What Does This Verse Mean “to Me”?
September 5th, 2006
(By John MacArthur)
That’s a fashionable concern, judging from the trends in devotional booklets, home Bible study discussions, Sunday-school literature, and most popular preaching.
The question of what Scripture means has taken a back seat to the issue of what it means “to me.”
The difference may seem insignificant at first. Nevertheless, our obsession with the Scripture’s applicability reflects a fundamental weakness. We have adopted practicality as the ultimate judge of the worth of God’s Word. We bury ourselves in passages that overtly relate to daily living, and ignore those that don’t.
Early in my ministry, I made a conscious commitment to biblical preaching. My first priority has always been to answer the question, “What does this passage mean?” After I’ve explained as clearly and accurately as possible the meaning of God’s Word, then I exhort people to obey and apply it to their own lives.
The Bible speaks for itself to the human heart; it is not my role as a preacher to try to tailor the message. That’s why I preach my way through entire books of the Bible, dealing carefully with each verse and phrase–even though that occasionally means spending time in passages that don’t readily lend themselves to anecdotal or motivational messages.
I am grateful to the Lord for the way He has used this expository approach in our church and in the lives of our radio listeners.
But now and then someone tells me frankly that my preaching needs to be less doctrinal and more practical.
Practical application is vital. I don’t want to minimize its importance. But the distinction between doctrinal and practical truth is artificial; doctrine is practical! In fact, nothing is more practical than sound doctrine.
Too many Christians view doctrine as heady and theoretical. They have dismissed doctrinal passages as unimportant, divisive, threatening, or simply impractical. A best-selling Christian book I just read warns readers to be on guard against preachers whose emphasis is on interpreting Scripture rather than applying it.
Wait a minute. Is that wise counsel? No it is not.
There is no danger of irrelevant doctrine; the real threat is an undoctrinal attempt at relevance. Application not based on solid interpretation has led Christians into all kinds of confusion.
No discipline is more sorely needed in the contemporary church than expositional biblical teaching. Too many have bought the lie that doctrine is something abstract and threatening, unrelated to daily life.
It is in vogue to substitute psychology and spoon-fed application for doctrinal substance, while demeaning theological and expositional ministry.
But the pastor who turns away from preaching sound doctrine abdicates the primary responsibility of an elder: “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).
Practical insights, gimmicks, and illustrations mean little if they’re not attached to divine principles. There’s no basis for godly behavior apart from the truth of God’s Word.
There are only three options: We teach truth, error, or nothing at all.
Before the preacher asks anyone to perform a certain duty, he must first deal with doctrine. He must develop his message around theological themes and draw out the principles of the texts. Then the truth can be applied.
Romans provides the clearest biblical example. Paul didn’t give any exhortation until he had given eleven chapters of theology.
He scaled incredible heights of truth, culminating in 11:33-36: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
Then in chapter 12, he turned immediately to the practical consequences of the doctrine of the first 11 chapters. No passage in Scripture captures the Christian’s responsibility to the truth more clearly than Romans 12:1-2. There, building on eleven chapters of profound doctrine, Paul calls each believer to a supreme act of spiritual worship–giving oneself as a living sacrifice. Doctrine gives rise to dedication to Christ, the greatest practical act. And the remainder of the book of Romans goes on to explain the many practical outworkings of one’s dedication to Christ.
Paul followed the same pattern in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians. The doctrinal message came first. Upon that foundation he built the practical application, making the logical connection with the word therefore (Rom. 12:1; Gal. 5:1; Eph. 4:1; Phil. 2:1) or then (Col. 3:1; 1 Thess. 4:1).
True doctrine transforms behavior as it is woven into the fabric of everyday life. But it must be understood if it is to have its impact. The real challenge of the ministry is to dispense the truth clearly and accurately. Practical application comes easily by comparison.
No believer can apply truth he doesn’t know. Those who don’t understand what the Bible really says about marriage, divorce, family, child-rearing, discipline, money, debt, work, service to Christ, eternal rewards, helping the poor, caring for widows, respecting government, and other teachings won’t be able to apply it.
Those who don’t know what the Bible teaches about salvation cannot be saved. Those who don’t know what the Bible teaches about holiness are incapable of dealing with sin. Thus they are unable to live fully to their own blessedness and God’s glory.
The nucleus of all that is truly practical is sown up in the teaching of Scripture. We don’t make the Bible relevant; it is inherently so, simply because it is God’s Word. And after all, how can anything God says be irrelevant?
“There is no danger of irrelevant doctrine; the real threat is an undoctrinal attempt at relevance.”
Amen, and amen - many thanks for this pastor MacArthur
This reminded me of a comment Spurgeon said in his ‘lectures to my students’: ‘Gentlemen, if you are not theologians in your pastorates then you are just nothing at all.’
Thanks for the good word
This was one of the hardest things to get across when we had the brief privilege of leading a housegroup with another couple. It was also what convinced us that really, we were very much at a crossroads with our church.
That the Word is utterly applicable and relevant to all the concerns we have in our lives as believers is a precious, precious fact. I wish more people would embrace that confidence, and I hope this blog has that effect.
What does that verse mean to you?…
Pulpit Magazine’s blog has moved to my favorite blogging software, WordPress, and today posts an important piece on interpreting scripture. What Does This Verse Mean “to Me”?
The nucleus of all that is truly practical is sown up in the teach…
I’ve always thought the term “practical theology” was redundant.
I don’t know Chip. I’m going to Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia for my MA in Biblical Counseling and our department is called Practical Theology. I think it’s a vital concept to grasp because like it or not the concept of doctrine=practical=theology is not a normal train of thought in the church. I really pray that the church can continue to learn and grow to a point where “practical theology” will become redundant. As for right now the church isn’t there yet.
Denise,
I didn’t mean to imply that the church recognizes that all theology is practical. Not at all. I couldn’t agree with you more that this is not a normal train of thought in the church. There is a horrible disconnect between the words “doctrine” and “practical” in the minds of perhaps most Christians.
I can’t tell you the frustration I experience every time I hear someone say, “Oh, don’t bog me down with all that theology. Just give me the practical stuff and let’s move on.”
1 Timothy 4:8 says, “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” To study doctrine and theology is to dive deeply into the nature and character of God. How can we learn of the godliness that Paul says is “profitable unto all things” if we neglect the study of doctrine?
By my previous comment I only meant to say that “practical theology” SHOULD be redundant. As you say, hopefully it will one day become just that in the minds of everyone in the church. May God make it so.
I come from a strong armenian background, mixed up with a lot of “what the bible means to ME”, and other doctrinal mis-haps. It’s been just over a year now that I have been studying the message of grace, and God has truly opened my heart and life to a NEW LIFE and LOVE for Him!! For the first time I WANT TO serve Him! This blog has absoulutely confirmed what I have come to believe! It’s just easier to explain it to others now! I have also just registered for my first Shepherd’s Conference. Can simply not wait for March, 2007. Such a pity that I cannot bring along more of my friends and family from this part of the World! To God be the glory, GREAT things He hath done!!
I appreciate this quote from the artice: “True doctrine transforms behavior as it is woven into the fabric of everyday life. But it must be understood if it is to have its impact. The real challenge of the ministry is to dispense the truth clearly and accurately.” It has been my experience as a pastor that many believers in the pew do not have a clear understanding of the Bible. I am thankful for Dr. MacArthur’s commentaries and study Bible. They are a valuable resource as I study and preach the Word of God.
I greatly appreciate the topic of discussion, on what sripture means “to me”. I’m thankful for Pastor MacArthur’s comments and I have enjoyed reading everyone elses.
This topic is dear to me as my wife and I face an uphill battle, it seems, with our home bible study. As a realitively new believer, 3.5 years, I feel inadequate at times for the task of confronting those whom I love, but, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The last few years have been a growing time for me as I study the puritans, and sit under the teaching of Pastor MacArthur, Lloyd-Jones, Sproul, and others. God has given me a voracious appetite for knowing Him and I treasure His Word.
My struggle is whether we should leave our church or persevere and try and make a difference. I have talked with the bible studies leaders on several occassions, to no avail. I would humbly take any wise counsel as to what my wife and I should do.
In Christ
Jeremy
Jeremy,
As Dr. MacArthur once said to me… Really the only thing you can do is pray and seek God’s direction.
I was in the same situation, and eventually left because I’d have rather been involved in a church that at least preached the Gospel with fervancy (and I found one).
So keep trudging man! God will reveal and convict on what is necessary
.
-Frank
[…] This is the only place online (that I know of) where John MacArthur weighs in with his writing. John is one of the great Bible teachers, with whom I had the privelege of serving for 14 years. He has continued to be a model and a mentor from afar. I appreciated his insights here on the difference between “what a passage means” and “what this verse means to me.” […]
[…] Dr. John MacArthur recently posted an article on the Pulpit Magazine. The magazine started as an online publication to pastors who were members of the Shepherds’ Fellowship but has been opened up for generally viewing pleasure and interaction. I can tell you that this will be a frequently visited site for me. The article Dr. MacArthur posted on Sept 5 entitled What Does This Verse Mean “to Me”? hits home with me. The article speaks to the fact that we have become a “me” generation. We want everything to apply to our current situation and circumstances. Instead of looking for proactive advice, we run to God’s Word as a reactive measure. We look for the Bible to solve our woes and problems. We search out Scripture that will be applicable to our live in a way that benefits us personally. What we don’t do is is search out a true exegetical analysis of the text. Instead, we tend towards eisegesis. […]
After taking a hermenuetics class in our church, I am more and more convinced that our ultimate goal in reading Scripture is to accurately determine what the writer intended to say to the reader. I do not believe that there are multiple interpretations to be applied in different ways for different people. Christians are alarmingly buying into the “truth is relevant to individual situations” lie. It is a worldly philosphy that has filtered into the church.
Thank you, Pastor MacArthur, for speaking truth.
As a Christian mommy blogger and reader of mommy blogs I see this plumb line applied constantly…”What it means to me.” Evangelicalism is in the throes of a Biblical drought.
Rather than trumpeting truth the call is “Speak the truth in LOVE,” with a strong emphasis on love and a fleeting glance at truth.
Thank you for this much needed admonition Dr. MacArthur.
Excellent!
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I have an 11 page Bible Study on the “Steps to Salvation, and for each Step would like one of Pastor John’s Bible Study Lessons and would permission to translate them in URDU - the language of my home country Pakistan. If I can have an email address where I can send my Bible Study Notes, I would appreciate very much his review, critique, suggestions and blessings, very very much.
Thank you for your excellent words. May we never seek God’s gifts more than we seek knowing God Himself. I’ve linked your post here.