49 Religious Lies Jesus Told Me to Stop Believing - #4 Build Truth with My Mind and the Bible

Summary

Mark Virkler describes a belief he now considers mistaken: that people should build their understanding of truth primarily through their own reasoning and Bible study. He says he once relied on 2 Timothy 2:15 to support that approach, but later learned that the King James Version’s “study” is rendered “be diligent” in the New King James Version.

Virkler contrasts study led mainly by the intellect with meditation on Scripture, which he says involves prayer, reflection, imagery, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

He recounts journaling a dialogue in which Jesus corrects his assumption that theological study alone protects people from error. In the dialogue, Jesus is presented as saying that the Spirit who inspired Scripture is best able to interpret it, and that readers should ask God to open their understanding. Virkler connects this idea to David’s prayer in Psalm 119:18 and Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17–18.

The Emmaus-Road Account

Virkler uses the Emmaus-road story as his central example. He says the disciples interpreted Scripture in a way that led them to expect a political Messiah who would overthrow Rome. After Jesus’ death, their expectations collapsed.

In Virkler’s account, Jesus reinterpreted Scripture for them, showing how the crucifixion and resurrection fit within it and reframing the nature of the Messiah’s kingdom. Virkler’s lesson is that people may have biblical passages to support their beliefs and still misunderstand them. He believes the Holy Spirit can reshape their interpretation.

Virkler encourages an open, repentant posture toward correction, warning that resistance can make a person adversarial toward God. He also argues that relying on one’s own understanding is countercultural, citing the instruction to trust in the Lord rather than lean on personal understanding.

Practical Approach

Virkler recommends that readers:

• Come to Scripture with humility and dependence on the Holy Spirit, rather than assuming they can work everything out through intellect alone.
• Pray for understanding and revelation while reading.
• Reflect, meditate, and use imagination as part of engaging with the text.
• Journal about passages and ask what God may be saying through them.
• Remain willing to repent and revise their beliefs when challenged.
• Try a personal “Emmaus-road” exercise: read relevant passages, note what stands out, journal about them, and ask Jesus for insight. Virkler encourages seeking a personal relationship rather than relying only on another teacher’s interpretation.

Virkler closes by expressing hope that churches will teach meditation on Scripture. He also invites viewers to affirm that the Spirit guides them into truth, referencing John 16:13.

Speakers and Sources

• Mark Virkler — Speaker and narrator, sharing his experiences and teachings.
• Jesus — Represented through the dialogue Virkler says he recorded in his journal; not a separate audible speaker in the subtitles.
• Biblical sources referenced: 2 Timothy 2:15; Psalm 119:18; Ephesians 1:17–18; Proverbs 3:5–6; the Emmaus-road account in Luke 24; and John 16:13.