A compiled record of God Almighty’s intentions and plan for humanity was started with Moses, and it has grown into the Holy Bible.  Given this written record of the divine, one might think that there would be unanimous understanding and agreement concerning these matters.  However there are a couple reasons why there is still debate and contention about God Almighty’s word.

First, it has been God Almighty’s intention that not all will be known in any one generation.  The saints of Old Testament were not made aware of everything.

which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;  …  and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things;  Ephesians 3:5,9  NASB

that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints  Colossians 1:26  NASB

Generation after generation has added something to the accumulated body of knowledge of the spiritual, so that all humanity through time will have a part in discovering and proclaiming God Almighty’s plan.

Plus, even while Jesus was revealing the truth, it was hidden from many.

And He answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.  …  For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”  Matthew 13:11,17  NASB

Then he warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.  Matthew 16:20  NASB

And whenever the unclean spirits beheld Him, they would fall down before Him and cry out saying, “You are the Son of God.”  And he earnestly warned them not to reveal His identity.  Mark 3:11-12  NASB

Even though the disciples were told much, they did not receive everything.

But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they might not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.  Luke 9:45  NASB

These things I have spoken to you in figurative language [parables]; an hour is coming, when I will speak no more to you in figurative language [parables], but will tell you plainly of the Father.  John 16:25  NASB

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.  When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.  1Corinthians 13:9-13  NASB

At times, even those who received revelation were told to withhold information.

“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”  Daniel 12:4  NASB

And I know how such a man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows —  was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man in not permitted to speak.  2Corinthians 12:3-4  NASB

And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken, and do not write them.”  Revelation 10:4  NASB

Finally, some information is not available to humanity.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”  Matthew 24:36  NASB

And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;  Acts 1:6-7  NASB

These scriptures tell us that God Almighty over time is revealing his plan according to His own counsel.

The initial telling of an event or circumstance in the Bible may lack critical information necessary for clarity.  Sometimes, we will find that the missing information is provided elsewhere in the Bible.  Other times, there may not yet be any further revelation.  Thus, any understanding of God Almighty’s plan for humanity must be tempered by God Almighty’s demonstrated intent to reveal new things in future generations.  Thus, a guiding principal for all of us is:

In fact, people who think they know so much don’t know anything at all.  1Corinthians 8:2  CEV

So, all that we may expect to achieve in this study is to note what has been revealed and to organize ideas which have been discussed for centuries.

A second factor for the lack of a general understanding of God Almighty’s plan is the work of Satan, the devil, whom we will consider in detail in the next chapter.

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; …  Revelation 12:9  NASB

Wow!  Satan deceives the whole world.  When the whole world is deceived, that does not leave many who know the truth.

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.  He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for his is a liar, and the father of lies.”  John 8:44  NASB

Thus, knowing that Satan is a liar who deceives the whole world should give us pause as we contemplate teachings regarding God Almighty and His kingdom.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world [age] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  2Corinthians 4:3-4  NASB

It is sad, but Satan has help from humanity with deception and spreading misunderstanding.

And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.  For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.”  Matthew 24:4-5  NASB

But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.  2Timothy 3:13  NASB

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.  This is the deceiver and the antichrist.  2John 1:7  NASB

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.  2Peter 2:1  NASB

It is disheartening that Jesus’ disciples, so soon after Jesus’ ascension, would write of deceivers of Jesus’ message.  It seems that deceivers, like death and taxes, will always be with us.  Nevertheless, God Almighty’s plan for humanity is being revealed to His chosen on His schedule.

Given that Satan deceives the whole world and that men/women are agents in this deception, we can expect that some of the common, popular, and/or fundamental teachings about the Gospel of Jesus Christ would be false.  Much error is based, not on scripture, but on what someone says a scripture says, so we must be careful when interpreting scripture.  So, if we are to get to the truth, we must be willing to examine all ideas, even basic ones, and to move to a new understanding when an error is exposed.

The array of conflicting ideas about Bible content makes it obvious that there is much deception and error in understanding.  However, Jesus told us where the truth is and how to find it.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.  John 14:6  NASB

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”  John 16:13  NASB

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.  1Corinthians 2:14  NASB

We have the wonderful assurance that, if one prepares him/herself with devotion to and faith in Jesus Christ, then the Spirit of truth will reveal the truth to him/her.

“and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  John 8:32 NASB

As we work with scripture, we need to do so with the understanding that scripture is multidimensional.  A scripture may have a valid literal interpretation, but it may also have a valid spiritual interpretation.  A prophecy may have a valid near-term fulfillment, but it may also have a valid long-term fulfillment.  So, differing interpretations of a scripture do not necessarily mean that one is correct and the other must be wrong.  Therefore, interpretations of scripture that I present are not intended to automatically imply that someone else’s, differing from mine, is necessarily wrong.