Koresh had become the group’s leading prophet just a few years earlier. As their leader, he imposed many rules and took many wives including girls as young as age 11. He also built quite an arsenal of weapons, but at the expense of not having running water and plumbing. The environment was described by survivors as a “‘misguided paramilitary community’ in which sex, violence, fear, love, and religion were all intertwined.” (1)
Children who were tested were found to be at a normal reading level, so they were taught to read the Bible (the only known resource available). But the interpretation was skewed as Koresh claimed that he was the Lamb of God referenced in Revelation 5.12. Thus, it was not just the Bible that was important, it was Koresh’s understanding, his thoughts, and his decrees that dictated how everything should be run.
David Koresh and the Branch Davidians are not the only examples of this sort. From a pastor/church combination, man may remember Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. Of course, cult followings do not have to be fully religious in nature as Hitler and the Nazi Party reveal, but the power of religion and a leader who is both charismatic and power-hungry, will often lead to devastating results.
How do Koresh, Jones, and other cult leaders and cults relate to our study on the Reformation? First, let me say that I am not equating the pope and the Catholic Church to these other situations. The parallel, however, is found in the importance placed upon tradition and/or one man’s interpretation against the Bible. The Catholic Church had complete control over the people for over 1000 years because most people could not read Latin, which was the language of the Bible. So, only those educated, and primarily educated by the church and for the Church had any understanding of what the Bible said.
But when the Bible began to be translated, and the invention of the printing press made mass production possible, the people were able to get a Bible in their own language. The people began to have the ability to check the teachings of their leaders against the truth of God’s Word. The ability to check is why I place Scripture references with an encouragement to read them within my posts. I always encourage others to read these passages for yourselves rather than taking my word for it. Yes, I have formal training, and I try to pass on what I know and glean from Scripture, but none of us are perfect, nor can we be, on this side of eternity.
So, today, we discuss the third sola – solus Scriptura – by Scripture alone. The point of this sola is to place our emphasis on Scripture, not on any man’s interpretation of it, and not on traditions. By keeping our focus on Scripture instead of Scripture-plus, we remain true to God and are less likely to be swayed by man. (Incidentally, that is why I have asked Susan to place page numbers on the screen for our Scripture reading rather than the actual words – holding the Bible (or even your phone) and reading it for yourself, rather than something that could have been mistyped, is one way to ensure accuracy of what is being read.)
As I have each week, let me remind us what The Reformation was. Again, The Reformation is the same as The Protestant Reformation. The word reformation was developed as follows.
Reformation (Re – Form – Ation)
- RE – from a Latin word; has an element of “again” or “again and again”; a backward motion (like retrace or revert); return
- FORM – to construct or frame; to arrange or organize
- ATION – an act of process
So, if The Reformation was to return the Church to the idea of solus Scriptura, what was the benefit? Why was the idea of Scripture alone important? Let me give four reasons which come, appropriately, directly from Scripture – specifically from 2 Timothy 3.16-17.
Before I break down verse 16 let me share what Paul writes in the larger passage. Paul mentions all of the godlessness in the final days. In 2 Tim 3.2-5, he wrote that people would seek pleasure at all costs, be excessively arrogant, lack self-control, and give an appearance of being godly while only paying lip service to God (among other vile attributes). He then encourages Timothy to stay true to the path he has started – a path based upon the principles of Scripture and charges Timothy to preach these principles to others even though people will not want to hear it (4.1-4). In the midst of this passage, come the verses I will read – verses which share both that how and the why we must remain focused on Scripture.
All Scripture is:
All Christians have favorite verses and passages from Scripture. The problem is that we often ONLY gravitate to these passages and miss out on the fullness of Scripture. Perhaps it is because we find some parts boring. Perhaps, we find certain parts difficult to understand. Might it make you feel better to know that Peter thought Paul was difficult to understand (see 2 Peter 3.16)? But that is why God has provided us with teachers to help!
Breathed out by God
The word for “breathed out” has been translated in some Bibles as inspired. Certainly, God did inspire the writers of both the Old and New Testaments to write the words of the Bible. But the English Standard Version (ESV) uses God breathed, which adds so much. Just as God breathed into man, He has made Scripture living and active. The words may be ink on a page, but they come alive due to the Spirit of God piercing us to the core of our being (Hebrews 4.12).
Profitable
Not one letter is unimportant – not even the least stroke of a pen (Matt 5.18). The old adage is that Leviticus is where all Bible reading plans go to die, but that is our fault, not God’s. We may get bored with reading all of the family lineages, but these lineages show God’s faithfulness from generation to generation. All of Scripture is profitable if we just let God speak to us through His Word.
So if all of Scripture is profitable, what profit might we gain? Scripture is profitable for:
Teaching
What do you know about God or Jesus that hasn’t come from the Bible? Actually, plenty, but what of that is true. For instance, we can see the majesty of God in Creation – the stars, the mountains, etc. but those specifics are mentioned in the Bible as well. But we do take some traditions as truth from a variety of sources including traditions and hymns.
Traditions – What type of fruit was eaten in the Garden of Eden? An apple? Well, in Genesis 1.29 God says that they can eat from any fruit-bearing tree if the fruit has a seed. Apples have a seed, so it was not an apple. But you have likely believed that the fruit was an apple for so long, it will be hard to change your mind.
Hymns – I have mentioned this idea before but we firmly believe that Jesus did not cry in the manger because “no crying he makes” is a part of Away in a Manger. Likewise, we believe three kings visited Jesus. The truth is that the Bible does not mention whether or not Jesus cried, nor how many kings – although it does mention three gifts were brought.
My point is that the Bible should be our source for information about Jesus. Many tend to know more about Him from the songs they sing than from the autobiography He wrote. But the teaching here is not just about information, it is about transformation. The Bible teaches us more than just what we can know, it teaches how we should live.
We are given positive examples such as Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, and Paul. And we are given negative examples such as Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, and Paul. Yes, just like us – each had positive and negative aspects to their lives. And that is why we have the perfect example of Jesus as well. And because we have His Word and example, the next item is a must.
Reproof
To reproof is to rebuke. Specifically, this relates to false teaching, but let me generalize this thought for a moment. One of the current debates is on whether it is ok to kneel during the national anthem. The answer, per the 1st Amendment of the Constitution is “Yes.” Does that mean everyone must like it? No. Does it mean that people who giving death threats are right? Absolutely not. Do I wish people would stand? I do, but I wish more people read their Bible or were part of the church too.
My point is this: people often get very angry over certain issues. But the expressed anger is often on preferences rather than truth. The first amendment guarantees freedom of speech and body language is a language, so the term speech is relevant here. The same is true with the Bible. We all have certain sins that frustrate us more than others, and therefore we rebuke others for the sins that bother us most and are lenient towards those with which we often struggle. Worse, we often let society dictate what is or is not biblically important including whether we should reproof anyone.
“Do not judge” is often shouted at Christians. But the Bible tells us we are to judge those in the church. If the person is a part of the church, then they have submitted themselves to Jesus so really, as this verse states, all we need to do is mention Scripture and let the Holy Spirit convict the person. Thus, we aren’t really judging, we are letting the person judge themselves by the words of Scripture. But reproof is not enough, that is why Paul mentions the need to correct.
Correcting
Why does Paul include the need to correct? Because the statement, “You are worthless” is a form of rebuke. However, such a statement means little (although it may hurt a lot) because it provides no measure of why someone is worthless or what they can do about it. If we look at this idea from a biblical perspective, it would be equivalent to saying, “You sinner! All you do is sin.” to someone, especially a non-Christian without telling them what the sin is or how to stop.
Correcting, then, is taking the idea of rebuking and then being positive to help the person grow. For example, let’s say a Christian has an argument with someone and the relationship turns ugly. The word “hate” is used. The rebuke might be to remind the person of the Great Commandment – to love God and love others (Mark 12.38-41). The correction could then include Scripture to show how this could be done. For instance, Jesus command to pray for (not at or against) those who persecute you (Luke 6.27-31) and His example of praying for those who crucified Him (Luke 23.34) could serve as a means of correction. Such examples also then provide training in what it means to be a Christian. Although my example may be true for anyone, the correction should be welcome by a Christian – whose goal is to be like Christ.
Training in Righteousness
The final item mentioned in this passage is “training in righteousness.” Paul uses a similar phrase in 1 Timothy 4.7-8 when he wrote of being trained in godliness. Likewise, in Titus 2.11-12, Paul wrote of God’s grace training us to not be ungodly or worldly. The idea is that once we have been rebuked, and then having our thinking and actions corrected, we should pursue more than the minimum, we should want the best.
Consider it this way. Perhaps someone introduces you to a certain type of pie.
The pie is store bought, but it is good. Then, you meet someone who knows how to make that pie and it is delicious. They offer to teach you to make it and after a couple of tries your efforts taste as good as theirs. But you decide that the store-bought pie is satisfactory enough, so you never make the pie again.
This example typifies how many Christians live. They know the bare basics of Christianity. They know what not to do, but they do not seek to know the fullness of God’s riches and grace. It is one idea, for instance, to know “Thou shalt not murder” but it is another to learn to love. Furthermore, it is still another level of understanding that allows one to appreciate WHY the two commands are important. So, “Thou shalt not murder” is rebuking, learning to love is correcting, but knowing why love trumps murder is to be trained in righteousness.
CONCLUSION
As we move toward the end of this message, I have given reasons, directly from Scripture, for why Scripture is important. But the issue 500 years ago was, and the issue today is, not just Scripture, but the idea of Scripture alone, solus Scriptura. The issue at hand is “What do I obey?” We can obey Scripture or we can obey what we want to obey. We can observe the commands of Scripture or we can bow to the various traditions that hold us hostage.
In Jesus prayer found in John 17, He says to His Father, “Your word is truth” (v. 17). God’s Word is truth, not man’s. Man’s understanding will lead to people like David Koresh and Jim Jones to manipulate others for their benefit. Man’s opinion and understanding change frequently. More specifically, man’s opinion, even on religious matters will not reflect God’s Word. For instance, according to the Vatican website, Catholics fourteen years and older, are not to eat meat on Fridays (or perhaps some other food determined by bishops) as a part of being united in the acts of penance. The Bible speaks of fasting, but never demands such a practice, although in the Catholic Canon just mentioned, updated in 1983, it is a part of the “divine law.” (2)
Again, Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Not your word. Not my word. Not man’s word. Not the pope’s word. The only truth is God’s Word. Therefore, on issues of morality and religion, we must adhere to the principle of Solus Scriptura – Scripture alone.
JOURNEY: J – Jesus
One could argue that our JOURNEY letter this week could be O – Observe. But because the Bible is God’s written Word, and Jesus is the living Word, I still choose Jesus. The Reformation was about returning to the Church to the roots of the Christian faith, and it was Jesus who promised to build His Church – so, the rebuilding must take place through Jesus as well.
NEXT STEP(S): Learn: If we are to teach, reproof, correct, and train others in righteousness, it must be through God’s Word. Thus, we must first know the truths of God’s Word. Many people throughout the world gather for one or maybe two hours per week to hear, and perhaps, study God’s Word. But if we are to be the people He wants us to be, we must invest ourselves, our very lives, into knowing His Word intimately. Because as we do, we will come to know God more intimately, and that should be the goal for everyone who claims to know Christ.
Footnotes:
(1) http://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/04/us/growing-up-under-koresh-cult-children-tell-of-abuses.html?pagewanted=all, Accessed Oct 5, 2017)
(2) http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P4O.HTM, Canon 1251 (1983), Accessed Oct 5, 2017).
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