Frank

Hello, everyone. Thought I would stop by and see what’s been going on since I last participated in the discussion here. I have spent some time on Wade Burleson’s website, discussing with some people my understanding of the inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture; the Council of Nicea; and my position on what really happened at the Council of Jerusalem, according to Acts 15:1-35. I had gone there to take a break and recharge my batteries, after having had a long, exhausting debate here with Mark about the Trinity and the misuse of 1 Cor. 11:3.

Anyway, Dave your comments regarding Jesus and the Scripture were similar to someone who thought I was a Bibliolator–i.e., that I worshipped Scripture rather Christ, who was the Word of God. I affirmed that while I did indeed truly believe in the inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture, and so it was the final rule of all I believe and do as a Christian, it was never to stand in the place of the Triune God, but the means by which the Spirit enables us to enter into a saving knowledge of that God, through Christ.

And then I pointed out that Jesus himself had told this to the Pharisees who, if anyone, were bibliolators, when he said, “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life…Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” (John 5:39-40, 45-47, NLT) So it is one thing to recognize and honor Scripture as the true and reliable guide as regards Jesus’ teaching and lifestyle, which we are to follow as his disciples, but quite another to make Scripture his replacement. That is biblioatry of the worst kind.

KR Wordgazer, not everyone who “is big on the absolute sovereignty of God” believes God never will directly reveal himself to a woman, nor ever gift or call her to be minister and teacher of his Word. I am a firm believer in the sovereignty of God in the salvation and preservation of his people in Christ; but I also firmly believe, on the basis of 1 Cor. 12:1-13 and Eph. 4:11-16, that not only does the Holy Spirit equally gift call men and women to ministry and leadership, both he does in full agreement with both the Father and Son.

Now to anyone who denied this, the only thing I could say to them is what Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures nor do you know the Holy Spirit” (Mark 12:24, my rendering). Moreover, to someone who, like Grudem, demanded “just one example” of such a woman who so spoke God’s word to his people, then I would point to Mary, the Mother of Jesus and her prophetic word, The Magnificant, in Luke 1:46-55. And every time the Christmas story is read, and we recite her song, Mary is again proclaiming God’s Word to us. End of discussion, as far as I am concerned.