There have been great abuses in that form of church government historically. If the Pope makes a declaration on a theological matter, there is no higher authority to which to appeal because he speaks for God. Because of the abuses of that form of church government Martin Luther, and others in the Protestant reformation, appealed to the authority of the scriptures. The Catholic Church had gotten so far off that track that it needed a major shake up. The ultimate authority in theological matters for Protestants became the scriptures.
There are many Protestants today that will tell you that what they believe comes from the Bible. Many will, in fact, insist on it. It is true enough that the Protestant Reformation began with the motto: “Sola Scriptura”. But the fact is, a great deal of what most Christians believe is not found anywhere in the Bible.
What actually happens is that some person or group interprets what the Bible says and ‘that’ is what is then taught as being ‘only the Bible’. One group will assert that a particular teaching is correct and point to the scriptures to justify their view and another will point to the scriptures to prove just the opposite.
There are a lot of misconceptions about the ‘faith once delivered’ among Christians. The truth is, traditions from non-Christian sources have been grafted into the faith for centuries. The result is a religion that is far different in some of its principles and practices from the one that Jesus the Christ taught. The Protestant churches today have gotten so far off track that they now need a major shake up.
Some Christian sects have pointed to such things as Christmas and Easter as having pagan origins and no relationship to the teachings in the scriptures. These are some of the more obvious extra-biblical traditions that have been grafted into Christianity. But there are even more subtle teachings than those that permeate modern Christianity.
Teachings rooted in non-biblical traditions have been handed down for so long that they are most often not even questioned. They serve to cloud the true nature of the God revealed in Holy Scripture. Some teachings even contradict the principles revealed to us so completely that they would be recognized as anti-Christian to the first century church.
It’s difficult to examine the foundations of ones beliefs, especially when we grow up assuming them to be true so completely. It is in our nature to only see, that which supports what we already believe, and to not-see what is contrary to what we believe. For the sake of intellectual and spiritual honesty, however, I believe every aspect of our faith bears close scrutiny, especially our preconceived ideas.
Some will argue, quite correctly, that the Holy Spirit leads us to the truth. Without the Holy Spirit we can’t understand the true depth of the scriptures. It’s also true that there are other spirits that will readily lead us away from the truth. We are told to try the spirits to see if they speak the truth. The only test we have is to use the scriptures as our foundation. The true Holy Spirit would never lead us in a way contrary to the scriptures. God has given us both to guide us.
If something is found to be contradictory to the scriptures it should be discarded…no matter how engrained it has become. The motto of every honest Christian should be “Sola Scriptura”. The Bible should be the “sole basis of authority”. Tradition that does not find its roots in the history or principles of scripture should not be considered a part of the faith. Any ecumenical creeds should also be judged in that light. The Bible continually warns of false teachings finding their way into the Body of Christ. The only true authority of the church arises out of the principles and practices found in the scriptures. Anyone who teaches otherwise should be considered suspect. Anyone who teaches something contrary to the principles in the scriptures should be considered a false teacher…no matter how sincere.
One of the biggest misconceptions in modern Christianity is that God and Satan are somehow equal. Nothing could be further from the truth. Satan, is a created being that rebelled against God. He is completely under Gods authority. There is no equality between good and evil. God allows Satan and evil to exist as they suit His purposes.
Stemming from that misconception is the notion that God is somehow in competition for the souls of man. Many believe God is desperately trying to save as many people as possible, and anyone who doesn’t accept Christ as their savior is hopelessly lost. If that were the case God would be losing miserably because the vast majority of mankind has not accepted Christ. People that believe this misconception unwittingly elevate Satan in status. The God of the Bible is absolutely supreme in power and authority. God opens the hearts and minds of man in degrees. He is working with all human beings and calls them in His time.
Some people will tell you that even infants who die without knowing Christ are doomed to an eternity in hell-fire. They take one or two scriptures out of context to come to such misunderstandings. The god that that view describes is not the God revealed in the Bible. The God of the Bible is revealed to us as a just, merciful and loving Father in many, many scriptures. No fair minded judge on earth would condemn an infant in such a way, and there is no way the God revealed in the scriptures would.
Every teaching asserted by a church should be true to the principles laid down in scriptures. In other words, it should fit into the Big Picture harmoniously. The principles of eternal love, mercy, justice and humility should guide our understanding of all scripture.
Another guiding principle is 'obedience to God'. What God does not want is to create another Satan, another spirit being that rebels against Him. So, if it comes down to a choice between obeying God…or rationalizing why we don’t have to…go with obedience. Christ obeyed His Father unto death... If you love Him you’ll keep His commandments. Love is not what you feel…it’s what you do. And when it comes to someone else’s obedience to God, let them work that out with Him. You do what you understand. God didn’t create us, or call us, to sit in judgment on whether someone else receives the gift of eternal life. He'll do that himself.
Always keep in mind, the Bible is not a book of theory or philosophy. It is not a book to simply be read and walked away from...or studied, for the sake of studying. The Bible is a users manual. When you read it, and come to understand something, you need to put those things to practice in your life.
Ultimately the Bible was written to each of us personally. We should take what God reveals to us from it and work to improve our own lives. If every Christian would do that, the example it would set for non-believers would draw them to the church in droves. God called us to walk humbly with Him and to work out our own salvation in fear and trembling, not to take it for granted. When one is focused on the beam in ones own eye…one has very little time to find the motes in others.
Where others are concerned…be ready to always to give an answer for what you believe. Love them like you love yourself. Forgive them when they wrong you. Feed them if they’re hungry. Clothe them if they’re cold. Visit them if they’re lonely. And be there when they need a hand. Treat them they way you would like to be treated. Always remember that love isn’t just what you feel…it’s what you do. You can’t go wrong with those principles. Live those and you’ll get it…
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