The Unity of Scripture
Overview
of how we look at Scripture
Our
beliefs are based on the whole of Scripture. We are not Old
Testament Christians, New Testament Christians, Pauline Christians,
or Johanine Christians. We are Biblical Christians. The Bible
declares in
2 Timothy 3:16 'All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness'
Scripture
presents itself as one harmonious, consistent, self-interpreting
document, with no portion given pre-eminence over another.
Every part must be examined and taken into account before
a doctrinal or moral conclusion is reached.
The unity of the Bible can be seen in the manner in
which the Old Testament is treated by the New. The Brean Christians
were praised by the apostles because 'Now the Bereans were
of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received
the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures
every day to see if what Paul said was true.' Acts
17:11 The only Scriptures they had to examine were those
of the Old Testament. In other words, they were comparing
the apostles' teachings with those of the Old Testament prophets.
When Paul himself uses the Old Testament, it is often
cited as the authoritative foundation for his own doctrines.
It his renowned declaration that 'The just shall live by faith'
Romans
1:17, he quotes directly from Habakkuk 2:4 as the basis
of his teachings on salvation. He does the same in Ephesians
6:1, where he admonishes children to obey their parents
on the basis of the fifth commandment. This verse is especially
significant, since it is generally believed that the epistle
to the Ephesians was written to a predominantly Gentile audience.
One can hardly use the argument, as some have done, that Paul
was simply citing literature that his Jewish audience would
recognize. Since Ephesians was written primarily to non-Jewish
readers, Paul's use of the fifth commandment as a reference
point is strong evidence that the Old Testament in general
and the Ten Commandments in particular were viewed by Paul
as authoritative for all Christians at all times.
The Bible Its Own Interpreter
Concerning the origin of Scripture, the apostle Peter
writes, 'Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture
is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not
in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.' 2
Peter 1:20- 21
Paul speaks further of the Holy Spirit's work in 1
Corinthians 2:12-14:
'Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak,
not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned.'
In other words, what the Spirit inspires must be compared
with itself in order to be understood. This is what Jesus
meant when He promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit
would guide them 'into all truth' (John
16:13)
We see this approach to Bible study further amplified
in the book of Isaiah, where we read: 'Whom shall he teach
knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?
them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line
upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little'
Isaiah
28:9 - 10. This passage not only makes it plain how to
glean truth from the Bible; it also assures us that God chooses
the humblest of people, or babes, as those to whom truth is
entrusted. Similar words from the lips of our Lord come to
mind: 'At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid
these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed
them unto babes.' Matt
11:25
Scholars are not needed to explain the Bible to us.
Any humble, teachable heart, open to the leading of God's
Spirit, can open the scared pages and understand the greatest
of divine truths.
Conclusion
The Bible identifies itself as a unified, self explanatory
document, equally inspired and profitable for doctrine (2
Tim 3:16). Because the Holy Spirit inspired these writings
(2
Peter 1:20-21), they can be understood only by comparison
with themselves (Isaiah
28:9-10; 1
Corinthians 2:9-14). All doctrine and behavior must be
brought to the test of the inspired documents (Isaiah
8:20, Acts
17:11).
We need to put aside human opinion, human scholarship,
and human experience as a means of finding truth, and permit
the totality of Scripture to become their exclusive authority,
God's church would at last come together on the changeless
platform of inspired truth, and the long looked for revival
would at last prepare God's people for their Lord's return.