A billboard beside the interstate proclaims, “Cain killed Abel with a rock. It’s a HEART problem, not a gun problem. Jeremiah 17:9.” The issues of gun violence, gun control, and the preservation of life deserve serious discussion. As Christians, we should take our cues on this and any issue from God in His Word.
I shared the quote from the billboard for a different reason. We must take care to avoid making our assumptions into “Gospel truths.” In this case, the first sentence from the billboard does not come from the biblical record. Genesis 4:8 says, “Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.” We do not know if Cain used his bare hands, a tree branch, a rock, or any other weapon. We may assume, but we should take great care in doing so. We certainly shouldn’t hold our assumptions as definitive truths.
While the argument on the billboard does not stand or fall with the first sentence, Bible studies do often fail because one or both parties bring their assumptions to the Word and allow them to stand in the way of God’s truth. For example, the phrase “faith only” has become common vernacular among those who call themselves Christians. The Protestant Reformers used it as early as the 16th century. While some English translations have the word “only” in Galatians 2:16, it is not in the original language. In fact, the only time “faith only” appears is in James 2:24, which says, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Yet, the assumption that “faith alone justifies” has become an impediment to people obeying the Gospel!
The surest way to avoid such assumptions is to read God’s Word studiously and often. We must give our full attention to what God has revealed. Furthermore, we must read and listen critically to those who claim to teach God’s Word. We may gain much from teachers and preachers, but we may also pick up inaccurate information if we do not test everything against Scripture itself.
What assumptions have you made from the Bible’s text? Do you know the source of your beliefs and can you distinguish your beliefs from your opinions and assumptions? Some opinions and assumptions may be innocuous; others could be spiritually deadly. We must all “rightly divide [handle] the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), for it is truth – not opinions or assumptions – that frees and saves (cf. John 8:32; Ephesians 1:13).
Clay Leonard
