When Your Approach Is Wrong Your Landing Is Off

I. Introduction: Imagine an airplane coming in for a landing at an airport. The runway is directly ahead, but the pilot begins his approach just a few degrees off course. At first, the error hardly seems noticeable. To those on board, the flight feels smooth and normal. The passengers are confident because the airport is in sight, the wheels are down, and everything appears to be going according to plan.

As the airplane gets closer to the runway, that small error becomes a major problem. Instead of being centered on the runway, the aircraft is headed toward the shoulder, the lights, or even the grass beyond the pavement. The pilot cannot simply hope for a good landing. He must correct the approach. If he refuses to do so, or waits until the last moment, the landing will be rough at best and disastrous at worst. A safe landing is impossible when the approach is wrong.

Studying the Scriptures is very much the same way. Many people sincerely believe they are headed toward the truth. They may even see the goal in their minds. Yet if their approach is wrong, the conclusion they reach will be wrong as well unless they correct their course. Many disagreements over Scripture are not caused by people rejecting the Bible. Rather, they arise because people begin with an incomplete or incorrect method of studying it. It is not enough to have the right destination in mind or even sincere motives. We must also take the proper approach if we expect to arrive at the truth.

A. How we ought to walk and please God is revealed to us through the Scriptures (I Thessalonians 4:1-2).

1. The Scriptures fully equip us to every good work (II Timothy 3:14-17).
2. But, we have to handle them correctly (II Timothy 2:15).

1. The solution is growth (II Peter 3:18).
2. Yet, that growth must be in the right direction. Mishandling the word of God creates troubles for ourselves and others (Acts 15:1-5; Acts 15:22-24).
3. Throughout the years, many Bible students have attempted to summarize how Scripture teaches. One of the most common summaries (often called a hermeneutic) among people I know is what is called CENI—Command, Example, and Necessary Inference. While these certainly describe ways God teaches, problems arise when this framework is treated as a complete method of interpretation rather than one part of a larger process.

1. We are to follow commands (John 14:15).
2. We are to follow examples (I Corinthians 11:1).
3. The Lord taught by implying things (Matthew 22:23-33).

1. We cannot follow every command for various reasons:

1. I Peter 2:13-16 is qualified elsewhere (Acts 5:12-29).
2. Not all commands are given to everyone (ex. Genesis 2:16-17 and Mark 16:14-20).
3. The background of the Scriptures includes direct influence of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. Such things are not occurring today (I Corinthians 12:3-13:13).
4. You are to walk as Jesus walked (I John 2:3-6). Can you literally do that (Matthew 14:22-25)?

2. We cannot follow most examples directly:

1. None of us can perform miracles, so we are not going to be “confirming the word” like Jesus and the Apostles did (Acts 2:22 and Acts 28:1-10; cf. John 10:25).
2. What if you followed “Apostolic examples” without qualification (John 12:1-6)?
3. What if we were just like the church in Acts chapter 2 (Acts 2:44-45)?

3. God expects inference, but there are flaws… (John 21:20-23).

1. How many people think confession alone saves because they infer too much about the “thief on the cross” (Luke 23:39-43)?
2. How many people infer that a woman taught a man from Acts 18:24-28? That conclusion creates a Scriptural conflict (I Timothy 2:11-12)!

1. Authority must include things that may be lawful, but could be qualified by other factors (I Corinthians 10:23-33).
2. Coming to correct conclusions requires sound reasoning (Acts 17:1-3; ex. Hebrews 7:11-12).

1. Who is this written to and/or about? Ex. Jeremiah 29:11 has nothing to do with anyone today. It was about Judah coming out of captivity after a 70 year period of time (Jeremiah 29:1-10).
2. Does this context apply today?
3. Balancing Romans 15:4 with Romans 7:1-6

3. All things must be tested (I Thessalonians 5:21).
4. We must identify patterns [form] (II Timothy 1:13).
5. Think about how right things can be wrong if not properly motivated (ex. I Corinthians 16:14, II Corinthians 9:7, and I Peter 4:9).
6. What about Romans 14:23 even as it relates contextually to authorized liberties?
7. Think about how II Timothy 2:23 qualifies II Timothy 4:2.
8. We have to be capable of using deductive reasoning (cf. Galatians 2:21).
9. What about context??? A statement out of context can easily be a false conclusion (ex. Matthew 7:1, Philippians 4:13, and I Thessalonians 5:6)!
10. What about oft forgotten principles (Matthew 7:12 and Romans 13:8-10)?
11. This is not a complete list. Just think of what is missed by a system that seeks to oversimplify how to please God!