeremiah+44:23;+isaiah+28:23;+isaiah+32:9;+isaiah+55:1-3\">listen to his voice<\/a>. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=galatians+3:23-24;+1-corinthians+4:15\">written words of the Bible are important introductions to God<\/a> but they cannot possibly reveal the depth of a very big, very complex God and his ways. That is why he uses stories (i.e. parables) which have meanings that open the mind and spirit to meanings that go way beyond literal words. People who are satisfied with literal interpretations grasp what they can understand by using their intellect and the intellect of others. But people who know that there are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=1-corinthians+2;+isaiah+64:1-4;+isaiah+65:17;+isaiah+43:18\">deeper, spiritual meanings and who listen for God&#8217;s voice to reveal those meanings will have their eyes opened to the fullness of God and no longer be satisfied with rigid, narrow, literal interpretations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">In God&#8217;s language, literal interpretation is a key feature of Old\/First Covenant religion. His remedy is New Covenant discipleship in which people listen to his voice<\/a>. A disciple is one who learns, and his primary source of knowledge is God&#8217;s voice &#8212; not the literal words of the Bible and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=ezekiel+14:1-11;+ezekiel+16:1-59;+ezekiel+25;+ezekiel+26:1-6;+ezekiel+28:24;+ezekiel+29:9;+ezekiel+29:21;+ezekiel+33:29;+ezekiel+30:26;+ezekiel+34:30;+ezekiel+39:28;+jeremiah+16:21\">not human teachers and writers.<\/a> That does not mean that a disciple never learns from another person, but is very discerning about who he\/she learns from. A disciple takes God&#8217;s word about not trusting other men for instruction about God.<\/p>\n<p>In God&#8217;s view, <a style=\"outline: 1px dotted; outline-offset: 0px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/5#puredefiledreligion\">Old\/First Covenant religion is\u00a0Defiled Religion and New Covenant religion is Pure Religion.<\/a> Old\/First Covenant religion is based on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=romans+7:1-6;2+corinthians+3:1-11\">letter of the law which yields death while the New Covenant is based on the Spirit which leads to life.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The only reliable way to avoid the problems of literal interpretation is to hear from God directly. His spoken word contains pure truth unencumbered by all the untruths and misinterpretations that mortal men have woven into the literal words of God since they began to record what they heard God say. We find this principle in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;john+14:21-26;hebrews+5:1-14;1+john+2:27\">what God says about listening to teachers compared to listening to his Spirit. <\/a>Hearing God&#8217;s voice is the essence of the New Covenant.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">God\u2019s Written Word and God\u2019s Spoken Voice <\/a>for more about listening to God&#8217;s voice.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>RELIGIOUS RULES ABOUT BIBLE INTERPRETATION<\/strong><br \/>\nThere are several schools of thought about Bible interpretation. Review of these various principles is beyond the scope of this page. However, we think it is helpful to understand some of the basics so readers can identify them when religious leaders apply them to justify their teachings. We therefore refer readers to these links: <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Biblical_literalism\">Biblical literalism<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hermeneutics\">Hermeneutics<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Historical-grammatical_method\">Historical-grammatical method<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Historical-critical_method\">Historical-critical method<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pardes_(Jewish_exegesis)\">Pardes (Jewish exegesis).<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">AUTHORS&#8217; NOTE: Although these represent legalistic approaches to understanding God, we strongly recommend that readers make their own review of these and other techniques commonly applied to Bible study before continuing with this page.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Also see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\">Two Sets of Laws<\/a> for discussion about religious legalism which is in direct opposition to the New Covenant relationship by which God and his laws are understood.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth noting that only the <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pardes_(Jewish_exegesis)\">Jewish exegesis<\/a> method makes real allowances for symbolic interpretations of scripture. The other methods typically applied by Christians are, in our opinion and in our experience, fundamentally intellectual exercises that leave little or no room for symbolic interpretations &#8212; except for a few obvious concepts (e.g. Jesus is the lamb of God); baptism symbolizes death and resurrection, etc).<\/p>\n<p>That symbols and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/dictionaries\/bakers-evangelical-dictionary\/allegory.html\">allegories<\/a> are generally discounted in favor of literal interpretations is best recognized in the fact that neither Christians nor Jews are seriously trained by religious leaders to develop the ability to interpret scripture in their personal Bible studies. The general attitude is that the religious professionals have a special anointing and training (i.e. calling) that equips them for the work of scripture interpretation. Thus, as the thinking goes, the spiritual heavy lifting should be left up to them so that the untrained laity will be spared the risk of making mistakes in interpretation. We find this attitude to be arrogant and self-serving on the part of the religious leaders. We also find it to be Biblically incorrect and costly to the spiritual well-being of both clergy and laity.<\/p>\n<p>With that perspective in mind, we will attempt in these pages to provide some much needed training on symbolic Bible interpretation.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><br \/>\n<strong>A SHORT HISTORY LESSON<\/strong><br \/>\nAnyone who <span id=\"2ti3-16\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\">says that they trust that the Bible is God&#8217;s holy word, trusts that what he says there is true, and believes that it is in their best interests to obey what God says, must\u00a0<\/span> deal with the issue of whether or not the Bible should be interpreted literally, or symbolically, or both. This is a real challenge for everyone who claims to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/2-timothy\/3-16.html\">2 Timothy 3:16 <\/a>tells us that<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/2-timothy\/3-16.html\"> all scripture is <\/a><span id=\"2ti3-16\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/2-timothy\/3-16.html\">inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.<\/a> Readers who believe that this is a true statement and truly desire training in righteousness, must come to an understanding about how they deal with all the scriptures that are difficult to understand. We have discussed these in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">Mystery<\/a>. In fact, it could be said that this entire web site is a study of the spiritual way to interpret those difficult scriptures.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>No one would argue that many parts of scripture are very difficult to understand. Even the staunch literalists would have to agree that it contains concepts that make no worldly sense. Here are a few examples of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of difficult scriptures that God expects people to understand.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 512px;\" border=\"0\">\n<colgroup>\n<col width=\"30\" \/>\n<col width=\"400\" \/>\n<col width=\"0\" \/><\/colgroup>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?q=cloud%20fire&amp;s=Bibles&amp;p=1\"> God lives in pillars of cloud and fire<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?q=stone+him&amp;c=le&amp;t=kjv&amp;ps=10&amp;s=Bibles\">People who sin are to be stoned<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>All <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=genesis+17:10-14;exodus+12:48;joshua+5:1-4\">males are to be circumcised<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Build a tabernacle out of animal skins, wood, and silver.<\/li>\n<li>Regular animal sacrifices and ceremonial washings.<\/li>\n<li>Differentiating between <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/breadfood-and-wine\/2#cleanuncleanfood\">clean and unclean<\/a> foods.<\/li>\n<li>Make annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem.<\/li>\n<li>Jesus said that people who <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/john\/passage\/?q=john+6:53-54\">eat his flesh and drink his blood will have eternal life<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Jesus said that people with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?q=move+mountain\">faith could move mountains.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>This is just a short list of scriptures for which the literal interpretation creates mind-bending confusion that leads to spiritual paralysis and exaggerated, uninformed, fleshly attempts to make physical sense of deep mysteries. Our thinking goes something like this:\u00a0 God can&#8217;t seriously intend that people take these scriptures literally can he? And if he does not intend for people to take these and other scriptures literally, why did he command them to do these weird things?<\/p>\n<p>These questions leave readers with the challenge of interpreting difficult and mysterious scriptures accurately so that whatever truth they contain can be applied to their lives in ways that will yield <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/dikaiosune.html\">righteousness<\/a> (i.e. attitudes and behaviors approved by God).<\/p>\n<p>Most people tackle this problem by using intellect and knowledge of natural facts to interpret the literal meanings of scripture. Such people are called <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Biblical_literalism\">Bible Literalists<\/a>. According to Wikipedia, Biblical literalism includes two basic approaches to Biblical interpretation: <span dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Historical-grammatical_method\">Historical-grammatical method<\/a> and the <\/span><span dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Historical-critical_method\">Historical-critical method<\/a>. Both methods employ their own preferred tools and techniques for Bible interpretation.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Regardless of the method followed, the disciplines of interpretation are very sophisticated (i.e. there are many rules to follow). That is why the methods have become the domain of trained clergy and theologians. <span dir=\"auto\"> Most people, however, are not familiar with these methods. Therefore, lacking any training in Bible interpretation methods, they read the Bible as they read the newspaper or a book: Literally; according to their common, cultural understanding of words. But, because of the many\u00a0 scriptures that are hard to understand, most people are willing to defer to the trained, professional clergy for instruction about God&#8217;s intended meaning for all scripture. That creates a business opportunity for professional clergy to<\/span> apply their training in religious institutions where people will trust in them for Bible interpretation because they are experts who know the answers to the Bible&#8217;s many mysteries.<\/p>\n<p>This relationship has led to institutional religious systems that separate the elite, knowledgeable clergy from the relatively ignorant laity which lacks the skills and experience to conduct its own rigorous Bible studies. Because the clergy have the training and credentials for Bible interpretation, they have job security in institutional religious systems. That is why both the clergy and the institutions that employ them effectively discourage the laity from doing their own Bible interpretation except at the most superficial level.<\/p>\n<p>Of course most clergy will encourage people to read their Bibles and memorize scripture because these are accepted religious disciplines in most religions, but rarely does the clergy teach people how to employ the tools they know to come to their own interpretations independently. And why should the clergy pass on the tools of their trade? If the people knew how to interpret the Bible themselves, they would not need the pastor or rabbi or prophet to teach them. And if these religious leaders are not needed anymore, they would be out of a job.So the system works for the professional clergy which has job security in the fact that people who do not know how to do their own study will keep coming back every week for an enlightened sermon from the expert.<\/p>\n<p>This system has its origins in the <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yeshiva\">Jewish Yeshiva<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christian_monasticism\">Christian monasticism<\/a>, and it thrives today in an extensive system of Yeshivas, Bible schools and seminaries that are supported by their denominational networks who place their graduates in local synagogues and churches where Biblical truth acquired from the education system is dispensed to rank and file believers.<\/p>\n<p>This system has been in place for so long that no one doubts that God has ordained it as the way for believers to gain Biblical knowledge. The way we see it, however, this system was allowed by God to develop but is not his ideal or preferred method for teaching people about him. Rather, this system is a remnant of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=hebrews+7:11-22;+hebrews+8\">Old\/First Covenant religious system that has been replaced by a better New Covenant <\/a>relationship with God. It emerged in a period when few people had access to scripture but persists today when most civilized nations around the world do have access.<\/p>\n<p>The way we see it, the religious education system that preaches Biblical literalism continues to exist because it is considered to be a system approved by God. And it is approved by God in the sense that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/nomos.html\">law (i.e. a system of religious rules)<\/a> is a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/galatians\/3-24.html\">schoolmaster allowed by God to lead people to Christ<\/a> (i.e. the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;1+john+2:26-27\">New Covenant where God writes the law on the hearts of people so that they will no longer need anyone to teach them<\/a>). Religious education by experts, therefore, is not the ideal way for people to learn about God. These experts are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/hebrews\/passage\/?q=hebrews+7:17-27\">remnants of the Old\/First Covenant priesthood<\/a> which is eventually <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=hebrews+7:11-22;+hebrews+8\">replaced by the better New Covenant<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">AUTHORS&#8217; NOTE: Christians interpret the coming of the New Covenant as an event which occurred globally upon Jesus&#8217; death and resurrection. Thus they believe that the New Covenant is manifest in all people who confess that they are followers of Jesus. This is wrong theology. See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/study\/study-tips\">Study Tips<\/a> for instruction on how to interpret prophecies regarding timing of events.<\/p>\n<p>New Covenant status occurs one believer at a time &#8212; not globally. It is the new status of believers who have graduated out of Old\/First Covenant status where they practice <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/5#puredefiledreligion\">Defiled Religion<\/a> and were taught by others (i.e. religious experts). After they quit all that, they are transformed into <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=john+14:21-26;john+16:13;1+john+2:20;1+john+2:27\">New Covenant disciples who are taught directly by God &#8212; without a trained teacher &#8212; through his Spirit<\/a> so that they will reflect his character in their everyday lives.<\/p>\n<p>Until individuals abandon their dependence on religious experts for teaching about God, they remain in Old\/First Covenant status. That means they are under the influence of the written law and not under the influence of the spirit.\u00a0 In God&#8217;s view, those religious leaders are the equivalent of &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?q=other+gods&amp;c=ot&amp;t=rsv&amp;ps=10&amp;s=Bibles\">other gods<\/a>&#8221; to whom people go for religious instruction. The relationship with these &#8220;other gods&#8221; is cemented in the fact that people who learn from them also<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?q=other+gods+serve+them&amp;c=ot&amp;t=rsv&amp;ps=10&amp;s=Bibles\"> serve them <\/a>(i.e. with their praise, admiration and money) because of what they know and teach about God.\u00a0 In God&#8217;s view this all constitutes <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?q=worship+other+gods+&amp;c=ot&amp;t=rsv&amp;ps=10&amp;s=Bibles\">&#8220;worship&#8221; of &#8220;other gods.&#8221; <\/a>If this were not the case, God would not make <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/jeremiah\/31-34.html\">man teaching his neighbor about God <\/a>an issue.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, people stuck in Old\/First Covenant religion do not know they are stuck. They see no alternative to the religious institutional system, and they have not been trained in any serious way to search out the deep, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">mysterious <\/a>things of God for themselves. Unable to gain satisfactory answers about difficult Bible scripture, some people give up, and those who do not give up continue\u00a0 trusting what their pastor, rabbi, teacher or theologian says.<\/p>\n<p>Going back to the early years after Christ, religious entrepreneurs saw opportunities to make names for themselves, gain political power and earn a living by creating religious institutions to mediate between God and man. The ability to teach convincingly about God from the Bible was, and continues to be, a key feature of these religious systems created by men for the benefit of men.<\/p>\n<p>A casual reading of history would indicate that it all began in the early church with <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bishop\">Bishops (i.e. Apostolic Fathers)<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_the_Catholic_Church\">Constantine and the Catholic Church.<\/a> A closer look reveals that Jewish pharisees and other religious leaders of the day had developed their own profitable system of teaching and providing religious services to the masses. It was also a common Greek practice for learned men to make a living speaking in public places on a wide variety of topics. These\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Narrative_preaching\">philosophers were the historical model for the preaching clergy<\/a> that have occupied churches since the reformation.\u00a0 The ability to preach and teach on religious topics has flourished into the array of thousands of religious organizations that exist around the world today. The result of this history is man-made <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\">RELIGION<\/a> in its many denominational forms.<\/p>\n<p>When we use the word &#8220;religion&#8221; to describe the religious institutional structures that have morphed into today&#8217;s church and synagogue system, we do not mean that these are good things approved by God. Rather, they are <a style=\"outline: 1px dotted; outline-offset: 0px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/two-covenantspart1\/5#puredefiledreligion\">false things (i.e.\u00a0Defiled Religion) that should be replaced by the New Covenant\u00a0 in the heart of every believer. They are not\u00a0Pure Religion<\/a> which is about the real God who is finite, but are about man&#8217;s limited view of God as man understands him through simple, literal, dumbed down interpretations of the Bible.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"historyofreligion\"><\/a>Here is our non-scientific view of how religion as we see it today has been able to flourish:<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>People who could read and had access to the Bible found much of it confusing and impossible to understand.<\/li>\n<li>Religious leaders tried to remove the mystery from the Bible by interpreting it literally. They used these literal interpretations to create a few simple doctrines that explained God and his relationship to people. In doing this, they effectively reduced and simplified God to a god that can be understood and managed through codified religious traditions.<\/li>\n<li>Religious entrepreneurs created religions that packaged the dumbed down God and the Bible into doctrines and sacred traditions that were acceptable to people who would pay for the teaching and administration of the traditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The main point in this brief summary is to introduce the history of how and why religion emerged:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/exodus\/passage\/?q=exodus+20:1-20\">People chose to listen to prophets (e.g. Moses and others) instead of listening to God&#8217;s voice themselves.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Symbolically, when Israel made this choice, it prophetically set the attitude and habit of all religious people throughout the entire history of Judaism and Christianity who demonstrate their preference for learning about God through the writings and teachings of human mediators (e.g. Moses and others) who speak with voices of authority as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\">False Prophets<\/a> even though they could only report about the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/hebrews\/passage\/?q=hebrews+8:1-6\">copy and shadow of God<\/a> that they could glean from the literal Bible.<\/li>\n<li>Generations of so-called <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+8:1-8\">prophets (i.e. scribes) have misrepresented God through writings and teachings <\/a>that people accepted as legitimate substitutes for God because they are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/ezekiel\/passage\/?q=ezekiel+14:1-11\">deceived into believing that listening to human mediators is the same thing as listening to the voice of God<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>By ascribing to human mediators (e.g. rabbis, pastors, priests, evangelists, teachers, writers, etc.) the ability and authority to speak for God, generations of Jews and Christians have practiced idolatry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/5#religiouslaws\">Man-made religion (i.e. the law)<\/a> exists, therefore, by God&#8217;s will, to introduce people to God and keep them safe (i.e.<span id=\"ga3-23\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\">under restraint) <\/span> until the law is written on their hearts. At that time God will teach his people directly by his spirit. without the aid of religious entrepreneurs (i.e.<\/p>\n<p>We know that such a summary will offend most, if not all, Jews and Christians.\u00a0 For us, however, this is the only way to explain how all strains of Judaism and Christianity have strayed so far from Biblical truth. They have reduced God to literal words on paper without allowing that he is much bigger and more complex than human words can describe. And it all happened because no one, religious leaders or followers, was able to understand the spiritual meaning behind the difficult scriptures. Because they could not understand those deeper meanings, they adopted a policy that accepted the literal meanings (more or less) as God&#8217;s intended meanings. The result is shallow religion perpetrated by shallow religious leaders who know the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=romans+7:1-6;2+corinthians+3:1-6;john+6:63\">letter of the law but not the spirit of it<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Lacking insight about the spirit of the law, these religious experts do their best to make sense out of the written letter of the law. They are trained to do this and they know how to represent (i.e. preach) what they think they know convincingly. And it all sounds good to the religionists who admire (i.e. worship) their teaching.\u00a0 That is why clergy will always find a place to dispense their shallow, Old\/First Covenant wisdom to people who don&#8217;t know that they could teach themselves if they would stop serving their &#8220;other gods&#8221; and study the Bible themselves. Unfortunately for them and God, they do not realize that this alternative exists, so they continue using the written letter of the Bible taught by professional clergy as the accepted way to gain knowledge about God. They do this, however, by putting their spiritual lives at risk. They do not know that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=romans+7:1-6;2+corinthians+3:1-6;john+6:63\">letter of the law produces spiritual death, not spiritual life<\/a>. They do no know that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:33-34\">New Covenant provides that they do not need anyone to teach them about God because God will write knowledge of himself on their hearts.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>So we might wonder what is it about the Bible that is incomplete or deficient?Everyone says it is God&#8217;s holy word, so why would is a literal interpretation inadequate?\u00a0 The main reason, we think, has to do with God&#8217;s infinite character and power.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=2+chronicles+2:6;2+chronicles+6:18;1+kings+8:27\"> God himself warned about trying to contain him in a physical temple,<\/a> so why would he allow himself to be contained in a physical book &#8212; even a book that he authored? If he did allow himself to be fully understood by the written word, it would be like someone making a judgment about us by reading our grocery list or a birthday card in which we have written a personal note. Even if we wrote an entire book to describe ourselves, we could not do it adequately. There would be some nuance about our character that would be overlooked. The Bible has the same limitations.<\/p>\n<p>Missing a character point or two might not be important to us, but it is very important to God that people understand him as fully as possible. Their lives depend on knowing God accurately and intimately. Thus he needs to provide a way for people to know everything about him. This is important to God so that his character will be accurately represented to the world. And scripture tells us that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/john\/21-25.html\">Jesus did so many things that the world would not have room for all the books to tell about them<\/a>. Why then would God concede that one single book would be adequate to convey to people everything that can be known about him?<\/p>\n<p>Taking this point of view, it is hard to argue that one volume of content could contain everything that can be known about God. We also need to consider how man&#8217;s influence over the content of the Bible influences how people see God. We agree that it was divinely inspired, but we also know that since the original inspiration, translators and publishers have exercised considerable control over Biblical content by applying their religious biases. We only need to look at the hundreds of different editions of the Bible that have been published in the past five hundred years to see man&#8217;s influence on the Bible.<\/p>\n<p>We would be naive to believe that each version has fully retained the spiritual content of the original writings. Throughout the history of religion, religious people with religious agendas have advanced their agendas through Bibles that reflect their religious biases &#8212; of which there are many. God is well aware of man&#8217;s motivations and he has provided a sure-fire solution for getting the pure, unadulterated message to people: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=genesis+22:18;+exodus+23:21-22;+numbers+7:89;+numbers+14:22;+deuteronomy+4:12;+deuteronomy+4:30;+deuteronomy+4:36;+deuteronomy+5:22-26;+deuteronomy+8:20;+deuteronomy+9:23;+deuteronomy+13:4;+deuteronomy+13:18;+deuteronomy+15:5;+deuteronomy+26:14;+deuteronomy+26:17;+deuteronomy+30:20;+joshua+5:6;+joshua+10:14;+joshua+22:2;+joshua+24:24;+psalm+81:11;+psalm+95:7;+psalm+106:25;+jeremiah+3:13;+jeremiah+3:25;+jeremiah+7:23;+jeremiah+7:28;+jeremiah+9:13;+jeremiah+11:4;+jeremiah+11:7;+jeremiah+18:10;+jeremiah+22:20-21;+jeremiah+26:13;+jeremiah+32:23;+jeremiah+40:3;+jeremiah+42:6;+jeremiah+42:13-14;+jeremiah+43:1-7;+jeremiah+44:23;+isaiah+28:23;+isaiah+32:9;+isaiah+55:1-3\">Listening to his voice.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In fact, the Spirit has always been the primary means of communication with man. All we need to do is look at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/hebrews\/11.html\">Spiritual heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11<\/a> to find examples of men and women who demonstrated their faith but did not have Bible resources like we have today from which they could learn about God. In particular, people like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and others who are mentioned in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/hebrews\/11.html\">Hebrews 11<\/a> spiritual hall of fame, did not have a religious leader like a pastor or rabbi to teach them. And most of them did not have any of God&#8217;s words written down either. They learned everything they needed to know by listening to God&#8217;s voice.<\/p>\n<p>The point here is that the Bible is important, but it is not the most important criteria for learning about God and serving him. The faith to believe that they could hear and understand God&#8217;s voice was what qualified the Hebrews 11 heroes as models of faith to emulate.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible, therefore, is a written introduction to God but is is not the final word. It was never meant to be a complete report about God. It is at best, an introduction and a supplement &#8212; not a substitute &#8212; for faith. That is why God says that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/galatians\/3-23.html\">written law was given so that we might be <\/a><span id=\"ga3-23\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/galatians\/3-23.html\">confined and kept under restraint by it until faith should be revealed in us as individuals <\/a>at God&#8217;s appointed times. In fact, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/galatians\/3-22.html\">Galatians 3:22<\/a> surprisingly says that we are all kept <\/span><span id=\"ga3-23\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span id=\"ga3-22\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\">shut up (i.e. prisoners) under sin, so that the promise of faith (i.e. New Covenant) might be given to those who believe.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>God considered Abraham and the others to have faith even though their kind of faith looks nothing like what passes for faith in these modern times. They had faith in what they heard God say to them.\u00a0 They had no written words to study and no religious leaders to consult. All they had was<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/hebrews\/passage\/?q=hebrews+11:1-2\"> faith in what they hoped for and certainty in what they could not see.<\/a> Even if they had Bibles, they would still put their faith in what God said rather than in what they could read in the Bible. Whatever they read would need to be confirmed by God&#8217;s voice speaking to their hearts in his still\u00a0 small voice.<\/p>\n<p>Because there is too much opportunity for misunderstanding in the writing and interpretation of words, God&#8217;s ideal method of teaching his people directly, by his Spirit &#8212; not through intermediary teachers. We see this ideal clearly in the New Covenant. This ideal provides that complete, unbiased, intimate knowledge about God comes through his Spirit which is not limited by man&#8217;s words, interpretations of words, or man&#8217;s various religious motives behind translating and publishing those words.<\/p>\n<p>The main feature of the New Covenant is faith. When it comes to faith, it is just us and God. There is no mediator except the Messiah who knows the father perfectly and is therefore able to always correctly interpret what the father says.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, the written Bible with all its flaws is a reliable and necessary doorway for learning about God. We need to learn how to use it responsibly so that we are not mislead about his character or his ways with men. Failure to use it responsibly is a matter of life and death.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>GOD&#8217;S STRATEGY FOR TRANSFORMATION<\/strong><br \/>\nTo be fair to both Jews and Christians, we must point out that, in a sense, God set them up for failure. We know, for example, that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/the-law-is-a-stumbling-block\">Law is a Stumbling Block<\/a> because God made it so. In part it was, and still is, a stumbling block because of the natural limitations of the written word to describe a spiritual God as we discussed above. As we said, the words are our introduction to God, but his spirit must be involved to bring full knowledge of God to people.<\/p>\n<p>Another aspect of the Bible as a stumbling block is found in God&#8217;s admission that the Bible is full of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">mystery, parables and other confusing speech<\/a>. But, in God&#8217;s defense, we must allow that God knows what he is doing so we can&#8217;t blame him for being so confusing and hard to understand. He made it difficult for people to understand him, but not impossible.<\/p>\n<p>Our take on all this is that God knows how complex he is and he knows how simple we are by comparison. Therefore, he has his own problem to solve which is to transform simple, fleshly people into his complex, spiritual image.<\/p>\n<p>This transformation process is not a simple task. It would be like trying to stuff a giant balloon the size of the earth into a thimble. It can&#8217;t be done using logic or any worldly, intellectual, physical means. The tools that people know and use so well will not work nor are they<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?q=not+power+might+spirit\"> the tools that God would use<\/a> since <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/john\/8-23.html\">he is not of this world<\/a> and he is not limited by time or space in what he can do. Not using worldly tools that man would use is one of the applications God had in mind when he said<span id=\"zec4-6\" class=\"versetext highlightThenFade\">: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/zechariah\/4-6.html\">&#8220;Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.&#8221;\u00a0 <\/a>In other words, knowing God and becoming like him cannot be accomplished by applying man&#8217;s fleshly, intellectual efforts. It is a spiritual phenomenon that God accomplishes by his Spirit. Here is why learning about God must be a spiritual process:<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>God is spirit.<\/li>\n<li>As spirit, he cannot be seen, heard, or understand by using human, physical abilities (e.g. eyes, ears, mind, emotions).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>So it can be said that finite people have a problem learning about and becoming like an infinite God because he has a problem communicating truth to them in ways they can understand and apply. He could do it directly by his Spirit, and probably still does it by his Spirit just as he did before the written Bible\u00a0 became available to most people. So, in these modern times, the Bible would appear to be God&#8217;s most visible tool for teaching people about himself so that he can transform them from earth-bound, fleshly humans to spiritual beings like him. That transformation is ultimately spiritual, but it begins in the mind and that is where the Bible is important to the process. His strategy, as we see it, goes something like this:<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>First he revealed a little bit of himself through the written Law of Moses, the prophets and New Testament writers.<\/li>\n<li>He knew that the written law was limited in its ability to represent himself to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/cognitive\">cognitive<\/a>, intellectual minds of humans. He knew that because he is spirit, it is impossible for humans to grasp spiritual things by employing human, cognitive, intellectual abilities<\/li>\n<li>Then, to make the process complete, he also provided a way for his Holy Spirit to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=numbers+5:3;+revelation+21:1-6;+exodus+25:8;+exodus+29:45-46\">make a home for himself in the hearts of his people<\/a>, rule his <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=isaiah+66:1;+1-kings+8:27;+psalm+11:4;+matthew+5:34-35\">kingdom in the hearts of his people<\/a> through his Spirit, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=psalm+37:31;+psalm+40:8;+exodus+13:9;+deuteronomy+30;+deuteronomy+32:45-46;+ezekiel+3:10;+isaiah+51:7;+jeremiah+31:33;+deuteronomy+30:14;+psalm+119:11;+proverbs+4:1-4;+proverbs+23:12;+deuteronomy+6:1-8;+deuteronomy+11:13-18;+deuteronomy+13:1-3;+mark+12:29-30;+luke+10:26-27;+job+22:21-26;+psalm+119:34;+psalm+119:161;+jeremiah+15:16;+jeremiah+11:8;+luke+8:12;+luke+8:15;+romans+10:8;+hebrews+4:12;+matthew+22:35-40;+joshua+22:5;+ezra+7:10\">reveal more of himself by speaking directly to the hearts of people<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>We readily admit that this is a terribly simplified explanation of an exceedingly long and complex process. We are compelled to present this history in such a way, however, to make the following points:<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>It would be utterly impossible for God to reveal everything about himself to people through written words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>God is so very big and mysterious that it would be impossible to contain everything that can known about him in volumes of books &#8212; much less one book.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The only effective way for God to communicate his mind and character to people is to overcome the limitations of the written word by planting his Spirit in people so that they would know him spiritually.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>It would be the height of arrogance and pride for anyone to claim that he or she can know God intimately only by reading the words of the Bible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>God&#8217;s solution to his problem is the New Covenant where the law is written on the hearts of men:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34\">Jeremiah 31:31-34<\/a>: <span id=\"jer31-31\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\">&#8220;Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, <\/span> <span id=\"jer31-32\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">32<\/span> not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. <\/span> <span id=\"jer31-33\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">33<\/span> But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. <\/span> <span id=\"jer31-34\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">34<\/span> And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, &#8216;Know the LORD,&#8217; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.&#8221; <\/span><\/p>\n<p>There is no way the significance of this scripture can be overstated. It is the nutshell summary of the Bible. It tells us what God is doing and how he does it. It mentions the law which relates to the mind and intelligence, and it mentions the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=1+samuel+16:7;psalm+44:21;psalm+139:23;revelation+2:23;1+kings+8:39;1+chronicles+28:9\">heart which is what God uses to measure people<\/a> and is the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=mark+12:28-34;luke+10:25-29;deuteronomy+6:1-10;deuteronomy+4:29;deuteronomy+10:12;joshua+22:5\">standard of a New Covenant relationship with God. <\/a>This standard is confirmed in scriptures about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=acts+13:22;1+samuel+13:14;jeremiah+3:15;1+kings+9:4;1+kings+11:4;1+kings+14:8;1+kings+15:3;2+chronicles+6:7-8\">King David and other shepherds who are men after God&#8217;s own heart.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Another very important truth in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34\">Jeremiah 31:31-34<\/a> is the principle of God teaching us directly by his Spirit. This principle is confirmed in the following scripture:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span id=\"1jo2-26\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/1-john\/passage\/?q=1-john+2:26-27\">1 John 2:26-27<\/a>:\u00a0 I write this to you about those who would deceive you; <\/span> <span id=\"1jo2-27\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">27<\/span> but the anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>These promises tell us that New Covenant disciples will no longer need anyone to teach them about God. They will be able to learn about God directly from God through the anointing of his<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=psalm+143:10;luke+12:11-12;john+14:21-26;john+16:5-15;1+john+2:15-25;1+john+2:15-27;1+corinthians+2:12\"> Spirit which teaches spiritually, unencumbered by words mistranslated by people who publish Bibles and misinterpreted by people who try to teach about God<\/a> from their intellectual interpretations of the Bible. This spiritual teaching they receive from God directly, without a human mediator, might also be called a heart-to-heart connection where the stuff of the world and flesh do not interfere with communication between God and man.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">AUTHORS&#8217; NOTE: The way we see it, the main obstacles to communication between God and man are religious leaders and religious institutions that have an appearance of godliness and authority that they use for their own benefit. We have discussed these issues in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\">RELIGION<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There are some religionists who have the attitude that having access to heart-to-heart, or spirit to spirit communication with God somehow overrides the need to read the Bible. These people focus on spiritual manifestations discussed in Baptism of Holy Spirit and Tongues, Signs and Wonders and Music, Singing and Dancing. For them, the &#8220;touch of the spirit&#8221; is\u00a0 what religion is all about. As long as their can get their spiritual &#8220;fix&#8221; they see little or no reason to read the Bible &#8212; except as a religious duty.<\/p>\n<p>Not knowing what God might be doing to communicate directly with people by his Spirit, we assume that the Bible is still the first and best source of knowledge about God for most people. But that knowledge does not come through the\u00a0 written words on the pages, it comes through the teaching of the Holy Spirit that illuminates the written word with spiritual understanding to our hearts.\u00a0 When that illumination comes to by the power of God&#8217;s Spirit, we are no longer limited by the understanding that the written words impose on us. God discussed these limitations in the following scriptures:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Go to Romans 7:6 (Standard View)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/romans\/7-6.html\">Romans 7:6 <\/a><span id=\"ro7-6\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"strongs\">But<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">now<\/span> we are <span class=\"strongs\">delivered<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">from<\/span> the law, that being <span class=\"strongs\">dead<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">wherein<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">we<\/span> were <span class=\"strongs\">held<\/span> ; <span class=\"strongs\">that<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">we<\/span> should <span class=\"strongs\">serve<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">in<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">newness<\/span> of <span class=\"strongs\">spirit,<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">and<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">not<\/span> in the oldness of the letter.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Go to 2 Corinthians 3:6 (Standard View)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/2-corinthians\/3-6.html\">2 Corinthians 3:6 <\/a><span id=\"2co3-6\" class=\"versetext highlightThenFade\"><span class=\"strongs\">Who<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">also<\/span> hath <span class=\"strongs\">made<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">us<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">able<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">ministers<\/span> of the new testament; <span class=\"strongs\">not<\/span> of the letter, <span class=\"strongs\">but<\/span> of the <span class=\"strongs\">spirit:<\/span> <span class=\"strongs\">for<\/span> the letter killeth, <span class=\"strongs\">but<\/span> the spirit giveth life<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>These confusing scriptures cry out for interpretation:<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>The &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/nomos.html\">law<\/a>,&#8221; and the &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/gramma.html\">letter<\/a>&#8221; do not refer only to the written Law of Moses.<\/li>\n<li>They refer to anything written &#8212; including the Bible &#8212; and used as a guide for life &#8212; especially religious life.<\/li>\n<li>This definition includes any writing created by any person or religious organization &#8212; including theologians with degrees, pastors with titles, and religious institutions that have existed for hundreds of years.<\/li>\n<li>These are all old, outdated writings that &#8220;<span id=\"2co3-6\" class=\"versetext highlightThenFade\">killeth&#8221; when compared to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/zoopoieo.html\">life-giving power<\/a> of the <\/span><span class=\"versetext highlightThenFade\">spirit.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Scriptures do not imply that there is no value in the written letter of the Bible. They do say, however, that when the written, literal letter of the Bible is compared to the spiritual understanding of what is written in the Bible, the written letter is nothing.\u00a0 The following scripture communicates this truth best.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span id=\"2co3-1\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/2-corinthians\/passage\/?q=2-corinthians+3:1-11\">2-Corinthians 3:1-11<\/a> Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? <\/span> <span id=\"2co3-2\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">2<\/span> You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on your hearts, to be known and read by all men; <\/span> <span id=\"2co3-3\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">3<\/span> and you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. <\/span> <span id=\"2co3-4\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">4<\/span> Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. <\/span> <span id=\"2co3-5\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">5<\/span> Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, <\/span> <span id=\"2co3-6\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">6<\/span> who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life. <\/span> <span id=\"2co3-7\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">7<\/span> Now if the dispensation of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such splendor that the Israelites could not look at Moses&#8217; face because of its brightness, fading as this was, <\/span> <span id=\"2co3-8\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">8<\/span> will not the dispensation of the Spirit be attended with greater splendor? <\/span> <span id=\"2co3-9\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">9<\/span> For if there was splendor in the dispensation of condemnation, the dispensation of righteousness must far exceed it in splendor. <\/span> <span id=\"2co3-10\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">10<\/span> Indeed, in this case, what once had splendor has come to have no splendor at all, because of the splendor that surpasses it. <\/span> <span id=\"2co3-11\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">11<\/span> For if what faded away came with splendor, what is permanent must have much more splendor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: This scripture says clearly that we have no inherent competency in our flesh which is equated here to tablets of stone. Thus it can be said that whatever we try to store up in our fleshly, intellectual minds is of no more value than words written on stone. Even God&#8217;s words are not life-giving if they are written on stone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">In other words, scripture read and memorized as a mental activity is of no spiritual value. The written code kills regardless of where it is written, whether on paper or in the mind. The ability to quote scripture does have value to men, of course, because fleshly people place high value on whatever can be done with the mind and body. In God&#8217;s view, however, these are fleshly works without lasting spiritual value.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">What has lasting spiritual value for God is whatever is spoken by God and written on the hearts of men by God. This is consistent with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34\">Jeremiah&#8217;s prophecy about the law being written on man&#8217;s hearts by God himself without the aide of a human teacher <\/a>&#8212; even when man tries to teach himself.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/1-corinthians\/2.html\">1-Corinthians 2: <\/a><span id=\"1co2-1\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\">When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-2\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">2<\/span> For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-3\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">3<\/span> And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-4\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">4<\/span> and my speech and my message were not in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/huperoche.html\">plausible words<\/a> of<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/sophia.html\"> wisdom<\/a>, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-5\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">5<\/span> that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-6\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">6<\/span> Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-7\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">7<\/span> But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-8\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">8<\/span> None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-9\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">9<\/span> But, as it is written, &#8220;What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,&#8221; <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-10\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">10<\/span> God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-11\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">11<\/span> For what person knows a man&#8217;s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-12\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">12<\/span> Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-13\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">13<\/span> And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-14\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">14<\/span> The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-15\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">15<\/span> The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. <\/span> <span id=\"1co2-16\" class=\"versetext\" style=\"display: inline;\"><span class=\"versenum\">16<\/span> &#8220;For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?&#8221; But we have the mind of Christ. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: The Apostle Paul confirms that learning about God does not happen as a result of intellectual wisdom and fine-sounding speech. He understood full well that whatever he had to convey came directly from God through his Spirit and not the kind of wisdom that other religious teachers were using to gain followers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Paul does not cringe from revealing that God&#8217;s wisdom is secret and has always been hidden from religious rulers. When he says Paul is not referring only to future, public,\u00a0 miraculous events on earth and in heaven such as man is likely to imagine that God would do. He says that these are present things (i.e. gifts) that God has revealed (i.e. given) through the Spirit. These are the deep thoughts of God that are particular and appropriate for each person &#8212; not general and universal words that pass for human wisdom and are\u00a0 taught to the masses through religious leaders.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">These spiritual truths are all spiritually received\u00a0 and discerned by those who possess the Spirit. Those who do not possess the Spirit are unspiritual. Since the Spirit is associated with the New Covenant, discernment is available only to New Covenant disciples. Old\/First Covenant religionists are unspiritual\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+29:1-4;isaiah+32:1-4;isaiah+48:8;jeremiah+5:21;ezekiel+12:2;matthew+13:15;acts+28:26-27;romans+11:1-8;ephesians+4:18\">rebels who only discern with their natural eyes and ears.<\/a> They do not have spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear the deep things of God because they only read and interpret the Bible literally &#8212; not symbolically.<\/p>\n<p>Those who have the mind of Christ understand that they cannot even teach themselves through rigorous Bible study, devotions and memorization because they understand that knowing God is not an intellectual exercise and that religious leaders cannot competently teach through human words what God&#8217;s teaches through the Spirit. They say they have faith, but the faith they have does not extend so far as to trust that God would teach them directly, by his Spirit. Instead their faith is in their own ability to teach themselves or in the ability of a religious leader who represents himself\/herself as one competent to teach. This is not New Covenant faith. It is Old\/First Covenant religion. And it is idolatry.<\/p>\n<p>Those who do not have the mind of Christ continue to work at teaching themselves and learning from religious leaders. They are in the great population of religionists who are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/2-timothy\/passage\/?q=2-timothy+3:1-7\">ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. <\/a>They <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/ginosko.html\">know about God<\/a> but do not <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/epiginosko.html\">know him intimately.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>If knowing God through intellectual study and by listening to religious leaders was the way to know God, more people would be abandoning their Old\/First Covenant religious They would also stop seeking spiritual truth from religious leaders.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>JESUS HAD MUCH TO SAY ABOUT SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION<\/strong><br \/>\nJesus had important words of instruction about taking what He said literally or symbolically<span style=\"line-height: 1.4em;\"> when the disciples asked him about speaking in parables (i.e. symbolically). Basically, what Jesus said was that only true <\/span><a style=\"line-height: 1.4em;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/lexicons\/greek\/kjv\/mathetes.html\">disciples (learners)<\/a><span style=\"line-height: 1.4em;\"> will understand parables. Here is what he said in<\/span><a style=\"line-height: 1.4em;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:11;luke+8:10\"> Matthew 3: 11 and Luke 8:10:<\/a><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>&#8220;The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables.&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>These words were addressed to Jesus&#8217; disciples who would, after Pentecost, become new New Covenant disciples. When the Holy Spirit came, the law would be written on their hearts and they would no longer be subject to the rules and regulations of the Old\/First Covenant. They would be spiritually transformed from the Old\/First Covenant wineskin to the New Covenant wineskin. And only then would they be able to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice#howtoheargodsvoice\">hear God&#8217;s spoken voice<\/a> that would explain the secrets of the kingdom of God to them.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, they were in an awkward period of transition from Old\/First Covenant to New Covenant. They recognized that Jesus was the Messiah. They followed him for three years to watch and learn how to understand parables. They had moments of insight, but they did not yet have full understanding. And when they did not understand the literal parables, they asked for understanding of the spiritual meaning.<\/p>\n<p>Just as Jesus had come to <a style=\"outline: 1px dotted; outline-offset: 0px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=matthew+5:17;romans+3:31\">fulfill\/complete the law in his physical body<\/a>, his disciples were also meant to fulfill and complete the law in their physical bodies. Thus, the &#8220;knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God&#8221; is nothing less than the law written on their hearts. That meant that they could eventually (i.e. after the Holy Spirit teaches them) see beyond the literal interpretation of Jesus&#8217; parables to the underlying, spiritual meaning of his words. And because they can do this, they are simultaneously coming to spiritual understanding of God&#8217;s laws and his character which would be revealed in their lives. This is how they become &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/isaiah\/passage\/?q=isaiah+42:6;isaiah+49:5-6;isaiah+60:1-4\">lights to the nations,<\/a>&#8221; which is the ultimate purpose of the New Covenant:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34\">Jeremiah 31:31-34<\/a>: &#8220;Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, &#8216;Know the LORD,&#8217; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.<\/p>\n<p>Before the day comes when the New Covenant will be established, however, the existing Old\/First Covenant religious system would need to be demolished. We tend to assume that this prophecy, along with other prophecies, will happen on a global scale at a unique point in time that affects everyone. This is a totally wrong assumption. Making this assumption is one of the errors that Old\/First Covenant religionists commonly make when they interpret scripture literally. Indeed, the literal interpretation does forecast a unique event in time that appears to affect the whole of Israel. The correct, symbolic interpretation, however, is that this prophecy and other prophecies are directed to individual Israelites &#8212; not to the entire nation &#8212; and that it will happen person by person over a period of time as God determines in a way that is consistent with what God said in this famous scripture:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+29:11-14\">Jeremiah 29:11-14<\/a>: For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: Applying a little common sense to this scripture we would clearly understand that this is a prophecy that applies first to individuals and eventually to all, or most, of Israel. And if we take a broad view of Israel, which we should do, we will interpret this prophecy to apply to spiritual Israel (i.e. the Gentile church) not just to ethnic Israel. If this was not the proper interpretation, the coming of the Messiah would not make any sense because he is the mediator of the New Covenant (i.e. the one who makes it spiritually possible for everyone to transition from Old\/First Covenant to the New Covenant.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">MORE COMMENTARY ON <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+29:11-14\">Jeremiah 29:11-14<\/a>: Application of this scripture to the New Covenant, the main theme of Jeremiah, is evident in verse 13. In the Bible, &#8220;heart&#8221; is always a code word for the New Covenant. Seeking with the heart is contrasted with seeking with the natural mind which is what we do when we try to make some sense out of the literal words of the Bible. Similarly, we do not seek with all our heart when we seek to learn about God from a religious leader. In God&#8217;s view, it is idolatry when we go to a human mediator (i.e. false prophet) for something (e.g. wisdom, teaching, understanding, etc.) that God wants to give to us through his spirit.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>LITERAL INTERPRETATIONS ARE THE INSPIRATION FOR OLD\/FIRST COVENANT RELIGION<\/strong><br \/>\nIn many denominations it is a settled\u00a0fact that for every scripture there is only one, literal meaning. There are several problems with this thinking:<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>It severely limits what God may want to reveal to anyone.<\/li>\n<li>It discourages individual disciples from\u00a0doing their own spiritual digging\u00a0to discover meanings different from those that religious leaders have already taught.<\/li>\n<li>It contradicts what the Bible says about mystery and parables and other deep sayings about symbolism.<\/li>\n<li>It grossly simplifies God&#8217;s character and his ways.<\/li>\n<li>It reinforces the position and control of spiritual leaders in an Old\/First Covenant religious system, and<\/li>\n<li>Effectively constrains individual disciples from maturing into New Covenant disciples.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Even though we may believe that there is more to understand than the literal word of the Bible, we are sure to stumble over difficult scriptures. If we did not stumble, we would pridefully think we know the full mind and character of God. Nevertheless, knowing God is part of the New Covenant promise:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:33-34\">Jeremiah 31:33-34<\/a>: But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.\u00a034\u00a0And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, &#8216;Know the LORD,&#8217; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And we do have<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=isaiah+11:9;john+6:45;hebrews+8:10-11;isaiah+54:13;1+corinthians+2:13;1+thessalonians+4:9;hebrews+10:16;1+john+2:27\">\u00a0God&#8217;s word elsewhere that knowing him is possible and that he himself will teach us.<\/a>\u00a0In the meantime, when we do fail to understand difficult scriptures, we should always look for the symbolic meaning because we know it exists &#8212; even when we do not see it &#8212; because Jesus and God always spoke in parables. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:44-46\">search for the pearl of great price never ends <\/a>for New Covenant disciples.<\/p>\n<p>Coming to understanding of Biblical symbolism is partly an intellectual process and part spiritual. The intellectual part is in searching for related scriptures that give us clues to the meaning of the current scripture. This always involves going down many rabbit trails, some of which lead somewhere and some do not. Nevertheless, we do the digging with the expectation that we will eventually find that<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:44-48\">\u00a0pearl of great value or the good fish<\/a>. When we do this by faith that God will sooner or later open our spiritual eyes and ears, we have entered into that spiritual realm where we\u00a0<a style=\"outline: 1px dotted; outline-offset: 0px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=matthew+7:7-11;luke+11:5-13;proverbs+8:17;jeremiah+29:12-13\">ask, seek and knock with all our heart<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When we find a scripture that is hard to understand in its literal form, we assume that it is a parable and then ask God what it means. We read with our natural eyes and ears until <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/deuteronomy\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+29:1-4\">God gives us\u00a0a mind to understand, spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Why\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+29:1-4;isaiah+32:1-4;isaiah+48:8;jeremiah+5:21;ezekiel+12:2;matthew+13:15;acts+28:26-27;romans+11:1-8;ephesians+4:18\">God chooses to open our eyes to some scripture and not to others is a matter of the hardness of our own hearts<\/a>. In our pride we do not know yet exactly where that hardness exists, but if we humbly acknowledge that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=romans+3:10;psalms+143:2;psalms+14:3;ecclesiastes+7:20\">we are not righteous<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=psalm+139:23-24;job+13:23;psalm+26:2;1+chronicles+29:17;psalm+7:9;proverbs+17:3;jeremiah+11:20;revelation+2:23;deuteronomy+6:6;jeremiah+20:12;ezekiel+11:5\">ask him to show us where the hardness exists<\/a>, he will eventually reveal it to us. And when we are faithful to repent for\u00a0 our hard hearts after God reveals them to us, he will be faithful to open our eyes and ears to spiritual understanding of those difficult scriptures.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE DIFFICULTY OF THE PROPHETIC BOOKS<\/strong><br \/>\nThe tendency when reading the prophetic books of the Bible is to interpret them as future, global events that will happen at a specific time and affect everyone living at that time. Applying this thinking, some people believe that some prophecies have already been fulfilled and others think that they are yet to be fulfilled. This is a wrong way to interpret any prophecy. It leaves a gap in time between past and future which makes application of the prophecy to our here and now lives difficult.<\/p>\n<p>Prophecies should be interpreted to apply to individuals at different times according to God&#8217;s plan for each person. This attitude creates room for any prophecy to be applied to each individual on a more or less daily basis. This attitude is the only one that creates anticipation for timely <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/2-timothy\/passage\/?q=2+timothy+3:16-17\">application of all scripture to personal righteousness.<\/a> We should expect no less from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/hebrews\/4-12.html\">God&#8217;s living word that is able to judge between the thoughts and intentions of our hearts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This happened prophetically when\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-commerce\/jesus-and-the-money-changers-in-the-temple-2\">Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple<\/a>. It happened\u00a0spiritually\u00a0through Jesus death and resurrection. It happened for real\u00a0when God sent Rome to demolish the Temple during\u00a0the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE.<\/p>\n<p>Before that would happen, however, the existing Old\/First Covenant religious system would need to be demolished. This happened prophetically when\u00a0Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple. It happened\u00a0spiritually\u00a0through Jesus death and resurrection. It happened for real\u00a0when God sent Rome to demolish the Temple during\u00a0the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE.<\/p>\n<p>There is an important spiritual lesson in these events for individual disciples: The old must die before the new can be established. We find this principle in this scripture:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/jeremiah\/1-10.html\">Jeremiah 1:10<\/a>: See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While this word was given to the prophet Jeremiah, it is also an exhortation to contemporary disciples that they too must pluck up, break down,\u00a0 destroy and overthrow spiritual\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/nations\">nations and kingdoms<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0(i.e. religious beliefs, practices and institutions) to which they have given authority to rule over their personal spiritual lives. This <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-2\/3\">first the natural and then the spiritual principle<\/a> is that religionists must destroy and overthrow (i.e. it must die) Old\/First Covenant religion in their own lives\u00a0 before the New Covenant (i.e. where the law is written on their hearts) can be built and planted in their hearts (i.e. new life). This principle found throughout the Bible is represented as the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/death-resurrection-life\">death,resurrection and new life<\/a> process by which Old\/First Covenant religionists <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/deuteronomy\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+30:15-20\">choose <\/a>to keep practicing religion or New Covenant life.<\/p>\n<p>A unique example of this principle is found in the parable of the patched clothing and wineskins;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=matthew+9:16-17;mark+2:21-22\">Matthew 9:16-17 and Mark 2:21-22<\/a>: And no one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wine skins; if it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wine skins, and so both are preserved.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: Here unshrunk cloth and new wine symbolically refer to God&#8217;s spoken voice. The old garment and old wineskin symbolically refer to the human mind of Old\/First Covenant religionists. A new garment and fresh wineskin symbolically refer to New Covenant disciples.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The parable teaches that God&#8217;s spoken word can only be heard by New Covenant disciples and cannot be received by Old\/First Covenant religionists.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The human mind cannot <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/romans\/passage\/?q=romans+12:1-2\">understand God&#8217;s perfect will unless it is transformed <\/a>from its human tendency (i.e. old nature) to interpret the Bible literally. This transformation is also called <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=john+3:1-8;+1-peter+1:23-25\">being born again<\/a>, a process through which <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+29:1-4;+isaiah+6:8-10;+ezekiel+12:2;+matthew+13:14;+acts+28:23-28\">God opens the heart (i.e. eyes)<\/a> of New Covenant disciples so that they stop trying to understand the literal Bible with their minds and instead listen to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=hebrews+4:1-13;+jeremiah+23:29;+ephesians+5:26;+hebrews+6:5\">God&#8217;s living and active spoken word (i.e. voice) <\/a>which is spoken to the heart.<\/p>\n<p>The point of application for this study is that the ability to understand the deep symbolic meanings of scripture is possible only after rejection of the religious systems and doctrines that limit understanding to one literal interpretation. This is especially true for Biblical prophecy.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the tendency to interpret the Bible literally, there is also a tendency to see prophecies as events that are out there in the future somewhere with little or no personal application for us as individuals today. This attitude disagrees with what God has said about the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/2-timothy\/passage\/?q=2-timothy+3:13-17\">timely, personal application of all scripture for everyone.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>It must be said, therefore, that anyone who aspires to be a New Covenant disciple must consider all prophecies as applicable to them in the present time. Since Judaism and Christianity insist on interpreting prophecies according to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theopedia.com\/dispensationalism\">dispensations of time<\/a>, it is imperative that New Covenant aspirants disengage from religious systems that do not teach personal application of prophecy of God speaking in real time to their hearts.<\/p>\n<p>Continued submission to teaching that is contrary to what God wants people to hear and apply today, not in some future time, is idolatry &#8212; no matter how persuasive or reasonable the teaching might be. It is like this: Either you depend on God alone to teach you, or you depend on someone else to teach you. It is the &#8220;two masters&#8221; principle:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/passage\/?q=matthew+6:24;luke+16:12-13\">Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:12-13:\u00a0<\/a> And\u00a0 if\u00a0 ye have\u00a0\u00a0 not\u00a0 been\u00a0\u00a0 faithful\u00a0 in\u00a0 that which is another man&#8217;s, who shall give you\u00a0 that which is your own? 13 No\u00a0 servant\u00a0 can serve two masters: for either he will hate\u00a0 the one,\u00a0 and\u00a0 love the other; or else\u00a0 he will hold to the one,\u00a0 and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">COMMENTARY: Religious leaders find the basis of their teachings in the literal words of the Bible. Their credibility is based on their skill in reading, interpreting and reporting what the Bible says to them. The Bible, therefore, becomes\u00a0 the master of the religion that they preach.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">This seems reasonable and right until we recognize that what God ultimately wants is for each of people to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=genesis+22:18;+exodus+23:21-22;+numbers+7:89;+numbers+14:22;+deuteronomy+4:12;+deuteronomy+4:30;+deuteronomy+4:36;+deuteronomy+5:22-26;+deuteronomy+8:20;+deuteronomy+9:23;+deuteronomy+13:4;+deuteronomy+13:18;+deuteronomy+15:5;+deuteronomy+26:14;+deuteronomy+26:17;+deuteronomy+30:20;+joshua+5:6;+joshua+10:14;+joshua+22:2;+joshua+24:24;+psalm+81:11;+psalm+95:7;+psalm+106:25;+jeremiah+3:13;+jeremiah+3:25;+jeremiah+7:23;+jeremiah+7:28;+jeremiah+9:13;+jeremiah+11:4;+jeremiah+11:7;+jeremiah+18:10;+jeremiah+22:20-21;+jeremiah+26:13;+jeremiah+32:23;+jeremiah+40:3;+jeremiah+42:6;+jeremiah+42:13-14;+jeremiah+43:1-7;+jeremiah+44:23;+isaiah+28:23;+isaiah+32:9;+isaiah+55:1-3\">listen to and obey his voice on their own <\/a>without the assistance of human mediators whom God calls <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\">false prophets<\/a>. Although people love to read their Bibles and listen to and read the teachings of religious leaders, these activities are not the same as listening to God&#8217;s spoken voice. In God&#8217;s view, people who listen to religious leaders practice idolatry.<\/p>\n<p>Prophecies about the New Covenant are particular example of those which should be applied personally in real time. Christians tend to put all the emphasis of the New Covenant on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;+1-thessalonians+4:9;+1-john+2:27;+john+14:11-17;+john+14:26;+1-corinthians+2:12;+hebrews+8:10-11;+john+6:45\">forgiving iniquity and remembering sin no\u00a0 more<\/a>. While these are not unimportant features of the New Covenant, this emphasis also tends to ignore the rest of the prophecy about the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;+1-thessalonians+4:9;+1-john+2:27;+john+14:11-17;+john+14:26;+1-corinthians+2:12;+hebrews+8:10-11;+john+6:45\">law written on hearts, teaching and knowing God.<\/a> In plain terms, God wants to teach his people himself.<\/p>\n<p>When we read the Bible, its many <a href=\"https:\/\/infidels.org\/library\/modern\/donald_morgan\/contradictions.html\">inconsistencies and contradictions<\/a> will lead us to wrong conclusions if we interpret them literally. This is what happens when we depend on written or spoken human words for understanding instead of listening to God&#8217;s voice. When we understand that we absolutely need to listen to God&#8217;s voice, we can understand why God says that<\/p>\n<p>We will always err in our understanding of scripture if we use only our natural intellect and cultural understanding of words because it is impossible to represent spiritual truth with natural, human words. Because there is so much depth to God and how he works, understanding is impossible unless<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=john+14:26;+1-john+2:27;+john+6:45;+1-corinthians+2:12\"> God&#8217;s spirit does the teaching. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>In the above process, there is one gap in the process that we did not attempt to include because it is so complex &#8212; so spiritual. It is the\u00a0 beginning of the process where conviction of sin and repentance occurs. This phase of spiritual growth is impossible to represent in detail because it is personal for each person. Nevertheless, there are several things that we can say about the process\u00a0because God has outlined them in the Bible.The significance of this process in establishing the New Covenant in Jews and Christians\u00a0is\u00a0immense. With respect to Literal or Symbolic Interpretation, however, we must first make a few key points.<\/p>\n<table class=\" aligncenter\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>If the written law was adequate to accomplish God&#8217;s purposes, there would have been no need to write it on the hearts of God&#8217;s people.<\/li>\n<li>If the Old\/First Covenant was able to bring salvation, there would have been no need for the New Covenant.<\/li>\n<li>If the Old\/First Covenant was able to bring salvation, there would have been no need for a savior.<\/li>\n<li>The written law is finite. That means it has limitations on how much is written and on the meanings of written words. But <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=job+36:26;psalm+147:5;psalm+145:3;isaiah+40:28;job+5:9;romans+11:33;revelation+1:8;revelation+21:6;revelation+22:13;job+26:14;malachi+3:6;james+1:17\">God is\u00a0a big God; he does not change; his ways are not our ways<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>In<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/luke\/passage\/?q=luke+8:9-18\">\u00a0Luke 8:9-18<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:16-23\">\u00a0Matthew 13:16-23, <\/a>in response to his disciples&#8217; inquiry, Jesus explains to his disciples the spiritual meaning of the parables.\u00a0\u00a0The blessing to which Jesus refers in these scriptures is the blessing associated with being in a New Covenant relationship where the meaning of the law and the parables is written on their hearts. This is the common experience for all who are in a New Covenant relationship with God. Those who have the law written on their hearts effectively have the mind of Christ, which is a mind that is able to interpret the spiritual meanings of difficult scriptures. These hidden meanings are the secrets of the kingdom of God.<\/p>\n<p>This &#8220;knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God&#8221; comes as a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice#howtoheargodsvoice\">quiet revelation by the Spirit of God to the heart of a New Covenant believer who hears God&#8217;s voice<\/a>. This revelation only came to the disciples after they asked Jesus about the meaning of the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:1-9;luke+8:4-10\">parable about the sower he had just told a large crowd<\/a>. Many heard the story, but only the disciples asked Jesus to tell them the meaning. Everyone else in the crowd was satisfied with the obscure, even confusing, meanings of the parables, but the disciples were discerning enough to know that there was more to the story than the literal facts.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/world\/2#parablesower\">this link for commentary on the parable of the sower<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>They were curious about the true meaning, but they also had humility and courage to ask Jesus to explain the meaning to them. And Jesus satisfied their curiosity. As Jesus puts it, they had &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:9;luke+8:10\">ears to hear<\/a>.&#8221; And when he said, &#8220;let them hear&#8221; he was affirming<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=luke+8:17;matthew+10:26;mark+4:22;luke+12:2\">\u00a0God&#8217;s guarantee that hidden spiritual truths would be revealed to those who ask.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A clear and critical lesson in this whole story is that we need to ask for the spiritual meaning. In the story, the disciples asked Jesus for insight. In these modern times we cannot go to the physical Jesus, but we can go to God with a prayer that humbly confesses that we do not understand the literal Bible. Sooner or later, God will provide\u00a0 the answer. However, if we are satisfied with the literal meaning, that is all that we will get.<\/p>\n<p>Since the ability to discern deep spiritual meanings is a function of having the law written on your heart (i.e. New Covenant), failure to obtain deep spiritual meanings is a clear indicator that you are still in an Old\/First Covenant relationship with God. And if that is where you are, you don&#8217;t even know enough to ask for spiritual meanings. For you, there is nothing more to the Bible than the literal meaning. You\u00a0may have read through the Bible many times, and you may know all the important stories by heart, and you may know some doctrines, and you may have memorized a lot of scripture, but if you don&#8217;t ask for and receive spiritual meanings of scripture, it is all intellectual exercise to gain intellectual knowledge. You are not pursuing spiritual life found in spiritual knowledge that comes from hearing God&#8217;s spoken word in your heart.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus gave his disciples several<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=luke+8:17-18;matthew+13:11-12;matthew+25:24-29;luke+19:11-26\">\u00a0stern warnings about how they (i.e. we) should seek for hidden secrets and apply what we learn<\/a>. What he said is that<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=luke+8:18;matthew+13:12;matthew+25:29;luke+19:26\">\u00a0what you think you have in terms of knowledge\u00a0will be taken away from you\u00a0<\/a>if you continue to assume that there is no deeper meaning than the one that comes to you intellectually as\u00a0you read or listen.<\/p>\n<p>However, if you assume, as true New Covenant disciples will do, that there is a deeper meaning, Jesus will give you that deeper meaning. Since true disciples are learners, they will make the effort to ask for more information. And since God\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=luke+11:9-13;matthew+7:7-11;james+1:5-8\">encourages disciples to ask for wisdom<\/a>\u00a0(i.e. knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God), he will be faithful to give it to those who bother to ask.<\/p>\n<p>In the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:1-9;luke+8:4-10\">story where Jesus told a large crowd about the parable of the sower<\/a>, it was only the disciples who came to Jesus afterwards to ask for the spiritual meaning. Others in the crowd were content to hear the literal story.\u00a0Members of the larger crowd were content to hear and understand with their natural capabilities (eyes and ears). This was not true for the disciples. They knew that there was more to the story and they\u00a0went out of their way\u00a0to ask Jesus for the deeper spiritual meaning. Jesus&#8217; disciples prove that they have\u00a0spiritual\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:9;luke+8:8-10;isaiah+30:21;jeremiah+25:4;ezekiel+12:2;ezekiel+40:4;ezekiel+44:5;matthew+11:15;matthew+13:15;mark+4:9;mark+4:23;luke+14:35;acts+28:27;romans+11:7-8\">ears to hear\u00a0<\/a>by asking for deeper spiritual understandings of God&#8217;s word.<\/p>\n<p>This story reveals three key qualities of New Covenant disciples:<\/p>\n<table class=\" aligncenter\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ol>\n<li>They know that there is more to the story than what the natural eye and ear can understand.<\/li>\n<li>They will do what they need to do to get that deeper meaning.<\/li>\n<li>They will ask questions until they do understand the deeper meaning.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:10-17;+zechariah+7:4-14;+ezekiel+3:1-7;+isaiah+6:1-10;+psalm+119:65-72;+john+8:34-47;+2-timothy+4:1-4;+hebrews+5:8-14\">God has many unflattering ways of referring to people who do not listen to his voice<\/a> (i.e. they interpret scripture only literally). Essentially, they have hard hearts. And if they have hard hearts, they are<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-2\/5\"> fake disciples &#8212; not true disciples<\/a>. And if they are not true disciples who listen and understand with their hearts, they are not New Covenant believers because the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+31:31-34;isaiah+6:10;matthew+13:13-15;john+12:40;acts+28:26-27\">seat of understanding of God&#8217;s ways for a New Covenant believer is in the heart.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A big part of the problem that those who do not listen to God&#8217;s voice is going along with the crowd. The crowd is trained (i.e. indoctrinated) to look only for the literal understanding. Most people are not even aware that hearing with their spiritual ears\/hearts is a possibility or that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=genesis+22:18;+exodus+23:21-22;+numbers+7:89;+numbers+14:22;+deuteronomy+4:12;+deuteronomy+4:30;+deuteronomy+4:36;+deuteronomy+5:22-26;+deuteronomy+8:20;+deuteronomy+9:23;+deuteronomy+13:4;+deuteronomy+13:18;+deuteronomy+15:5;+deuteronomy+26:14;+deuteronomy+26:17;+deuteronomy+30:20;+joshua+5:6;+joshua+10:14;+joshua+22:2;+joshua+24:24;+psalm+81:11;+psalm+95:7;+psalm+106:25;+jeremiah+3:13;+jeremiah+3:25;+jeremiah+7:23;+jeremiah+7:28;+jeremiah+9:13;+jeremiah+11:4;+jeremiah+11:7;+jeremiah+18:10;+jeremiah+22:20-21;+jeremiah+26:13;+jeremiah+32:23;+jeremiah+40:3;+jeremiah+42:6;+jeremiah+42:13-14;+jeremiah+43:1-7;+jeremiah+44:23;+isaiah+28:23;+isaiah+32:9;+isaiah+55:1-3\">God commands people to listen to his voice<\/a>. They wrongly think that only trained religious leaders can hear from God, and so that is who they listen to. That is why the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=luke+6:39;matthew+15:14;matthew+23:16\">blind lead the blind<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Carrying these points further, it is logical and accurate to say that people who do not allow for symbolic interpretations are not really Christlike. This must be true because, if Jesus spoke in parables, he also understood the symbolic interpretation of those parables. Thus, a person who is truly Christ-like must also understand the symbolic interpretation of the parables and other difficult scriptures. Or, even if that person does not fully understand such scriptures, he\/she must at least agree that such symbolic interpretations do exist and then seek diligently to study them until understanding comes.<\/p>\n<p>By consistently choosing to acknowledge and accept only\u00a0literal interpretations,\u00a0people with dull, unbelieving hearts\u00a0use only their natural, intellectual abilities to understand truth. But, no matter what their intellectual capabilities might be, intellect and reason are never enough to gain spiritual understanding. The spirit of a New Covenant disciple must be engaged with spiritual ears to hear God&#8217;s spoken voice.<\/p>\n<p>Of course there\u00a0must be some intellectual understanding, but\u00a0those who begin and end with intellectual understanding effectively foreclose on deeper, spiritual understanding. Such people are focused on natural things of the world while <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=2+corinthians+4:18;2+corinthians+5:7;1+corinthians+13:12\">God wants us to focus on the things of the Spirit that cannot be seen or touched with natural capabilities<\/a> (i.e. eyes, ears and intellect). Those who interpret the Bible literally have a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=colossians+2:13-22;hebrews+8:1-10;hebrews+10:1-18\">shadow of truth<\/a>, but they do not get the full meaning.\u00a0 The are spiritually immature.They are\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/ephesians\/passage\/?q=ephesians+4:9-19\">infants tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.<\/a>\u00a0And as infants, they miss out on the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=1+corinthians+4:1-2;romans+16:25-27\">mysteries of God<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/ephesians\/passage\/?q=ephesians+3:14-19;ephesians+4:8-18\">fullness of Christ<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>GOD IS BIGGER THAN ONE LITERAL MEANING<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fundamentalism\">Fundamentalism<\/a> is a term use to describe religions that hold to <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Biblical_literalism\">Biblical literalism.<\/a> It is a kind of doctrine that appeals to people who by character and\/or training are inclined to hold to rigid interpretations and applications of truth as they understand it in the conduct of their life.<\/p>\n<p>While fundamentalism is useful as an orientation for attracting people to certain religions, it has problems when applied to understanding God and interpreting the Bible:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>Because God and his work are infinite, it is impossible to fully and accurately represent him in a finite package of human words.<\/li>\n<li>God, being spirit, speaks with a spiritual voice that cannot be easily heard by human ears, accurately interpreted\/processed by the human mind, or reliably reported to others by human words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Considering these problems, Biblical literalism represents a kind of false wisdom based on human abilities to understand words and concepts that are essentially spiritual (i.e. without form).<\/p>\n<p>All words human words and concepts are open to multiple meanings and nuance that varies from one culture to another. There is always risk in trying to represent spiritual truth with natural words.Spiritual maturity is a process of learning how to manage these truths. We do what we can with what we have and let God fill in the blanks and correct the errors. That is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/passage\/?q=matthew+4:4;john+6:63;genesis+26:4-5;exodus+19:5;exodus+15:25-26;jeremiah+7:2;john+10:27;john+12:47-48;romans+10;john+8:47;hebrews+4:12;hebrews+11:1-4;john+6:45-47;1+kings+19:11-13;luke+11:28;psalm+32:8-9;psalm+85:1-13;john+14:26;isaiah+30:19-22;galatians+3:5;john+10:1-16;psalm+34:11;psalm+34:3;psalm+29:1;jeremiah+31:31-34;isaiah+11:9;isaiah+54:13;1+corinthians+2:13;1+thessalonians+4:9;hebrews+8:10-11;hebrews+10:16;1+john+2:27;numbers+12:6\">what we will hear when we listen to his voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A critical phase of the maturing process is in the beginning where conviction of sin and repentance occurs. This phase of spiritual growth is impossible to represent in detail because it is so personal for each person. Nevertheless, there are three things that we can say about the process\u00a0because God has outlined them in the Bible.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/hebrews\/passage\/?q=hebrews+12:2-12\">Hebrews 12:2-12<\/a>\u00a0tells us that we struggle against sin and that God disciplines those he loves.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/acts\/passage\/?q=acts+9:1-6;acts+26:13-18\">story of the Apostle Paul&#8217;s conversion\u00a0<\/a>tells us that God had been pricking, or\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goad\">goading<\/a>\u00a0Paul to turn in the right direction. Paul, however, has been\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/kick_against_the_pricks\">kicking against the pricks<\/a>\u00a0because he did not want to turn from persecuting the church.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The significance of this process in establishing the New Covenant in Jews and Christians\u00a0is\u00a0immense. With respect to Literal or Symbolic Interpretation, however, we must make a few key points.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>If the written law was adequate to accomplish God&#8217;s purposes, there would have been no need to write it on the hearts of God&#8217;s people.<\/li>\n<li>If the Old\/First Covenant was able to bring salvation, there would have been no need for the New Covenant.<\/li>\n<li>If the Old\/First Covenant was able to bring salvation, there would have been no need for a savior.<\/li>\n<li>The written law is something that is finite. That means it has limitations on how much is written and on the meanings of written words.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=job+36:26;psalm+147:5;psalm+145:3;isaiah+40:28;job+5:9;romans+11:33;revelation+1:8;revelation+21:6;revelation+22:13;job+26:14;malachi+3:6;james+1:17\">God is\u00a0a big God; he does not change; his ways are not our ways<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>In<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/luke\/passage\/?q=luke+8:9-18\"> Luke 8:9-18<\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:16-23\">\u00a0Matthew 13:16-23<\/a>\u00a0Jesus explains to his disciples the spiritual meaning of the parables. The blessing to which Jesus refers in these scriptures is the blessing associated with being in a New Covenant relationship where the meaning of the law and the parables is written on their hearts. This is the common experience for all who are in a New Covenant relationship with God.<\/p>\n<p>Those who have the law written on their hearts effectively have the mind of Christ speaking to them spiritually &#8212; just like he spoke to his disciples &#8212; to explain the meaning of the parables and the rest of God&#8217;s word. This &#8220;knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God&#8221; comes as a quiet revelation by the Spirit of God to the mind of \u00a0a New Covenant believer. This revelation only came to the disciples after they asked Jesus about the meaning of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:1-9;luke+8:4-10\">parable about the sower he had just told a large crowd<\/a>. Many heard the story, but only the disciples asked Jesus to tell them the meaning. Everyone else in the crowd was satisfied with their literal understanding of what Jesus said, but the disciples were discerning enough to know that there was more to the story than the literal facts. They were curious about the true meaning so they had the courage to ask Jesus to explain the meaning to them. And Jesus satisfied their curiosity. As Jesus puts it, they had &#8220;ears to hear.&#8221; And when he said, &#8220;let them hear&#8221; he was affirming<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=luke+8:17;matthew+10:26;mark+4:22;luke+12:2\"> God&#8217;s guarantee that hidden spiritual truths would be revealed to those who ask.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A clear and critical lesson in this whole story is that you need to ask for the spiritual meaning. If you are satisfied with the literal meaning, that is all that you will get from it. Since the ability to discern deep spiritual meanings is a function of having the law written on your heart (i.e. New Covenant), failure to obtain deep spiritual meanings is a clear indicator that you are still in an Old\/First Covenant relationship with God. And if that is where you are, you don&#8217;t even know enough to ask for spiritual meanings. For you, there is nothing more to the Bible than the literal word.\u00a0Indeed you\u00a0may have read through the Bible many times, and you may know all the important stories, and you may know some doctrines, and you may have memorized a lot of scripture, but if you don&#8217;t ask for and receive spiritual meanings of scripture, it is all intellectual exercise to gain information. You are not pursuing spiritual life. You may even be <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/romans\/passage\/?q=romans+10:1-2\">zealous to learn about God, but it is not zeal based on knowledge<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus gave his disciples several<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=luke+8:17-18;matthew+13:11-12;matthew+25:24-29;luke+19:11-26\"> stern warnings about how we seek for hidden secrets and apply what we learn<\/a>. What he said is that what you think you have in terms of knowledge\u00a0will be taken away from you. The only way to understand these scriptures is to recognize\u00a0 that Jesus is talking to religious Jews who prided themselves on their religious knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>The lessons here are these:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>If we assume that there is no deeper meaning than the one that comes to us intellectually as we read or listen to others teach, that is all we will get.<\/li>\n<li>If we assume that God is only as big and complex as he appears to be in scripture, that is as big as he will ever be for us.<\/li>\n<li>If we assume that all that God has to say to us is contained in the literal words of the Bible, we will never learn to listen to his spoken voice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>However, if we assume, as true New Covenant disciples will do, that there are deeper meanings to scripture, God will reveal those deeper meanings to us. This is what it means to be a disciple.<\/p>\n<p>Since true disciples are learners, they will make the effort to ask for more information. And since God <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=luke+11:9-13;matthew+7:7-11;james+1:5-8\">encourages disciples to ask for wisdom<\/a> (i.e. knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God), he will be faithful to give it to those who bother to ask.<\/p>\n<p>In the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:1-9;luke+8:4-10\">story where Jesus told a large crowd about the parable of the sower<\/a>, it was only the disciples who came to Jesus afterwards to ask for the spiritual meaning. Others in the crowd were content to hear the literal story.\u00a0Members of the larger crowd were content to hear and understand with their natural capabilities (eyes and ears). This was not true for the disciples. They knew that there was more to the story and they\u00a0went out of their way\u00a0to ask Jesus for the deeper spiritual meaning. Jesus&#8217; disciples prove that they have\u00a0spiritual <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:9;luke+8:8-10;isaiah+30:21;jeremiah+25:4;ezekiel+12:2;ezekiel+40:4;ezekiel+44:5;matthew+11:15;matthew+13:15;mark+4:9;mark+4:23;luke+14:35;acts+28:27;romans+11:7-8\">ears to hear <\/a>by asking for deeper spiritual understandings of God&#8217;s word.<\/p>\n<p>This story reveals a key quality of New Covenant disciples. They know that there is more to the story than natural eyes and ears can absorb and they will do what they need to do to get that deeper meaning &#8212; even humble themselves to admit that they do not understand.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>GOD WILL HARDEN HEARTS OF PEOPLE WHO DO NOT ACCEPT SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/john\/passage\/?q=john+5:37-47\">Jesus criticized people who thought they had found the essence of life in the scriptures (i.e. the books of the Old\/First Covenant). They <\/a>had the literal understanding of scripture but no spiritual understanding. He says, in effect, that the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/isaiah\/passage\/?q=isaiah+6:8-10\"> prophecy given to Isaiah<\/a> was fulfilled when the hearts of the people became hard and they lost the ability to understand with their hearts. In this prophecy God was directly responsible for the hardening of the hearts of Israel. He did that, however, because of people\u2019s pride in thinking they knew the literal word exceedingly well. Since people thought they knew the truth, they were very careful to apply the literal truth they knew in their heavily ritualistic lives.<\/p>\n<p>That is how religious behavior develops. But <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+29:1-4;+isaiah+6:8-10;+isaiah+28:1-13;+matthew+13:10-17;+acts+28:23-28\">because they focused exclusively on what they\u00a0could understand with their intellectual abilities and do with their physical bodies, God hardened their hearts so that they could not effectively know the spiritual (symbolical) truths that God was trying to communicate through symbolic language (parables and other forms of symbolism)<\/a>. He calls it putting a stumbling block before them. That does not seem like anything that God would do, but it is only one of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nrs\/passage\/?q=romans+9:18;exodus+4:21;exodus+7:3;exodus+9:12;exodus+14:17;deuteronomy+2:30;joshua+11:20;isaiah+63:17;john+12:40\">several examples where He hardens hearts<\/a>, so no\u00a0persons should arrogantly think\u00a0 that God would not harden\u00a0their\u00a0heart because\u00a0they professes to be followers of Jesus.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, Jesus said they (disciples) will be blessed when they combine what they read and hear with their natural eyes and ears with what they hear (in the still small voice of their heart) and then apply (i.e. turn, or convert) what they have learned\u00a0 to their lives in a meaningful way.Sometimes <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=john+12:35-40;romans+9:17-18;exodus+10:1;exodus+14:17;joshua+11:20;isaiah+63:17\">God hardens the hearts of people who have already hardened them by not listening<\/a>. Other times, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=mark+16:9-14;hebrews+3:7-10;hebrews+4:2-12;psalm+95:7-8\">people harden their own hearts by refusing to listen<\/a>.\u00a0 Whether God does the hardening or people do it to themselves, a hard heart is a bad thing to have. People with hard hearts are stuck in the letter of the law and have no concept of the Spirit of the law. Jesus said that the hearts of those who are not true disciples (i.e. they are not true learners) have become calloused to spiritual understanding because they have focused only on what they can see and hear with their natural capabilities. Another way to look at this condition is to say that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=2+corinthians+5:7;1+corinthians+13:12;2+corinthians+4:18\">they walk by sight and not by faith<\/a>. It is not good to be a part of this crowd.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>LEAVE SOME ROOM FOR LITERAL UNDERSTANDING<\/strong><br \/>\nIt is no secret that there are many scriptures for which symbolic understanding is not readily available to us because we don&#8217;t know how to listen to God&#8217;s voice. Just because we don\u2019t understand, however, does not mean that there is no room for a literal understanding and that we should discount, reject or ignore those scriptures because they are too difficult for us to understand at a deeper level. We can\u2019t do that because the same God who gave them to us has also given us assurances that understanding is possible \u2013 under certain conditions that we probably don\u2019t understand either \u2014 but remain in that great category of instruction about God for which we are, and may remain, ignorant. We call that \u201cMystery.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, if we are really serious about wanting to know God and about being transformed into His likeness, we will want to diligently <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/study\">study<\/a> to gain that understanding \u2014 no matter what it might cost us. That is the essence of what it means to be a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/luke\/6-40.html\">disciple<\/a>\u00a0(i.e. learner).<br \/>\n<!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE IS OUR PROBLEM TO SOLVE<\/strong><br \/>\nUltimately, we need to accept that our lack of understanding of particular scriptures simply means that God has not yet given us a heart to understand. In particular, it may simply mean that we have not been actively listening for his voice. Or, more likely, the reason we don&#8217;t hear God is that we are committed to listening to false prophets. If that is the case, we should not expect to hear God&#8217;s voice &#8212; except that<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/how-to-hear-gods-spoken-voice#spiritconvicts\"> he would convict us of the sin of religion <\/a>and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/god-is-calling-people-out-of-religion\">call us out of religion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That God would put conditions on hearing his voice may not sound much like grace to people whose theology includes an expectation that God will just want to give them all the understanding they need when they need it and that he will do that unconditionally. We understand that theology, but we cannot reconcile it with what God said about wisdom in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nrs\/proverbs\/8-17.html\">Proverbs 8:17<\/a> or with what Jesus said about seeking in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+7:7-8\">Matthew 7:7-8<\/a>.\u00a0 Thus, our theology says that understanding of deep spiritual truths remains our problem to solve. It remains for us to decide if we really want to solve the problem and if we are willing to invest the effort to discover what God\u2019s conditions are for making revelation known to us.<\/p>\n<p>If we do conclude that we do want to do these things, all that is left to do is do it. It all depends on the strength of our desire to find God and know him intimately. It seems like the least we can do if we claim to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?q=love+heart+soul+lord\">love him with all our heart, mind, soul and strengt<\/a>h.<\/p>\n<p>Readers who want to learn more about symbolic interpretation would do well to to go to <a title=\"Literal or Symbolic Interpretation: Part 2\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-2\">Literal or Symbolic Interpretation: Part 2<\/a>. In the meantime, here are a few key points to remember:<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>God writes the law on the hearts of his people.<\/li>\n<li>After the law is written on their hearts, people will no longer say to one another: &#8220;I know God. Let me teach you about him.&#8221; Each person will take personal responsibility for knowing God.<\/li>\n<li>People who have the law written on their hearts will know God because the law reveals the depth and breadth of Gods character and his ways to them in ways that no human teacher can do.<\/li>\n<li>People who have the law written on their hearts will have faith that obedience to the requirements of the written law is no longer necessary. They will understand that performance of the letter of the law yields death while the spirit of the law produces life. With that understanding, people will understand that they no longer need to engage in the religious rituals and ceremonies written in the literal law. They will understand that all the righteous requirements of the law will be fulfilled by people who have it written on their hearts. For them,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=philippians+2:12-16;ezra+1:5;hebrews+13:20-21;2+corinthians+9:8;colossians+1:9-10;2+timothy+2:19-26;2+timothy+3:12-17\">God&#8217;s character is now part of who they are and it will be evident in their daily lives through their good works<\/a>. They will understand that to be &#8220;in Christ&#8221; means that Christ&#8217;s character is now their character. And because Christ is the image of the living God, God&#8217;s character is now their character and that it will be revealed in everything they say and do. To the degree that people accept and act on this truth by faith,<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/john\/passage\/?q=john+7:2-12\">\u00a0they will no longer find it necessary or desirable to engage in outward religious behaviors required by the written law (e.g. the Law of Moses, the oral laws and traditions of the Jews, or the laws and traditions of denominations and churches)<\/a>. Their righteousness is based on what is inside them (i.e. the law, character of God), not on the works of the written law (e.g.\u00a0 sacrifices, tithes, offerings, feasts, temple worship, etc.).<\/li>\n<li>People who know God actively listen to hear his voice and obey (i.e. apply) what they hear.<\/li>\n<li>People will not need to teach or be taught about God because the law is written on their hearts.<\/li>\n<li>The ability to know God will be available to everyone &#8212; not just those who have status as spiritual leaders because of their education or titles (i.e. priests).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Regarding rigid literal interpretations of scripture, here are a few key points to keep in mind:<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>It severely limits what God wants to reveal to anyone.<\/li>\n<li>It discourages individual disciples from\u00a0doing their own spiritual digging\u00a0to discover meanings different from those that religious leaders have already taught.<\/li>\n<li>It contradicts what the Bible says about mystery and parables and other deep sayings about symbolism.<\/li>\n<li>It grossly simplifies God&#8217;s character and his ways.<\/li>\n<li>It underestimates God&#8217;s willingness to discipline those whom he loves.<\/li>\n<li>It reinforces the position and control of spiritual leaders in an Old\/First Covenant religious system, and<\/li>\n<li>It effectively constrains individual disciples from maturing into New Covenant disciples.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/hebrews\/passage\/?q=hebrews+12:2-12\">Hebrews 12:2-12<\/a>\u00a0tells us that we struggle against sin and that God disciplines those he loves. The\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/acts\/passage\/?q=acts+9:1-6;acts+26:13-18\">story of the Apostle Paul&#8217;s conversion\u00a0<\/a>tells us that God had been pricking, or\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goad\">goading<\/a> Saul to turn in the right direction. Saul, however, had been\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/kick_against_the_pricks\">kicking against the pricks<\/a>\u00a0because he did not want to turn from the security (e.g. position, income, etc.) he enjoyed as a leader in the established religious structure of the day. The pricks were God&#8217;s discipline to turn Saul from trusting that religious structure and his knowledge of the literal law, but Saul resisted what God was trying to tell him. God ultimately had to strike Saul blind, of course, to get his attention, but that is what it took to turn him from his rigid literal interpretations of the law. And we know very well what God did through Saul, as a new creation called Paul, after he stopped resisting God and started <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=exodus+15:22-26;+exodus+23:21;+exodus+19:5;+jeremiah+7:23;+jeremiah+11:1-4;+matthew+4:1-4;+deuteronomy+8:1-3;+job+22:21-23;+psalm+119:9-13;+psalm+138:4\">listening to his voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The way we see it, Saul&#8217;s story is our story. In other words, God is pricking\/goading everyone to turn from rigid, literal interpretations of the law to hearing his voice. Until that happens, we are blind to the deep, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/john\/passage\/?q=john+6:63-68\">symbolic interpretations of the law which are the words of eternal life <\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/kjv\/john\/passage\/?q=john+6:63-68\">spoken by Jesus.<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>READ MORE ABOUT LITERAL AND SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/study\/assemble-the-puzzle\">Assemble the Puzzle<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">Mystery<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">God\u2019s Written Word and God\u2019s Spoken Voice<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-1852\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-2\">Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 2<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-1860\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-3\">Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 3<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-1687 page_item_has_children\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\">Symbols, Signs, Types, Copies, Shadows and Patterns<\/a>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-2243\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/nations\">Cities, Kingdoms and Nations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-2259\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/egypt-and-babylon\">Egypt and Babylon<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-2238\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/fourth-commandment\">Fourth Commandment<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-2247\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\/kings-queens-and-princes\">Kings, Queens and Princes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-1683\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/land-and-earth\">Land and Earth<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-1683\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\">People<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-2234\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/fourth-commandment\/sabbath-fasting-rest\">Sabbath, Fasting and Rest<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-1913\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\/the-high-priest\">The High Priest<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"children\">\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-1828\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/wood-gold-silver-stone\">Wood, Gold, Silver, Stone<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>STUDY NOTE: This series of pages must be considered along with these pages: Mystery Symbols, Signs, Types, Copies, Shadows and Patterns God\u2019s Written Word and God\u2019s Spoken Voice Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 2 Literal or Symbolic Interpretation Part 3 <span class=\"excerpt-dots\">&hellip;<\/span> <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-1\"><span class=\"more-msg\">Continue reading &rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1863,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1856","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1856"}],"version-history":[{"count":105,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14148,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1856\/revisions\/14148"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}