Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals
Friday, September 25
More Bible Studies Available @ http://www.marktabata.com. To Receive Free Bible Studies and updates via email, contact Mark Tabata @ 606-216-1757 (SMS Only) or mailto:markatabata@gmail.com (Email). Follow me on Substack: http://substack.com/@marktabata. Also, please visit my author page: http://amazon.com/author/marktabata
1 Corinthians 14:37-If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.
The Bible teaches that the early Christians understood that the New Testament Scriptures had the same authority as the spoken word of the Apostles of Christ Jesus. We find evidence of this all throughout the pages of the Bible.
The apostles imposed their writings. Since the apostles were aware of their authoritative office it is reasonable to think that they intended to write books that would guide the church under that authority.[ 44] As B. B. Warfield said, The church did not grow up by natural law: it was founded. And the authoritative teachers sent forth by Christ to found His church, carried with them, as their most precious possession, a body of divine Scriptures, which they imposed on the church that they founded as its code of law.[ 45] Imposition can be seen in the commands that letters be circulated among the churches, even read publically in worship meetings (1 Thess. 5: 27; Col. 4: 16; Rev. 1: 3). Reading of the apostolic writings in the worship services was specially enjoined (“ I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren,” 1 Thess. 5: 27, KJV; “When this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea,” Col. 4: 16, KJV; cf. Rev. 1: 3).[ 46] Imposition is more subtle in other letters, yet it can still be seen. It was already mentioned that Peter wrote to “the pilgrims of the Dispersion” scattered broadly throughout five different regions (1 Pet. 1: 1). James also wrote “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (Jam. 1: 1). These are not the words of apostles writing to individual churches. It is reasonable to think that the apostles intended their letters to be widely distributed (i.e. imposed throughout regions). An example of imposition from the First Jerusalem Gathering of Leaders. The best and earliest example of apostolic imposition comes from the Bible itself. In Acts 15 we read that letters were written containing the decision of the apostles and elders at the close of the first Jerusalem Council (v. 23). Their decision was just not verbally imposed upon the church (v. 27) but circulated through written letters (v. 20, 23).[ 47] This set a clear precedence from the beginning. A written letter from an apostle (or apostles) was just as authoritative as if the commands were given in person by an apostle. To receive a written letter from an apostle was equal to a visit (cf. 3 John 13–14). Furthermore, spreading info this way was very useful. Written letters helped when making a trip in person was not possible (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2: 2). It also helped reach a wider audience more quickly with an important message. Thus the apostles imposed their authority via written communication. (Norman Geisler, Shawn Nelson, Evidence of an Early New Testament Canon, 16-17 (Kindle Edition): Matthews, NC: Bastion Books)
Many of our religious friends and neighbors are taught that no one knew which Books belonged in the New Testament until the Catholic church made that determination in 325 A.D. at the council of Nicaea. However, this is clearly not the case. The Christians had known and accepted the New Testament Scriptures for hundreds of years by the time of that religious gathering.
There is no greater need in our country-yes, in our entire world-then for people from all walks of life, all religions, and all denominational backgrounds, to return to the pattern of New Testament Christianity laid out in God’s Word.
Father, help us all to see our need to return to Your perfect pattern. Grant us wisdom to better understand and apply that patten to our lives. Amen.
Leave a Reply