This is one of the most important topics to study as today there is a concerted attack against the Word of God both inside and outside of the Church.
Willmington Pages 799-801
Note this Grand Description of the Bible penned By the Apostle Paul to his young son in the faith, Timothy.
2Ti 3:15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings ( Holy Scriptures), which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
2Ti 3:17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Note here that the Bible is profitable for:
1. Doctrine (Teaching)- that is it may be used as a perfect textbook to present the Great Truths relating to God Himself and His Great Salvation.
2. For Reproof - that is, the Bible is to be used to convict us of wrong in our lives.
3. For Correction - That is it will then show us the right way to live.
4. For Instruction in Righteousness. - that is, God’s Word provides us with all the necessary details which will allow a Christian, to become fully equipped for every good work.
Because of all the above, the Bible rightly demands absolute and sole Authority over any other source in the life of the Child of God. This authority exceeds that of following:
1. Human Reason.
Our Human reason is God given. note these Scriptures:
a. To the Unsaved. Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, says Jehovah; though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.
Matthew Henry, “A demonstration, at the bar of right reason, of the equity of God's proceedings with them: “Come now, and let us reason together (Isa_1:18); while your hands are full of blood I will have nothing to do with you, though you bring me a multitude of sacrifices; but if you wash, and make yourselves clean, you are welcome to draw nigh to me; come now, and let us talk the matter over.” Note, Those, and those only, that break off their league with sin, shall be welcome into covenant and communion with God; he says, Come now, who before forbade them his courts. See Jam_4:8. Or rather thus: There were those among them who looked upon themselves as affronted by the slights God put upon the multitude of their sacrifices, as ch. 58:3, Wherefore have we fasted (say they) and thou seest not? They represented God as a hard Master, whom it was impossible to please. “Come,” says God, “let us debate the matter fairly, and I doubt not but to make it out that my ways are equal, but yours are unequal,” Eze_18:25. Note, Religion has reason on its side; there is all the reason in the world why we should do as God would have us do. The God of heaven condescends to reason the case with those that contradict him and find fault with his proceedings; for he will be justified when he speaks, Psa_51:4. The case needs only to be stated (as it is here very fairly) and it will determine itself. God shows here upon what terms they stood (as he does, Eze_18:21-24; Eze_33:18, Eze_33:19) and then leaves it to them to judge whether these terms are not fair and reasonable.
b. To the saved.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.
Transformed metamorphoōThayer Definition:1) to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure
1a) Christ appearance was changed and was resplendent with divine brightness on the mount of transfiguration
However, there are times when God desires us to submit our human reasoning to Him. Note this admonition:
Pro 3:5 Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Pro 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear Jehovah and depart from evil. MKJV
Often our Thinking is as Naaman, who when asked to take a seven-fold bath in the Jordan’s muddy waters, angrily replied, 2Ki 5:11 But Naaman was angry, and went away. And he said, Behold, I said within myself, He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of Jehovah his God, and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper.
But Elisha did not do so. Often God’s ways are not our ways.
Isa 55:8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways, says Jehovah.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
My thoughts are not your thoughts. Though man is made in God’s image (Gen_1:27), yet the nature of God in every way infinitely transcends that of man. Both the thoughts and the acts of God surpass man’s understanding. Men find it hard to pardon those who have offended them; God can pardon, and "pardon abundantly.’’ Men cannot conceive of coming changes, when they pass certain limits. God knows assuredly what changes are approaching, since they are his doing.
2. To the Church.
The NT abounds with passages which declare Christ as the Head of the Church.
Eph 1:21 far above all principality and authority and power and dominion, and every name being named, not only in this world, but also in the coming age.
Eph 1:22 And He has put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Eph 2:19 Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,
Eph 2:20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
Col 1:18 And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things.
he — emphatical. Not angels in opposition to the false teachers’ doctrine concerning angel-worship, and the power of Oeons or (imaginary) spirit emanations from God (Col_2:10, Col_2:18).
head of the body, the church — The Church is His body by virtue of His entering into communion corporeally with human nature [Neander], (Eph_1:22). The same One who is the Head of all things and beings by creation, is also, by virtue of being “the first-born from the dead,” and so “the first-fruits” of the new creation among men, the Head of the Church.
who is — that is, in that He is the Beginning [Alford]. Rather, this is the beginning of a new paragraph. As the former paragraph, which related to His originating the physical creation, began with “Who is” (Col_1:15); so this, which treats of His originating the new creation, begins with “who is”; a parenthesis preceding, which closes the former paragraph, that parenthesis (see on Col_1:16), including from “all things were created by Him,” to “Head of the body, the Church.” The head of kings and high priests was anointed, as the seat of the faculties, the fountain of dignity, and original of all the members (according to Hebrew etymology). So Jesus by His unction was designated as the Head of the body, the Church.
Thus the Christian must look to the Bible and not to any earth church for Final instruction.
Sometimes even Local Churches mentioned in the Bible were grievously wrongeven though planted by Paul, Himself.
Sometimes even Local Churches mentioned in the Bible were grievously wrongeven though planted by Paul, Himself.
A. Ephesus. Rev 2:4 But I have against you that you left your first love.
Rev 2:5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and will remove your lampstand out of its place unless you repent.
B. The Church at Pargamos.
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.
Rev 2:15 So you also have those who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Rev 2:16 Repent! But if not I will come to you quickly, and will fight with them by the sword of My mouth.
C. The Church at Thyatira.
Rev 2:20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
D. The church at Sardis.
Rev 3:1 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Rev 3:2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
Rev 3:3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
E. The church at Laodicea.
Rev 3:15 "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!
Rev 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Rev 3:18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
Rev 3:19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
E. The Church at Corinth
1Co 3:1 And as for myself, brethren, I found it impossible to speak to you as spiritual men. It had to be as to worldlings--mere babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food, since for this you were not yet strong enough. And even now you are not strong enough:
1Co 3:3 you are still unspiritual. For so long as jealousy and strife continue among you, can it be denied that you are unspiritual and are living and acting like mere men of the world?
1Co 3:4 For when some one says, "I belong to Paul," and another says, "I belong to Apollos," is not this the way men of the world speak?
1Co 3:5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are just God's servants, through whose efforts, and as the Lord granted power to each, you accepted the faith.
1Co 3:6 I planted and Apollos watered; but it was God who was, all the time, giving the increase. WNT
3. The Authority of the Word of God over TRADITION.
3. Traditions
If a tradition was wrong when it began, it is still wrong despite the centuries that have past since it was established. The so called “Traditions of the Fathers” Himself, was grieved over some harmful Jewish Traditions.sake of your tradition?
Mat 15:4 For God said, 'HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER'; and 'LET HIM WHO REVILES FATHER OR MOTHER BE CERTAINLY PUT TO DEATH';
Mat 15:5 but you--this is what you say: 'If a man says to his father or mother, That is consecrated, whatever it is, which otherwise you should have received from me--
Mat 15:6 he shall be absolved from honouring his father'; and so you have abrogated God's Word for the sake of your tradition. WNT
Paul later warned concerning this in: Col 2:8 Take care lest there be some one who leads you away as prisoners by means of his philosophy and idle fancies, following human traditions and the world's crude notions instead of following Christ.
4. Popes and Preachers.
Even the most godly pastors are, after all just finite men fully capable (apart from God’s Grace) of the vilest of sins. This is true of Popes as well.
5.Feelings and Experiences.
At times Christians fall into error because they ‘feel lead’ to do and say certain things. But at time our feelings can be totally untrustworthy and lead us into error.
Psa 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and moan within me? Hope in God; for I shall praise Him for the salvation of His face.
Psa 77:1 To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. I cried to God with my voice, to God is my voice; and He gave ear to me.
Psa 77:2 In the day of my trouble I sought Jehovah; my hand was poured in the night, and ceased not; my soul refused to be comforted.
Psa 77:3 I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit fainted. Selah.
Psa 77:4 You keep my eyes awake; I am troubled and I cannot speak.
Psa 77:5 I have thought on the days of old, the years of ages past.
Psa 77:6 I remember my song in the night; I speak with my own heart, and my spirit carefully searches.
Psa 77:7 Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more?
Psa 77:8 Is His mercy gone forever? Has His Word failed for all generations?
Psa 77:9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah.
Psa 77:10 And I said, This is my weakness, the years of the right hand of the Most High.
Job’s three ‘friends’ based all their advice upon their own experiences eg Jobe 4:12-16 See the rebuke from the Lord in Job 42:7
Experience is no substitute for the Revealed Will of God in His Word. see Ps 119
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