The Importance of Scripture

The history of the Christian Church is full of new ideas, which sometimes have gone too far. Luther had reminded people of the Biblical gospel that the righteousness we need to be acceptable to God cannot be found through our good works or religious devotion. It only comes only as a gift. This gift is only given to those who have a personal relationship with Jesus.

Within a few years of Luther nailing his 95 theses about indulgences to the door of Wittenburg church, Thomas Muntzer took the new thinking to extremes. He extrapolated from Luther’s teaching about spiritual freedom to say that all social inequality and political oppression must be eradicated as well - by force if necessary. He knew this new teaching was right because God had spoken directly to him about this! He even felt that this ‘inner word’ was more reliable that the written ‘outer word’ that Luther depended on. Luther strongly opposed this development saying,

“Muntzer thinks he has swallowed the Holy Spirit, feathers and all.”

His so-called ‘words from God’ and his charismatic personality led to the German Peasants War (1524-1525) in which thousands of his followers were slaughtered. Muntzer himself was arrested, tortured and beheaded. What a tragedy that so many believed this false prophet and not the Bible. Luther had tried in vain to show that this new doctrine was false doctrine.

At my own medical school in London there was a Christian Anatomy lecturer who also came to believe that he had a direct line to God. He led a Bible Study of young Christians and began to teach this doctrine. It was not long before he felt that God was telling him that he could not serve him effectively whilst encumbered with his wife and two children. He felt led to desert his wife and children and link up with a younger and more attractive lady with whom he could serve God more effectively! This he willingly obeyed! Not long afterwards I saw that he had put up for sale several of his Bibles. I asked him why he had done this. His reply was frightening,

“God speaks to me directly now so I do not need them.”

It was a tragedy for the members of his small group - all eventually lost their faith. The basic problem was a rejection of the Bible’s supreme authority.

In a recent church discussion group one participant suggested that because God is love he couldn’t reject people. This person had rejected the doctrine of hell. When it was explained that Jesus taught about hell repeatedly he replied,

“Jesus was speaking for that particular time. There are several teachings in the Bible we no longer accept.”

The leader was aghast. The participant went on to say that because God is love he will accept all people. He disliked any teaching about the wrath of God. Such views are not only contrary to what Jesus and his apostles taught but undermine the apostolic faith, leaving the world with nothing it can depend on.

Apostles’ Teaching

In the book of Galatians, Paul was writing to correct those who were teaching doctrines that were contrary to Scripture and contrary to what Jesus and his apostles taught.

Scientific advances are cumulative, a new generation of scientists ‘stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before’. God’s truth is also cumulative; his revelations and covenants at the beginning of the Bible are explained and elucidated by further revelations. They build on what has gone before. Later revelations are never opposed to early ones. There is one major difference however. In science the new revelations keep coming. That is not true in spiritual matters. The revelation is complete. Thus the writer of the letter to the Hebrews begins,

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir to all things, and through whom he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:1-2

To these Old Jewish Scriptures, the message of which was given to the prophets by angelic messengers, have been added the writings of his apostles to which we must pay great attention as our salvation depends on that message.

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation. This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.” Hebrews 2:1-3

This good news is about how sinners can be put right with God through being given that righteousness we all need to gain admission to heaven. It is the news that God entered this world to take the penalty for our sin on himself - nothing less.

The young church in Galatia was being troubled by an influential group of Christians who taught that to have a complete experience of God, Christians must adopt the old Jewish traditions.

Paul robustly opposes such false teaching. It undermines the truth of the gospel that is all about the uniqueness of the God-man Jesus. What is significant is how he argues his case – he bases his argument on the old Jewish Scriptures. Jesus is God’s chosen king, prophesied in these Scriptures. The Greek word ‘Christ’ is a translation of the Hebrew word for ‘Messiah’. Both mean ‘God’s chosen king’. At the beginning of the letter to the Galatians Paul equates God the Father with God the Son, speaking of them as equals. Furthermore he says that what he teaches is the message of God. To reject Paul as an apostle is to reject God himself.

“Paul, an apostle – sent not from men nor by men, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. Galatians 1:1

The Christian message is clear and simple. It is a message about a concerted plan devised by God the Father and enacted by God the Son. Jesus entered this world to die on that cross to take on himself the penalty for the sins of all those who put their trust in him. The death of Christ on that cross so that he could become our Saviour is the only gospel. Yet then, as today, there are those who taught a different gospel - not that there is one. Paul continues,

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age . . .” Galatians 1:3

This is the Biblical gospel. John in his record of the gospel is very clear that being religious is no guarantee of salvation. The chapter that describes Jesus’ conversation with the upright, moral and religious Pharisee, Nicodemus contains these chilling verses,

“Whoever believes in him (Jesus) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18

“ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36

Shortly before his execution Jesus stated categorically,

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Peter and John, when on trial before the same Sanhedrin, that had had Jesus executed a few weeks earlier, boldly told their accusers,

“Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

The troubled church at Corinth, who were chasing experiences, were reminded of this gospel,

“God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

There is no other way to be forgiven our sins and receive the gift of righteousness than by trusting Jesus. It is all too possible for people to be members of a church and even ordained and yet not be saved. That there were some members of the church in Corinth who were not yet saved is clear from the preceding verse,

“We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

Bishop Taylor-Smith was a corpulent Chaplain General to the Forces. One Sunday morning he was preaching in Salisbury Cathedral on this passage. In order to emphasise this necessity of the new birth he said,

“My dear people do not substitute anything for the new birth. You may be a member of a church, but church membership is not new birth. Jesus said, ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’.”

On his left sat the Archdeacon in his stall. Pointing directly at him the Bishop said,

“You might even be an Archdeacon, like my friend in his stall, and not be born again. Remember, ‘Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God’.

A day or two later he received a message from the Archdeacon.

“My dear bishop, you have found me out. I have been a clergyman for over thirty years, but I have never known anything of the joy that Christians speak of. I never could understand. Mine has been a hard legal service. I did not know what the matter was with me, but when you pointed directly at me and said, “You might even be an Archdeacon and not be born again; I knew in a moment what the trouble was. I had never known anything of the new birth.”

The next day the Archdeacon and the bishop met up and they went through the Bible together. Then the Archdeacon knelt before his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and took his place as a sinner who desperately needed Christ’s mercy. Up till that time he had been hoping that his life and character would merit him receiving eternal life. He needed to learn the same lesson as Nicodemus. He did.

‘Once for all’ or ‘more and more.”

Our experience of the Lord Jesus and his power in changing our lives is meant to grow ‘more and more’ (Greek mallon) over our lifetime. However the Bible teaches that there are certain aspects of the faith that have been completed. They were events that happened ‘once for all’ (Greek hapax). There are two aspects of the Christian faith that the bible says are completed. The first is god’s revelation to man. There is nothing more to be said about the faith God wants all people to have. Thus Jude wrote,

“I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all (Gk hapax) entrusted to the saints” Jude 4

This is why it is so wrong to doubt what Jesus and his apostles have taught in Scripture. Jude wrote when false teaching was entering the church and he saw the need to stop such heresy.

The other feature of the faith that was ‘once for all’ was the sacrificial death on the cross for our forgiveness. As he was about to die Jesus cried out in triumph,

“It is finished” John 19:30

The apostles all saw Christ’s death as the ‘one and only’ sacrifice for sin that all must look back to. The animal sacrifices in the Old Testament all looked forwards to this unique event – an animal sacrifice cannot of itself take away man’s sin. These animal sacrifices were symbolic of what Christ was to do for us. So we read,

“Christ died for sins once for all (Gk hapax), the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” I Peter 3:18

“Unlike other high priests he does not offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all (Gk hapax) when he offered himself.” Hebrews 7:27

It is for this reason that the doctrine of the Roman Catholic mass, when christ’s sacrifice is reenacted over and over again is so wrong. Our forgiveness was won for us ‘once for all’ on that cross.

When we have responded to that message of Christ and his cross, then begins the long painful walk with Christ as we learn to be what he has made us. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in us as ’more and more’ we take on the character and concerns of Jesus. This is the clear message of Scripture.

Galatians on Scripture

In this short letter Paul repeatedly stresses that the authority on which the church is built is Scripture. These were written by God’s prophets in the Old Testament and by Christ’s apostles in the New Testament. Paul repeatedly assumes that this is how God’s truth can be found and any teaching or actions that are contrary to such teaching must be opposed.

“When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. . . . When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said . . . “ Galatians 2:11,14

Paul’s main argument is that being religious, following religious laws or being ‘churchy’ cannot give people eternal life.

“For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.” Galatians 3:22

We badly need more church leaders to proclaim this apostolic message again as churches, like those in Galatia are drifting from God’s truth.

Paul keeps referring back to the authority of the Old Testament.

“Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons . . .” Galatians 4:22

Paul repeatedly quotes the Old Testament as proof that what he is saying is God’s truth.

“For it is written . . .” Galatians 4:27

“But what does Scripture say?” Galatians 4:30

“The whole law is summed up in a single command . . .” Galatians 5:14

The role of ministers in the church is primarily to pass on and remind people of the teaching God has given us in his word. This is so important that some should make it their life’s work and the churches should support them in this.

“Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” Galatians 6:6

Paul also knows that he has God’s authority directly because God appointed him to be an apostle. He is not afraid to remind his hearers of this.

“Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you.” Galatians 5:2

Possibly the strongest reminder about this essential truth comes right at the beginning of the letter

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!  Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:6-10

Little could be stronger than this. How our churches need to heed these warnings again today as many are drifting off the road to salvation themselves but are leading others along with them.

When is the judgment?

Most religions have a ritual of entry. This may be circumcision, baptism or some other formality. Then the adherents are given certain rules or principles that they are faithful to follow. Then death comes along and the inevitable judgment by God. If this God deems that the person has lived a good enough life he will be admitted into his presence; if not hell awaits. I would emphasise that this is the religious outlook. It is certainly not Christian.

The Bible teaches that Christ took out judgment on himself. The judgment of those who love him and want to live for him is already passed. Our judgment took place on the cross of Jesus. Death is just a transition phase to eternity with our Lord and Saviour.

The Bible’s teaching is so different to anything else in the world and it is God’s teaching. This is why we must hold firmly to it and insist that the words and meaning of Scripture are taught again in our churches, homes and conversations anywhere.

BVP

October 2012