A check mark usually means "the."
A check mark next to a letter usually functions like a "th" - e.g. a "w" with a check mark at the end means "with." A check mark with an “o” at the end means “though.” A check mark with “se” at the end means “these.” Etc. A check mark at the end of the word might be a suffix like "-tion" or "-sion."
> means "but."
An angle symbol means the prefix "con-."
/ means "to."
A "x” at the end of a word is the suffix “-ing.”
A symbol I can only describe as a loaf of bread means "Commandments."
+ means "and."
What looks like an M or Greek letter mu means “they.”
) means “not.”
( seems to mean "who" unless followed by a t ("what") or r ("where")
A star symbol means "that."
r means "are."
The top half of a circle means "on."
A cursive "O" seems to mean a prefix that starts with a "p-." E.g. preparation, process.
A "C" looking loop at the end of a word either means "-able." E.g. reasonable, applicable.
"\" means “from."
The Greek letter "phi" stands for "philosophy."
If I'm completely unsure of something, I put "???" as a placeholder. If I take a more or less educated guess, I put "[?]" after the word.I have a pdf version of the original scan of Clark's handwritten sermon notes that I can share with those who want to comment below and have me email it to them. If anyone reads or has read the notes and thinks that they might be able to decipher parts or has come to a different interpretation than I have, they are also welcome to comment below.
As an aside, this was one of the more enjoyable manual transcriptions I've done. I imagine this is as close as I'll ever get to feel like a poor man's Sherlock Holmes.
1963. How to Use the Bible (Nov. 10) (Re-preached 1973, 1973).
Nov. 10 1963
May 20 1973
Paris Texas 9/25/73
How to use the Bible.
Read II Tim. 3:1-17
There are, believe it or not, some bad ways to use the Bible
1. As a piece of furniture, beautiful binding shows up nicely on shelf. But is never taken off the shelf to read - only to dust.
2. As a holy object, like a rosary: some magical wearing[?] emanate from it automatically. But they’re[?] not reading it
3. As a book of ordinary history - read to learn the religious ideas of an ancient culture.
c. 1920 Fosdick's use of the Bible
1972 AACS (Toronto) way
How To Let the Bible Confuse You (p. 3 read)
Ten Commandments "culturally conditioned"
Not applicable today
5/16/73
This week in Christianity Today, a denomination[?] in Australia or New Zealand used this same argument[?] to repudiate a revelation in the Bible.
Now, I would like non-Christians to read the Bible, even though they think it is merely a book on ancient culture. And I have one suggestion as to how they should read it. But the list[?] has six other suggestions to[?] Christians.
But NonChristians ought to read it. e.g. Girl came to Tuesday evening Bible class: wanted to write a paper on conversion; had worked with youth groups in her church
But could not find a single book in the Bible, except perhaps Psalms.
did not know whether 1 Peter was in OT or NT.
an educated college student!
No wonder their morals are so promiscuous, because[?] they know no Bible.
I First rule to[?] reading Bible - for Christians and NonChristians alike. Read it diligently.
II Tim 2:15 "Study to show thyself approve unto God... rightly dividing the word of truth.
A nonChristian cannot approve himself to God. But if diligent he might begin to handle the Bible rightly, or at least no so wrongly.
I wish I could stress Study! to show thyself approved. But it does not mean study: rather strive, read diligently, be eager, do your best.
ARV - "Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, handling aright the word of God"
There are other verses that stress diligence { the nonChristian will not be impressed with these Bible verses, but the Christian should be.
Proverbs 8:34 "Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors."
Rather picturesque - a worshipper studying at the door of the temple - daily, constant[?], diligently. Not a hobby of spare time.
So little diligence these days that not even Christians know very much about the Bible
I am appalled at the sign of "evangelistic" groups = Jesus freaks, campus crusade, navigators who though these latter memorize but do not understand[?]
These people have no seminary training, but in seminaries, students had no idea of justification. Professor told him that justification means make righteous, i.e. natural[?] works, instead of acquittal on Christ's merits. Ignorant[?] students[?] ignorant[?] professor[?]
give diligence to term justification. Use concordance and check every reference. e.g. Lk 7:29 the publicans justified God!
Occasionally I get reports of Bible quizzes - with unbelievable results: A Southern Presbyterian Church with fairly orthodox minister gave a quiz to the who congregation.
20% could not name the 4 Gospels! Can you? If not, please rise and explain why not!
48% could not name 4 apostles.
54% did not know what book contained Ten Commandments
54% did not know what book contained the account of Paul's conversion.
If these people did not know such elementary facts, how would they have done on theological questions?
A person who cannot name the 4 Gospels presumably does not know much that they contain.
And if a person[?] does not know where to find the 10 Commandments, the chances are he does not know what the 10 Commandments say and does not try to obey them[?].
To Christians and nonChristians alike, I urge diligence but it is possible to try hard and still do it the wrong way. another[?] rule[?]
2. We must[?] make some[?] preparation.
The Christian may need some preparation the nonChristian cannot make, but both, and especially the nonChristian must prepare, but resolving to discover exactly what the Bible says.
not imposing his own views, nor aiming to make contradiction grow where none grew before.
Burtt Ezek 26 and 29.
In studying first one tries to discover his meaning. We may conclude he is mistaken, but we cannot validly conclude he is mistaken until after we know what he means.
But many not read the Bible are convinced ahead of time that it is mistaken and contradictory.
Cohen and Nagel
Sometimes Christians too are not quite honest in reading the Bible, so Peter warns us
1 Peter 2:1, 2 "Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisies and envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the sincere [unadulterated] mile of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
We may well urge Bible reading on the sinner: he may be convicted and turn to Christ. But for further advances, we must lay aside malice and guile, evil speaking etc, and with clean hands and a pure heart desire the sincere milk of the word.
But though Peter says this, I don't know how many it applies to.
Rather ignorant[?] and confused[?] - The dark colored glasses of common opinion (secular) or incompetent sincere Bible teachers. Christians pick up old secular philosophies without knowing the source.
H.S. in ??? offered a course in religion. Some teachers refused the job - one quite sincere took it with the aim of being neutral [as if one could!]
She assigned papers to be written. One girl asked if she could write on Isaiah. Teacher asked, which Isaiah?!
She was "sincere" but not neutral. She was destroying Christianity.
But now, let us return to Christian readers of the Bible.
Similar to preparation is 3) Prayer.
Psa. 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy Law.
It is possible to read any book and miss the main point. How this true of my students! So too the Bible.
We must pray and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten us.
4. Receive it with faith.
Heb. 4:2 "The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."
This was said of the disobedient Jews. I hard a Jewish student in my course Philosophy of Religion - a very radical left wing boy. He learned very easily - very bright - but the knowledge did not profit him. It made him worse.
True of modernists as well as of Jews.
Earlier, mentioned Fosdick's use of the Bible - mere literature, some good ideas, often mistaken.
In opposition to the modernist use of the Bible, the Larger Catechism [not much heard of these days] says,
#159 "The holy Scriptures are to be read with a high and reverent esteem of them; with a firm persuasion that they are the very Word of God..." etc.
Barth protested the modernist use of the Bible as mere literature - good! But did not go far enough, or did not fully return to the orthodox position[?]. And hence his attack on modernism has not helped us very much. We need a "firm persuasion that the Bible is the very Word of God."
5. and love
II Thess. 2:10 They received not the love of truth that they might be saved.
The old quiz programs - with the Columbia law professor guilty of perjury
Aside from perjury, in many places you may seek truth provided you don't find it. People who have found are despised.
Both those[?] who have found the truth, but especially religious truth.
6. [Closely related] Lay it up in our hearts
Psa 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in my heart"
A given passage may seem of little use to you at the moment - nevertheless study it and lay it up in your heart. It will be needed later.
a verse for today? Riffle though and pick at random!
Some sincere and very devotional people advise: Riffle through the pages and put finger at random on a verse
The verse of today: be alert to see how the verse solve your obscure[?] problem[?] today.
But there is at best a 50/50 chance the verse will apply to most that happens to you this day.
Try it now! Pick up Bibles - put finger on verse. Does it apply to some difficulty[?] of today
a better idea: a box of cards, each with a verse on it. These have been selected
no genealogies!
Precious promises.
These process[?] of selection[?] hides much of the Bible from us.
Along with Precious Promises in the box on the table should also be Woeful Warnings.
These also apply to us and should not be ignored.
But however sincere and "devotional" these methods are childish and immature.
The verse said Thy word have I hid in my heart implying a store of future use.
a given passage often has no reasonable application today
But memorize it for the future: it will later be needed
e.g. 1 Cor. 7 on marriage is not immediately applicable to a 15 year old
nor is the matter of divorce applicable to many married people, but after a life of never using this verse, a case occurred in our congregation in 1973.
husband deserted and divorced Christian wife.
We ought to know the applicable Scripture before the event occurs and of course, restudy it too.
Or, on another level, if many verses seem to have no use at all,
In fact, if you talk to people about Christ and the Bible, you will soon see the importance of many passages.
Often the Bible seems useless because we do not use it.
One of our members, who may or may not have heard me contrast Christ with angels, as in Hebrews 1, shortly thereafter was told that Jesus was Michael the archangel.
By using the Bible, we come to understand[?] it better.
7. Practice it in our lives.
The previous verse continued:
The word have I hid in my heard, that I might not sin against thee.
In conclusion: there have been seven rules for reading and learning the Scripture. The sermon can be summed up as follows:
???
That world may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.
But however sincere and "devotional" these methods are childish and immature.
The verse said Thy word have I hid in my heart implying a store of future use.
a given passage often has no reasonable application today
But memorize it for the future: it will later be needed
e.g. 1 Cor. 7 on marriage is not immediately applicable to a 15 year old
nor is the matter of divorce applicable to many married people, but after a life of never using this verse, a case occurred in our congregation in 1973.
husband deserted and divorced Christian wife.
We ought to know the applicable Scripture before the event occurs and of course, restudy it too.
Or, on another level, if many verses seem to have no use at all,
In fact, if you talk to people about Christ and the Bible, you will soon see the importance of many passages.
Often the Bible seems useless because we do not use it.
One of our members, who may or may not have heard me contrast Christ with angels, as in Hebrews 1, shortly thereafter was told that Jesus was Michael the archangel.
By using the Bible, we come to understand[?] it better.
7. Practice it in our lives.
The previous verse continued:
The word have I hid in my heard, that I might not sin against thee.
In conclusion: there have been seven rules for reading and learning the Scripture. The sermon can be summed up as follows:
???
That world may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.
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