You wrote : We are told to test the truth - when speaking of traveling teachers where we DON'T know who appointed them.
I wrote : The scriptures don’t make that qualification.
You wrote : ??? Sure it does! Quite often. What's wrong with the verse you used?Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.Actually, the later writings of the NT also have such qualifications. John, Jude, Peter, Colossians and the Pastorals all speak of false teachers. Even Thessalonians and Corinthians and Galatians speak of such men. We test the veracity of their claim by the Gospel once given. That is how we know a false teacher - one who brings a different gospel, as Paul says in Gal 1:10.
My point is that such testing of a claimed gospel message was not reserved only to those appointments were in question. Such testing was commanded for all such presentations, no matter who gave it, known to be appointed or not.
In that passage you cite (i.e. Galatians 1) ... Paul says that even his message should be tested against (as you so correctly say) ... ”the Gospel once given.”Galatians 1: 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.What the early community was expected to do was to RETAIN what was once given by Paul and the other Apostles and use that as a reference to guard against traveling teachers who might distort the good News. When their teachings differed from the Apostles, when their fruit was noted, the community knew they were being given a false gospel. Again, look at Gal 1:10. Paul claims that the Gospel HE gave is from God. He doesn't say "whatever you guys come up with when you read the Scriptures". He says the "traditions once given". That does not bode well for trying to figure out God's teachings alone with your bible in your lap "guided by the 'spirit'".
As we said before, so say I now again, If any preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
And the gospel once given (by Paul, Peter, Matthew, John, etc.) is resident most assuredly in the scriptures. Even an Apostle once appointed ... can change his tune (witness Judas) ... so appointment really doesn’t assure veracity of the message.
And what happens when numerous opinions are expressed? When if the community is torn into dissension? What secures the future of the community that keeps it from splitting into numerous factions?
Jesus prayed that we would be all one. Not numerous factions that all had their own opinion on the "Gospel once given"...
Practically speaking, the fact that leadership exists and was inititiated by the Christ, we can presume that He had a good reason.
And the gospel once given (by Paul, Peter, Matthew, John, etc.) is resident most assuredly in the scriptures. Even an Apostle once appointed ... can change his tune (witness Judas) ... so appointment really doesn’t assure veracity of the message.
I heartedly disagree. How would YOU know 2000 years later that John, Peter, Paul, etc. were actual valid writings and not fraud or that the Gnostic Gospels were real?
Regards