Replies

I for one enjoy the iron sharpening here. If done right, one goes to the Bible to prove their point, at least in my opinion. On second thought, it is not so much proving a point as revealing the truth.

And that is obviously the issue and revelation here. What is the “touchstone” to test the truth? Some use the Bible, some use tradition, some use “experts” to do their thinking, Some use their own worldly thinking, etc..........

But the following did come to mind this morning:

1Co 11:19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!

God is involved in the process here. He is listening. A reminder to me also.

Now for you thinkers, WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF TRUTH?

Now for you thinkers, WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF TRUTH?

Obviously, God, and His material source is Scripture, which is the only substantive transcendent wholly inspired of God body of Truth.

God's means of preservation is writing:.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book.. (Exodus 17:14)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. (Exodus 34:27)

And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing.. (Deuteronomy 10:4) And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: (Deuteronomy 17:18) And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law,..(Deuteronomy 27:3)

And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, (Deuteronomy 31:24) Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: (Isaiah 30:8; cf. Job 19:23)

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:31)

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12)

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)

As is abundantly evidenced, the word of God/the Lord was normally written, even if sometimes first being spoken, and that as written, Scripture became the transcendent supreme standard for obedience and testing and establishing truth claims as the wholly Divinely inspired and assured, Word of God.

It was not oral tradition that preserved the word of God and resulted in national repentance, but,

And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan. (2 Chronicles 34:14-15)

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. (2 Chronicles 34:18-19)

Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. (2 Chronicles 34:29-31)

Nor was it oral tradition that the Lord rebuked the devil (Mt. 4) and religious leaders by (Mt. 22) and substantiated His mission by and opened the understanding of the disciples to. (Lk. 12:44,45)

In contrast, oral tradition by nature us supremely susceptible to undetectable corruption, with Scripture (what parts of the Word of God were not directly written) being the wheat of such among the chaff, and thus both Jewish and Catholic oral tradition contains teachings that are not the word of God, but which are claimed to be under the unwarranted premise of the veracity of leadership.