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There is a paradox in true biblical understanding. In order to properly
understand any specific biblical doctrine, it is first necessary to comprehend the
entirety of all biblical doctrines; and, of course, it is impossible to comprehend the
entirety of all biblical doctrines until one understands all the specific biblical
doctrines separately. Seldom can one biblical teaching be fully understood in isolation.
There is an essential interdependence between nearly all biblical doctrines. Each must be
understood in light of all the others. The reason for this is the inherent unity of the
biblical focus and the coherent thread of its message. Proper biblical understanding must
be achieved by visualizing and comprehending the full sweeping scope of its message that
only the whole Bible can project.
In this regard, the Bible functions more like a living brain than
a computer. In a computer, each "bit" of data is stored in only one location,
while in a brain, the same "bit" is usually stored in numerous different
locations, though in slightly differing forms and associations. In the Bible (like the
brain), all teachings on any individual subject—for example, honesty, marital
fidelity, salvation, the Sabbath, the millennium—are not limited to just one location
and not discussed in any other location. Just the opposite is in fact true: The Bible
discusses many subjects within the same chapters and even within the same verses, while
each subject may be discussed throughout numerous books and dozens of verses. So here
again is the paradox: How can we comprehend the Bible if we must understand all the
doctrines before we can understand any one, and we cannot understand all the doctrines
until we understand the sum total of each individual one? The only solution to the paradox
is through the leading of God's Holy Spirit and by diligent, dedicated Bible study. The
Bible is indeed the full expression of God's mind and purpose for humanity.
One of the ways to begin to comprehend the unifying flow of the
whole Bible is to follow its primary themes all the way through. Of all these, surely the
most consistent, decisive and relevant is Jesus Christ. He, in essence, is the
focal point of the. entire Bible. He is the personality around whom. everything revolves.
Jesus Christ was the Creator of all things (Col. 1:16); the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob; the Rock of Israel as Messiah (Is. 9:53) and Lawgiver (Isa. 33:22), and exemplified
throughout the New Testament as Savior and King. He is the Redeemer of all mankind, the
supreme Lawgiver and consummate Teacher. He was the firstborn from the dead and is the
Captain of our salvation, our constant intercessor and merciful High Priest. Jesus Christ
is now the active head of God's Church and is prophesied throughout the entire Bible to
return to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords to set up. the Kingdom of God for all
eternity.
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