Selective Interpretations

Have you ever wondered why we choose favourite verses, sometimes deciding that the complete verse is not good enough?

Let me ruffle feathers by throwing a stone at the Pentecostal/ charismatic movement and characters. And I will hasten to add that they are where I come from.

What is their foundational doctrine?

I believe in the filling of the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:4.

Do you realise that speaking in tongues was just one of the signs occurring in the upper room?

Why do we want to overlook those many other signs?

And why don’t we care to state that our tongues are different from those spoken at Pentecost?

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1 - 4)

Were the disciples in charge of the signs or were they not just the recipients of the same? Could they have chosen the signs they wanted?

If we believe our practice and experience is according to the scriptures, should we pick what to manifest? And is it of God if we are the ones doing the picking?

Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? (Acts 2:6 – 8)

How intelligible are our tongues? Who understands them?

How then can we take a verse that says something so different from our practice yet claim it to explain our experience?

Is it a wonder when we find many spurious doctrines are pivoted on the Pentecostal movement?

We have the replacement of scriptural hymnody with chanting in the name of praise and worship, an avalanche of motivational preaching, the prosperity ‘gospel’, the ‘’Gospel’ entrepreneurship and many, many others.

But let me close with this other one.

Bring all the tithe and test Me in this is also their offshoot.

I have written extensively on the tithe. There are many posts on my blog on the same.

Just assuming that it is not an Old Testament dctrine that it is, let me give us the complete passage.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10)

Why do we remove the purpose of the tithe?

The tithe was given so that there was food in God’s house. Food for the Levite, the widow, the orphan and the refugee.

It therefore means that without food, the tithe serves no purpose.

And do you realise that was the reason deacons were chosen in Acts?

Will we allow the Bible to speak to us without clipping out the parts we do not fancy?

ALL scripture is inspired, not the parts we love.

Allow me to stop here for now