Open Our Eyes And Minds to Truth- Part II

Part I of this series began the discussion of how God protects His revelation.

The full context of any Scriptural passage is always important and often vital. For example, note to whom Jesus was giving the commands in Matthew 11: 1.

Please consider asking those who claim that this Scripturally identified method of proclaiming the Kingdom of God, despite its institution by Jesus, was changed with the death of the Apostles:  “Exactly where is that fallible opinion of some men explicitly taught in Scripture?”  I submit that Paul clearly and explicitly teaches the exact opposite in several of his letters, including the command:

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter (2 Thes 2: 15).

Here is a small sampling of the lessons in Scripture about the nature, role, and importance of the Church.

They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us (1 John 2:19).

If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matt 18:17–18).

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth  (1 Tim 3:14–16).

These are the things you must insist on and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers (Tim 4:11–16) See also Phil 2: 12.

Why do you call me “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house (Luke 6: 46–49).

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained (John 20:21–23).

Much earlier, Scripture records another vital lesson that we need to remember and heed:  “But he answered, ‘It is written, one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

There is an even more direct and explicit Scriptural lesson showing the fallacy of the Protestant “Bible alone” doctrine in this statement of Christ that remains true today:

You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life (John 5:39–40).

The writings of Paul confirm and shed light on the full meaning of that comment on Scripture by Jesus, which remains true throughout history to our present day. As Paul states, the Kingdom of God is proclaimed by and through the Church, which is the body of Christ present in the world.

And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:22–23).

Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22–24).

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:27–30).

For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body (Ephesians 5:29–30).

The truth is that most of the doctrines of that historical Church, still taught today, are identifiably present in the written historical records from the earliest period of time for which we have any written record. And the claimed contradictions of those doctrines in the Bible are grossly exaggerated; they just don’t hold up under careful investigation.

The same cannot be said for the fundamental and historically new doctrines introduced as the foundation of Protestantism by the Reformers in the fifteenth century.  Do put this claim to the test, if you don’t believe it. Mr. Patrick Madrid on Relevant Radio, for example, is an excellent resource of Biblical facts that consistently identify the errors in those novel doctrines and claims that are the foundation of the Protestant “Re-formation of the  Christian Faith”.

There is also a foreshadowing of the Protestant rebellion in the Scriptural lesson of the Rebellion of Korah that is described in Numbers 16: 1-35. It is not merely I, but also Jude 11, the next to last book of the New Testament Scripture, that explicitly calls the Christian Community’s attention to this rebellion, and thus, identifies that the story of the Rebellion of Korah is a lesson for and a warning to Christians!

Scripture’s presentation of the first historically visible example of the Church’s response to errors about the Faith, a response that brings about a clarification and a more explicitly detailed statement of disputed details or facets of the Faith, is described in the 15^th chapter of Acts. In the Church that Christ is building on the Rock of Peter, that process is called “development of doctrine”, which means a deeper and more detailed understanding of a part of God’s Revelation, that was present from the beginning, but just not that well understood.

Here are several explicit Scriptural lessons about this common experience of not initially understanding God’s Revelation:  Luke 2: 49-50, Mark 6: 50-52, Mk 7:17–19, Mk 9:30–32, Lk 9:43–45, Jn 20:8–9, Jn 10:5–6,  Acts 7:25–26, and especially Jesus’ specific warning in the parable of the sower in Matt 13: 19.

The Scriptural lesson in  Acts 8: 26- 40 is an example of God’s plan for resolving many of these failures to initially understand the details of His Revelation. It’s worth reading and heeding the whole lesson.

Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’  He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?'(Acts 8: 29-31).

I remind everyone who desires to follow Christ that these quotes from Scripture are some of the choices set before us. So, yes, stretch forth your hand to whatever you choose. But never forget, ignore, or be deceived about the fact that in these choices lies “life” or “death”:  and God has promised that whichever you choose will be given to you.

More Scriptural Lessons

Absent any Scriptural foundation, there is a widespread opinion taught by self-proclaimed experts that is popularly and uncritically accepted with “blind faith” by many complacent  Christians. Herewith, the author shares some of the relevant Scriptural statements and examples that show the folly of that error, for those sufficiently interested in the truth to overcome the misinformation, despite years of indoctrination in the ways of error. As the reader gradually recognizes the error that I seek to correct through these quotes, please do choose to accept the explicit Scriptural teaching present in the quotes that I include for the benefit of all whose firm desire and commitment are to the truth.

Foolish by nature were all who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing the one who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan; Instead either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water, or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods. Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them. Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them realize from these things how much more powerful is the one who made them. For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen. But yet, for these the blame is less; For they have gone astray perhaps, though they seek God and wish to find him. For they search busily among his works, but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair. But again, not even these are pardonable. For if they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its Lord? (Wisdom 13:1–9).

Clearly and without any ambiguity, this wise passage, just quoted from the Jewish Testament of Scripture, identifies God’s natural revelation embedded in the very nature of creation itself and the importance of seeing it, recognizing it, and learning from it. For brevity, I omit most of the lessons that are contained in so many of the examples that are available in both the Jewish and the Christian Testaments of Scripture, which do accurately communicate and teach God’s method of revelation to mankind. It’s reasonable for me to do this because what can be learned from these lessons is often clearly and explicitly stated in other passages of Scripture.

Here, I simply note that the truth presented in Wisdom 13: 1-9 is so important a lesson that God repeats much of it in Rom 1:18–32 of the Christian Testament.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves,  because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. They know God’s decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die—yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them (Rom 1:18–32).

It helps to realize that Scripture is rather like the scattered pieces of a jig-saw puzzle fresh out of the box. We need to correctly fit many separate pieces together to see the “whole picture” presented and to recognize the incredible importance that some innocuous appearing separated pieces actually have.  For example:

But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”  So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ (Rom 10:14–17).

Another example of an extremely vital lesson is Eph 1: 22-23, where Paul informs us that God has made Jesus the head over everything for the church, “… which is his body, …” and that vital truth is the heart of the specific truths that I seek to share in this material. Reading that isolated bit of information leaves us more puzzled than consciously aware of the importance of the affirmed truth that the Church is in some real and important way the body of Christ, which has been continuously present in the world since His commission of the Apostles [and thus implicitly also of their successors] to teach in His name and with His authority.

Ephesians 5: 29-30 affirms that Christ nourishes and tenderly cares for His Church, affirming again the truth that we are members of his body. Ephesians 5:  22-24 will scandalize and possibly be dismissed by many women who have partaken of and deeply embraced the bitter fruit of a modern-day error. Men are not blameless regarding this fault because of their own failure to recognize the human freedom and rights of women.

Paul lays it all out in 1 Cor 12: 27-30. It’s worthwhile to also read 1 Cor 13: 1-3. Those who choose to seriously look by asking, seeking, and knocking for entrance will find Christ’s Church, substantially as described, continually present throughout history to our own day, just as Christ promised – with many witnesses attesting to this truth. For important details, please do read and reflect upon the full quote.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church (1 Corithians 12:27–31).

But everything stated thus far is only the prelude to the vital truth that Paul explicitly affirms in Ephesians 3: 8-12!  It is mere preparation for God’s plainly revealed truth, which too many refuse to accept, choosing instead to cling to the blind indoctrination that they have received from fallible men. Here then is Scripture’s explicitly proclaimed role of “the Church” which is central to and vital in God’s eternal plan:

this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3: 8-10).

The error, which this Scriptural quote refutes, is of course the Protestant doctrine of “The Bible alone”, which implicitly denies this key role of the Church, and instead attempts to transfer that role to the Bible!  According to this Scripture, it is through the Church, not through the Bible, and even less through “the Bible alone” that we are to receive the wisdom of God in its rich variety. In Ephesians 3: 8-12, Paul clearly denies “The Bible Alone” error, upon which Protestantism is built, by his proclamation of the central and vital role of “the Church” in God’s eternal plan.

Nor is this quote alone in its contradiction of this fundamental Protestant error. The error, indeed the hypocrisy of the Protestant doctrine of “The Bible alone”, is one of five errors at the heart and core of the Protestant “Re-formation” of the historic Christian Faith, as that Faith is actually taught by Scripture and the body of Christ, which is the only Church that Christ promised to protect by building it on “the rock of Peter”. Notice how consistently and coherently the following pieces of the Scriptural puzzle fit together, John 1: 42, Matt 16:17–19, Matt 7: 21-27, Luke 22: 31-32, and John 21: 15-17. Confirming Scriptural evidence of Peter’s unique role is found in Acts 10: 5-48 and 11: 1-18, Acts 15: 6 – 11, and even Gal 2: 9-14.

Another valuable Scriptural lesson is this sharp rebuke of the Jewish Sadducees by Jesus:

Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? … you are quite wrong (Mark 12: 24 – 27).

The Sadducees were publicly recognized and self-convinced Scriptural experts of Christ’s day, yet they appear to be the group that most vehemently rejected Christ.

Consider how Jesus Himself corrected His immediate Jewish hearers, and also all future Christians with this warning  that is recorded in John 5: 39–40:

You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

The full meaning and significance of that warning are crystal clear to those who accept Scripture’s unambiguous revelation that the Church is the body of Christ and also recognize and accept Christ’s commission of the Apostles, as recorded in John 20: 21-23.

And these next Scripture lessons are both clearer and even known to many self-proclaimed experts who willingly teach others to casually ignore and dismiss them. I am referring to Paul’s command in 2 Thess 2: 15,  his commendation in 1 Cor 11: 2, and his command in 2 Thess 3: 6 – 7:

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I handed them on to you (1 Corinthians 11: 2).

Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us ( 2 Thessalonians 3: 6).

The defect in the dismissal of the first command with the selectively limited response: “I would gladly do that if I could hear St. Paul’s voice, but his verbal teaching has been lost” is easily recognizable by anyone who carefully examines that claim. No Christian today, or for well over a thousand years, has read the words of Scripture that were actually written by Paul. And the vast majority of Christians have only read translations of copies of the words that Paul actually wrote; rather than even a written copy of Paul’s words.

In fact, Scripture even includes God’s revealed answer to this folly of fallible men and women:

You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well (2 Timothy 2: 1–2).

Why does Scripture give this assurance of the ability to continue the verbal teaching of God’s revelation to others through men commissioned by God? The answer to that question is also explicitly answered in Scripture:

Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us (2 Timothy 1:13–14).

What then is this good treasure entrusted to Timothy? After more than 65 years as a convert to the Catholic Faith, I finally really noticed and understood the purpose of the examples given throughout God’s Revelation, whether found in Scripture or the teaching of Christ’s Church, which Paul identifies as the body of Christ. Essentially, these many Scriptural examples or lessons are analogous to the pieces of a newly opened jigsaw puzzle. Every Christian’s challenge is to assemble these separate and individual pieces of information together properly in order to see the awesome “picture” that God has revealed to man. In our Grace aided but fallible efforts we have the help of other grace-aided but fallible Christians and most importantly the teaching and guidance of the Church, as just affirmed in the identified Scriptural quotes, to protect God’s revelation from the distortions introduced by those who go astray.

I leave it to the reader to discover the lessons in the Scriptural records of the interaction between Jesus and the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. The first immediate and important lesson is so clear, strong, and explicitly stated that it tends to blind us to the other lesson, which is even more vital to us as individuals. It is a detail; not the whole story.