So the bible says to test all things, does this include the bible?

Michael Collum said:

Since the writers would be in a state of constant spiritual development, sometimes the application of Paul is eclipsed by the application of Jesus.

2Ti 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

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There are places where Jesus states how ones will be judged, including when He says wo to the one who betrays Him. So, both Jesus and Jesus through Paul can say things which confront wrong people.

Michael Collum said:

So the bible says to test all things, does this include the bible?

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Yes. If even the Holy Spirit we must test, what more the Bible? The Bible actually states the Holy Spirit should be a our main source of God's Words and this means the Bible is only supplementary, not our main source of revelations/teachings.

The Bible only points to the source and it is the source we mostly learn.

If so, by which standard would you test it?

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Mercy.

If not, what does the all things relate to?

How do you apply this?

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All things means everything, even reality we see, we must scrutinize.

timewerx said:

Yes. If even the Holy Spirit we must test, what more the Bible? The Bible actually states the Holy Spirit should be a our main source of God's Words and this means the Bible is only supplementary, not our main source of revelations/teachings.

The Bible only points to the source and it is the source we mostly learn.



Mercy.



All things means everything, even reality we see, we must scrutinize.

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the Bible is only supplementary

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Supplementary to what?

Michael Collum said:

So the bible says to test all things, does this include the bible?

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Yes you can test things that are said in the Bible by seeing if it produces one of the fruits of the spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Michael Collum said:

Which canon of the bible is absolute truth?

Which of the ancient manuscripts represents this absolute truth?

Which of the many translators is the one God has chosen to translate this absolute truth for us?

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I believe the Bible to be God's complete Word. That the 66 books, as originally written, were inspired by the Spirit and were free from error. That the Bible's the authority in all matters of Christian faith and Christian union's basis.

Michael Collum" said:

In the passages of the bible which speak of truth, what is said about truth?

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Really, Mike? You want me to discuss all of them? That'll take some time.

Michael Collum said:

So the bible says to test all things, does this include the bible?

If so, by which standard would you test it?

If not, what does the all things relate to?

How do you apply this?

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Yes you need to test it, why?

You would be filled with the holy spirit and baptized if you did test it.

To test it you need to do what it says to do.

Michael Collum said:

The scripture speaks of supernatural things believers can do, when the apostles say they can't do it, Jesus says even a small amount of faith will make anything happen.

The thought that comes to me is everyone in the faith has at least a little bit, so perhaps it is not the right kind since the first Christians could all do it.

Applying the teachings properly gets the fruit written of in the bible.

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You need to take God's will into account. Nothing can be done without His will first. And sorry to say
a lot that we ask for is not His will.
Blessings

brinny said:

Supplementary to what?

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The Spirit of Truth.

John 16:13
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

1 John 2:27
As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Michael Collum said:

However, it is important to note, some books were removed from the canon in the 1800s revision of the bible.

I wouldn't characterize the decisions makers during that era as Patriarchs.

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I read about this during a Google search about the Torah before my nephew's bar mitzvah. (He is actually a Christian but his dad's family is Jewish.) The original Torah had a books that years later were thought to not be written by genuine authorities. In the same article, I read Cahtolics sitll use them.

ChristianForCats said:

I read about this during a Google search about the Torah before my nephew's bar mitzvah. (He is actually a Christian but his dad's family is Jewish.) The original Torah had a books that years later were thought to not be written by genuine authorities. In the same article, I read Cahtolics sitll use them.

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Ironically, some of the books removed contained modern understanding with the hindsight of modern science.

It probably didn't make any sense to the period who are largely ignorant of science....So these scriptures are removed out of ignorance??

Ironically, even the Kabbalist texts which are Jewish / Judaist in origin are probably considered heretical or even Occult in Christianity but contains many modern wisdom / science, even very advanced stuff related to quantum mechanics, cutting edge astronomy, and genetics.

Michael Collum said:

Since the context relates to prophesyings, the bible is full of prophecies, so it applies. The application is: How strong is your faith? Are you willing to challenge what you claim to believe?

I find some applications of scripture that are marketed as "just reading scripture, so you're disagreeing with God" are actually applied in harmful ways and we are to abstain from even the appearance of evil.

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Well, the context verse before the testing verse is about prophesying, and the verse after is saying to abstain from evil, which can require testing what is good and what to abstain from. So, I would say the verse saying to test can mean testing prophesy and all things.

Also, even if this scripture were really restricted to testing prophesy, still it can give me a more general principle > it it is good to test prophesies, then it can be good to test everything else, too. Test what you are thinking, like you would test a prophesy, for example

I think, by the way, of how the Jewish leaders did not make sure with God about how evidence was being presented > they did not seek God's counsel, but judged by how things were made to look > Joshua chapter 9.

Am I willing to challenge what I believe? I can do what God guides me to do > test about what He wants me to test, and how to test. And trust Him about what He really wants me to do. Test Him, by trusting Him, in prayer and submission to what He has me doing.

And "the appearance of evil" can be understood in more than one way. A legalistic way to "abstain from any appearance of evil" could be to stay clear of what wrong people consider to be what looks bad. But just because something looks bad to someone, this does not mean it is really evil making an appearance.

And you could have a politician who is making such a good show that everyone is convinced he or she is a very good person. But in case the person is fooling everybody, then evil is making an appearance!!

So, I would say God is the One who knows, and we can make sure with Him; test with Him

What does He think of my faith, then????

Michael Collum said:

So the bible says to test all things, does this include the bible?

If so, by which standard would you test it?

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I think Bible can be tested, but I recommend to be truthful. By what I see, people have much difficulties in remaining in the truth and that causes many problems. It will be also test for the person who tests the Bible, can he be honest.

timewerx said:

The Spirit of Truth.

John 16:13
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

1 John 2:27
As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him.

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That is through His Word. As it is written, Satan himself attempts to come as an "angel of light", doesn't he?

It is through God's WORD that the living God "speaks", through His Holy Spirit. His WORD guides us, as it is written:

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." ~Ps 119:105

And just as the Bereans were commended by Paul for doing, we examine and weigh everything by God's Word. By God's Word, we are to "test the spirits" that attempt to claim to be of the living God fraudulently.

It is written that God's own Holy Spirit is our "Teacher" and teaches us through God's Word.