The 'solo' and 'nuda' Scriptura scare
When you hear a Reformed academic (and anybody, including Roman Catholic apologists, who are following in the footsteps of said Reformed academics, think about that) use the terms 'solo Scriptura' or 'nuda Scriptura' know you are in the presence of a boy who is afraid of the devil and wants everybody else to be in the exact same fear-bondage he resides in.
Yes, pilgrims, sola Scriptura is hardcore. (Wow, those reformers were a hardcore bunch, weren't they? Yes, they were called Christians.)
What makes a Christian? Listen closely: regeneration.
How does regeneration happen? Again, listen closely: regeneration is effected, when it is effected, by the Word and the Spirit.
Practically what does it mean? It means you are given a new heart. You have the Holy Spirit in your heart.
You now have, among many other big things, discernment! Yes, you can discern the truth (and know the truth) in God's Word all by yourself! Sound scary? Only if you are the devil and his followers!
No, pilgrims, despite what the Reformed academics will tell you you don't need to have any other authority but the pure and whole Word of God. That's it.
1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
A Christian doesn't reject history or teachers or creeds or confessions or catechisms any more than general Revelation itself. A Christian just doesn't make any of those things 'authority', and a Christian like the Bereans mentioned in the Word of God (Acts 17:10-11) puts *all* to the tribunal of Scripture. And a Christian ultimately doesn't need them to be able to discern ('see') the truth and to know the truth and to have the truth in understanding.
It is false teachers that assert that biblical truth is a hall of mirrors. It is *not* for born again believers who have the discernment of the Holy Spirit in them.
That's it? But what about giving man the fear and reverence he demands? What about pleasing the world by seeking authority in the words of man? Won't they beat us up if we neglect doing such things? Won't they gang up on us and hurt us? Maybe they will mock us too?
Or burn you on a stake. Whatever, pilgrims, deal with it. There is suffering before glory. That's how God's plan works out.
Expect war and fight like a king.
3 Comments:
ct,
He is Risen!
Here are some questions that your post raises. If Christians don't need anyone to guide them, why are you writing? Just for yourself? Also, if Christians don't need anyone to guide them, then why do 99% of Christians disagree with you about the KJV-only position? Is the Holy Spirit not guiding 99% of Christians, and only guiding KJV-only folks? Or does the Holy Spirit give contradictory messages to different Christians?
In the peace of Christ,
- Bryan
>If Christians don't need anyone to guide them, why are you writing?
Spirit speaks to Spirit. If the Spirit in me is speaking truth then others with the Spirit will discern that. Truth is truth. It exists. It can be discerned.
>Also, if Christians don't need anyone to guide them, then why do 99% of Christians disagree with you about the KJV-only position?
God's remnant in any given era of the history of redemption will never win the numbers game (the world will always have the numbers), nevertheless your 99% is probably a bit of an overreach, considering alone that the AV is still one of the top, if not the top still, highest selling translation of the Word of God.
>Is the Holy Spirit not guiding 99% of Christians, and only guiding KJV-only folks?
There are degrees of awakening to the truth once regenerated. A high (or even moderate) valuation for the Word of God is rare among all self-identified Christians, and has always been rare.
Human beings fear and revere man, constitutionally. The system of the Beast wouldn't have it so easy if this were not the case. Human beings also follow the path of least resistance. God's elect, when awakened, don't.
The fact is: critical text scholars *know the truth* on the manuscripts issue. They are convicted before God just as all human beings are regarding the truth of God in general. They know their corrupt products are not the pure and whole Word of God. They're just dogs who are still interested in being dogs. They want to just eat, speak, get worldly honors, watch their TVs, impress their wives, and live comfortably in their Village of Morality John Bunyan described so well.
The truth is known to God's elect. Just as once God's elect become interesting in actual biblical doctrine they are drawn towards Federal Theology it's the same with the Word of God. Once God's elect become interested in the manuscripts issues and in preservation issues they are drawn inexorably to the *received* text, including the Masoretic Hebrew. They *know* the difference between a *received* text vs a *constructed* text. Know *see* the difference in *authority* between the two: the difference which is the difference between the authority of God and the authority of man. The difference between fearing God and fearing man. The difference between being God-centered and being man-centered. They also *see* the effect a man-corrupted Bible has internally on a human being. How it enables vanity, worldly pride, and rebellious self-will to remain holding tyranny inside a person. How it keeps a person in bondage to the darkness and death of the devil's kingdom.
God's elect know the truth and are drawn towards that truth, and neither man, nor the world, nor the devil can or will ever be able to dissuade God's elect from the truth.
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