DAY
9 3/9/17- SCRIPTURE INTERPRETS SCRIPTURE- Sola Scriptura
“You have heard it said…but I say to you.” Matthew 5:21,22, 27,28, 31,32, 33,34, 38,39, 43,44
“You search the scriptures… and these are they that testify about me.” John 5:39
“You have heard it said…but I say to you.” Matthew 5:21,22, 27,28, 31,32, 33,34, 38,39, 43,44
“You search the scriptures… and these are they that testify about me.” John 5:39
The obscure parts of scripture are to be
seen in the greater context of the clearer parts of scripture. John Knox said, “The Word of God is plain in
itself. If there appear any obscurity in
one place, the Holy Ghost, who is never contrary to himself, explains the same
more clearly in other places; so that there can remain no doubt.”
We do not always need some commentary to help us. The best Christian books can even distract us from THE book of our faith. Athanasius declared, “The sacred and divinely inspired Scriptures are of themselves sufficient for the exposition of truth.”
Other hermeneutical principles (outlined in Bloesch “Holy Scripture” p. 195) are the Gospels must be interpreted by the Epistles. The incidental should be interpreted by the systematic. For example, just because one person spoke in tongues once does not mean it should be a rule that all have to speak in tongues. Bloesch also adds that the Reformers began to speak of the “Freedom of the Word of God.” That is while we are bound by scripture, God Himself, while not contradicting what He has said, has freedom to speak more. Luther spoke of the Word being living and active. Barth in the 20th century speaks of God’s Word as being the living Christ. While the scripture is sufficient and true in what it tell us about God and our duty to God- the words are means of grace and God is broader than this. Thus the Word is interpreted by the Spirit, but the Spirit does more than just interpret the Word. The Spirit also comforts, consoles, convicts, counsels- sometimes with the Word and sometimes beyond the Word- but never contradicting the truth already given. God is not static. But God is faithful yet living; reliable yet active; trustworthy yet still creative.
We do not always need some commentary to help us. The best Christian books can even distract us from THE book of our faith. Athanasius declared, “The sacred and divinely inspired Scriptures are of themselves sufficient for the exposition of truth.”
Other hermeneutical principles (outlined in Bloesch “Holy Scripture” p. 195) are the Gospels must be interpreted by the Epistles. The incidental should be interpreted by the systematic. For example, just because one person spoke in tongues once does not mean it should be a rule that all have to speak in tongues. Bloesch also adds that the Reformers began to speak of the “Freedom of the Word of God.” That is while we are bound by scripture, God Himself, while not contradicting what He has said, has freedom to speak more. Luther spoke of the Word being living and active. Barth in the 20th century speaks of God’s Word as being the living Christ. While the scripture is sufficient and true in what it tell us about God and our duty to God- the words are means of grace and God is broader than this. Thus the Word is interpreted by the Spirit, but the Spirit does more than just interpret the Word. The Spirit also comforts, consoles, convicts, counsels- sometimes with the Word and sometimes beyond the Word- but never contradicting the truth already given. God is not static. But God is faithful yet living; reliable yet active; trustworthy yet still creative.
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