PRINCIPLE TEN

PRINCIPLE TEN: REFERENCE MATERIALS ARE POWERFUL TOOLS, BUT THEIR USE MUST BE GOVERNED BY PRINCIPLES OF LOGIC

Dictionaries

A dictionary is a helpful tool to better understand the meaning of words.

Concordances

A concordance is valuable to find where Scriptures are located. Concordances give the original language word in the Hebrew or Greek. A concordance is a good tool to locate Scriptures on the same subject.This will give you a better understanding of the subject being studied. Remember, the Bible is in perfect harmony with itself. The use of other Scriptures will help you to gain a Biblical perspective on the passage or subject you are studying.

Always consider word meaning within the context of the Scripture. Most of the definition sections of concordances give a list of possible meanings and uses of the word. Some preachers will pick the choice that best accommodates them without regard to context. This is not good hermeneutics. Use reference materials as a source, but not as the final authority.

Commentaries

Commentaries can also be useful to help you understand the meaning of Bible passages. Commentaries give historical information and other facts that are useful to understand the Bible.

These are comments about the Bible by men. They should never be considered as infallible or the final authority. Many men try to include their ideas and opinions about the Bible. Most commentaries are in error concerning end-time prophecy. Most popular commentaries were written over one hundred years ago. God explains in His Word that He would only reveal the end-time truths in the end-time. These books were written before the time of God illuminating end-time truth so they could not possibly be right.

Computer programs

These computer programs contain much reference material available at theclick of a button. You can also bring material and Scriptures into your document quickly.