Further Thought: In the chapter on Biblical Interpretation in the Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology, read the sections on The Analogy of Scripture: “Scripture Is Its Own Interpreter”, The Consistency of Scripture, and The Clarity of Scripture, pages 64-66. Read chapter 20, “Bible Teaching and Study”, in the book Education, pages 185-192; “The Primacy of the Word” in Selected Messages, book … Continue reading –>
Read Isaiah 8:20. Why is it always important to refer back to the biblical “law and testimony” as the norms for our teaching and doctrine? What does this mean for the ministry of prophets who have not become part of the biblical canon? When we talk about sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Seventh-day Adventists are inevitably confronted with the … Continue reading –>
Only because there is an underlying unity of Scripture can the Bible function as its own interpreter. Without such unity, Scripture could not be the light that reveals its own meaning, where one portion of Scripture interprets other portions and thus becomes the key to understanding related passages. Read Luke 24:27, Luke 24:44-45. How does Jesus refer … Continue reading –>
Any appeal to Scripture alone makes little sense if the text of the Bible is unclear in its meaning. Read Matthew 21:42; Matthew 12:3, Matthew 12:5; Matthew 19:4; Matthew 22:31; Mark 12:10, Mark 12:26; Luke 6:3; Matthew 24:15; and Mark 13:14. What does Jesus’ repeated referral to Scripture imply regarding the clarity of its message? The biblical testimony is unambiguous: the Bible is sufficiently clear … Continue reading –>
The Bible itself claims that “all Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16, NIV) and that “no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation”, and that men “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:20-21, NIV). With God as the Bible’s ultimate author, we can assume a fundamental unity … Continue reading –>
From their beginning, Seventh-day Adventists have considered themselves to be people of the Book, that is, Bible-believing Christians. To affirm the scriptural principle of sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone), we acknowledge the unique authority of the Bible. Scripture alone is the ruling norm for our theology and the ultimate authority for life and doctrine. Other sources, such as religious … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Cor. 4:1-6; Titus 1:9; 2 Tim. 1:13; Mark 12:10, Mark 12:26; Luke 24:27, Luke 24:44-45; Isa. 8:20. Memory Text: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and … Continue reading –>
Surprise Package in Finland By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission Six-year-old Timo Flink looked with awe at a picture of Jesus’ second coming in Arthur Maxwell’s The Bible Story. Unable to read, he stared at Jesus sitting on a cloud of angels. “I want to be up with the angels”, Timo thought. As a young adult, … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Scriptures a Safeguard”, pages 593-602, in The Great Controversy. Tradition, experience, culture, reason, and the Bible are all present in our reflection on the Word of God. The decisive question is: Which of these sources has the final say and the ultimate authority in our theology? It is one thing … Continue reading –>
The Holy Spirit, who has revealed and inspired the content of the Bible to human beings, will never lead us contrary to God’s Word or astray from the Word of God. For Seventh-day Adventists, the Bible has a higher authority than human tradition, experience, reason, or culture. The Bible alone is the norm by which … Continue reading –>
