Happy Reformation Day!

On this day, 491 years ago, Martin Luther hung his 95 thesis on the door of Castle Church. While the Reformation had been brewing for quite some time, this is typically the day that marks this time of spiritual renewal.

In years past (2006 & 2007), I have released a series of posts regarding the Reformation.

Traditionally, the printing press is considered one of the factors that led toward the Reformation. After all, as the Bible became more available to people, naturally reformation would come. However, I do not think that is as much a factor as how people began reading their Bibles. It was nothing new for Luther to be able to read the Scriptures in a monastery or seminary. What made a real difference was the way he read them.

As I prepare for a trip to the Dominican Republic, hermeneutics have been on my mind. I have the amazing opportunity to meet with young preachers in the Dominican and speak to them about preaching and ministry. More important than anything else is the way they will read their Bible. It will effect their own walk, and it will effect their ministry (1 Timothy 4:16).

The discussion of hermeneutics often gets clouded when you start speaking of camps. Similar to the political campaigns, people start making ridiculous claims or distort the other camps perspective in an attempt to defend their own. Pretty soon, the argument becomes philosophical and we're no longer talking Scripture but talking around Scripture.

If hermeneutics are so important, wouldn't it make sense if God told us how to read His Word? In the next few posts (notice, I did not promise when they are coming, just that they are), I hope to walk through a couple passages which not only teach us Truth, but teach us how to understand that Truth.

For God did not just display His grace to us by giving us specific revelation, He also displayed His grace by telling us how to understand it.