e are going to continue with our discussion on “The Lawful and Rightful Manner by which we must use the Bible.” Because, would you believe that not everybody can rightfully use the Bible? Why are we saying this? Because there are citations in the Scriptures that prove that, there are only certain lawful and rightful people who can use the Bible. If we may read
Malachi 3:16, it says--
“Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearken, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”
If we are going to take the essence of that verse, it tells that, they that fear the Lord spoke to one another. If we may say, they had some sort of a caucus.
“And the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. “
Therefore, the book of the Lord was written for them that feared the Lord. And if they do not fear the Lord, they will never understand the book. In other words, the book will be understood only by people who fear the Lord, but those who do not fear the Lord will never understand it.
Proverbs 1:23 says--
“Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”
Therefore, for a person to know and understand the word of God, he must have the spirit of God in him. And to have the spirit of God, you have to turn to the reproof of God, you have to obey His commandments. And obeying His commandments is the fear of the Lord.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 says--
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
To fear God is to obey His commandments. So, if a person fears God, obeys His commandments, and turns to His reproof, God will give him the spirit. And by that spirit, he will be able to know the word of God. That is the person who is rightful to hold the Scriptures.
You see, in this world, there are many things that can teach us logic. Are you familiar with the knife that butchers use in slaughterhouses? Give that knife to a butcher and he will use it rightfully in his work. But give that knife to a drug addict and he will not use it rightfully. The question of how will it be used depends on the person who will use it. For instance, the Bible is a book which can be freely bought in practically all bookstores. For about 5 or 6 dollars, you can already have a Bible. And for the same amount, a person, with little guts, can begin preaching, even if he doesn’t really know what he talks about. By using the Bible, plus some guts, people are able to collect money from passersby and from bystanders. That is easy money. The Scriptures had been used to earn money; the Scriptures can also be used to mislead people. The Scriptures had, likewise, been used as merchandise. As written in
II Peter 2:3--
“And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”
That’s very clear.
“Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you.” What is the merchandise? ... the people – their converts, their followers. Their members were made merchandise. In other words, it is not only the word of God that they make merchandise of; their members who believe their preaching are made merchandise. Do you see how the Jehovah’s Witnesses are made sellers of books? They are the sales agents of the Watchtower Bible Society. What is pitiful is that, these people do not get any share from their sales. Their earnings go to the leaders of their group. Another group is the Pentecostal Missionary. They send their members in the streets, in supermarkets, in buses, carrying pouches for their collections, while one of their companions is there in a corner, speaking, allegedly, the word of God. They pretend to be preaching the word of God but, apparently, the collection of money is more important to them. Why? Only one was preaching, while about 100 are roaming around, collecting money from the people. Undeniably, the word of God can be used as a tool in making people merchandise of these religious leaders. They are the people who do not use the Bible lawfully; they are the people who do not fear God. They are holding the Bible although they are not fit to hold it. As what we have read in Malachi 3:16, the Bible is a book intended by God for those who fear Him. It is dedicated by God to people who fear Him and His name.
There is a song of Bee Gees in the late 60’s, which said, “It’s only words and words are all I have to take your heart away...” See, words can be used to take a woman’s heart. In the same manner that you can use the words of God in converting people, in making those people your merchandise if you are a minister of satan, or an apostle of satan, is disguise of a minister of Christ. Like what many pastors do today.
Let us again go back to the citation of St. Paul that, the law is good if a person uses it lawfully. Let us read the verse again,
I Timothy 1:8--
“But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.”
But why did St Paul use the word “if”?
“...if a man use it lawfully.” Because St. Paul knows very well that there are people who use the law unlawfully. They use the law to deceive and to entice people; they use the law to mislead people. They use the Bible, not to save people, but to make them agents of their merchandise.
II Corinthians 2:17 says--
“For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”
In Spanish, it says,
“Porque no somos como muchos, mercaderes falsos de la palabra de Dios.” It is better translated in the Spanish Bible. They make merchandise of the word of God.
“For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”
The rightful manner of preaching the Gospel is similar with the way the Apostles preached it. But there are people who corrupt the word of God. They make it merchandise; they retail the word of God. The Greek translation of the word corrupt is “kapeleuo”, which means “to retail”. Therefore, they are retailers of the word of God. They earn money by retailing the word of God. They are the people who are not fit to hold the Bible. They do not have the right to use the Bible.
