Results 1 - 3 of 3
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Those who died before Jesus' death | 1 Pet 4:6 | JCrichton | 138958 | ||
Hi, Searcher! I begin to understand your expression! By such definition ("However, the passage doesn't include God. I consider that adding to Scripture.") you are absolutely correct! However, I cannot see Paul or any of the Apostles concerning themselves with gaining full knowledge of the world and its workings, or of some secret codes (special Scripture keys) that would reveal to them how to achieve greater wealth, power, control... I believe that their main concern was being in Christ; hence, they would strive to be in perfection: in the full knowledge of God... As Paul said: "to live is Christ!" (Philippians 1:21) So I cannot see him (Paul) aspiring for any other fulfillment than to know God in completeness--not in the partial and clouded manner which he had known God! Still, I respect your belief--though I pray that we all aspire to know God as Paul did, instead of just limiting His Design! "when Revelation was written, then prophecy and knowledge complete." Yet, we know that though the book of Revelation is complete as far as the offering of written revelations, we still need the Holy Spirit to do the actual interpretation and further refinement of the revealed matter... so the Bible in itself is not complete! It is not lacking further revelations (new information/prophecies)... so in that sence it is perfected; yet, the written revelations cannot be resolved by man except through the Divine assistance of the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21) "It is dangerous to link Scripture" You are right, there is a danger to linking Scripture... but I suggest to you that it is not so much the linking of Scripture to Scripture as it is the linking of Scripture to personal/congregational interpretation... Whe can link Jesus' title of the Good Shepherd to the Old Testament... there is even a precise text where God promises that He will become Israel's Shepherd, that He will do away with the shepherds that have taken advantage of and mistreated the flock! (Ezekiel 34:8-16--pay close attention to verses 11 and 12) Clearly, there is no danger with this link since God is revealing Himself as the Good Shepher (please don't jump out of your seat, I know that there is no textual expression of "Good Shepherd!" But follow the language and the promise--evil/bad shepherds removed; excellent/just shepherd as the new keeper of the flock... do you see it?) that will come to gather and care for the whole flock--Jesus fulfills this promise! Now, when Jesus speaks of sheep of another fold that will become one with the fold He is shepherding (John 10:16)... there is no other link but Paul's revelation that Jesus made of the two people one (Ephesians 2:11-22); there are some who have built a whole religious culture on the distorted interpretation of John 10:16--to me this is a clear example of extra-Biblical application of Scripture! Yet, even this particular distortion of Scripture may have part in God's Design... so I will not readily condemn these people... as Jude testefied to the Archangel's words (Jude 1:9), I too can only say: "May the Lord rebuke them!" I appreciate your concern and your input. God Bless! Angel |
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2 | Those who died before Jesus' death | 1 Pet 4:6 | Hank | 139060 | ||
Angel - I agree with the premise that it is under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that regenerate believers are led to a fuller, richer knowledge of the truth of God's word, but I disagree with your conclusion that this renders the Bible incomplete. It is God's written revelation to man, a fully objective revelation, constituting the only infallible rule of faith and practice. Seeking help with the illumination and interpretation of a document by an outside source has no bearing on the completeness or incompletness of the document. The United States, for example, looks to its Supreme Court for help in interpreting the Constitution, but that does not mean that the Constitution is itself incomplete. So it is with Scripture. To pray the Spirit of God for guidance into His word in no way diminishes the completness of the word. Here's a string of Scripture references I'm submitting in support of this post: 1 Cor. 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20,21; 1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Thess. 2:13; Matt. 5:18; Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:16; Ps. 19:7; 119:89, 105, 160; Jude 3; Rev. 22:18,19. --Hank | ||||||
3 | Those who died before Jesus' death | 1 Pet 4:6 | JCrichton | 139329 | ||
Hi, Hank! I understand your position... and I would even offer that perhaps my previous explanation was not terribly clear... Lets look at Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Is this passage telling us that the Bible can cut through to our inner most being? If it does? Has it failed to do so? Christians have the lousiest track record when it comes to corforming to Scripture (over 28,000 denominations fighting over language, definitions, diction, word-roots, terminologies, translations, err... translitarations, history, revionists' history, archeology, visions, prophecies, and personal/congregational theologies, etc.)... I would complement Hebrews 4:14 with Jesus' Words in John 12:47-50; reading through Scripture does not mean that I can know all about God! The Masters of the Law were "professionals" at keeping the written and oral Law; yet they failed to heed God when He came to them (John 1:1-14). Devoid of the Holy Spirit the Bible becomes just another compilation of text... this is why some adhere to Old Testament Scripture that have been put away in Christ... why some reject Christ as God... while still others want Him to be a minor prophet who searched the world for enlightenment! When we look into Scripture as the fullness of knowledge and yet view Scripture in our finite undestanding... we will never truly meet with God! Jesus spoke on this matter when He questioned His disciples (general discipleship and general assambly of people) about faith: "Why do you call me Lord, yet you do not do what I say?"--paraphrased (Luke 6:46 and Matthew 7:21-27)... To say that we no longer need the Holy Spirit to guide us and to enlighten us because everything has been written down in Scripture, is to contradict Jesus and dissolve the Paraclete's function in the Church! (John 14;15-17, 25-26; 15:26; 16:6-15) Now some may say that the Holy Spirit completed the Holy Scripture by speaking through the Apostles and inspiring them to write the Gosples and the other New Testament books... this sounds right, on the surface... When we look into the Old Testament's writtings we find that they are the Word of God and yet the Holy Spirit did not have to descend upon the world to inspire the these Holy Writtings! Conversely, had there been no further need than to inspire the composition of the New Testament's Scripture, the Old Testament's formula would have been more than sufficient! However, Jesus established His Church and promised the Eleven that the Paraclete would come in His stead to bring the fullness of truth, to reveal new things (about the Church) and to teach and guide the Church! Most importantly, He, the Paraclete, would abide with and in the believers forever... the Holy Spirit would not cease to exist nor function at the death of John (who is said to be the youngest and long-lived of the Twelve), Jesus primised Peter that nothing would be able to destroy the Church (Matthew 16:18)... the Church would not be abandoned by the Holy Spirit! Is the Bible complete? Yes, all that God desired to reveal to man has been written down in the Holy Scripture! Is the Bible incomplete? Yes, devoid of the Holy Spirit no man can accept and obey God's Word! God Bless! Angel |
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