OUTLINE:

The Ground and Pillar of the Faith 

THE WITNESS OF PRE-REFORMATION HISTORY TO THE DOCTRINE OF SOLA SCRIPTURA
- Nathan Busenitz

The Church (Christ’s Body)
The Church is not a reference to any temporal structure; rather, it is a reference to the one true spiritual Body/Bride of Christ (1Co 1:2-4; Rev 19:7). It is most emphatically NOT the “Church” that the Roman Catholic religion espouses.

Rev 19:7
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride [the Church] has made herself ready.”

Instead of listening to the “whispers” of others (e.g., the doctrines of men), we ought to go right back to the original source, that is, the Word of God.
(God’s original statements!)

Ro 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Chinese Whispers
Too many people are playing “Chinese Whispers” with their faith. A perfect example is regarding the “Church”. Many people take a perverted definition from perverse religions, never checking the SOURCE, the Bible.

Nathan Busenitz
[A] number of church fathers expressly state that they regarded the Scriptures as more authoritative than their own opinions and teachings. Rather than elevating their interpretations to a level of equal authority with Scripture, they elevated Scripture above their own perspectives.

Dionysius of Alexandria (ca. 265)
We did not evade objections, but we endeavored as far as possible to hold to and confirm the things which lay before us, and if the reason given satisfied us, we were not ashamed to change our opinions and agree with others;

Dionysius of Alexandria (ca. 265)
…but on the contrary, conscientiously and sincerely, and with hearts laid open before God, we accepted whatever was established by the proofs and teachings of the Holy Scriptures.

Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. 315– 386)
For concerning the divine and holy mysteries of the faith, not even a casual statement must be delivered without the Holy Scriptures; nor must we be drawn aside by mere plausibility and artifices of speech.

Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. 315– 386)
Even to me, who tell you these things, do not give absolute credence, unless you receive the proof of the things which I announce from the divine Scriptures. For this salvation which we believe depends not on ingenious reasoning, but on demonstration from the Holy Scriptures.

Basil of Caesarea
Those hearers who are instructed in the Scriptures should examine what is said by the teachers, receiving what is in conformity with the Scriptures and rejecting what is opposed to them; and that those who persist in teaching such doctrines should be strictly avoided.

Our God-given Duty
Let us examine the scriptures for ourselves, one day at a time, simply seeking the truth and coming to the freedom of our own convictions.

Augustine
For the reasonings of any men whatsoever, even though they be [true Christians], and of high reputation, are not to be treated by us in the same way as the canonical Scriptures are treated.

Augustine
We are at liberty, without doing any violence to the respect which these men deserve, to condemn and reject anything in their writings, if perchance we shall find that they have entertained opinions differing from that which others or we ourselves have, by the divine help, discovered to be the truth.

Augustine
I deal thus with the writings of others, and I wish my intelligent readers to deal thus with mine.

Nathan Busenitz
As Augustine suggests, intelligent readers are those who evaluate patristic writings against the standard of biblical truth, not vice versa.

How can we adequately define “good” if we are relegated to playing the game “Chinese Whispers”???

Go To the Source…
If you want to know the truth about what is good, then go to the source - God! The Bible is literally the “Word of God”. (ref. Lk 11:5-13)

“persistence”
from anaideia - conveys the idea of urgency, audacity, earnestness, boldness, and relentlessness - like the persistent asking of a desperate beggar. (ala Lk 18:13)

The Perfect Measurements
May our measurements in life, the things we count as "good" for example, always be measured against the Word of God, which is never wrong or inaccurate.