Inference
Even with the fact that the Bible is often silent, there is still much that can be determined. Often the text will infer a meaning. It is through the inference that one can gain full understanding. The words of the Bible are filled with emotions that should be brought out. However, one must stay within the context given. God was clear on this from the beginning, when He stated in Deuteronomy 4:2:
2Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Yehovah your God which I command you.
Our inferences must stay within the context of the written word. An example of this is in Genesis 4:1-2:
1And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from Yehovah. 2And she again bare his brother Abel
Adam and Eve gave birth to two children, Cain and Abel. Eventually, Cain kills Abel, then in Genesis 4:16-17:
16And Cain went out from the presence of Yehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 17And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
Cain has a child with his wife. A question often asked is, where did Cain’s wife come from?
Adam and Eve were the original couple. Up to Genesis 4 there is no discussion of anyone else; therefore, the obvious answer is Cain’s wife was his sister. Adam and Eve had other children that are not discussed in the text.
Another example is, a lot of people believe that Noah took two of each animal. It is true that it states in Genesis 6:19:
19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
Here God tells Noah to bring two of each animal. However, in Genesis 7:2-3 God tells Noah something slightly different:
2Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. 3Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
So Noah took more of the clean animals than he took of the unclean animals. The question now becomes, how did Noah know which were clean and which were unclean? Either God told Noah or God told someone before Noah and it got passed down.
It is not a stretch at this point to believe that clean and unclean are the same as those specified in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Why would one think any different? God is consistent, the same yesterday, today and forever.
If one is to ultimately understand the Bible, they must come to grips with fact that there are consistent concepts in the Bible that allow for the inferred word.
An example of a misapplication of an inference is the requirement that women must have their head covered when praying. This is based on 1 Corinthians 11:5:
5But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
However, the context is clear if one takes time to study the entire passage, 1 Corinthians 11:3.
3But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Messiah; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Messiah is God.
In this verse, Paul is providing a spiritual hierarchy. The head of man is the Messiah, the head of the woman is the man and the head of Messiah is God. Therefore it is, God – Messiah – Man – Woman. Next in 1 Corinthians 11:4:
4Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head
Does this mean if a man wears a Yarmulke or Kippah, a head covering, that they dishonor God? Of course not, that is not within the context of the passage. Remember what 1 Corinthians 11:3 stated was the man’s head.
3Bthat the head of every man is Messiah
So to pray with ones head covered is to pray and cover the Messiah. That is done when we attempts to go to God without going through Messiah. Ether one is not going by the authority or disregards the Messiah, 1 Timothy 2:5:
5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Yeshua Messiah;
The Messiah is our mediator man must go through Yeshua. Next in 1 Corinthians 11:5:
5But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
This is different than a man. The woman should cover her head. This is not a physical head covering. Staying in the context of the chapter, 1 Corinthians 11:3 states:
3But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Messiah; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Messiah is God.
The head of the woman is the man. When a woman prays or prophesizes if she covers her head, it means that she does not need the authority of the man nor is the man the intermediary for the woman. The woman can pray independently of the man. But like the man she is not to cover the Messiah. She therefore, prays similar to the man by the authority of Messiah. Women have free access to God without any human impediments. Again, 1 Timothy 2:5
5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Yeshua Messiah;
There is no human intermediary, both women and men have free access. A wife does not need a husband’s permission to pray. Further, neither a man nor a woman must go through some earthly priest or religious authority. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:3:
3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Messiah.
There is a simplicity to the word if one is not careful, they can be led astray. One must not read something into the word that was never meant by the author. One needs to stay within the context of the word and not interpret the Word in such a way that new doctrines and laws are created. Yes one can understand inferred meaning; however, one must be careful not to go beyond what was intended. Finally, any inferred meaning should line up with the overall context of the Bible.
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