The Master Key yo Understanding the Bible

Decades ago, when I was saved, I started studying the Bible with a heartfelt desire to understand God’s Word. But as I progressed, I found several passages that seemed to contradict. Everything in the Old Testament harmonized as that pertains mostly to Israel.

But the New Testament was a different story. The four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John mirrored the Old Testament. The scene was Israel, Jerusalem, the Temple, the priesthood, and the feast days. But the epistles of Paul, Romans thru Philemon, seem to be almost out of sync with the rest of the Bible. Paul emphasized grace, everyone else encouraged works, the keeping of the commandments.

I was told, as you probably were too, that the Old Testament was written to the Jews and the New Testament to the Church. If that were true, then why was I having so many issues?

I labored with this and several other issues churning in the back of my mind for many years. Pastors and teachers would do their best to harmonize Paul’s doctrine of grace with James’ doctrine of works. Frequently I was amazed and entertained at the length’s they would go to force harmony between Paul and James. But there truly is no harmony. What could I do?  I finally found the answer to the conundrum. The apostle Paul commanded Timothy to rightly divide the Word of Truth.