Counsels on Christian Worldview

Counsel #1 — Presuppositions

Picture: Counsel #1 — Presuppositions CCW 3.1

Presuppositions are the ideas we already believe are true before digging in to discover if that belief is fact or fable. Ever heard these myths? Don't swim right after eating or you'll get a cramp and drown! Swallow gum? It stays in your stomach for seven years! If you eat a watermelon seed, a watermelon will grow in your belly. Many of us grew up with these false views of reality. Just like that, our assumed ideas can shape how we read the Bible. So, letting go of our preconceptions and letting God's word reshape our thinking is essential.^[1] CCW 3.2

“He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.” Proverbs 18:13 NKJV CCW 3.3

“Men entertain errors, when the truth is clearly marked out, and if they would but bring their doctrines to the word of God, and not read the word of God in the light of their doctrines, to prove their ideas right, they would not walk in darkness and blindness, or cherish error. Many give the words of Scripture a meaning that suits their own opinions, and they mislead themselves and deceive others by their misinterpretations of God's word.” Ellen White in Review and Herald, July 26, 1892, par. 3 CCW 3.4

Reflect: As you consider your closely held beliefs, are there any that you just assume are true without being able to demonstrate them with biblical evidence? CCW 3.5