"The Five Most Important Words in Scripture"

 

“The Five Most Important Words in Scripture”

(Please read the previous posting, “The Big Dig”, before this one.)

 

In our Baptist structure a church desiring to set a man apart for ministry calls an Ordination Council and invites representatives from other churches to participate in what amounts to an advisory role. Typically the candidate presents a paper describing his conversion and call to ministry as well as a statement of his theological position and the Council members are invited to ask questions. At the Council’s conclusion a vote is taken as to whether or not to recommend that the host church proceed with the ordination. A long-time friend once told me of attending such a gathering at which the candidate had no written document but said, “My doctrinal statement is identical to that of Dr. ______”, who was a highly respected Bible teacher in the area. Much to my friend’s displeasure the “Council” voted to have the church proceed with the ordination with no questions asked.

This long-forgotten incident came back to mind recently as I was reading through the New Testament. In Romans 4:3 Paul asks the question, “What does the Scripture say?” (He repeats it in Galatians 4:30.) To me this represents the Bible’s five most important words. In the case described above the church and candidate seem to have changed the reading to, “What does Dr. ______ say?”,  in effect putting the words of an individual over God’s as recorded in His Word.

In the days in which we’re living we’re constantly bombarded with pronouncements from people claiming to speak from God. But any “biblical” teaching that comes down the pike must be evaluated by this succinct statement: “What does the Scripture say?” Failure to do so has led God’s people astray and historically prompted the rise of cults. While we certainly can profit greatly from the insights of those God has called to present His Truth we must not rely on others’ doing all our thinking for us (remember the Berean example from Acts 17:11 cited in “The Big Dig”).

In His final discourse to His disciples Jesus promised, “…The Holy Spirit…will teach you all things….” (John 14:26, emphasis added). Since He lives in us who belong to Christ by faith we have the Divine Resource to give us understanding as we yield our minds and hearts to Him. But we must, with the Bereans, closely examine God’s Word and dig out its truth for ourselves.

May we all pray, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” (Psalm 119:18).

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan