Turning Theological Tides
The Sapphire Review Vol. 2 | No. 32 • June 20, 2025
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
1 John 2:27, KJV
THE TIDE OF THEOLOGIANS
There is an immense force behind an ocean tide. With immeasurable strength, it lifts and moves to and fro, vessels of small and great size alike. Such is the force behind the modern mindset of relying upon the works of theologians, scholars, lexicons (dictionaries), and commentaries for aiding us in our study of the Bible.
What I am writing of today is an appeal for a shift in mindset, and not something to be held as dogmatic in an extreme. Arguments and positions that will bring up only extreme scenarios as a point of focus are insincere and missing the object and intent behind this biblically grounded way of study.
Jehovah has given us sufficient means for finding the truth and sharing the truth of His word without having to rely upon the influences and opinions of men who have been taught through corrupted or compromising institutions of learning.
John, the apostle, wrote under inspiration that we “need not that any man teach” us. Do we believe that this word is true? Or, do we find excuse or reason to justify our need for continually looking to lexicons and commentaries to help us understand a passage of scripture? As with any other error throughout the centuries, there will always be a peg to hang one’s hat on if a person desires to do so.
THE SHIFT
Brother’s and sisters, our mindsets must change. The Bible has presented before us a means of understanding its own pages through a line upon line study of the same.1 When our Christian walk begins we must be fed the milk of basic gospel truths.2 However, when we we have been weaned from milk,3 we are to partake of the meat of the Word of God and its truths for ourselves, that we may in turn share these truths with others.4
Does this mean that there is never one drop of information that we will ever learn from a lexicon or a commentary? No, but we need not keep these things beside our Bibles (or at the ready on our screens) for our regular study as though we would be crippled without them. If the spirit of truth, which teaches men of all truth,5 so desires to lead a man into some form of encouragement or edification via a commentary, then let all praise and glory be to God for such. However, mindsets must change and we must realize that these things are NOT necessary for our spiritual understanding or growth.
ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH
FAITH AT THE WORD OF JESUS
When Jesus spoke forth a word, calling paralyzed men to stand up and walk,6 this charge was met by faith in the hearts of the hearers. In faith, at the word of Christ, these men rose from their paralyzed states and moved forward in a new form of life. So, this work was done in accordance with their faith.7
In a similar manner, the spirit of Christ stands at the door of the hearts of everyone living today… in this Laodicean church age. He knocks, desiring to dine with those who will receive Him.8 It is Christ who desires to teach each believer of His truths by His spirit.9 Does the spirit of Christ dwelling within a man now need the help of some learned scholar to make a surrendered Christian see and understand essential truths and doctrines from His word? God forbid!
FAITH AT THE WORD OF THE THEOLOGIAN
The man that excuses his need for lexicons and commentaries and justifies his regular use of them in his studies will find that he will always be in need of these things to feel as though he has gained something. Yet, such a man walks upon a precarious path. If that theologian should be in error, the man has risked binding himself to the same error. So, this dependence will develop and strengthen in accordance with their [lack of] faith.
FAITH AT THE WORD OF THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
The man that takes the position of having no need for a lexicon or commentary, but rather chooses to put his faith in the living God to show him all things needed for his Christian life, as God has promised to do in the very pages of His scriptures, will have an entirely different experience altogether. This man will find that in his humble surrender, light will be given unto him in accordance with his faith of trusting in Christ to do so.
CLOSING
As we are drawing nearer to the close of probation, Jehovah is calling us to higher levels of holiness and trust upon Him. We must turn the tide of our tendency to trust upon the knowledge and opinions of theologians for our spiritual understanding and growth. We must choose to adapt a mindset of unshakeable reliance upon the Holy Spirit alone to guide us into truth and to keep us in the way of truth.
When the latter rain is poured out, will we still need to carry our lexicons and commentaries to help truth strike at the hearts of the hearers? Is it the learned scholars and theologians of this time that God has appointed as our caretakers to help guide us until the time of that outpouring? Let us put such things out of our minds and surrender our hearts more fully unto the one that knows the end from the beginning.10
When Jesus comes to dine with us as we feed upon the Word of God.11 Shall we search for and serve up that which comes from the pure table of the Bible alone,12 or shall we continue to partake of tables that Isaiah spoke of as being filled with vomit and filthiness?13 Such tables, are spread to the full with the wine and delicacies of Babylon.
PRAYER
May Jehovah help us to tear down the strongholds that have formed in our minds of justifying our dependence upon lexicons and commentaries. May the Author and Creator of all things teach us and show us by His spirit, and in His word, that which is good and edifying to our souls.
God Bless,
Charles
So clearly presented in this substack is the truth from heaven on how to study Gods word! Jehovah God is His own interpreter and only HE can help us rightly understand it through His Holy Spirit WITHOUT any theologians, commentaries, lexicons, etc.. Especially on such matters in the recent events around Creation and Genesis 1:1. which shows who truly uses sola scriptura. May all our brethren come to this beautiful truth of Sola Scriptura, The bible ALONE for their doctrines and may we all have the same heart and love for God and each other as Jesus would have us. God bless all who read it and the brother who penned it.
Regarding the latter rain, consider the former rain. When the rain poured out on the disciples of Christ at Pentecost, what theologians had they been studying that prepared them to receive the outpouring? What commentaries was Paul suggesting to be studied, what lexicons was he intending Timothy to reference, when he told him to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”?