August 13
Neh 5:14-7:72 | PS 33:1-11 | Prov 21:8-10| 1 Cor 8:1-13
When discussing things with others part of the issue surrounds what one will accept as the absolute authority of truth. For me, it is Scripture, God's Holy Word, all sixty-six books. Everything else, from the wisest leaders, the most thoughtful commentaries can err. This view is not held by all. In a recent discussion with an Orthodox Jewish woman I mentioned that those who spoke forth God's Word did not need to be scholars, that God can call the average person, and I pointed to Amos, the prophet, who was a "fig-picker" to illustrate. She respectfully disagreed and said that it says something different about him in the "Oral Law". The Oral Law, or Mishnah was collected and put in writing around AD 200. The Jewish people claim that this "Oral Law" was given to Moses at the same time as the Torah. It forms the core of Rabbinic Judaism and can contradict the Hebrew Scriptures which form the Tanakh. Even if one quotes the written Scriptures as the authority, they can quote the Mishnah, or the Talmud (the written commentaries on the Oral Law) with authority, thus often the stalemate. In Roman Catholicism, there is the Catechism, which states, "the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the Holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence."
In a recent conversation with a patient, when I mentioned my Christian beliefs, she who also stated to be a Christian asked me if I believed there was an afterlife or not. She said she is polling Christians and some state there is, while others state there is not. I told her that the Bible is clear about it, in fact Jesus talked about hell three-times more than heaven, not wanting any to get there, and I made references to Matthew 7. We read in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, "Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes." People love to quote this or that. People banter about so-called knowledge. But knowledge for knowledge sake accomplishes little. Also much knowledge will eventually be proven false. It's why we need to be serious students of Scripture, all of Scripture, as we read in Psalm 33:4, "For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does."
We read in John 8:31-32, " Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”" If the Oral Law was par with the Torah and the Tanakh, why is it never mentioned in the Written Scriptures. God is very transparent, He is not trying to withhold truth from His followers. If the Catechism was par with the Bible, why were the writings of the early church fathers (Clement, Origen, Polycarp, and many others) not elevated, but only after the Roman Catholic Church was established after 300 AD was this considered. Sadly, many choose to remain ignorant of the Scriptures. Preferring to listen to others speak about the topics of faith they elevate opinion over Scripture, God has never hidden truth, but sadly many prefer a different truth. For those who state they are too busy, just consider all those things you have chosen to master (baseball stats, recipes, etc.) yet in the same breath claim to lack time. It is a matter of priority. It is a matter of what you will determine to be your "truth". For me it remains, "sola Scriptura".
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: