Questions and Answers (Part 2) (Albert Martin)

The point: Exercise discipline to keep your eyes focused during the service to avoid distraction.

Martin describes his discipline of not looking at latecomers or those leaving to avoid embarrassing them and distracting others, using it to encourage the congregation to maintain focus.

And I deliberately, when anyone leaves the service, I always look the other side so they're not embarrassed and others aren't distracted. So just try to keep your eyeballs here, okay? And then we won't lose the train of thought. It takes a little discipline, but for every ounce you exercise, I'm exercising pounds because I see the whole thing going on back here.

1:02 - 1:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Avoid careless Bible study that assumes identical meaning for phrases that are identical in language.

Martin uses the example of equating "walk in the spirit" with John being "in the spirit" to illustrate how identical language does not mean identical meaning, leading to sloppy handling of Scripture.

Now this is what careless Bible study will do. It will take phrases that are identical in the language and say they are identical in meaning. And because all believers are commanded to walk in the spirit, therefore all believers can have visions in the spirit. This kind of sloppy handling of the word of God.

8:18 - 8:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Closely examine the context of each usage of a phrase to determine its meaning.

Martin uses the analogy of the physical universe and galaxies to explain Professor Murray's concept of the "universe of discourse," emphasizing the need to understand a phrase within its broader context.

I like that because it's fresh. And what he's saying is here's our physical universe. Here's our Earth, one little part and one little galaxy in that universe. We may talk about little galaxies with light years spanning them, but there is a universe of discourse.

15:41 - 16:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Be sensitive to the 'flow of thought' in which a particular verse, phrase, or word is found to avoid kookish interpretations.

He uses the common saying "A text out of context is usually a pretext" to underscore the danger of misinterpreting Scripture by ignoring its surrounding flow of thought.

And you've heard the little phrase, the little saying, and it's right. A text out of context is usually a pretext. God has spoken to us in thought patterns that demand a sensitivity to what I often call in preaching the flow of thought. What is the flow of thought in which this particular verse or phrase or word is found?

16:27 - 16:51 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin connects the misinterpretation of phrases like "in the Spirit" to errors in the charismatic movement, illustrating with an anecdote about a self-proclaimed prophetess. He…

Martin recounts an encounter with a young woman at Gordon who claimed to be a prophetess, using it to illustrate the dangers of ignorant biblical interpretation and the need to correct folly.

I had the classic example of this kind of thing. I think I've alluded to it, but perhaps I could give a little more detail when I was at Gordon with this young woman who was convinced she was a prophetess. I mean, she looked me straight in the eye without the slightest bit of embarrassment. And I said, well, how do you know?

19:22 - 19:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Be very careful when reading the scriptures that whenever we see similarity of terminology and phraseology, we do not immediately assume there is identity of meaning.

He uses the Greek root meaning of "wresting" (twisting) Scripture, which means to put on a torture rack, to emphasize the destructive nature of misinterpreting God's Word.

And that's why, you see, Peter had to say in his own day, and this is a great encouragement to me. It's heartbreaking, but it's encouraging at the same time. Peter could say that even in his day, people were taking some of the writings of a fellow apostle that were hard to be understood and the ignorant and the unstable were resting them. That is, twisting them.

21:19 - 21:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Be very careful when reading the scriptures that whenever we see similarity of terminology and phraseology, we do not immediately assume there is identity of meaning.

Martin uses the example of interpreting "leaven" consistently as evil throughout Scripture, even in the parable of the kingdom of heaven, to show how assuming identity of meaning for similar phraseology leads to error.

But this is one of the problems, and that's why we must be very, very careful when we read the scriptures that whenever we see similarity of terminology and phraseology, we do not immediately assume there is identity of meaning. One of the brethren was asking me last week or two weeks ago about the whole concept of leaven. For years, it was common in most evangelical circles to take the principle of leavening and to take the principle of leavening in the position that because leaven had a typological significance of evil in the Old Testament, they were to purge out the leaven from their househ...

22:19 - 23:38 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Fairbairn I think demonstrates in a very conclusive way that whenever God speaks to his people he speaks to them in terms of the known in order to reveal the unknown.

He uses the anachronistic idea of God describing modern warfare (atom bombs, tanks) to first-century audiences to illustrate that God speaks in terms of the known to reveal the unknown, critiquing overly literal interpretations of Revelation's imagery.

and Fairbairn I think demonstrates in a very conclusive way that whenever God speaks to his people he speaks to them in terms of the known in order to reveal the unknown so if God is speaking to a people whose blessing from God is presently attached to a land to a land to a temple to the nations coming to that land and to that temple and seeing its visible its earthly glory how is God to convey to them that better days are coming well he's going to use the stuff of where they live and what is the stuff of where they live land temple sacrifice nations glory conquering your enemies so God is sim...

42:13 - 43:40 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Fairbairn I think demonstrates in a very conclusive way that whenever God speaks to his people he speaks to them in terms of the known in order to reveal the unknown.

Martin ridicules an interpretation of Revelation that literalizes "blood to the horses' bridles" by counting Russian army horses, demonstrating the absurdity of a wooden literalism that ignores the principle of known-to-unknown communication.

I mean did they have M1 rifles so God talks in terms of the battle instruments of the first century he talks about horses he talks about chariots he talks about the things that fall the life experience of those to whom the message originally comes and this is why it's really such irresponsible exegesis and commentary upon some scripture to say well you see here's this and this and that refers to airplanes the things that have the sting in their tail and in their noses and you know this kind of thing that's bombers and some of the most ridiculous stuff and one man is very very very very convinc...

43:40 - 45:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Abraham rejoiced to see what some real estate in Palestine no Abraham rejoiced to see my day that's what brought rejoicing to Abraham he rejoiced to see my day what did Moses see choosing to suffer affliction with the pe…

He uses the idiom "go fly a kite" to humorously illustrate how literal interpretation of figurative language leads to misunderstanding, emphasizing that God also uses figures of speech.

with the proper understanding of scriptural interpretation yeah and it's basically they're having to a hermeneutical problem you see it's basically in the whole matter of how do you interpret the language of Holy Scripture and it's forcing you see the whole idea that says literal unless otherwise indicated so well suppose God is speaking to me in figurative language if I say go fly a kite I say that to someone who says look you want to place a bet on such and such a horse at aqueduct tomorrow I say get out of here man go fly a kite now I literally mean what go out and get a little paper thing ...

45:08 - 46:36 Read in full sermon