What are "the SCRIPTURES"?
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
TRUTH: what Paul and Peter mean by "scripture"
"TRUTH" is another story. Men are "guessing" at the meaning of "sealed" Words covered by "badger's skin". Down here we do not have perfect understanding. At best man's perception is "in-part" and "through a veil darkly", 1 Corinthians 13:9-12. It is imperative to build our understanding on the Words of the "Light of the World", John 9:5. Storm, winds, and floods will come, but his truth will stand forever, Matthew 7:24-27. Heaven and earth will pass away but Jesus' Words will not pass away, Matthew 24:35. He told us in John 17:17, "Thy word is truth"! Beside that, "Man shall not LIVE by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM FATHER'S MOUTH"! That is why we EXALT the Words of the Father and the Son written in the first person as "absolute Authority"! They cannot be "countered by the in-part understanding of other human writers who received the "Spirit by (limited) measure".... "here a little and there a little", John 3:31-36, Isaiah 28:9-10.
When both Paul and Peter taught us about the VALUE of the scriptures, they were talking about the OLD Testament EXCLUSIVELY, not their letters many of which were not yet written!
After the disciples died, later-generation Christians gathered their letters for the record's sake and for teaching value. I doubt if any of those "first father's" thought of those letters in the same breath with the Old Testament. Still later, someone started calling those letters not just a "testimonial record", but attached "Holy scripture" VALUE to them. They called the collection, "The New Testament"! This is why Jews think we (Christians) must be "loony", moon-struck! When Paul says "All scripture is given by inspiration of God", he was writing EXCLUSIVELY about the Old Testament", not the few scattered letters he and the disciples were penning between their church groups. When Peter says, "The prophecy came not in old time by the will of men, but holy men (spake) wrote being moved by the Holy Ghost" ... that "old time" reference was not about the letters he, the disciples, and Paul were in the process of writing. "Old time" is Old Testament days! These men were not arrogant and egotistical looking for "stature and importance at the same level of Moses and the prophets" in the eyes of men in later generations! Paul did not say, "You know, Pete, you and I are creating real scriptures for men in later generations, dude? Hotdiggety boom!!" I am saying this not to offend your love for Paul, whom I also love dearly, but we need to understand where we are really coming from and where we NEED to go. Down here men wrestle veiled and sealed scriptures while seeking TRUTH, Isaiah 29:9-14, Revelation 5:1-5.
Those who take Father's direct first person statements, and also Jesus' first person statements will be more "spiritually correct" than those who exalt human writer's, who "knew in part"!
Father is SEEKING such persons to worship him "in TRUTH"! Should we please God, or cater to men to be "accepted" by them (in other words to "man please")? You are my brother or sister! So do not get upset with me when I insist on Father's and Jesus' Words in the first person and give them top billing in every discussion and use the words of the "know in part" human writers only for support!
GOOD NEWS, Inc.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
TRUTH: what Paul and Peter mean by "scripture"
"TRUTH" is another story. Men are "guessing" at the meaning of "sealed" Words covered by "badger's skin". Down here we do not have perfect understanding. At best man's perception is "in-part" and "through a veil darkly", 1 Corinthians 13:9-12. It is imperative to build our understanding on the Words of the "Light of the World", John 9:5. Storm, winds, and floods will come, but his truth will stand forever, Matthew 7:24-27. Heaven and earth will pass away but Jesus' Words will not pass away, Matthew 24:35. He told us in John 17:17, "Thy word is truth"! Beside that, "Man shall not LIVE by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM FATHER'S MOUTH"! That is why we EXALT the Words of the Father and the Son written in the first person as "absolute Authority"! They cannot be "countered by the in-part understanding of other human writers who received the "Spirit by (limited) measure".... "here a little and there a little", John 3:31-36, Isaiah 28:9-10.
When both Paul and Peter taught us about the VALUE of the scriptures, they were talking about the OLD Testament EXCLUSIVELY, not their letters many of which were not yet written!
After the disciples died, later-generation Christians gathered their letters for the record's sake and for teaching value. I doubt if any of those "first father's" thought of those letters in the same breath with the Old Testament. Still later, someone started calling those letters not just a "testimonial record", but attached "Holy scripture" VALUE to them. They called the collection, "The New Testament"! This is why Jews think we (Christians) must be "loony", moon-struck! When Paul says "All scripture is given by inspiration of God", he was writing EXCLUSIVELY about the Old Testament", not the few scattered letters he and the disciples were penning between their church groups. When Peter says, "The prophecy came not in old time by the will of men, but holy men (spake) wrote being moved by the Holy Ghost" ... that "old time" reference was not about the letters he, the disciples, and Paul were in the process of writing. "Old time" is Old Testament days! These men were not arrogant and egotistical looking for "stature and importance at the same level of Moses and the prophets" in the eyes of men in later generations! Paul did not say, "You know, Pete, you and I are creating real scriptures for men in later generations, dude? Hotdiggety boom!!" I am saying this not to offend your love for Paul, whom I also love dearly, but we need to understand where we are really coming from and where we NEED to go. Down here men wrestle veiled and sealed scriptures while seeking TRUTH, Isaiah 29:9-14, Revelation 5:1-5.
Those who take Father's direct first person statements, and also Jesus' first person statements will be more "spiritually correct" than those who exalt human writer's, who "knew in part"!
Father is SEEKING such persons to worship him "in TRUTH"! Should we please God, or cater to men to be "accepted" by them (in other words to "man please")? You are my brother or sister! So do not get upset with me when I insist on Father's and Jesus' Words in the first person and give them top billing in every discussion and use the words of the "know in part" human writers only for support!
GOOD NEWS, Inc.
