The Eye of the Believer

I once wrote an article describing Scripture as Art.  That’s really only true philosophically. In the literal sense, scripture is much more than art. The beholder of art gives its value. Meanwhile, the meaning of scripture is in the eye of the believer.

I was looking at a painting some time ago. It was a fantastic painting of a forest scene, in the winter. Snow was falling and had covered the ground and all the tree branches. If you’ve ever experienced this type of scene, you can relate to the serenity of it all. The quietness of all except the soft sounds of snow hitting the ground. I’m standing there, looking at this painting and I could almost hear it. I felt the peacefulness of it, and I wanted to be there.

Later, I looked up this painting and found information about the artist and what the artist was trying to convey. I had misinterpreted it and was taken aback. The artist wasn’t trying to convey peace, nor were they trying to convey quietness. This particular painting was done by an artist in a moment of sorrow, and panic. They felt lost, alone, cold, and felt like they were being covered up with all the downfalls of life.

The value of interpretation

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and they are correct. What I learned is this applies to art, but it doesn’t necessarily apply to scripture. In scripture, beauty is in the eye of the believer. Art isn’t valued by the intention behind the creation of it. I nearly bought this painting because it felt so peaceful and beautiful to me. But once I learned the meaning behind the painting by the artist, I felt completely different about it. In fact, I’m quite certain I could never look at it the same again. The value of the painting, to me, had changed. As the beholder, the value of this painting was determined by me.

How is it that two people can read a scripture and come to completely different conclusions? For example: A saved Christian can read a scripture, can feel its meaning, and that scripture becomes a living part of them. It’s read as more than just words, written by a few people who lived thousands of years ago. Scripture is a guide for life. It’s a tutorial for how to live, learn, teach, pray, praise, and how to love with your whole heart. It’s an instructional for how to achieve an everlasting life, through the love of God and his son.

On the other hand, even an objective non-believer can read scripture and see nothing more than a well written story book. I was once this person. I believed the bible was the greatest story ever told, but mostly just story. It’s because the non-believer looks at scripture as JUST art, and nothing more than a masterpiece in literacy. Perhaps just a peaceful painting, created by a very talented artist. The meaning given to scripture by the non-believer is merely eisegesis. Interpretation given from their outside views. Here’s why. 

What’s different about the beauty of scripture?

Scripture is different because its beauty is in the eye of the believer of it. The non-believer cannot see the meaning behind scripture because they try to give scripture it’s meaning from their own outside views. They can’t possibly grasp the full interpretation behind scripture, because they’re missing the one thing that gives scripture its true meanings, The Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

God, through the Holy Spirit and the hands of the writer, breathed scripture. The beholder cannot change its meaning. In order to interpret scripture correctly, it has to be read as it was written by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s go back to our two examples of readers, the believer and the non-believer. How is it that the believer can read scripture, grasp and feel its true meaning, while the non-believer must inject his own meaning into the scripture? The believer reads, filled with the same creator of that scripture, the Holy Spirit. The non-believer cannot see the true meaning. In order to grasp the scripture, the reader must first be willing to allow God into their heart. They must be willing to seek the truth, and to allow God’s Spirit to become their interpreter.

The beauty of scripture is in the eye of the believer

The Bible is God-breathed. It is written by the hands of Spirit filled believers and must be interpreted by Spirit filled believers. The beauty of art belongs to the beholder, but the beauty of scripture belongs to the believer. All its lessons of how to live, learn, teach, pray, praise, and how to love God with your whole heart, are unlocked the moment the beholder accepts the Spirit of God into their heart, by faith.