Subject: Explanations of difficult verses |
Bible Note: Emmaus, hello. On pain of appearing to 'take sides' on the topic under consideration, I must in good faith agree with your statement: "Many say they want to go back to the pure New Testament Church, but fewer seem willing to see what the members of that early New Testament Church had to say about themselves." While I speak from a 'sola scriptura' perspective, I nonetheless believe that there is much gain to be had in reading widely from church history. When I hear certain people speak of the restoration to 'primitive Christianity,' I'm never quite sure of what they mean and harbor doubts that some of them are. Now and again I've seen engraved on the cornerstone of church houses "Established A.D.33," and yet it is an incontrovertible historical fact that the group who meet in these church houses were established some 18 centuries later by Alexander Campbell et al. Paul is a fine example of so many things, two of which are these: He knew his Scripture and he was well versed in other subjects as well -- things that made him more effective in his mission of spreading the gospel of Christ. For instance, in his sermon on Mars hill he showed that he knew a thing or two about Greek philosophy. No, it certainly does us no harm to learn as much as we can about the history of the New Testament Church or, for that matter, of the Jews. --Hank |