Wright Track Ministries

6675 Moondance Drive

Olive Branch, MS 38654

(662) 890-6398

WTVU Bible Lesson 4

Section 2

Exercise in Interpretation

Lesson Objective:

To provide a practical exercise in interpretation to demonstrate the importance of understanding the context in which a scripture or any statement is taken. For the purpose of this exercise we will use a fictional church and a fictional scripture. You are a delegate that has been chosen by your local church to investigate and to stand for the truth of the scripture. Pay close attention...you must make a decision.

Welcome to the: 

First Unorthodox Saints Baptist Church

 of the

 Proudly and Humbly Reformed

You are invited to attend the Fiftieth Annual Convention of the FUSBCPHR. It is your job to make sure that the truth that this denomination was founded on is adhered to! 

As a delegate to this prestigious and humbly proud body of believers your church has told you to stick with the literal truth of the words of the founding doctrine and to accept no liberal interpretations of the founding statement.

As you arrive you make your way to the convention hall and take your place among the delegates. You sit down as the meeting begins. The President of the FUSBCPHR says that the time has come to clarify the doctrinal statement of our movement so that not only our people will better understand it but so that everyone will understand what we are all about.

The entire assembly rises to it's feet as the one scripture and doctrinal statement that the FUSBCPHR is founded on , practices and believes is read......

" I did not say John stole the money! "

Everyone said amen and sat down...... six delegates had been chosen to deliver their interpretations and try to persuade everyone that they had the true meaning of the scripture......the following are the interpretations of the sacred scripture. You must decide because it is your responsibility to represent the truth and your local church. 

1

The first delegate stood and addressed the convention and this is what he said....

"This statement is simple and can only mean one thing!"

" I did not say John stole the money!"

"It means that we personally deny that we made the statement that John stole the money and are not concerned about who did make this statement." This is known as the denialist view.

2

The second delegate jumped to his feet and said.... 

"I must disagree with you my friend, you are missing the true essence of the scripture, you are adding to the meaning!"

" I did not say John stole the money!"

"It means that we are affirming that the money wasn't really stolen and John did not do it."

3

Delegate number three stood and announced that.....

"I can not see how you get these interpretations of this simple yet profound truth!"

" I did not say John stole the money!"

"It is clear here that this means that it was not said but it was only hinted at. We at FUSBCPHR in Old Upper Lowerton hint at this every chance we get! We have a New Hinters Class every Sunday Night at 5:30."

4

As delegate number four rose to his feet he yelled loudly.......

"Can you not read? Can you not understand plain English? Have you been blinded by the world?"

" I did not say John stole the money!"

"Everyone knows that we say this because we know that Judas stole the money!"

An unknown visitor from the back stood up and yelled out "Modern Scholarship has evidence that it was Barabas who stole the money!"  (He was removed by security)

5

As the fifth delegate rose to his feet, he began speaking and said.....

Brothers and Sisters, if you study the words and meditate on them you will understand the real truth.

" I did not say John stole the money!"

"After careful study of the text, we have determined that it's meaning is that the money that John has is not stolen money! Everyone knows he earned it."

6

A sixth delegate stood and asked for the attention of everyone and said.....

" I did not say John stole the money!"

" We know that something was stolen and that which was stolen was not the money. This is a clear denial that it was money that was stolen! We do not know what was stolen but we know that it wasn't money."

The unknown visitor having escaped from security bursts into the assembly hall and yells out "Modern scholarship has determined that it was the Jewels that were stolen!" He was apprehended again and escorted from the premises.

A motion was made to have a ballot prepared with all six interpretations to be distributed for the purpose of voting on the official interpretation of the doctrinal statement of the FUSBCPHR.

The meeting was adjourned for a three hour Fried Chicken lunch after which you as a delegate will be expected to cast your vote for your local church. Which interpretation are you going to vote for?  Look at them again and decide. Make you best guess, cast your vote and then click here for the proper context and the answer plus some other good information.

JER for NMW3  10-31-2000