open-the-bible

In response to an Huffington Post article titled, “We Never Come to the Bible Alone” by Jamie Arpin-Ricci, I give this challenge below,

“I must disagree and challenge you on this.

While we do not come to the Bible alone, this does not mean that we must reject that one truth is verifiable and knowable. Jesus verified and proved the truth through agreeing testable reports from as few as two or three (John 8:12ff, 17ff, 31ff). This rejection of truth is simply preferring one’s personal experience over the experiences of others, who may testify to us (John 5:30ff). Is that not prejudice? Is this not personal arrogance and pride, the foundation of rejecting knowable truth? Do we not rely on the reports of others including friends, family, and other trusted reports? We may be bias to hear only one account of one side, but our casual dishonesty does not disprove knowable truth. Our opinions do not show an unreliable means of knowledge, but that people have presumptions. Some will find their way out by honesty and others will find reasons to stay there.

The standard of evidence and legal maxim that Jesus used is the basis for taking and using the “Bible alone”. The witnesses of the Bible like all witnesses can be proved upon 2 or 3 consistencies and disproved by 2 or 3 contradictions. Since these eyewitnesses are in the Bible alone, we can examine the apostolic writings gathered under the oversight of Christ’s Apostles in the 1st c. (1 John 1:1–4; 2 Pet 1:16–21; 3:15–16; 2 Tim 3:16–16/1 Tim 5:18; Luke 1:1–3). We can know the words and the witnesses of the Bible. We can examine them for ourselves. Though we may contradict each other, the truth stands.

The life of Jesus is just as knowable as a proven history built upon eyewitness or the testimonies of an event at the center of a legal investigation. How do we know anything in the court of law without witnesses by spoken words, writing, trace evidence, etc.? By this legal maxim, the Bible alone proves and interprets itself showing itself to be the proven source of sources for the life, words, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The way that Jesus interpreted the Bible should be the standard for its own interpretation. He is the one, who proved His points in scripture (Luke 4:1–13, 16–21; 24:44; etc.) and even He made His case by even the tense of a word (Matt 22:29–33). By the “Bible alone”, we find the Truth clearly revealed by the Holy Spirit, who can interpret His own words by His words as the Spirit interprets scripture already written (Heb 3:7ff; cf. 1 Cor. 2). When Christ spoke, the Spirit spoke (“the Spirit says to the Churches” – Rev 2–3). Therefore, the Spirit of Christ does not interpret the Bible via a mystical “Spirit,” but rather Christ’s Spirit interprets the words of Christ and those of His Apostles and prophets (John 15:20; 17:8; Eph 3:3–5). These words dwell in Christians just as much as the Spirit indwells (Col 3:16; 1 John 2:14). Thereby, we may interpret the Spirit’s words by His words on our hearts and minds. Thus, the mind set on the Spirit rather the flesh must be the mind of the person in whom the Spirit dwells, because these positions are not contrary to one another (Rom 8:5–6, 9–11). Believers can do as Jesus said, “observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20), and as His Spirit said we can speak the same thing without division and be united together in the same mind and the the same judgment (1 Cor 1:10). We must do this together. Truly, some things are hard to understand and some will twist those things to their destruction, but I will not give up the Bible alone when it the sole proven truth and source of sources about Christ. Thereby, I trust Christ’s Spirit that God’s breath comes through every scripture, which are profitable for teaching, admonition, correction, and instruction in righteousness that one may be complete and fully equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:16–17; cf. 1 Tim 5:18).

This is my case. May God bless you in the study of His Word.”