From the Mailbag
Feb 16 by Ingrid Schlueter
A reader sent in these thoughts on the emerging teachers today.
Dear Ingrid,
These emerging church types, along with the New Agers, often use Christianized talk, but with a different meaning. They state that the words in the Bible can mean anything and ultimately there is no ascertainable meaning. This sounds very “spiritual” in an intellectual way; but I use these facts to combat this:
1.) The words on the page is NOT the Scripture, but the meaning of the words on the page is the Scripture. I think that this is a carry-over from Rome; when they would parade around holding up this huge bible, acting as if that book and the words thereon was God’s Word! If the written words on the page of the book is God’s Word, then how can our Blessed Redeemer be called “The Word.” It is the meaning, the message of the book that is the Scripture!
2.) If words can’t be ascertained and the meaning of the book is the Scriptures, then that statement is a blatant denial of the Scriptures. They are denying the Scriptures, plain and simple. Yes, there are differences in interpretation of some aspects, but the core doctrines of the faith remain and identify the remnant. To say that since there are differences in interpretation and therefore lets just accept any interpretation regardless is a denial of Scripture, as both epistles to Timothy and Hebrews 4:12 plainly state.
3.) If their premise on words and meaning is correct, it is not only a denial of Scripture but a denial of the Sovereignty of God and his character. If a Sovereign God can’t communicate to us with a book stated numerous times to be His word, then just how sovereign can He be?
S.A.
