Learn to Discern:  Verbatim or Plainly

Verbatim = word for word (and in context, rightly divided, etc.).

Note: These are unassailable (not able to be questioned or attacked - as being unbiblical).

Sample: God is love. (1 Jn 4:8,16)

Plainly = not verbatim (not word for word) but plainly taught in Scripture.

Note: The concept is taught but it needs a 'Bridge' (a clear and biblical explanation of why or how the words plainly teach the thing).

Sample: The Bible teaches Jesus is God.

Bridge:

- In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. (Jn 1:1)

- And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (Jn 1:14) (The book of John clearly shows this is Jesus.)

- Jesus is called the Word of God. (Rev 19:13 )

Conclusion: Since the Word is God - and Jesus is the Word - then Jesus is God.

Conjecture = an 'opinion' based on incomplete information.

Note: These may be correct, or they may not be, so they are assailable (able to be questioned or attacked).

Sample: We are to have devotions every morning because Jesus got up early and went away privately to talk with His Father in Heaven.

Conclusion: There are no words (either Verbatim or Plainly) in these passages (that tell us about Jesus doing this) that command us to do the same thing He did. Someone may say the passages imply we are to do what He did - but it remains merely conjecture or their opinion.

(By the way: devotions can be very beneficial to do, and we do well to do them. But there is no command for doing them to be found in the words that merely record what Jesus did.)

Unscriptural = not in the Bible and therefore should not be believed.

Note: These are not only not in the Bible but they may also go against what is in the Bible.

Note: Sometimes the actual word or words can be seen in the text but they are not being rightly divided / are being taken out of context / are being wrongly interpreted - in which case Verbatim does not apply.

Learn to Discern by John and Kim Namestnik  © 2005 (revised 2011)     www.givengrace.com

Permission is granted to copy and distribute this teaching - if it's kept intact and not changed in any way, if it's given without charge, and if this copyright notice is included.