The Promises of GodRead the Bible without Twisting It

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

OverviewReview of Key Interpretive Principles

Applying Principles to the Promises of God

Historical Context

Literary Context

Literary Genre

How to Respond

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

An AsideBefore we get started…

The goal is accuracy not novelty

I’m about to say some hard things about the Promises of God

It’s not because I want to take away God’s promises

It’s because I want you to know when God is actually promising you something

I want you to have real hope in God as he really has revealed himself, not false hope in a non-promise

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

Basic Interpretive PrinciplesUltimately our goal is to arrive at what God has to say, and that necessitates getting to the author/Author’s intent

Context reveals usage and usage determines meaning

Now we learn historical context and then apply these principles to interpreting God’s promises

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

Historical ContextHistorical Context refers to the history and culture (including geography) surrounding the text when it was written

Historical Context reveals the shared assumptions and experiences of the original audience and author (in other words, it helps reveal usage)

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

Historical ContextHistorical Context controls application because the application is the same to degree that the particulars are the same (e.g., Eph 2:1-10)

Where particulars are not the same, we find the principle of the text and apply the principle to comparable circumstances (e.g., 1 Cor 10:23-31)

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

Historical Context“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chr 7:14

Commonly referenced as a promise that if Christians in America will turn to God in prayer, God will “restore” something about America (give Christians more recognition/influence, reduce crime/poverty, other particular agenda…)

Historically, the Israelites were dedicating the Temple in Jerusalem and God promises this in light of the Mosaic Covenant with Israel (Deut 28–30)

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

Historical Context“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jer 29:11

Commonly referenced as a promise that God has plans to make Christians successful or bring about good out of hard circumstances

Historically, the Jews had been conquered by the Babylonians in 586 BC and taken into exile, their nation destroyed. God was offering them hope in exile in light of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants and other prophecies about the Kingdom of God.

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

Historical Context

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

Literary ContextLiterary Context refers to the content around a particular text that reveals its usage

When a passage sounds like a promise in isolation, be sure to see if it is actually a promise—and to whom—in its context

Even if it proves to be a promise that is generally meant for God’s people, be sure to keep the conditions (context) of the promise in mind

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

Literary Context“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” – Matthew 18:20

Commonly used to say that God promises he is with us whenever we go to prayer meeting

In the context of Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus is talking about how to address sins among believers, promising to be with those who have to carry out church discipline

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Literary GenreLiterary Genre refers to the specific form and style of a text that informs how we interpret it

Some passages in Scripture are frequently taken as promises out of context, which in context are clearly of a genre that is not promissory

We should aim to read and appreciate these passages for what they are, lest we miss out on the heart of God revealed in their actual meanings

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Literary Genre“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” – Psalm 37:4

Frequently cited as a promise that God will give you what you really want in life if you honor and pursue him first

In context, this is part of a poetic expression saying how it is better to be faithful and obedient to God than to be wicked; it is not a promise

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

Literary Genre“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”– Proverbs 22:6

Frequently cited as a promise that if you raise your kids as good Christians they will stay Christian when they grow up, but it seems to have failed many parents – why?

Proverbs are principles that are generally true in life, but are not promises to claim

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How to RespondGod isn’t a genie or a magic charm—he’s a person and he’s the sovereign of all creation

The value in knowing him isn’t that we can leverage his promises to be assured he will benefit us

The value in knowing him is in having a relationship of love and reconciliation with the living God!

Don’t be afraid to let go of “promises” that God did not make

Strive instead to know God for who he actually is and what he has actually said in his Word

© Nicholas Hsieh. You are permitted to distribute this material provided proper attribution is given, and that you do not alter the content in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Any exceptions must receive prior written approval from the author.

How to Respond in General

Read the Bible for what it is—66 books that were written with a purpose and a historically situated audience in mind

The Bible was written for us, but it was not written to us; to get at its relevance for us today we need to determine what the author originally intended to say

Don’t settle for a “God” of your own making; keep striving to read the Bible rightly, examining your beliefs against what the Bible really says so you can know God truly

“What we think when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” – A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy