Regarding the Written Word

[mjrhealth]

Here is the dilema when Christ speaks of the word, He is talking about His spoken word, yet when men speak of " the word" they are referring to the bible as if they are both one and the same thing. its like calling a car a car. one could be a holden one could be a ford, very different vehicles from very different manufacturers.

Christ Gave us Himself, in Him we have all we need

1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

(2Ti 3:7) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.


In All His Love

 

[Foreigner]

Christ Gave us Himself, in Him we have all we need

-- Christ also gave us His Word.

Christ also uses His Word to instruct, direct, comfort, and assist in witnessing to others.

I am sorry that that simple truth escapes you.

 

[mjrhealth]

Joh_14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh_6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

That is the simple truth
Jesus is the Word He give us Himself, in Him alone is the truth if any would seek Him, He is nit hiding away, and He is not lost, just takes one word Jesus

In All His Love

 

[seekandfind]

-- Christ also gave us His Word.

Christ also uses His Word to instruct, direct, comfort, and assist in witnessing to others.

I am sorry that that simple truth escapes you.

So true Foreigner,

I've actually spoken to more than a few people who deny the scriptures and the instruction contained within the written word and the revelation that comes through prayerful study. I'm not saying this in an accusatory manner as I also rejected the scriptures for many years. I didn't actually even begin to study until seven years ago and wish very much that I hadn't ignored the instruction contained in the written word knowing now the revelation that comes when the scriptures are studied prayerfully.

One verse that is often taken out of context by those who reject our written instruction is:

2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Read in context it give a picture of what that means. The passage actually gives the characteristics of those who are ever learning.

2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2 Timothy 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2 Timothy 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2 Timothy 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

To sum it up:

Lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despirsers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of Godliness, but denying the power theeof, from such turn away..

It has nothing to do with prayerful study of the word, it has to do with rejection of the instruction contained in the scriptures and following after our own ways rather than following after Christ.

Following after HIM with the knowledge that it is HE who teaches us and opens the scriptures to us, it is HE who leads us and guides us and refines us and molds us and mends us and heals us and and teaches us...and the list goes on and on....

The passage is also not referring to our time spent in study of the scriptures as Paul wrote about how we as believers go from the milk of the word to the meat of the word and also in the book of Timothy Paul instructed:"study to show thyself approved." He talked about the Bereans as well, who listened and then searched the scriptures to see if those things were so.

Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Ephesians 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Ephesians 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Ephesians 4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Jesus is the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Him. It's only with HIM by HIM, abiding in HIM and having our faith in HIM that we can come to any understanding. It's through prayerful seeking and study of the word that any revelation comes and not by leaning on our own understanding and not by holding to our own ideas.

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

 

[neophyte]

2 Tim. 3:14 - Protestants usually use 2 Tim. 3:16-17 to prove that the Bible is the sole authority of God's word. But examining these texts disproves their claim. Here, Paul appeals to apostolic tradition right before the Protestants' often quoted verse 2 Tim. 3:16-17. Thus, there is an appeal to tradition before there is an appeal to the Scriptures, and Protestants generally ignore this fact.
2 Tim. 3:15 - Paul then appeals to the sacred writings of Scripture referring to the Old Testament Scriptures with which Timothy was raised (not the New Testament which was not even compiled at the time of Paul's teaching). This verse also proves that one can come to faith in Jesus Christ without the New Testament.
2 Tim. 3:16 - this verse says that Scripture is "profitable" for every good work, but not exclusive. The word "profitable" is "ophelimos" in Greek. "Ophelimos" only means useful, which underscores that Scripture is not mandatory or exclusive. Protestants unbiblically argue that profitable means exclusive.
2 Tim. 3:16 - further, the verse "all Scripture" uses the words "pasa graphe" which actually means every (not all) Scripture. This means every passage of Scripture is useful. Thus, the erroneous Protestant reading of "pasa graphe" would mean every single passage of Scripture is exclusive. This would mean Christians could not only use "sola Matthew," or "sola Mark," but could rely on one single verse from a Gospel as the exclusive authority of God's word. This, of course, is not true and even Protestants would agree. Also, "pasa graphe" cannot mean "all of Scripture" because there was no New Testament canon to which Paul could have been referring, unless Protestants argue that the New Testament is not being included by Paul.
2 Tim. 3:16 - also, these inspired Old Testament Scriptures Paul is referring to included the deuterocanonical books which the Protestants removed from the Bible 1,500 years later.
2 Tim. 3:17 - Paul's reference to the "man of God" who may be complete refers to a clergyman, not a layman. It is an instruction to a bishop of the Church. So, although Protestants use it to prove their case, the passage is not even relevant to most of the faithful.
2 Tim. 3:17 - further, Paul's use of the word "complete" for every good work is "artios" which simply means the clergy is "suitable" or "fit." Also, artios does not describe the Scriptures, it describes the clergyman. So, Protestants cannot use this verse to argue the Scriptures are complete.
James 1:4 - steadfastness also makes a man "perfect (teleioi) and complete (holoklepoi), lacking nothing." This verse is important because "teleioi"and "holoklepoi" are much stronger words than "artios," but Protestants do not argue that steadfastness is all one needs to be a Christian.
Titus 3:8 - good deeds are also "profitable" to men. For Protestants especially, profitable cannot mean "exclusive" here.
2 Tim 2:21- purity is also profitable for "any good work" ("pan ergon agathon"). This wording is the same as 2 Tim. 3:17, which shows that the Scriptures are not exclusive, and that other things (good deeds and purity) are also profitable to men.
Col. 4:12 - prayer also makes men "fully assured." No where does Scripture say the Christian faith is based solely on a book.
2 Tim. 3:16-17 - Finally, if these verses really mean that Paul was teaching sola Scriptura to the early Church, then why in 1 Thess. 2:13 does Paul teach that he is giving Revelation from God orally? Either Paul is contradicting his own teaching on sola Scriptura, or Paul was not teaching sola Scriptura in 2 Tim. 3:16-17. This is a critical point which Protestants cannot reconcile with their sola Scriptura position
Eph. 2:20 - the Christian faith is built upon the foundation of the apostles. The word "foundation" proves that it does not die with apostles, but carries on through succession.
Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:9,14 - the words "household," "Bride of the Lamb," the "new Jerusalem" are all metaphors for the Church whose foundation is the apostles.
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