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NASB | Mark 7:9 ¶ He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Mark 7:9 ¶ He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside and nullifying the commandment of God in order to keep your [man-made] tradition and regulations. |
Subject: Church Fathers? Part IV |
Bible Note: Hi, Ed... Assuming you really want to know: I cannot speak for everyone, of course. Most denominations do not hold to the infallibility of their leaders -- with, perhaps, the few that believe in moral perfectionism. Do Pentecostals believe that their pastors, teachers, etc. are infallible? Perhaps because of the high view of personal divine unction? I find that my own mind has often been ignorant of the truth, resistant to the truth, or entirely denied the truth. By the grace of God, I learned something of the truth when He saved me. But the process of becoming informed, ferreted out the lie, and submitting to the Word, is an ongoing process. I continue to pour over the Scriptures myself, and listen to others who have done so, putting it all to the test, and holding to what is good (Isaiah 8:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). If the pastors and teachers are given for this purpose (Ephesians 4), then it is my objective to listen to them (2 Timothy 4:2); i.e., to be ready to be reproved, rebuked, and exhorted. Over time I have noticed that I find some teachers to be more sound than others. I can give a couple of examples: I was very blessed by A. W. Tozer when I first came to the Lord. Yet, over time, I found that there seemed to be greater depth from Charles Spurgeon. I later began to appreciate Richard Baxter, but over time, I found some of his teaching questionable. Then I learned about John Owen, for whom I continue to have much respect -- even though reading him is like drinking from a fire hose. Chapter 1 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, says it pretty well: "The supreme judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Scripture delivered by the Spirit, into which Scripture so delivered, our faith is finally resolved. (Matthew 22:29, 31, 32; Ephesians 2:20; Acts 28:23)" Thus, the old theologians were even including themselves! Thus, if someone confesses that "Jesus Christ is Lord" then it does not matter who they are or what they are, insofar as that statement, as I understand the words to mean, they are expressing the truth. Of course, as we interact with people more, and they start to define those words in ways that are not consistent with the Word, then we may begin to doubt their veracity. I don't know how it is in Pentecostalism -- I keep reading what I can find here and there -- but this is how it is for the Reformed, holding to the doctrine of sola Scriptura. I answered your question about doctrine; what we do arises directly from what we believe. Have we always chosen to do what is pleasing to the Lord? I do not think so. However, we work on it as our heads, hearts, habits, and hands are brought into the light of the Word. God is so gracious to have given us two thousand years of His Spirit's work in the church by which we are able to learn. In Him, Doc |