Bible critics often cite the fact that since Bible books and letters were written thousands of years ago to other people in other places, then how can it possibly apply to us? These critics argue that because of this disconnect the Bible has no application to people today. They are wrong, but we need to understand how they are wrong.
Conversely, some religious people go so far as to make a direct application of Bible passages today. They read and apply the Bible as though every verse was given personally to them. This leads some people to erroneously conclude that they can do such things as serve as apostles and priests, cast out demons, perform miracles, speak in tongues and be miraculously guided in their speech.
Perhaps an illustration using my personal name will help us to understand the mistakes that many people make in this regard. My name is Timothy. Those familiar with the New Testament know that it contains two letters from the apostle Paul to a man named “Timothy.” I assure you that neither letter was written directly TO me. They are written for me, as they are for all other people but they are not written directly to any of us. Consider these applications relating to my name Timothy:
- The “Timothy” to whom Paul’s epistles were written was told to “remain in Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3). I have personally never been to Ephesus and therefore cannot “remain” in Ephesus. Like many other Bible passages, this verse does have a principle application in defining one aspect of a preacher’s work, which is to oppose errorists wherever he finds them, but the special instructions were to the “Timothy” from Lystra (Acts 16:1) who was Paul’s “own son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2).
- There was a prophecy related to the Timothy of Paul’s epistles (1 Timothy 1:8 & 4:14). While my name is “Timothy,” no such prophecy was ever made related to my work as a gospel preacher. I received no laying-on-of hands as did the Timothy to whom Paul wrote (1 Timothy 4:14 & 2 Timothy 1:6). There is a principle teaching for me — I do learn from Paul’s instructions that a preacher must not be “timid” in his work of gospel preaching (2 Timothy 1:7).
- Paul told Timothy to bring to him the cloak, books and parchments which he had left at Troas with Carpus (2 Timothy 4:13). Again, my name is “Timothy,” but I doubt that I could find Paul’s personal items if I went to Troas. Another Timothy probably already retrieved them. Even if I did find them, Paul wouldn’t be able to use them. He has been dead for almost 2000 years. This passage does contain the principle lesson of assisting brethren and others with their needs, but such Bible passages have no direct application to people today.
- Titus was told to ordain elders in every city in Crete (Titus 1:5). This verse is not an apostolic command for all of us to go to Crete and ordain elders. However, we do learn that God’s design is for each local church to have elders (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23) and their qualifications are listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
- In what we often call “the great commission,” Jesus told the apostles to take the gospel into the whole world, but to begin in Jerusalem (Luke 24:47-49). The actual order was Jerusalem – Judea – Samaria – the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). The apostles were to remain in Jerusalem until they received power from on high (Luke 24:49). That “power” was to come with the visible, miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). Acts 2:4 describes the fulfillment of this prophecy. In Mark’s account of the commission Jesus told the apostles that He would “confirm” their message by enabling them to perform various supernatural acts (Mark 16:17-20). The book of the “acts” of the apostles cites examples of them doing these very miracles, beginning immediately after the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2. No preacher today is directly under the great commission. Even if one were to go to Jerusalem today and “wait” for the Holy Spirit, per the command of Luke 24:49, he would run out his days and die there waiting to receive the Spirit! Furthermore, no preacher or Christian today is under the divine obligation to begin his preaching in Jerusalem and then follow the geographical blueprint of Acts 1:8. The principle and importance of teaching is certainly taught in the great commission passages but we should be careful how we apply the great commission passages. Reading some preaching reports, one might think that God had miraculously called and anointed certain preachers to go to certain places! They invoke the commission passages as though they were standing beside the apostles when Jesus directly spoke to them.
Many other examples could be cited, but these make the point. This does beg the important question of how the Bible applies to people today.
As the apostle Peter neared the end of the first phase of his Pentecost sermon he said, “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself” (Acts 2:39). Peter preached to a Jewish audience that included people who were involved in the very crucifixion of Christ (Acts 2:23, 36; 3:15). No human alive today participated in the execution of Christ. However, Peter said that the Psalm 132 “promise” of fellowship with God extended beyond the members of his immediate audience to their children and even to non-Jews. There was an extended application that related to the reception of God’s fellowship promise. Since sin is what breaks fellowship between God and man (Isaiah 59:1-2), biblical teaching and principles related to the definition, avoidance and forgiveness of sin would extend into the future. Peter would later say in his first epistle, “But the word of the Lord endures forever, and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (1 Peter 1:25). That word applies as much today as it did in the first century, but in a different way.
An Observation About The Book Of Revelation
For some reason, many people ignore the notion of principle application when interpreting the book of Revelation. They recognize this principle in other books but not in connection with Revelation. They place the book in its own classification and approach it as some type of roadmap to the future. The book of Revelation should be studied and interpreted like other Bible books. It was written to actual people in actual 1st century churches. It warned them of persecutions from multiple sources and of coming judgments. It also promised them ultimate victory through service to Christ. It commended and encouraged faithful servants and churches and exhorted sinning ones to repent. It applies to us today in the same way that other church letters apply. Just as the letters to Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi and Colossae addressed real people and problems, so did the book of Revelation. It is through the principle of extended application of principles relating to sin and salvation that the book of Revelation can help us today.
—Tim Haile