That which I speak I speak it not after the Lord [1]
[1] 2 Corinthians 11:17: Paul never claimed that every word he wrote was Holy Writ. In fact, he often stated that it was not. When we read the apostle Paul’s writings, we must discern between what he claims is, “Thus saith the LORD,” and his commentary on what has already been written (the scriptures -Isaiah 8:20).
Paul even warned of counterfeit
letters being distributed among believers, as from him. Do we really believe
that counterfeiters would not also take Paul’s legitimate letters and change
them, interpolating their own skewed views? Some scholars believe there are instances of
this in our Bibles today. Paul addressed the issue of the forgeries in his
letter to Thessalonica.
“Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him That you be not soon shaken
in mind or be troubled neither by spirit, nor by word nor by letter as
from us forgeries with interpolations as that the day of
Christ is at hand Let no one deceive you by any means…” –2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
This is why Christians read the Old Testament and gain a comprehensive knowledge of what it says and does not say, because those are the scriptures referred to in the New Testament.
As Children of God, we must do our due diligence. The early Ekklesia compared everything the apostles taught with what had already been written (as commanded in Isaiah 8:20). And we must do the same.
This is an excerpt from The Hungry Hearts Bible Commentary edited by this author.
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