Some Introductory Verses
Proverbs 3:21-22 “My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.“
Hosea 4:6-7 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”
Hosea 6:6 “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
2 Peter 3:15-17 “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness”
Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
2 Corinthians 11:4 “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
1 Timothy 1:3 “As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine.”
Acts 20:29-30 “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”
1 John 2:18-19 “18Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there 19 *many antichrists*; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
24“Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have 26I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.” 1 John 2:24-26
Have the love of God, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Introduction
I encourage all believers, and even non-believers, to seek the truth by referring to the Bible. Do not limit yourself to what you see or hear. We all have the means to conduct thorough searches. Some of these means are presented here.
We can all be in error because it’s not just others who can be wrong. Even our teachers may have been mistaken. If we truly seek the truth, we will know it, and it will set us free. Let us not debate to be right but to reach the truth, which may be different from what we thought.
I describe here the framework for better understanding the Bible and better debating biblical themes. After the essential definitions and hypotheses, I propose a direction for the debate and conclude with several tips for using the Bible effectively in the search for truth.
Which Bible Are We Talking About?
When speaking of the Bible, some people immediately ask: which Bible? There are numerous translations, many versions, and multiple editions of each translation. There are Bibles with 66 books, others with 73 books, and even 81 books.
Regarding the number of books, we will limit ourselves to the 66 books that have gained consensus. All books rejected by some as doubtful and not meeting logical criteria for inclusion are not considered here. They did not pass the consensus test for proof of their authenticity.
As for translations, we exclude all translations made for the general public with the aim of simplifying understanding. These translations are rather interpretations of the translators, which can sometimes be erroneous to the point of being considered falsifications. This includes the Bible in contemporary French, Parole de Vie…
Initially, we retain the following translations: Ostervald 1811, Martin 1744, Darby 1885, Louis Segond 1910, King James 1611, Jerusalem 1950.
Note that the editions are very important. Almost all editions of the Bible after 1950 introduce changes that significantly alter the deep meaning of the verses, to the point of giving the strong impression of wanting to preach something other than the original word and leading people to perdition. These editions are therefore strongly discouraged. Do not read Louis Segond 1985; it has too many significant modifications to maintain the seriousness of the initial truth. We also discourage TOB and anything made for religious or societal convenience since 1950.
The reader still has the option to compare the same text between several versions of the Bible, including sometimes the original texts in the original language, using a site with this function, among which the following sites:
Matthew 5:22 KJV – But I say unto you, That whosoever is – Bible Gateway
Holy Bible allows you to read each verse simultaneously in at least four translations. Bible Gateway allows you to choose from various translations and, most importantly, to search for expressions or blocks of text. The multi-Bible display also allows access to several translations of the Bible. This is helpful for critical questions to get the closest reading to the original texts or even to go to the original texts in the original languages to get the best idea of reality. It should be noted that the fundamental message does not change between these various versions based on the original texts. Some divergences on other points can be resolved by comparing versions or even by accessing the texts in the original language. It is in this context that we speak of the reliability of the Bible.
Let’s see an example of modification that we call the falsification of the Bible:
John 2:3-5 (Louis Segond): “And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”
Jesus Christ calls Mary “woman” here and not “mother,” and asks her a question that might be surprising to many.
Today, in some new editions of the Bible, those who are determined to mislead God’s people have falsified the text to convey their message. This can be seen here by comparing the texts of three editions of the Bible that Catholics use.
John 2:4 Bible of Jerusalem: “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.”
John 2:4 Word of Life 2017 (PDV2017): “Jesus answered her: ‘Mother, what do you want from me? My hour has not yet come.'”
John 2:4 Common French Bible (BFC): “But Jesus answered her: ‘Mother, is it for you to tell me what to do? My hour has not yet come.'”
Notice that the Bible of Jerusalem uses “woman” like Louis Segond. However, the recent translations of the Bible such as Word of Life and Common French have managed the feat of finding that “Mother” is a synonym for “woman” and thus replacing “woman” with “Mother.” This gives a clear idea of the translators’ intention to destroy the word and intention of Jesus Christ to convey their own message. You can see that this verse no longer has the same meaning. Several other similar verses can be found.
Under the pretext of simplifying the Bible’s understanding for the reader, its message has been changed. It is better to use a Bible that is not easy to understand and use a dictionary or sites that give several simultaneous old translations like “the Holy Bible,” to get a correct idea of a verse not well understood.
Have the love of God, seek first the kingdom and the righteousness of God.
Refuse the standard brainwashing technique
The standard brainwashing technique used by many preachers is as follows:
- The preacher tries to teach you a concept by quoting a few Bible verses, thus appealing to your intelligence to prove his point;
- When you say you do not understand, point out some apparent inconsistencies in the message, or quote verses that seem to go in the opposite direction, the preacher explains that you do not understand because you do not have the revelation, because you do not have the spirit of God. He explains that it is by revelation that one understands, that you should not try to “help God” with your intelligence. He may also explain that it is a mystery of Faith, something that can only be understood spiritually. He thus positions himself as having had the revelation that you did not have, allowing him to preach this concept that you must now accept not because he has convinced you by reason, but because he has had a revelation.
- If you accept this approach, you put your intelligence aside, and you have thus entered what I call brainwashing. Now you can be made to accept anything, any “nonsense” by being told that it is a revelation.
I urge every Christian never to accept such a proposition, NEVER. It is the foundation of most false teachings and deviations in Christianity, and here are the reasons.
- Indeed, you will find that various denominations on the same subject teach different things, and each claims that it is the spirit that revealed it to them. The same spirit cannot reveal different things on the same subject. Also, if the spirit reveals, it also gives all the means to demonstrate by relying on the scriptures and on the intelligence of the listener, the accuracy of its revelation. He who has these means does not need to invoke the revelation of the spirit or the mystery of Faith to justify absurdities. He who does not have these means should be careful not to attribute his thoughts to the spirit of God. If someone believes they have a revelation of understanding the word of God, I also believe I have it. Except that God gives me the means to prove my position without invoking his revelation. It should be the same for everyone. It is better to simply debate biblical arguments and not proclaim that the other does not have a revelation that we have. He who says he has the revelation could be the one who needs to be explained things more exactly, and not necessarily the other.
Very often, the one who invokes the revelation is someone who himself has had no revelation, but speaks of a teaching he has received, claiming that it is a revelation.
- Moreover, the one who tells you to renounce your intellect then tries to demonstrate by addressing your intellect with verses that he is right. One cannot at the same time renounce intellect and use it. Either I completely renounce my intellect, and therefore nothing can be demonstrated to me (since all demonstration appeals to my reason and my intellect), or I fully use my intellect, and one can demonstrate to me, including what one has had a revelation about.
- He who quoting certain verses is convinced he is right without having listened to others can be greatly mistaken. I remind you that the devil, to tempt Jesus (Matt 4), quotes a verse of the Bible to him to try to lead him into sin. Jesus answers by also quoting another verse to show that the devil is wrong.
Matthew 4:6 “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”
Matthew 4:7 “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.“
Have the love of God, seek first the kingdom and the righteousness of God.
If you are the one who has been given a verse and are unable to cite others, you can easily be led astray from the path of God. That is why even when we have verses that seem to support our point of view, it is important to listen to all other verses and harmonise everything to draw a conclusion. That is also why we must seek the knowledge of the scriptures.
Let’s read again what the Bible says about this subject:
Proverbs 3:22 “Keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.”
Proverbs 2:2-5 “So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”
Proverbs 8:10-11 “Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” –
James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
“…That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” – Ephesians 1:17
Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Note well that these people to whom the apostles preached examined the scriptures and did not merely believe because the apostles had a revelation.
Acts 18:28 “For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”
Here, you see that the demonstration is “by the scriptures.”
Appeal to the Knowledgeable or Elders
Many fear exposing themselves to new points of view because they fear being “indoctrinated, led astray.” They do not ask themselves what reassures them that what they initially believed is the truth. They prefer to exercise doubt on other concepts that they did not apply to what they initially believed. This approach is also a good way to remain in error and obscurantism. When you are afraid or think you do not have the capacity to think for yourself, then ask for a meeting between the one who brings you a different point of view on an important subject, and your spiritual leader or an elder in knowledge whom you believe capable of refuting what will be said. Both can then debate, and you will listen attentively to the debate. If the issue is important and your leader or elder completely avoids the debate, it often indicates an inability to provide convincing answers. This should be noted.
Definitions and Hypotheses
Hypothesis 1: Each verse belongs to the written letter. Its understanding is a form of interpretation of that verse, which may not be strictly in line with the letter of the text, but rather with its spirit.
Justification: Consider the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13); it can be noted that the text of this law has no restriction or explicit context. The text is: “Thou shalt not kill,” and that’s all. Is it therefore forbidden to kill chickens, goats, ducks, snakes…? Everyone may tell me that this law does not concern animals, even though it is not written. This means that everyone beyond the letter has sought the spirit of the text and thus built their understanding: “…for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” – 2 Corinthians 3:6
Definition 1: Consistent Interpretation
An interpretation of a verse is said to be consistent if all the verses of the Bible using the same or a strongly similar expression can be interpreted in the same way without causing an obvious problem. Otherwise, the interpretation is said to be inconsistent. Note that the inconsistency of an interpretation does not automatically render it false, but it does allow us to conclude that other interpretations are possible and to seek the best interpretation, taking into account the context and other verses of the Bible.
Definition 2: Coherent Interpretation
An interpretation is said to be coherent if it is not in blatant contradiction with other verses of the Bible. Otherwise, it is said to be incoherent. In other words, when an interpretation is incoherent, we can find a set of Bible verses which, combined with the interpreted verse, will create a contradiction, regardless of the admissible interpretation given to this set.
Definition 3: Partial and Biased Interpretation
An interpretation is said to be partial and biased when it chooses to ignore all the verses of the Bible that seem to provide a contrary message. Thus, such an interpretation, rather than conveying a consistent and coherent message with the rest, will choose to convey a contradictory message while pretending that the rest is not part of the Bible.
Définition 4: Interprétation Admissible
In the continuation of this text, an admissible interpretation will be defined as any interpretation that is both consistent and coherent.
Définition 5: Biblical Ping-Pong
The poor approach people often take with the Bible that distances them from God is what I call “biblical ping-pong.” This technique involves not answering questions received or ignoring verses given by others while only presenting one’s own verses as if they alone are part of the Bible, or asking the other person questions as if they alone have the obligation to respond, and what they say must be ignored.
I have long rejected this technique, as it is not productive and is dogmatic rather than an expression of the search for truth.
Hypothèse 2: Préférence aux Interprétations Admissibles
To better understand the scriptures, one should prefer admissible interpretations. If consistency is not possible, at least coherence should be sought.
Hypothesis 3: Impossibility of Debate in Partial and Biased Interpretations
For a debate on the Bible to even be valid, partial and biased interpretations must be avoided. Indeed, someone who makes such interpretations, by deliberately ignoring a part of the Bible, cannot convince someone who considers that part and cannot be convinced themselves because they reject a part of the Bible they claim to cite.
Debat Orientation
I choose to continually prefer admissible interpretations. I will also ask anyone wishing to debate objectively to avoid sending an isolated verse with a partial and biased interpretation but to build their own admissible interpretation, integrating all other mentioned verses that seem to go in the opposite direction. There will be no continuation of the debate as long as they have left certain arguments without admissible interpretation. At most, they will be reminded of the ignored arguments.
Believe me, the best way to reach the truth in God is not to debate for hours with people. Instead, it is to follow these rules:
- Seek the Truth: Position yourself genuinely as someone seeking the truth rather than reinforcing your beliefs, and be ready to accept their challenge.
- Bible Consistency: Start from the overall consistency of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. This means avoiding biblical ping-pong and being able to answer any question from a challenger or humbly acknowledging not having an answer, considering what this might raise about your stance or belief. It means not choosing to ignore the verses of the challenger as if they are not part of the Bible but providing a consistent and coherent interpretation with all other known or cited verses on the subject.
- Consistent and Coherent Interpretations: Limit yourself to interpretations that are consistent and coherent according to the definitions above.
- Limit interpretations to those coherent with the love and justice of God, and then with love for others.
- Consider what the Bible expresses about God being Father, Love, Just, Faithful, and Merciful (the Father is not a cruel dictator but one who knows how to give good things for their well-being).
- In remembrance of the commandment “Thou shalt not kill,” do not fixate on the letter of a text but consider the spirit and context.
- Pay attention to the context of the verse you are citing or trying to understand. What is said before? After? Sometimes, it may be necessary to consider the context of the time.
- Pay attention to whom the verse was addressed and in what context. It may not necessarily be to the reader or to all believers or Christians.
- Pay attention to who is speaking in the verse being analyzed. Although the Bible is called “the Word of God,” sometimes it is humans or even the devil speaking. One should not confuse a lie from the devil or a human with the Word of God.
- Consult the verse in several acceptable translations of the Bible to gain different perspectives. A good way to do this is to use “La Sainte Bible” online, which also provides related verses to aid understanding. For guidance on how to do this, refer to the section “Using the holy bible Online” later in this document.
- Use dictionaries to ensure you understand the meaning of words correctly. On Google, a search with “definition” followed by the word will provide the definition. This is very useful, as one often thinks they understand a word when they do not. Biblical dictionaries can also be used, as presented later in this document.
- Provide references for the verses you cite in the Bible to facilitate verification.
- When a verse does not explicitly state something, to affirm that it does, you must be able to provide proof.
- Pray about every discussion topic to ask God to reveal His will.
- Read the biblical text yourself. Pray before starting any reading, asking God to facilitate understanding and reveal His will.
- Be attentive to all events, listenings, texts, and readings in line with this prayer.
- If it is a verse, conduct searches as follows (see examples below for better understanding):
- Verse Reference
- Explanation of Verse Reference
- Text of the Verse
- Explanation of the Verse Text
When you are in this defined register by the listed elements, where no man has convinced you, God will convince you. Make this Psalmist’s word your daily prayer and action.
Psalm 119:10 “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, LORD; teach me your decrees!”
Pray also to say: “O LORD, illuminate what is hidden, reveal to me what has been hidden to deceive or mislead me or harm me, whether in the videos I watch, the supposed men of God I listen to, the audios I hear, false beliefs I adhere to unknowingly, or in my denomination. If you do not want to reveal it to me, O LORD, remove me from it and protect me, for I want to fulfill your will, O LORD! In Jesus Christ’s name, I pray, Amen!“
Using the Holy Bible Online
For better understanding, it is useful to Google a verse to find related verses on the same theme via “the Holy Bible.”
For example, if I am looking for Revelation 14:4, I simply need to search “Revelation 14:4” on Google.
Then, click the link containing “the Holy Bible” in its text; this allows you to see the verse in various Bible translations (parallel verses section), view it in context (context section), and see cross-references or related themes (cross-references section and treasure of the Scriptures section).
If you do not have the exact verse reference, you can search using a part of the text contained in the verse. For instance, search with “saved born again Bible” to find references to the new birth.
Finding All Verses Containing a Given Expression
This is very practical for thematic research and to get the big picture of the Bible on the topic.
- Click the following link or copy/paste it into your browser’s address bar:
https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=put+into+practice+the+word&version=LSG - In the text box where “put into practice the word” appears in the top left, delete “put into practice the word” and replace it with the text you are searching for, then press “Enter” or click the magnifying glass icon to search.
For example, if you are searching for “tithe” to see all Bible verses about offerings, enter “offering.” - To narrow down results, it is often better to use two words. Do not use conjunctions, prepositions, or articles (and, the, a…) as they will not appear if they are not in a verse, even if it contains the words you are searching for. However, you can use them if you are looking for an exact phrase that includes them, as it will quickly give you the desired result.
- If you do not use plurals or accents, results with accents or in the plural form will also be displayed. If you use accents or plurals, results without accents (if you used an accent) or in the singular (if you used the plural) will not be shown.
Googling for Explanations Provided by Others on a Verse
For instance, if I am looking for enlightenment on Revelation 14:4, I go to Google and search for “explanation Revelation 14:4.” I then quickly scan through the first 10 or 20 result links until I have a clear understanding.
Googling a Theme
You should conduct searches for “arguments for theme Christianity” and “arguments against theme Christianity,” or if it’s just for understanding, search for “understanding [theme].”
“Christianity” can be replaced by “Bible” or omitted if it’s not an issue. For example,
on the Trinity, you could search for “arguments for the Trinity” and “arguments against the Trinity.”
For polygamy, you might search for:
“arguments for polygamy Christianity,” “arguments against polygamy Christianity”
Because omitting “Christianity” might lead to irrelevant results.
Searching for Words Definitions
Whenever you encounter a word you do not understand, or a word whose usage in the context of the verse you are reading is unclear, take the time to look up its definition in a dictionary or simply on Google. Just type “definition of” or “define” followed by the word. For example, “define iniquity,” “define benignity.”
My Publications on Various Topics
You can find my publications on various topics here:
Liens vers mes publications chretiennes – Telegraph
Finding Time to Develop Your Biblical Knowledge
- Listen: Many audio Bibles are available, allowing you to listen while commuting or engaging in other activities that do not require much attention.
- Read: By reading 30 minutes a day, you can read the entire Bible in a year. The first reading does not have to be for comprehension, but for acquaintance. Mark what you do not understand and move on (you can even put a question mark at the spot). The more overall knowledge you have, the better you understand what might have escaped you. If 30 minutes a day is not possible, aim for at least 15 minutes. If you don’t have this time, it means you are not concerned with knowing God. For people using public transport, it is possible to read the Bible or New Testament during travel time, which can sometimes represent over 60 minutes a day, instead of just watching the scenery.
- Proclaim: Mentally proclaim the texts you have read that have impacted you and that you remember.
- Meditate: Reflect on what you have read or listened to.
Going Further
- Ensure you have a good foundation in logic to understand what you read (see my logic test). This is very important, as poor logic leads to much misunderstanding. If you do not pass the logic test, I recommend reading my logic course to clarify things.
- Ensure you know the difference between correlation and causation (see the article https://www.journalducameroun.com/analyse-de-la-validite-des-classements-et-application-au-classement-des-universites-lexemple-camerounais/).
- For more reliable answers to your questions about Christianity, visit:
analyse-de-la-validite-des-classements-et-application-au-classement-des-universites-lexemple-camerounais (journalducameroun.com)
There, you will find a Telegram link giving access to several free books, a WhatsApp link providing access to a group where you can receive daily audio explanations of biblical texts and edification, and links to Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music for online audios and videos.
Liens vers mes publications chretiennes – Telegraph
- Discover here the true message of the Gospel and the SECRET of EFFECTIVE PRAYER:
Note: It is recommended to read the entire text without looking for references, then revisit doubtful points to search for references as explained at the end of the text.