My Comments on Cross-Referencing Truth

I believe God's Word is one. This includes unity and diversity at the same time. There are 66 books or sections or divisions, or whatever you may want to call them. These books must be studied within their historical and cultural background to capture the truth that God intended to convey. However, they must also be studied within the bigger picture of the whole Bible since they are God's Word. Your comments were excellent in pointing that out to me.

The last blog was treating the issue of "correlation", which I do believe to be of great value. I agree with Mayhue's statement: "So it is important when we study a text that we ask what else has God said about a certain theme or subject." It is important that we ask, but I'm not so sure that it is important that we search for every cross reference on the passage we are studying. Since God's Word is one, we will find that the cross references many times are innumerable and we end up preaching 5 or 6 messages in 1.

I also agree with this statement from Mayhue: "Correlation allows us to see the part (the text we study) in the light of the whole (the entire Bible)." This is obviously important and I think that with time one will improve on his ability to study the parts of passages in the light of the whole. Mayhue suggests cross referencing to make sure that correlation is done. The danger in cross references is preaching the whole Bible in one message. This is exhausting! Not to mention impractical, because the people will not benefit from this much knowledge. We are finite beings. This picture of this man who ate a 15 pound burger is a great illustration of this. It took him 4 hours to down all that meat, but did it profit him? I think it probably hurt him more than helped him.
So, here is my view on how to use cross references. They certainly have their place.

1. If no cross references come to mind, don't seek them.
2. If cross references come to mind or there are some in the margin of your Bible, look them up.
   
3. If the passage uses a cross reference, for example from the OT, then definitely study it out and very possibly use it in the message.
4. If the cross reference strongly supports the passage you are studying and in fact says something in a different way or stronger way that would enhance your passage, use it.
   

I have learned a very awesome truth about God's Word as a whole, but especially the parts. The parts are much clearer than we think, more powerful than we can imagine, and self-sufficient in many cases. Therefore, not always, but many times these passages do not need or warrant help from other passages, despite the fact that they are all connected.

Haddon Robinson says, "Since the Bible stands entire and complete, no passage should be interpreted or applied in isolation from all that God has spoken." I certainly agree with that as well, but when we give the message of God's Word to people in the congregation, I want to give them something they can chew and enjoy and profit from. I would much rather give them a quarter-pounder than a 16 pound burger.

JT