Things New and Old: Ultimate/Final Authority versus the Only Authority

Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Ultimate/Final Authority versus the Only Authority

Ultimate/Final versus Only

"... the Bible again became the ultimate authority."

(The meme appeared in the Answers in Genesis facebook page).

sing: There's a vast difference between ultimate authority and only authority.

Will:

Explain...

sing:

Will, "ultimate/final" necessarily implies other sources of authority; "only" necessarily excludes all others.

Does that help?

"The Holy Scripture is the ONLY sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of ALL saving knowledge, faith, and obedience..." the opening statement of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. [It is like the Scriptures' grand opening statement, "In the beginning God..."]

Walker:

I think their distinction is intentional because pastors have authority to teach their congregations, and pastors are not the Bible, but under its authority. Similarly, the Scripture does not exhaustively teach geology, such that any other source of information cannot be true, but is ultimately over all other disciplines of learning, such that any conclusion arrived at through such learning that conflicts with the Bible must be mistaken. The square root of 9 is 3, even though the Bible doesn't say so. Ultimate, not 'only.'

sing:

Walker, "The Holy Scripture is the ONLY sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of ALL SAVING KNOWLEDGE, FAITH AND OBEDIENCE..."

The claim is PRECISE and EXACT, no more, and no less.

"Sola scriptura" is often just a religious shibboleth to many.