Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianT
I have two concerns/questions about the original post:
1. Who gets to authoritatively decide what is "sound Biblical Doctrine"?
2. Isn't the implication of the original post that if two Christians are not in 100% agreement with each other doctrinally AND they are not in 100% agreement with sound Biblical doctrine (i.e. rather than just what they may mistakenly think sound Biblical doctrine is), isn't at least one of them a "heretick"?
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BrianT,
This is the first & last time I will address you, since I found out long ago that it is useless (and a waste of my time) to deal with sophists.
Sophists are:
2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge ofthe truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist thetruth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
#1. I am told (
in the King James Bible) to:
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." [2 Timothy 2:15] So I study God's Holy word {The King James Bible = Scripture = God's preserved words} and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance for knowledge, discernment and understanding of those Scriptures in determining what is TRUTH. [John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.]
Do I know all Biblical "Truth" - of course not! However, over the course of the last 50 years - through my studies, and as I have "searched the Scriptures" (which I have in a Book) to see if "whether those things were so", I receive light and confirmation from The Spirit, Who lives within me, "whether those things were so".
So - "
Who gets to authoritatively decide what is "sound Biblical Doctrine?" Ultimately I do, since if I don't, someone else is going to decide for me (that's the whole purpose of "studying" the word of God and seeking God's "approval" for "rightly dividing" His word.).
But I don't do these things in a vacuum or on my own, and I don't depend on "
schooling"; or professional "
scribes" & "
scholars"; or even
my own intellect. I seek out God's mind on all the issues of life (through His Holy Scriptures -
which I have in my hands) and believe what is written in the Bible and act on those things that I learn from it.
1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
1 John 2:26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
The people in the Lord Jesus Christ's time were amazed by His miracles, but they were also astonished because: "He taught them as one having AUTHORITY, and NOT as the scribes"!) My FINAL AUTHORITY (in all matters of faith and practice) is the King James Bible, and as such I am answerable to God as to whether I rightly divided the word of truth or not.
I have no "authority" over you or any other Christian (except for my wife), and I cannot "dictate" to you (or any other Christian) what to believe. I can only preach and teach the word of God and let the Holy Spirit do the convincing and convicting.
If I am wrong on a particular doctrine God will not "approve" of my teaching. That is why I am circumspect and extremely cautious about what I teach as doctrine, and hardly ever venture out into "speculation".
Your second point is specious (Sophistical) and I will not bother answering it since it is just a clever subterfuge for more "debate", "profane babblings", and "vain jangling", and instead of edifying the brethren it is contrary to "sound speech" and "wholesome words".