RE: Contending for the Faith Series: Eisegesis or Exegesis?
@dwells, you have no argument with me here. I believe that the Old Testament Scriptures are inspired by God and are
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Tim 3:16-17.
I also, believe that God gave Apostles and prophets in His Church that gave us the New Testament Scriptures. Everything in the New Testament Scriptures has it's foundation in the Old Testament Scriptures. I believe, that through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I can read the Old Testament and see where it's prophesies and shadows pointed to Jesus and the Gospel message, which we now have made more certain. The Bereans we're searching the Old Testament to verify what the Apostles were teaching in the Gospel was indeed found in the OT scriptures. And indeed it is!
I love studying the Torah, because in it I see God's grace and love preparing a way for sinful man to be reconciled back to himself. But we now have rhe reality of what the OT pointed to. We have Jesus.
Why is what the Bereans studied considered to be scripture?
On what basis did the Bereans determine that what they studied to seek truth is "scripture"?
@dwells, that's a pretty good exestential question. I'm not sure why they considered it Scripture, since I never met them. What I can say is that I consider the Torah to be scripture because it is truth, and the Spirit inside of me testifies to my spirit that it is truth. The fact that the Torah is scripture seems self evident to me now, but I guess I never stopped to question why I believe that. Nonetheless, the end result is the same. The Bereans believed it to be true and so do I. I'm sure there are plenty of athiests and skeptics who would like to argue that point, but it doesn't matter. Truth is revealed by God.