So long,
scriptura
a clarion call to defending
the faith once delivered to the saints
-3-
Just grab your Bible for a moment & hold it in your hand. I don’t know how many copies you may own, but apparently, at the time of this writing, there have been approximately four billion Bibles sold to date. The copy that you hold in your hand right now is most likely one of them. We owe a great debt of gratitude to a great many individuals for the privilege of being free to hold, read & believe the copy of The Bible that usually sits unread for most, if not all of the week, in its convenient place, so that we don’t forget to pick it up on our way out to Church on Sundays. ‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.’ (1st Samuel 3:1). All of us are at liberty to find & choose a particular Bible version that suits us, after all, no translation into any human language will accurately convey the mind of Almighty God. However, through the ministry of The Holy Spirit, Who is the author of the blessed book that we hold dear, we can begin to understand God’s Word (2nd Timothy 3:14-17) & although we may sometimes disagree about the validity of some versions & the superiority of others, our passion has to be more than something egotistical or intellectual. As my Pastor often said to me about my Bible, ‘..don’t have it & not read it; don’t read it & not believe it; don’t believe it & not obey it..’. My Pastor always placed a strong emphasis the fact that our faith in God must come out of our relationship with a living Saviour, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16, Revelation 1:18). As well as this, he taught us that our faith must be rooted & grounded in the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ is God’s Word & as such The Word lives & breathes. This understanding of faith was far removed from the classic, more forensic word-of-faith-mythology that I eventually & unfortunately embraced early on in my believer’s walk. How often I have failed to take his sterling advice.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:12-13).
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:1-3).
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (Hebrews 11:3).
Are you still holding your Bible in your hand? You & I possess a volume of writings unlike any other body of work ever written. What these sacred books of the canon of Scripture say to us & who they reveal to us are of a paramount importance if our faith in God & His Word are to be genuine. A contrived belief that springs out of simply learning Scripture by rote is quite honestly the stuff of cults. The Word of The Lord must once again be precious, especially in these last days. Every single faction, denomination, movement or ism within The Church, has a different view of The Word of God & consequently of Christ. On a sliding scale there are those who believe in the complete verbal inspiration of Scripture, right through to those who believe it to be nothing more or less than a collection of writings, only sacred in their ideal, but not in their essence & certainly no more or less inspired than the texts of other religions. Where do we rank in our confidence in Scripture?
Well, just as the very best tool for interpreting Scripture is Scripture itself, I think it wise to see what Scripture says about itself in order to help us determine whether it’s God’s Word or not. This determination is vital, because The Word of God’s is consistently being held in decreasing esteem. What happens when The Word of God & its place among us is diminished & what replaces that which ought to be irreplaceable? This isn’t happening in the world. This is happening in The Church!
On a small scale & in limited measure I have seen this happen; even in my own life. The subtle groundwork for such a travesty is laid in advance of any onslaught on God’s Word. Seldom do we see its approach, sense its danger or discern its deadly ruination. Nevertheless, it comes. In this regard, before any of us take to the Scriptures with a view to reading & believing them, we have to first establish why it is that we would even do such a thing. In other words, is The Bible required reading for us who believe? Are you still holding your Bible in your hand my friend? Please ask yourself why it is that you have it, why it is that you read it, why it is that you believe it & ultimately why it is that it possesses the authority to command & demand your obedience & mine. I can only answer this question for myself, but there’s a good chance that the reasons I cite may be similar to yours. This is the juncture at which Scripture’s declarations concerning itself become the proof of the pudding.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1-4).
I had learned very early on in my believer’s walk that The Bible is essential for growth (1st Peter 2:2). Yet there were those who preferred a more liberal view of The Bible’s role in Christian life & Church Doctrine. For those attendees who didn’t read Scripture, although there were several saints who did, these questions were absolutely irrelevant. They saw no real need whatsoever for a literal belief in The Bible, but rather for an in principle acceptance of it; they said that Scripture contained God’s Word but was not His Word in its totality. I pondered this point of view, which made logical sense to me. However, others with whom I fellowshipped in Pentecostal circles took the view that it wasn’t enough for the issue to make logical sense; it had to make theological sense. My message is a simple one those who hold this view; So Long, Scriptura. Of course, this was my attempt at a play on the words Sola Scriptura; Scripture alone.
The basic thrust of my message to you is this; the church we have today, is a direct result of our building upon whatever foundation we as followers of Christ have believed to be sound. In support of this I cite the words of Christ Himself in Matthew 16:15-18; ‘And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ Given the choice, I would take the words of The Lord Jesus Christ over the words of anyone else, on any day of the week.
I cannot stress how important it is that we as believers in Christ receive a revelation of exactly who Jesus is. However, I’m not promoting an experience as any kind of subjective proof. I’m seeking to provoke believers to delve further into their Bibles because it is right there that the written Word reveals the Living Word. Here, Peter declares a truth revealed to him by The Father concerning Christ & it is upon this rock that Jesus is building His Church. However, Peter was not the only disciple of The Lord who knew this. In chapter one of the Gospel that bears his name, we see that John has a revelation of Christ as The Word. We also see John’s revelation of Christ’s deity quite clearly throughout his account of The Lord’s ministry. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, knew Who Jesus was.
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God (John 1:33-34).
Here we see John the Baptist, a relative of Christ, testifying that he didn’t know who Jesus was until God revealed it to him. In verse 6 of this first chapter of John’s Gospel, John the Baptist is described as ‘a man sent from God’ & here in verse 33 John tells us that he that sent him to baptize with water told him how to recognise The Messiah. John saw & bore record that Jesus was the Son of God. John the Baptist knew who Jesus was. As we go further, we see Jesus beginning to call His disciples & the narrative here is amazing. It is to me anyway.
Again the next day after, John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. (John 1:35-51).
This narrative, although different to the accounts given by the other Gospel writers, nevertheless reveals something quite remarkable & notable. John’s Gospel is not synoptic. From the very beginning of His life & ministry, Jesus’ identity was revealed by God to certain individuals. Mary & Joseph knew. The Temple Shepherds & Wise Men knew. Anna & Simeon knew. The enemy & his demonic spirits knew. The Bible that you’re holding in your hand is a veritable treasure trove of truth concerning Christ & who He is. The knowledge of who He is, is the rock upon which Christ builds His Church & the transformative power of that truth, with He Himself being the cornerstone, gives us an assurance of trust because He is The Word of God.
John, Andrew & the unnamed disciple, Peter, Philip & Nathanael all had this knowledge of Christ. They were among the first, but were certainly not the last. Faith in the Living Word must be reflected in our faith in the written Word.
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:20-22).
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed (1st Peter 2:4-8).
If we consider Matthew’s account of the revelation of Christ once again, we will see that Peter re-affirms what he & certain of the other the disciples certainly believed. We also see that Jesus re-affirms what He had said to Peter when his brother Andrew had taken him to meet The Lord. The Church that Jesus Christ is building must have the Living Word as it’s foundation & it must have what Paul describes as the word of his grace, which is able to build us up (Acts 20:32).
The Church is built on The Word as well as by The Word. Those twelve men, eleven of whom finished their course, were students of the greatest Rabbi who ever lived; Rabbi Yeshua ben Yosef. After His death, burial & resurrection, they taught believers what He had taught them. This was the Apostles’ Doctrine & the basis of our New Testament in His blood (Matthew 26:28). However, none of the teachings of Christ were manifest out of thin air. They had their basis in Scripture.
Sadly there are those who never delve into the Old Testament because they haven’t realised that both covenants are inextricably linked by a glorious unfolding of fulfilment. The Old Covenant makes up two-thirds of The Bible that you’re holding in your hand my friend & before you discard it as irrelevant to you, I would encourage you to study it. It’s the meat. Many of the New Testament truths that we hold dear as fundamental doctrine, have their root in the Old Testament & we would do well to heed it.
The validity & relevance of the New Testament is clearly taken for granted by The Church. Yet, Jesus Himself & the New Testament writers continually reference the Old. We have been told that the New Testament writings, especially those of Paul, are for The Church & that we should concentrate our efforts in studying it, but this approach partially robs us theologically. However, if you don’t believe me that’s fine. Believe Jesus. Do you still have your Bible in your hand?
As you thumb through the Gospels, you’ll see that Jesus references the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy. What decent Rabbi worth his salt wouldn’t? He also quotes from the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zachariah, Daniel, Micah, Hosea, Malachi & The Psalms. His validation of the Old Testament spanned its entirety.
The Law (Torah); Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy. The Prophets (Neviim); Joshua, Judges, 1st & 2nd Samuel (one volume); 1st & 2nd Kings (one volume); Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the twelve Minor Prophets (one volume); The Writings (Kethubim); Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ruth, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah (one volume); 1st & 2nd Chronicles (one volume). In Rabbinic tradition, quoting one book from any of these biblical collections validated the entire collection. Christ’s handling of the TaNaKh is a Divine masterclass.
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things (Luke 24:44-48).
If Jesus opened their understanding in order that they might understand the Scriptures, will He not do the same thing for us, who also believe? Both the Old & New Testaments that you hold in your hand right now contain the revelation of Jesus Christ, including the very last book of The Bible that bears that very name. Sadly, however, there are those within The Church who are foolish & slow of heart to believe (Luke 24:25-27). I must admit to being one of the above, but thankfully The Lord hasn’t finished with me.
Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:39-47).
It is here, at this point that The Church has seen an increasing number of its leadership & membership rapidly leave the rails of orthodoxy. The relevance of Scripture as a basis for belief & practise is completely undermined when The Bible is no longer considered absolute truth. If it isn't believed & obeyed, it has no authority & if it has no authority it isn't relevant. We have seen a systematic waving goodbye to God’s Word as parts of The Church have said So Long, Scripture to biblical truth.
During the 1970s & into the 1990s, The Charismatic Movement was in its ascendancy. Traditional Pentecostalism followed in its slipstream & there were adherents within other branches of established fundamentalism & nominal denominations also. Their theology differed, but those who believed still believed that The Scriptures were a vital & integral part of Christian life, doctrine & practise. It was here, within Bible believing fundamentalism, that post-modernism began to take root & grow. It incubated seeker sensitivity & eventually it gave birth to emergence, but seeker sensitivity was more of a method than a movement in & of itself. Nevertheless, in an effort to reach out to a generation that was perceived as lost in translation, a new way of doing church was sought out & formulated.
Pentecostalism had its own particular dogma, as did Charismania. However, the leading lights within both movements began to lose a generation who either became bored with the same old same old, grew beyond their respective movements theologically, or who simply left altogether. I was in the midst of one such generation. There were questions that The Church either would not or could not answer & as a result of this many began to adopt a more liberal view of their faith & of The Bible.
I strongly contend that if Scripture is being taught effectively & is endorsed & validated far above & beyond spiritual experience as a barometer, folk will only leave our churches because they’re answering the call of God to do something else, somewhere else. In this, we have failed for the most part & in that, I’m afraid rather miserably. Remember, we’re to be built upon The Word of God & by The Word of God.
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies,and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious (1st Peter 2:1-3).
Much of the Bible teaching within The Church has been milk masquerading as meat. Beyond that, there are those who have formulated their own particular brand of theology if it can be called that & are feeding their congregations nothing more or less than mutton dressed up as lamb. When we depart from Scripture, we drift into unlit territory. We’re in the dark (Psalms 119:105). Again, we are to begin with the foundation of God’s Word, continue with it, grow & mature by its agency & come to know its sufficiency. Are you still holding your Bible in your hand? The Apostle Peter, a fisherman when Christ had called him, recalls those moments on the mount of transfiguration. He remembers the voice of God speaking out of the heavens. He was right there. However, it wasn’t the value of the experience that he promotes. He points us directly to Scripture.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2nd Peter 1:19-21).
But Peter doesn’t only point us to the inspired Scripture of the Old Testament, he incorporates Apostolic Doctrine too as having the same Divine weight, as did the Apostle Paul also.
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: (2nd Peter 3:1-2).
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant (1st Corinthians 14:37-38).
Peter
continues, speaking of the Apostle Paul’s epistles, saying, ‘As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are
some things hard to be understood, which they that are
unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen’ (2nd Peter 3:16-18).
The unlearned & unstable are more likely to relinquish their hold on Scripture than those who are maturing. There are popular moves afoot today, intent on replacing God’s Word completely. There are widespread trends that encourage a more liberal theology. There are messages with more akin to Secular Humanism than the Gospel. The importance of Scripture is being systematically eroded & those who once championed The Bible are now slowly waving goodbye to it in order to embrace compromise. So Long, Scriptura.
Are you still holding your Bible in your hand my friend? Take to it once again & as never before.
Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and
drawn from the breasts. For
precept must be upon precept,
precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little (Isaiah 28:9-10).
