Overview
Reading Scripture rightly means reading it with the heart, not the head: the word translated reading in 1 Timothy 4:13 means to know again, and that knowing is experiential, so the comfort, the peace, the encouragement and the inspiration all come back. In this third part of Knowing the Doctrine, Rev. Rico Magnelli follows the question Jesus put to the Pharisees again and again in Matthew 12, 19 and 21, and to the lawyer in Luke 10: Have ye not read? They had read. They had missed the mercy of God and His original intent, and came away with a legalistic standard instead. Reading that holds on to both precision and heart is what fuels the doctrine.
Transcript
Reading the Word With the Heart, Not the Head
Please turn to 1st Timothy, Chapter 4, Knowing the Doctrine, Part 3. So we’ll continue considering the doctrine. And remember, the doctrine is the teaching. And how reading Scripture is essential to producing that good and sound doctrine or sound teaching. When we read the Word, we read it with our heart, not our head. And we do this to be encouraged, to be comforted and inspired. The Scripture also calls us aside from worldly influences. It brings us back to the right course, if you will.
When we read the Word, what frames it is our understanding of God’s character, that He is good always. So we can’t read the Scripture and think, can conclude that God is bad, that He’s evil. No, He’s good always. Also, when we read the Word, we know that He is love, light, and spiritual wisdom to us. He provides that for us. And in Him is no darkness at all. And in His loving care for us, He, through His grace, has given us the faith of Jesus Christ to access Him.
Give Attendance to Reading: What Paul Told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13
We know Paul was Timothy’s mentor. He says something in 1 Timothy 4 about reading and doctrine that really stands out. In 1 Timothy 4, verse 13, Paul says, till I come. So Paul wasn’t there, so he wants him to focus in on something. He says, till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. And this giving attendance, it’s used of a ship that reaches land, but it also is applying oneself to something, making that personal connection, if you will, devoting oneself in thought and effort. And we’re going to see an example later of Jesus Christ and how He makes a clear-cut connection between the Scripture and Himself.
But what we see here is that Timothy was to give attendance to reading. And this word reading means to know again. It comes from two Greek words, so it’s a compound word. It means to know again, and this knowing is experiential. And when we read the word, that’s exactly what happens. That comfort comes back. That inspiration comes back. That peace comes back. That encouragement comes back. We experience it again because the word has both precision and heart, and we can get caught up in the precision of the word and miss the heart and miss God’s heart, and we don’t want to do that.
So when we read the word, we want to be encouraged. We want to be comforted, and we want to be inspired. We want to be called aside from the world, because that’s actually what this word means in the Greek as well. It’s to call aside. And this is what leads to the doctrine. When we read, it should end up being that we are comforted, inspired. We are encouraged. We’re called aside from the things of the world. And then this fuels the doctrine, the teaching.
Have Ye Not Read? The Sabbath and the Showbread in Matthew 12
Look at Matthew 12. We’re going to see how important reading is, Matthew chapter 12. And we’re going to learn from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, how He would pose questions to people because it was to get them to consider and think. Here in Matthew chapter 12, verse 1. At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn and His disciples were an hungred and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day. And they were saying you couldn’t pluck the corn because that was too much labor.
But He said unto them, Have ye not read? Now, of course they had read it, but they didn’t understand it. And the key component they missed is God. They missed the mercy of God. Look at this. Have you not read what David did when he was an hungred, and they were with him? They that were with him? How he entered in the house of God and did eat the showbread, which was not legal, it was not lawful according to the Mosaic law to do, but they had a need, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests.
I Will Have Mercy and Not Sacrifice
Then he gives another example, or have you not read, have you not experienced again that inspiration, that comfort in the law, how that on the Sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless because they’re doing work on the Sabbath day. But I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple, speaking of himself. Watch this, but if ye had known, experientially known what this meaneth, if you really experienced it, you were inspired, you were encouraged, you were called aside from worldly matters. I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. Wow.
They had read those scriptures, but they came away with a legalistic standard. They didn’t come away with what they should have. God is into mercy. He’s not into all the rigamarole and all the sacrifices and all those things. See, what led these individuals to judge was when they read, they missed God, they missed his mercy, and all they saw was the acts, the doing of things, the works.
Matthew 19: Reading for God’s Original Intent in Marriage
Look at Matthew 19. Let’s look at another one. Matthew 19. So when we read, we want to keep God’s heart in it. Matthew 19 in verse 2. And a great multitude followed him, Jesus, and he healed them there. And the Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read? I love that he doesn’t answer their question. He gets them to think. Have you not read? And when Jesus means read, he means have you really derived God’s heart and intent from what you read?
That he which made them at the beginning made them male and female. That’s right. See, when we read it, we’re looking for God’s original intent, the right heart, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, which is the aim of marriage. One flesh, which is two people allowing walls between them to come down in order to combine their joint hearts and loyalties before God. That’s right. Wherefore, they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
So Jesus brings it back to the original intent. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement to put her away? Now watch this answer. He says unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning, it was not so. That hardness of heart came from Egypt. That hardness of heart came from the world. When we read, we should get back to God’s original intent, which includes his heart, his compassion. Absolutely.
Hosanna to the Son of David: The Entry Into Jerusalem in Matthew 21
Look at Matthew 21. Let’s look at another one. Timothy would have been aware of what Paul was saying when he meant read Matthew 21 in verse 8. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way. Others cut down branches from the trees and strawed them in the way. So they were preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ. This was his entry into Jerusalem. And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David. Jesus Christ was the King of Israel. Hosanna is a Hebrew term that means an appeal for divine help. And it carries a special honor and respect for the one that’s doing the saving. In the Greek, it can mean jubilation or praise, but it goes back to that providing that salvation and help. [two seconds of audio drop out here; Matthew 21:9 continues: Blessed is he that cometh in] the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.
And when he was coming to Jerusalem, all the city was moved saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
My House Shall Be Called the House of Prayer for All Nations
And Jesus went into the temple and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple and overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer. And this is a quote from Isaiah. It’s the house of prayer for all nations. Israel started to have a little bit of a toad. They were very much prejudicial. They prejudged people if they weren’t of Israel. And God saying, Hey, listen, this quote from Isaiah, that the house of prayer was to be a house for all nations. But you have made it a den of thieves. What they turned it into was a business. They turned it into a business. And Jesus Christ is representing God’s heart here.
Out of the Mouth of Babes: The Humility That Recognized Christ
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them. And when the chief priest and the scribe saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David, they were sore displeased, of course, because it would displace them in terms of their influence over the people. Now watch this and said unto him, Jesus, hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea, have ye never read? Have ye never read? Of course they had read, but they did not derive the meaning, the intent, the heart out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, thou hast perfected praise. Wow.
There’s a pure humility that we can tap into as the sons and daughters of God. The pure humility to recognize Christ. Christ was right there, right there with them. And they rejected him. The people, the common people recognized this man from Nazareth of Galilee.
The Parable of the Vineyard and the Son They Rejected
Look at Matthew 21, same chapter. Look at verse 33. Hear another parable. There was a certain householder which planted a vineyard and hedged it round about and digged a wine press in it and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen. Those are farmers and went into a far country. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruit of it. In other words, he wanted to gain from his property. And the husbandmen took his servants and beat one and killed another and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first, and they did unto them likewise. But last of all, he sent unto them his son, saying they will reverence my son.
And when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, this is the heir. Come, let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen, those farmers? The parable has a central lesson that it’s teaching and Jesus is going to reveal. They say unto him, he will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their season.
The Stone Which the Builders Rejected: Psalm 118 and Christ Our Foundation
Jesus says unto them, Did ye never read? Jesus Christ is the central topic of this parable. He is the son that they rejected. And all those that went before him were bringing attention to God’s plan that would soon come to pass with the Messiah. Had ye not read in the scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is just a tremendous section that Jesus Christ is referring to.
I’m just going to read it to you from Psalm 118. Psalm 118, this is what Jesus is referring to. It says, verse 22, the stone which the builders refused has become the head of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing and is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. We quote that a lot. But what’s the foundation? The stone. What gives you a great day? The stone, Christ, He is the foundation. Others may reject Him. We are not among those that reject Jesus Christ as our foundation on a day-by-day basis. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it because we stand upon the solid rock, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Stood Up to Read in Nazareth: This Day Is This Scripture Fulfilled
Look at Luke 4. We read the Word knowing that God is good always. He is love, light and spirit. And He wills us no harm. He only desires graciousness unto us. Luke chapter 4. Here our Lord is in Nazareth and He does as His manner was. In verse 16 of Luke 4, Jesus came to Nazareth where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read, to experience again the comfort, the encouragement, and even hear the specific application. Jesus Christ has set for us how we read the Word because He knew this was talking about Him, this section that He reads.
Look at verse 21. And He, Jesus, began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Reading to See What Applies to You as a Son of God
See what? When we read the Word, we read from 1 John 3. Beloved, now are we the sons of God? Does that apply to you? Absolutely it does. Romans 8:1. There is therefore now no condemnation. Does that apply to you? Now you’re following in the steps of Jesus Christ. When we read it, we look to see what applies to us. The Master shows us how it’s done. And He did it boldly and He did it in the presence of where He grew up. And He wasn’t ashamed to say, Yes, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. He read from Isaiah 61.
There’s nothing wrong with proclaiming who you are as a son of God. There’s nothing wrong with proclaiming who you are as a child of the living God and saying it boldly and confident. There’s everything right about it. When we read it, we know what applies to us. Absolutely.
How Readest Thou? The Lawyer’s Question in Luke 10
Look at Luke 10, please. In verse 25, And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him. So you already know what the motive is here saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou? Love the answer. How do you read it? But watch what happens here. He’s going to give the right answer. And he answered and said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. That’s the right answer. Because look at what Jesus says in verse 28. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right. This do, and thou shalt live.
The Good Samaritan: Reading With Precision but Missing the Heart
But it doesn’t stop there because this guy had some wrong motives. You know what this guy was into? This guy was into works. That’s right. He was into justifying himself. Watch. But he willing to justify himself said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, and when he was at that place, came and looked on him and passed by on the other side.
But a certain Samaritan, and the Samaritans were looked down upon by the Judeans. There was a lot of prejudice between these groups. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. That’s a component, that mercy, that compassion, to be aware of someone’s suffering and to take action to alleviate it. And went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the morrow, when he departed, he took out two pence and gave them to the host and said unto him, Take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Which now one of these three, thinkest thou, was the neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves. And he said, he that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, do thou likewise. This man did not understand and was not carrying out the compassion, the mercy of the Lord. You see, you can read it accurately with precision, but you miss the heart. We want both.
When Ye Read, Ye May Understand: Ephesians 3 and the Open Door
And we’ll close here in Ephesians. Reading is vital, that fuels the encouragement, the calling aside from the world, the comfort, the inspiration that then fuels and dovetails into the teaching of the word. And it requires both precision and heart. Here in Ephesians chapter three, Paul says in Ephesians three, verse four, whereby when you read, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, but as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.
The door is wide open to heaven. God is not holding anybody back. There’s no group that God’s holding back. The whole thing is open. That’s right. You got the whole world to tell if you want. Just tell them who already saved the world. And that’s Jesus Christ.
What Frames Us When We Read
So when we read, we read with the heart to be encouraged and comforted and inspired, to be called aside from the world and its influences. And what frames us when we read is that good character. God is always good. He is love, light and spirit. He provides that spiritual wisdom to us and he has no darkness in him at all. And through his grace, we have access to him through the faith of Jesus Christ.
Key Takeaways
- The word translated reading in 1 Timothy 4:13 means to know again, and that knowing is experiential: the comfort, the inspiration, the peace and the encouragement all come back when we read.
- Give attendance is used of a ship that reaches land, and it also means applying oneself to something, devoting oneself in thought and effort.
- Reading produces the exhortation, the calling aside from the world, and that is what fuels the doctrine, the teaching.
- The Pharisees had read the scriptures, but they missed God and they missed his mercy, and all they saw was the acts, the doing of things, the works.
- In Luke 4 Jesus stood up to read in Nazareth and said, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears, showing us to read looking for what applies to us.
- The word has both precision and heart: you can read it accurately with precision and still miss the heart, and we want both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the word reading mean in 1 Timothy 4:13?
Paul tells Timothy, Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Give attendance is used of a ship that reaches land, and it also means applying oneself, devoting oneself in thought and effort. The word reading is a compound of two Greek words meaning to know again, and this knowing is experiential. That is why the comfort, the inspiration, the peace and the encouragement come back when we read.
Why did Jesus keep asking the Pharisees, Have ye not read?
Because he posed questions to get people to consider and think. Of course they had read it, but they didn’t understand it, and the key component they missed is God. They missed the mercy of God. In Matthew 12 he answers them with, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. They had read those scriptures, but they came away with a legalistic standard instead.
What does the lawyer in Luke 10 show about how we read Scripture?
Jesus asked him, What is written in the law? How readest thou? The lawyer answered correctly, and Jesus said, Thou hast answered right. This do, and thou shalt live. But he was into works and into justifying himself, so he asked, And who is my neighbor? The parable of the good Samaritan shows he was not carrying out the compassion, the mercy of the Lord. You can read it accurately with precision, but you miss the heart.
Scripture References
1 Timothy 4; 1 Timothy 4:13; Matthew 12:1; Matthew 12:2; Matthew 12:3; Matthew 12:4; Matthew 12:5; Matthew 12:6; Matthew 12:7; Matthew 19:2; Matthew 19:3; Matthew 19:4; Matthew 19:5; Matthew 19:6; Matthew 19:7; Matthew 19:8; Matthew 21:8; Matthew 21:9; Matthew 21:10; Matthew 21:11; Matthew 21:12; Matthew 21:13; Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 21:14; Matthew 21:15; Matthew 21:16; Matthew 21:33-41; Matthew 21:42; Psalm 118:22; Psalm 118:23; Psalm 118:24; Luke 4:16; Luke 4:21; 1 John 3:2; Romans 8:1; Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 10:25; Luke 10:26; Luke 10:27; Luke 10:28; Luke 10:29; Luke 10:30-35; Luke 10:36; Luke 10:37; Ephesians 3:4; Ephesians 3:5; Ephesians 3:6
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
