The Right Lenses
It was once believed that eyewitness testimony in a court of law was the most powerful form of testimony. But things have since been learned about the reliability of such testimony.
"When a person witnesses an alleged crime, ambient conditions may prevent them from accurately perceiving and remembering what occurred. For instance, if an eyewitness witnesses an incident in poor lighting or from a distance, their recollections are less likely to be reliable. A person’s biases can affect the accuracy of his or her memories, and so can stress factors, such as the presence of a gun during an assault or violent crime."
Just as poor conditions and bias can affect the accuracy of eyewitness testimony, so too can a wrong context lead to an assumed approach, affecting a believer's understanding of Scripture. For instance, Scripture speaks of a veil that interferes with one's ability to perceive clearly what God has done and is now doing.
2Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were blinded. For, until this day, the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.
This refers to those who are still under the Old Covenant Law. They are still sentimental and nostalgic about what Moses gave.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
It is true that all Scripture is given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and is profitable. However, if it is being viewed through a veil of Old Covenant thinking, its profitability is diminished because the takeaway on what it desires to teach us is skewed.
I recommend reading the Old Testament through the lens of the New Covenant, so that one might extract from it the prophetic revelation the Holy Spirit originally placed within it concerning Christ Jesus.
Wearing sunglasses in a poorly lit room at night and claiming it helps one to see more clearly is a delusional perspective. That is why reading the Old Testament and claiming that placing it in its original context to understand it better makes one an expert at interpreting it is akin to wearing sunglasses in a dark room at night. Examining the truth of Scripture through a veil obscures clarity and, consequently, hinders one's understanding. This is why the glasses of the New Covenant are so important; having the veil removed matters. The veil is only removed in Christ!
I seek to read all Scripture through the lens of Christ and His New Covenant. Those are the right lenses. Everything in Scripture points to Jesus once the veil is removed. The law and the prophets fade into the background of history, and we begin to see and hear only Jesus as the Father has desired. Read all of Scripture, but make sure you have the right lenses on when you do.
