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Questions on the Bible:
Authority, Canon, and Interpretation
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Comments: saw your website, The Bereans, and think it's very informative particularly in exposing the various false teachings of religious cults in the Phil. Anyways, I would like to ask you 3 questions regarding your ministry:
1. Can you prove from the bible that the bible is the only rule of faith? NOTE: I deemed that you group believes in sola scriptura. So, can you justify just using only the bible that it's the only rule of faith and nothing else? That's God revelation is solely confined in the bible and cannot be found anywhere else?
2. How did your ministry know which books belong in the bible in the first place? NOTE: Please remember that the bible didn't just drop from the sky in a complete/pristine condition and there is no inspired "table of contents" that came with it. How did you know which is which?
3. Can you prove that you have the authority to interpret the bible and your interpretation will always be accurate? NOTE: Please note that if you answer this question, "because we have the Holy Spirit to guide us" will not prove anything since other groups such as the Iglesia ni Cristo, Adventists, Soriano's Church of God, etc. would say the same thing and it's self-serving.
Thanks I hope to hear from you soon.
Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 17:16:25 -0600, Email: ...@earthlink.net, Name: Miguel
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Is
the Bible the Only Rule of Faith?
First of all, I want to praise God because He is
using this web site to inform, as well as, to encourage a number of people like
you. However, allow me to give you Scriptural evidences concerning the
authority of the Bible and why it should be considered as the sole rule of
faith for mankind. There are many religious literatures taken into account by
many around the world as “spiritual guides” like the Qur’an of Muslims, the Upanishads and
Vedas
of Hindus, the Four
Noble Truths of Buddhists, the Five Classics of Confucianism, the Book of Mormons of
the Latter-Day Saints, the Divine Principle of Moon, the Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
of Mary Baker Eddy, among others But the Bible remains to be the only
authoritative Scripture among all of them. Why is this so? Since you ask a
particular question about, “[proving]
from the Bible” permit me to quote from its very pages in 2 Timothy
3:16,
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (KJV)”
If this very word of God will only be accepted by
every living being on the face of the earth then there will be no more
spiritual hunger. The Bible is complete for any person who wants know how to be
right with God. This is because the God of the Bible is alive and
communicates with man.
Another major difference lies in the founders of
other religions, like Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Zoroaster, Joseph
Smith, Jr., and Mary Baker Eddy, who are all are physically dead and remain in
their tombs, but Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has risen form the grave
conquering death and hell. This is the reason why the Bible is the only
Scripture in the whole world that can lead man to eternal life. Let me
challenge you to read the whole chapter of Psalm 119 because this is the
longest chapter in the Bible. This is not just a coincidence for God wants us
to know that his words should not be taken lightly. In fact, you will be amazed
that God instructs everyone to
“meditate,” (Heb. hagah, siyach) as in Joshua 1:8 and Psalm
119:48, which means to “ponder” and not just plainly “read” the Scripture. The
English word “ponder” is described by Webster’s Dictionary as
“To weigh mentally; think deeply about; consider carefully.”1
Why not follow the attitude of the Christians from Berea? That in spite of the apostle Paul himself was preaching, they still,
“Searched [Gk. anakrino,
investigate, interrogate, determine] the scriptures daily, whether those things
were so.” (Acts 17:11)
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How Do You Know Which Book Belongs to the Bible?
Our ministry did not “pick” the books that we deem inspired by God and assumed it belonged to the Bible. Rather, the inspired books were already discovered many centuries ago by the post-apostolic church fathers. Allow me to share Josh McDowell’s, scholarly research in his award-winning book, The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict,
2A. Who Decided What to Include in the Bible?
The question concerning how it was decided which books would become part of the Bible is the question of canonicity. A discerning person would want to know why some books were included in the canon while others were excluded.
1B. Meaning of the Word Canon
The word canon comes from the root word reed (English word cane, Hebrew form ganeh, and Greek form kanon). The reed was used as a measuring rod, and came to mean “standard.”
The third-century church father Origen used the word “canon to denote what we call the ‘rule of faith,’ the standard by which we are to measure and evaluate.” Later the term meant a “list” or “index” (Bruce, BP, 95). As applied to Scripture, canon means “an officially accepted list of books.” (Earle, HWGOB, 31)
It is important to note that the church did not create the canon; it did not determine which books would be called Scripture, the inspired Word of God. Instead, the church recognized or discovered, which books had been inspired from their inception. Stated another way, “a book is not the Word of God because it was accepted by the people of God. Rather it was accepted by the people of God because it is the Word of God. That is, God gives the book its divine authority, not the people of God. They merely recognize the divine authority which God gives to it.” (Geisler/Nix, 210).
2B. Tests for the Inclusion in the Canon
From the writings of biblical and church history we can discern at least five principles that guided the recognition and collection of the true divinely inspired books. Geisler and Nix present the principles as follows (Geisler/Nix, GIB, 223-231):
Was the book written by a prophet of God? “If it was written by a spokesman for God, then it was a the Word of God.”
Was the writer confirmed by acts of God? Frequently miracles separated the true prophets from the false ones. “Moses was given miraculous powers to prove his call of God (Ex. 4:1-9). Elijah triumphed over the false prophets of Baal by a supernatural act (1 Kin. 18). Jesus was “attested to … by God with miracles and wonders and signs, which God performed through Him’ (Acts 2:22)…. [A] miracle is an act of God to confirm the Word of God given through a prophet of God to the people of God. It is the sign to substantiate his sermon; the miracle to confirm his message.”
Did the message tell the truth about God? “God cannot contradict Himself (2 Cor. 1:17-18). Nor can He utter what is false (Heb. 6:18). Hence, no book with false claims can be the Word of God.” For reasons such as these, the church fathers maintained the policy, “if in doubt, throw it out.” This enhanced the “validity of their discernment of the canonical books.”
Does it come with the power of God? “The Fathers believed the word of God is ‘living and active’ (Heb. 4:12), and consequently ought to have a transforming force for edification (2 Tim. 3:17) and evangelization (1 Pet. 1:23). If the message of a book did not effect its stated goal, if it did not have the power to change life, then God was apparently not behind the message.” (Geisler, GIB, 228) The presence of God’s transforming power was a strong indication that a given book had His stamp of approval.
Was it accepted by the people of God? “Paul said of the Thessalonians, ‘We also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God’s message. You accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God’ (1 Thes. 2:13). For whatever subsequent debate there may have been about a book’s place in the canon, the people in the best position to know its prophetic credentials were those who knew the prophet who wrote it. Hence, despite all later debate about the canonicity of some books. The definitive evidence is that which attests to its original acceptance by the contemporary believers.” (Geisler, GIB, 229) When a book was received, collected, read, and used by the people of God as the Word of God, it was regarded as canonical. This practice is often seen in the Bible itself.One instance is when the apostle Peter acknowledges Paul’s writings as Scripture on par with Old Testament Scripture. (2 Pet. 3:16)2
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Who or What Authorized You to Interpret the Bible?
We do not believe that we “alone” have the authority
to preach and teach the Bible. Other men of faith, including those thousands
even millions of other individual Christians who have been forgiven of their
sins and found salvation in Jesus Christ by accepting Him as their personal
Lord and Savior, have the authority to preach and teach the Bible.
Is this practice of preaching by the church (i.e. those who have been saved)
supported by the Scripture? Please study Acts 8 and learn what happened to the
church when Saul created havoc in Jerusalem,
“Therefore they [the church]
that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”
As a result of Saul’s mission to wipe out
Christianity in Jerusalem, the church (except the apostles) was scattered
throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria (cf v.1) to preach the Word of God. The church, of course is
composed of individuals who believes and receives
Jesus as their Lord like the Colossian believers (cf. Col. 2:6).
Let me inform you that the Iglesia ni Cristo (1914) and the Ang Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan
sa Bansang Pilipinas, Inc or better known as “Ang Dating Daan” do not fully
believe that a person can just read the pages of the Bible and be guided by the
Holy Spirit and be lead to eternal life in Jesus Christ. No one becomes a
member of Manalo (INC), Soriano (ADD), or White’s group by just reading
the Bible as is. For an INC member, he has to be given a Pasugo magazine and be
indoctrinated by the I.N.C. (1914) ministers. For an ADD member he has to
attended or watch the “Ang Dating Daan Bible Expose’,” be indoctrinated by the
ADD workers or by Soriano himself.
In contrast to these authoritarian groups, many
accounts narrated by individuals around the world, exemplifies that by just
reading the Bible (alone) they have known and experienced the saving grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And after his or her “born again” experience they were
led by God to a Christ-exalting church fellowship or denomination. This is very
true in the life of a former Muslim named John A. Subhan, who was challenged to
read the Injil (Gospel) after he tore
the first one given to him by his Muslim friend. It was his second reading of
the Gospel that convinced him that Christianity is the only true religion.
According to his statement,
“It
is not a mere acceptance of certain beliefs and dogmas, though they are
necessary, but essentially it is living in close fellowship with Christ. It is
not only a religion to be practiced, but also a life to be lived.”3
He became an ordained bishop of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.
Why not start studying the Bible now and discover
who Jesus Christ claims Himself to be (cf.
Jn 8:24). Like what one Christian said,
“If you have the wrong Jesus Christ then you are wrong for all
eternity, but if you have the right Jesus Christ then you are right for all eternity.”
Do not let the teachings of Felix Manalo (INC), Eliseo
Soriano (ADD), Ellen G. White
(SDA), Arsenio Ferriol (PMCC), Charles T. Russell (JW), Apollo C. Quiboloy (Oneness), Joseph Quiboloy (Oneness) Wilde E. Almeda (Oneness), Louie R. Santos (Oneness), Witness Lee (Church of Recovery), Kip McKean (MMCC), and other
self-proclaimed “modern-day messengers, apostles and evangelists” lure you in
their web of deceptions. Instead in addition to prayer, meditate, investigate,
study and examine the Word of God to know how you can discover the love,
salvation, and relationship that Jesus Christ Himself offers to all who are
humble enough to acknowledge his/her depravity.
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Footnotes:
1 Webster’s New World Dictionary of American English, Third College Edition, ( Cleveland: Simon and Schuster, Inc. 1988)
2 McDowell, Josh, The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999), 20-22.
3 Estborn, S. Gripped by Christ, (London: Lutterworth Press, 1965), 51-61, as quoted by Josh McDowell in, A Ready Defense, (CA: Here’s Life, Publisher, 1992), 460.