The Teaching Method of the Bible: Chapter 2

Chapter Two: It’s all About Relationships

The Bible is primarily teaching about the spiritual aspects of our lives and universe. The purpose of the Bible is to show us how we are to relate to the Lord and that relationship will exist, most importantly, in the spiritual world. We will spend our entire lives learning how that relationship is to play out. We know the Bible is a spiritual (or theological if you prefer big words) book.

We live our lives in the material world. However, we live here for a finite amount of time. Our ultimate destination is to live in the invisible world and that will take place for an infinite amount of time. This life is our preparation for the next. Somehow, we are expected to learn about our ultimate destination without ever having (seemingly) experienced it.

The Bible is our roadmap for learning about eternity. We learn through the examples its characters provide for us as they lived out their own lives in their own imperfect world. The Holy Spirit is our guide for understanding how things that have taken place in the physical world and he also enlightens us about how we are to live in the invisible world. The Bible is our visible teacher; the Holy Spirit is our invisible teacher. If a single teacher was sufficient, we would have gotten it right more easily.

With few exceptions, the entire Bible is telling its story through the eyes of those living in the physical world. The stories included are being told as the participants actually experienced them. Every event is told as if the main purpose was to understand what had taken place in the material world. However, what has happened here is only the beginning, the physical leg of the greater story being told. The somewhat hidden spiritual leg is the truly important other half.

Whatever event is being described had been an event that actually took place in the visible world just as the text describes it. All persons mentioned were real people who were struggling themselves to understand the spiritual world, precisely as we do today. Not only that, the things that they encountered were  actual events that had taken place in their own lives. The bible is to be trusted.

When we have learned about the story that had taken place in the material world (the physical world), we have seen only half of the bigger picture. The physical half is the mirror image of what is happening  in the spiritual world. Once  we  have  learned  the history we should turn our attention to the ultimate story being told. As we look to the spiritual story we eventually discover that the physical and the spiritual are inseparable. We always find them working together. Physical events are teaching us the historical. Never-the-less, through them we learn about the spiritual lesson also being taught to us. It’s a two step process.

Early hint! The purpose of this book is to teach us how to examine our experiences in the visible world and use them to better understand the invisible world. God uses a specific method to take those experiences from the visible world and use them to teach us about the invisible world. He has given us information for our use in making the leap. We then take what has happened all around us and apply it to the other world which is also all around us. We are being taught how to both see and understand the very close relationship between the two worlds.

We initially have very little understanding of things taking place in the invisible world. Occasionally, we may get a glimpse into that world and when we do it’s usually an earth changing experience, meaning it’s really us who is being changed. (The earth has already undergone its own changes.) The affect it has on our lives will be what we attempt to understand. We’ll leave historical geology for another day.

Fully understanding the teaching about the invisible world is obviously difficult. It’s beyond our complete grasp. It’s difficult to see beyond our own visible world and learn about Gods’ very real, but invisible, world. At least that’s the struggle I seem to always be facing. At the same time, it is precisely the invisible world that God wants us to understand. To put the Bibles teaching into language we can fathom, teaching about the invisible world is always given by using examples of things that exist or have taken place within the visible world. Our understanding always begins with things we experience and that gradually cause us to better understand  the physical world.

We are willing to learn the facts, or history; but, we often stop short, thinking we have learned the lesson being advanced. When we do that, we have actually only understood half of the story. The objective is to look beyond the physical teaching and understand the teaching at the spiritual level. Unfortunately, we don’t always readily see past the physical and understand what the Bible is actually telling us.

To understand how it works, lets look at how God, Himself, describes His teaching method (He understands it far better than I do, right?). When Jesus was asked which is the greatest commandment, His immediate response was:

“And he said to him, “You shall love the  Lord your God with all your heart and

all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment”

(Matthew 22:37, 38 ESV). Notice that He immediately addressed both the visible and the invisible worlds.

At that point He had really answered the question; but, He continued speaking, saying:

“And the second (most important) is like it. You shall love your neighbor as

yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets“

(both the physical and the spiritual)  (Matthew 22: 39, 40 ESV,  Luke 10:27 ESV).

The Bible actually advances these two “laws” as God’s teaching method. We see them working together throughout the Bible.  God always has His part (the invisible) and man always has his (the visible). Since the two are inseparable, we see them being presented together throughout the Bible.

Because Jesus had referred to them as the two greatest, it makes sense that the Bible hammers away on them over and over. You might expect the most important to be at the forefront of His teaching. The relation between the two comes up so often that their interaction is actually expressed  in hundreds of different ways, covering every conceivable earthly situation or event. We are about to discover just how often they come up and see how they function together in so many different situations.

Not only does their interaction become the teaching method of the Bible, but,  also reveals a major purpose for its teaching. We often think that the purpose of the Bible is to bring us to a relationship with the Lord (the spiritual). Have no doubt about it; it is. However, equally important, we are also being brought into relationships with each other (the physical). We are simultaneously being changed in two worlds.

We may not think of the change that takes place in us as being the creation of a relationship; but, that is exactly what is being done. Gods’ objective is to bring us into a relationship with Him that will have its greatest impact in the invisible world. The mirror image is that we also enter into relationships with others. While we may overlook  and be slow to accept it, human relationships are equally important as the relationship we establish with God, Himself.

We are learning how both work. The human relationships we struggle with throughout our week are also part of God’s plan for us. This world is our “school for imperfect people”. The way God is continually teaching us here is the same method He is using to prepare us for the future. God is getting us ready for eternity.

It takes a great deal of effort to make it understood. For me, it took the first thirty years of my life. God would have done it much more quickly, if only I had been listening. God had moved in my life repeatedly, until I eventually became willing to listen. Since God has givenus the option to choose, He has put Himself in a position that is easy to overlook. He cannot override our choice. We move at a slow pace and we, alone, decide whether or not we will accept His way.

That being said, He will give us many opportunities to choose. The entire Bible is disclosing our option and, through the lives of biblical characters, shows the consequences of making our choices, good or bad. However, it’s, first and foremost, about developing a relationship with God.

We don’t catch on quickly. The change that we find ourselves slowly experiencing takes place both in the visible and the invisible worlds. What takes place in the physical world is the reflection of what is happening in the spiritual world. A great many examples  are given in the bible to demonstrate that relationship. In fact, there are far more examples  than we  could ever anticipate. I have numbered them to drive home the idea that the relationship pays out in virtually every human situation. You are about to be overwhelmed.

Since the Bible has clearly told us how significant they are, we might expect to see many of them and we will. Believe it or not, they are present on nearly every page. It takes many encounters for the concept to sink in. It’s actually showing how unresponsive we really are.

Remember, the Bible had not been originally written as a single document. Portions of it had been written to various people who lived at different times, and the pieces had been finally pulled together by the Nicene council (in 325 AD). We have far more information at our fingertips today than was initially the case (for the ancients).

Even when we have gotten the idea, it’s still easy to set it aside and continue to see only what has taken place in the physical world. I have missed it repeatedly and, no doubt, you have done the same. The reason it turns up so often alludes both to the significance of their interaction and our tendency to lose sight of that significance. We are  entrenched in the physical world.

The story being ultimately told is entirely played out at the physical level. All-the-while its purpose is to be understood at the spiritual level. To make the leap taking what we see as having taken place in the visible world and using those examples to  understand the spiritual principal being taught is evidently difficult. If it was easy, one or two examples might be enough. However, there are hundreds of them, each alluding to the difficulty of seeing the invisible. It’s a completely unique book. No other makes its teaching known through so many different situations.

At first, it might seem strange to attempt making the leap and spot the teaching being presented. After a few exposures it might come more easily; but, we still tend to quickly settle back into our own little world and lose sight of the teaching being presented. It seems to take many exposures to gradually no longer lose sight of Gods way.

While it may be easy to overlook the way the physical and spiritual interact, scripture actually  directly states that the interaction is taking place.

For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been

clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been

made (Romans 1:20).

Readers may not notice what is actually being said. But, take a closer look. His eternal power and divine nature have alway been seen in his creation. It is openly pointing out the relationship between the physical and the spiritual. The significance of misunderstanding that connection is so consequential that it is tantamount to the worship of the material world, itself (Romans 1: 22, 23).

To get the idea and hold on to it can take some effort.  As you read about these relationships in the coming pages, try to look past the physical and see the spiritual story being offered up. That’s always the teaching (more than the incident itself) we need to understand. In some cases I will attempt to insert my own interpretation. In others you may need to think about them to get the idea. Always look for it, It’s always there.

Sometimes, the interaction will be very evident. In others, it might require a little thought and on occasion the relationship will only be alluded to. Once you become aware of how frequently it turns up, you will see it everywhere. The light will come on unexpectedly. Usually, when you see something expressed twice in the same sentence, one refers to the physical world and the other refers to the spiritual.

Preparing this effort had been done by searching the scriptures using two versions, the ESV and the NLT. When beginning my second read through, I assumed that most of them had been found on my first attempt. That was not the case. Perhaps I may have actually seen more of them on my second attempt. I had read my way through my own learning curve. Because of the practice  experienced on my first search, I may have learned to better spot them.

There is another factor that makes this concept difficult to accept. We think of the New Testament approach, the teaching of Jesus, as being a pacifist teaching. He does not appear to be suggesting a violent aspect of our walk with Him. The Old Testament often seems to be very different. Much teaching there uses a militaristic approach.

That difference may have permitted confusion to enter the picture. The sometimes seemingly violent Old Testament seems to be at odds with the apparently pacifist New Testament. Those two approaches seem to be dealing with different aspects of our relationship with God. That is only partially the case.

The New Testament is primarily teaching about our own relationship, a love relationship, with Him while the Old Testament battles are teaching not only how difficult the struggle for us is; but, it’s also teaching about how aggressively we are to advance the gospel message to others. From that perspective, the Old Testament represents the physical while the New Testament represents the spiritual. The physical normally comes first.

Between the two, God has not changed. He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The many Old Testament physical encounters are teaching the consequences of poorly established human relationships. We face the same challenges in our own lives. Not only is God the same as He has always been, but so are we. Recognition of how we are is where we begin.

Logic would seem to dictate that we first establish our relationship with God and then  attempt to win the lost. We can’t tell others about God until we have a relationship with Him ourselves. Do we have to get it entirely right, before we can share it? Fat chance, right. I’ve been working at it for over fifty years and I don’t have it right, even now. Never-the-less, we are to begin witnessing immediately upon our own conversion. Our testimony is a powerful devise. It’s all about what God has done in our lives.

Think about the way it all began; the Bible begins with the conversion of Adam, the establishment of his own relationship with God. It tells us that he had been created outside the garden and then moved into it (Genesis 2:8). His story (his physical creation) had actually taken place outside the garden (before his conversion). The garden represents the presence of God. Adam had been created away from God and was then moved into His presence. He had been changed. (You may have to think about that before moving ahead.)

Adam had become a person of God. The primary subject of the Bible is not the creation of the universe; it is the creation of a relationship between God and man, a creation at the spiritual level, not the physical.

Only after Adam had been changed does the very protracted Old Testament story of the warfare (describing the assault on unbelief) begin. In my opinion, each person mentioned in the text and each incident or battle that had taken place were actual battles fought between real people. Those battles often seem to read as if they had no significance beyond the battle itself. Thinking only that way is a good indication that the reader is stuck in the visible world. There is always more.

If you are willing to accept the idea that the entire Bible has been given to us to move us to a better place with the Lord, it becomes easier to accept that the battles fought in the Old Testament were included to move us to a better place in the invisible world. What we are seeing is the interaction of the physical and the spiritual. Even in our own lives, we face that interaction daily.

Once we have developed a good relationship with God (the invisible world), He moves us into the conquest. It’s time to win the lost. Several New Testament scriptures explain the aggressive militaristic way our attack on unbelief is to be carried out. While this principle is pointed out in the New Testament, it was already being taught in the Old. It’s all one book. Our evangelistic effort is to be aggressive and unrelenting. It’s always that way.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the

weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself

against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the

obedience of Christ,and being ready to punish all disobedience when your

obedience is fulfilled. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NKJV)

The above passage makes it clear that ours is not a defensive position. We are pulling down strongholds. Casting down arguments is a verbal assault on unbelief. While it is not about a physical assault, it is an offensive confrontation. We are to overcome every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. All of our instructions are directed toward the invisible world. That’s where the battle is fought.

If the battle exists entirely in the invisible world why then do we encounter so many difficulties in the natural world? It’s because the natural world is where we learn about the supernatural world. We have no other opportunity or choice. When we encounter a battle in the physical world, we immediately come to grips with it. It is the mirror image of the struggle ongoing in the invisible world.

It may seem that the battles in the invisible world can be ignored. That is not the case. We will encounter them throughout our lives. In dealing with battles in the physical world we are learning principles that apply equally to both worlds and are equipping us to better deal with the invisible world. Each battle is intended to make us stronger. They are our preparation for dealing with the invisible world.

These days we continuously encounter those who not only do not believe, but are very vocal about it. They are often exalting themselves against the knowledge of God. It is those voices that we are to overcome, not the persons. It’s a battle being fought in the spiritual arena.

God has had only one plan from the creation until today. He specifically points that out: For I the Lord do not change (Malachi 3:6 ESV). That might be a difficult idea when we think of the Old and New Testaments as being so radically different. However, when we see that they are sending the same message (in a somewhat different way), accepting that he has had only one plan from the beginning becomes much easier to accept.

We can then understand the commitment to win the lost that is being communicated, both in the Old and New Testaments.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God,

so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly

realms. (Ephesians 6:10)

When we become involved in the spiritual war for the souls of men, we know that we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against….the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Never-the-less, much of the time we find ourselves attempting to revert to waging warfare in the physical world. When the unregenerate says offensive things, we understand that he is speaking in the natural and we may tend to respond in the natural. When we  have reacted in the flesh we have reverted to fighting the battle in mans way,  the flesh.

Even when we pray for a person, we might pray that God would help him with his bad language or habits. Those are a part of the physical world. When we deal primarily with things of the wold, we have lost sight of where the battle is being waged. The next scripture bring us, not down to earth, but back into the heavenly, where the battle is to be fought.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For

the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the

knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

When we dwell in the shelter of the Most High, we’re living there. In other words, we are there long term. That is where we find ourselves especially when we have reached spiritual maturity. More often than not, we have not reached that place quickly or easily. However, when we each it we are ready to take the battle to the unbeliever in the spiritual world. We are battling  for his soul, not against his lifestyle.

We can most likely site many examples of turmoil taking place in the physical world. They are taking place there because both believers and unbelievers are living in the physical world and fail to see beyond it. Learning how to cross that line will be the objective here.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he

will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will

cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness

is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night (the invisible), nor the arrow that flies by day (the visible)…(Psalm 91:1-5 ESV)

You might reread the last line of this verse. The terror of the night is alluding to the spiritual (it’s hard to see) while the arrow that flies by day (we see it coming) is alluding to the physical. God is dealing with the reader at both levels, the physical and the spiritual at the same time. They are the same issue; but, are being dealt with at two different levels. That’s always the way it works.

God affords us protection in the physical world. I am sure you can recount many instances when you narrowly escaped some major disaster. His protection (the Holy Spirit) is with us always. While we know that God is watching over us at all times (in the physical world), His teaching is directed primarily at the spiritual world. That teaching is also always with us. God is continually dealing with us in both worlds. In the next verse, we tend to focus on the opening shot; No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed (Isaiah 54:17) is comforting and correct, as well.

However, that’s not the primary intent of its teaching.  What about the part that says: and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgement? That portion is not directed toward a physical assault on you. It’s judgement and that is taking place in the spiritual world. As your thinking progresses, remember, we are confronting what takes place in the invisible world.

We usually require a  refocus to stay on track. I find myself back in the visible world  repeatedly. You might tend to do the same.

  No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the

Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 54:17)

Even when we know how it works and realize it’s being expressed repeatedly, it can still be difficult to live it. We can be slow learners. I certainly am. God understands the difficulty we experience and does not want to leave us in complete darkness. If we miss out, it will soon come up again. God will provide another opportunity.

We will soon see some examples that may seem a little strange. As they gradually seem increasingly vague, it may sometimes be difficult to see them as the reflection of  the spiritual. You might even find yourself disagreeing with some. Even if you do, since there are so many, you will almost certainly conclude that the relation between the two is of overwhelming significance throughout the entire Bible. You may wonder how there could be so many examples and you had never noticed any of them.

Each of the coming comparisons is teaching about relationships that are seen in the visible world, but ultimately have their place in the invisible world. The Bible does not always point out directly what it is teaching. Often it is alluding to something that can be easily missed if we are looking only at the facts. Some may require a little thought.