Acts 3:19 Therefore repent and return, so that the sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
Personal restoration of Spirit, Soul and Body back to God’s original intention, condition and functionality. We are restored to the innocence of a face to face relationship with God. Restoration from all the affects of death. Restoration of creation through our restored sonship.
Acts 3:21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. The prophets said there was going to be a period of restoration. It was spoken but was it recorded and if so where?
Is this what we call the 39 books of the Old Testament, the Torah the law and the prophets etc. or the Hebrew Tanakh which had 24 books. Or the Talmud or Rabbinical writings? Is it only the bible that records what God spoke by His holy prophets? Are there other written records of what the prophets said?
What is from ancient time? From when to when? Heb 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, Earliest records of the Tanakh the source of our OT are 1445bc.
Prophetic Judaism 700bc – 570bc Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah etc. Apocalyptical 600bc to 100bc – Daniel, Enoch etc. Temple period 200bc to 100ad Essenes, Hasideans, Apocryphal books once included in our bible 317bc -65bc.
What about other Jewish mystical writings? Talmud, Targum, Midrash, Halakhic Midrash, and Aggadic Midrash 500bc . Zohar 539bc to 70ad. Do we actually need to read these writings or can we go direct to the source God who spoke through prophets?
Jesus is the Truth where ever truth is found it must be from Jesus but the conclusions and interpretations about truth people make are not necessarily true. Where does the bible and other scriptures fit into the picture of what is to be restored?
Where does the bible fit into our lives? Is it a manual for living or an introduction to a living loving relationship with Jesus the living word? Is everything recorded in the bible inspired by God? Is all of the bible inerrant and infallible as we have been told?
Challenging the sacred cow of the inerrancy and infallibility of the bible will probably cause offence to many. I do not intend to offend but I do want to challenge our view of the bible as the “word of God” as opposed to Jesus being the true word who is God.
Logos and rhema are the 2 Greek words used for word . We have been told that logos is the written word the bible and rhema is the spoken words of Jesus recorded in the bible . Logos – a word, speech, divine utterance, analogy. 331 occurrences.
Rhema – a thing spoken, a word or saying of any kind, as command, report, promise, 70 occurrences . Logos and Rhema can be any written or spoken words not just Jesus or bible . Logos is Jesus and Rhema are His spoken words in some bible verses.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, (logos) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words (Rhema) that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
The bible is a means to an end and not an end in itself. It is an introduction to a relationship with the living word of God Jesus . Jesus is the one we are to relate to and follow not a book.
The little boy asked his mother what was the difference between pagans and Christians. She replied, “Christians are the ones who fight about the Bible.” – Paul Smith . We have 30,000 + denominations all claiming the bible to be their source of truth.
2 Cor 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Everything you read in the bible needs the Spirit’s presence because only the Holy Spirit will show you what is the universal truth to apply to our lives.
Man’s interpretation cannot be always be trusted . Not everything recorded in the bible applies to us . Much of the old testament and law only applied to Jewish people and converts or to specific people being addressed not us in the new covenant.
Much of the new testament was written to address the events of the Ad 70 destruction of Jerusalem which was the final end of the old covenant system . Or to the specific groups of people being addressed in their cultural context . There was a cultural context that we now don’t apply e.g. women can’t speak and must wear head coverings
Only the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the Father or their emissaries can give us true insight into what written scriptures or oral traditions are to be applied day to day – we need relationship to know their voices . The living word Jesus can interpret the written word and speak to us directly daily to bring us truth out of context.
In the deconstruction of my mind process there were 9 pillars of so called “truth” that framed my beliefs . 6 were religious constructs that unknowingly influenced what I believed and how I interpreted the bible and saw God . 3 cultural influences.
Evangelicalism, Sola scriptural, Augustinianism, Protestantism, Hebrew thinking, Greek thinking . Scientific rationalism, cultural relativism and humanism . No one lives without influence everyone’s mind is framed by some belief systems.
So many of my beliefs were based around the bible and its interpretation . Being brought up in the Bible Christian Methodist Church and then the Brethren assembly the major influence was evangelicalism . Usually traced back to 1738 with various streams contributing to its foundation.
Methodists, Moravians, Lutherans etc. Evangelicalism is a Protestant movement embraced within a variety of Christian denominations, based on the idea that religious salvation can be achieved through adherence to the word of God as delivered through the bible.
Evangelical Christians believe in the bible as God’s inspired word to humankind, perfect in truth in the original text. It is the “final authority in all matters of doctrine and faith — above all human authority,“ The bible has been venerated by some to such an extent as if to be the 4th person of God.
Evangelicalism teaches that the bible does not merely contain the word of God, but every word of it is the word of God. Scripture, regarded as the word of God, carries the full authority of God in evangelicalism: every single statement of the bible calls for instant, unqualified and unrestricted acceptance.
The bible is not actually the word of God or God’s word it is a library of books written by various people . The bible does contain some words that God spoke and some He inspired . The bible contains some words attributed to God that He didn’t speak . Jesus is the only living word of God.
Sola scriptura (Latin: by scripture alone) is a theological doctrine held by Christian denominations that the Christian scriptures are the sole infallible rule of faith and practice. Ironically where is that in the bible? It is not there because it is a man made doctrine.
Church councils, preachers, bible commentators, private revelation, or even a message allegedly from an angel or an apostle are not an original authority alongside the bible in the doctrine of sola scriptura . It is only the bible that we can trust as the truth. – Is that true? No.
Some evangelical and Baptist denominations state the doctrine of sola scriptura more strongly: scripture is self-authenticating, clear to the rational reader, its own interpreter (“Scripture interprets Scripture”), and sufficient of itself to be the final authority of Christian doctrine.
By contrast, today Anglicanism and Methodism, also considered forms of Protestantism, uphold the doctrine of prima scriptura, with scripture being illumined by tradition, reason, and in Methodism, experience as well . But the bible is still the primary source of truth rather than Jesus the Truth.
Some sola scriptura assumptions: Every doctrine of the bible is the teaching of God and therefore requires full agreement. Every promise of the bible calls for unshakable trust in its fulfilment . Every command of the bible is the directive of God himself and therefore demands willing observance.
The primary Catholic argument against sola scriptura is that the bible does not explicitly teach sola scriptura. Catholics argue that the bible nowhere states that it is the only authoritative guide for faith and practice.
Evangelical response to this Catholic thought: While this is true, they fail to recognize a crucially important issue. We know that the bible is the word of God. The bible declares itself to be God-breathed, inerrant, and authoritative. – It actually does not.
Sola scriptura is not as much of an argument against tradition as it is an argument against unbiblical, extrabiblical and/or anti-biblical doctrines as seen from a protestant or evangelical perspective . Is God and our experience of God to be limited to only what the bible speaks of? – no.
The only way to know for sure what God expects of us is to stay true to what we know He has revealed – the bible! – not true . We can know, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that scripture is true, authoritative, and reliable. Can we? Is that really true is the source of truth only found in a book?
Where does a personal relationship with the Truth fit in? Has God stopped speaking? Are God’s words complete? Does God’s speaking directly to you today carry as much authority as what we call the bible?
Is revelation progressive or fixed? Is it possible that God never intended to limit revelation of who He is to the books of the old and new testaments? Did God intend the bible to “close” or is it possible that insights today can add to an insight in scripture?
Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. Is that supposed to be taken literally? What about all the other OT books added later? What about the NT books?
Jesus as the living word of God came and redefined the words and traditions of the old testament and oral traditions . Jesus fulfils and supersedes the OT revelation so what He revealed about God and Himself was greater . So Jesus must have broken the commandments adding to the “Word”!!
Is it possible that New Testament writers like Paul, Peter, John did not have a full revelation of everything that is needed for us today? Can we say that there is progressive revelation and New Testament writers only “saw it in part”? – yes . Is God still speaking and revealing Himself to us today? – yes.
When people have encounters and revelation today it is always held up to the plumb line of the bible is that valid? – no . As the Holy Spirit reveals something in our era .. the cry goes up .. where is that in the bible .. reply. Not there merely prophesied of !!!
Jesus said that the Spirit of Truth would teach us and guide us . Jesus says he cannot fully teach His disciples as they are .. unable to bear it .. Peter in a trance has dream that changes their whole understanding about the gentiles.
Paul encounters Jesus goes to heaven and has further revelation . John goes to heaven and reveals truth that prepares there generation for AD70 . God is infinite so surely revelation can’t just stop at the bible in 397ad
Is it possible that God never intended to limit revelation of who He is to the books of the old and new testaments? Should the bible “be complete” was that God’s intention or is it possible that insights today can be progressively added by the Holy Spirit . Did Jesus promise a book or a relationship with Him?
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit, the parakletos, the Spirit of Truth would be our help and would guide us by revealing the truth to us . Jesus never promised a bible as a manual but a person in relationship to guide, direct and teach us today in our culture and context.
John 16:12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you . We have the promise that more revelation will come through the Spirit . There is no end to that revelation no caveat that says until the bible is written.
1 John 2:27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
Acts 2:17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; Acts 2:39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
The Holy Spirit of truth will lead to Jesus the Truth and living word of God who leads us to the Father in relationship . We can all have an intimate face to face relationship with the living word of God Jesus today.
Bill Johnson quotes . The purpose of God’s wondrous stories is to draw you into the passionate pursuit of more of His presence. It’s difficult to get the same fruit as the early church when we value a book they didn’t have more than the Holy Spirit they did have.
The bible is not a manual. It’s a book of encounters and experiences. It’s a book about the story of God walking with men and women. It’s about the experiences that we can have in the presence of God. It’s a story about your journey into places you never imagined. It’s a book of experiences. It’s a book of permissions. It’s a book about provision.
It’s a book that tells you, “This is what God has called you to, and these are the resources He has allocated.” It’s a book which when used in conjunction with the Holy Spirit opens up a whole new dimension of life before you. It makes you supernatural. It makes you to be more than you ever thought possible. Graham Cooke.