if a man teaches you about ideas then use your bible to test the truth… EVEN THE BIBLE COMMANDS YOU TO DO THIS!
1Th 5:21 prove all things; hold fast that which is good;
JL: Not to be argumentative, but actually [1Th5:21 prove all things; hold fast that which is good;] doesn’t COMMAND or tell us, HOW we are to prove all things. Scripture is certainly one of the important ways, as NOTHING CONTRADICTING scripture could be accepted and held as good. Yet namy denominations hold traditions of men made doctrines of God, in the 1520’s, Such as sola scriptura, faith ALONE, once saved always saved, baptism a symbol only, invisible church, etc… All of which CONTRADICT scripture.
Scripture can and IS often misinterpreted (even sincerly) as we see by the many sola scriptura denominations. All claiming to be led by the same Holy Spirit in their particular interpretation of the same scripture. If scripture ALONE could be used to prove or disprove ideas taught by man, there wound NOT be thousands of contentious denominations. There would only be ONE visible Church, which Christ intended and promised the gates of hell would NEVER prevail against. We know Christ has keep his promise, 1Tm3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in THE HOUSE OF GOD, which is
THE CHURCH of the living God, THE
PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH.]
Scripture does indicate HOW to test all things. [Acts2:41 Then **THEY THAT gladly RECEIVED HIS WORD were BAPTIZED: and the same day there
WERE ADDED UNTO THEM about three thousand souls. 42 And
THEY CONTINUED steadfastly IN the
APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE and
FELLOWSHIP, and in
BREAKING OF BREAD, and in
PRAYERS.
Those that received his word were baptized. Born again by water AND the Spirit as children of God, becoming members of Christ’s body the Church. They CONTINUED steadfastly in the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Fellowship and their DOCTRINE.
[1Cor 1:9 God is faithful **you were called into THE FELLOWSHIP OF his Son JESUS CHRIST 10 I appeal to you
BREATHREN by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you
AGREE that there be no dissensions among you that you
BE UNITED in the
same mind and THE SAME JUDGMENT. 1Jn 4:6
We are of God Whoever knows God LISTENS TO US and he who is not of God DOES NOT LISTEN TO
US BY THIS WE KNOW the spirit of
TRUTH and the spirit of
ERROR]
They continued steadfastly in the Apostles FELLOWSHIP of Jesus Christ. ABIDING in the Apostles DOCTRINE, whether by word OR epistle. That Tradition received from the beginning. By ABIDING in that gospel truth, HEARD FROM THE BEGINNING, and LISTENING to those who have the gift of the Holy Spirit, to lead the Church into all TRUTH, [Jn16:13 Howbeit when he, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, IS COME, he WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.].
We know with assurance
TRUTH from ERROR listening to those Christ SENT to teach the WHOLE world till the end, remember the Church was up preaching and teaching twenty or more years before the FIRST letter of the NT was ever written. [Mt28:16 Then THE ELEVEN disciples WENT away into Galilee, INTO A MOUNTAIN where JESUS had APPOINTED them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And JESUS came and SPAKE UNTO THEM, saying, ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH. 19 GO ye therefore, and **TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS whatsoever I HAVE COMMANDED YOU: and, lo,
I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, even UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD. Amen.] Everything is TESTED, by the Word of God, WHETHER by WORD or EPISTLE, in light of the Apostlic Tradition as lived out and practiced by the Church. Scripture especially the NT books were discerned by Apostolic Tradition.
[2Thes2:14 Whereunto he called you by **OUR GOSPEL, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore,
BREATHREN, STAND FAST, and
HOLD THE TRADITIONS which ye have been
TAUGHT, WHETHER BY WORD OR our EPISTLE. Some have a tradition of men, saying ALL oral Tradition is now is scripture, yet they cannot give a scripture saying that is the case. They cannot show us scripture telling us, we are no longer to hold Traditions whether by Word or Epistle. If there was no oral Apostolic or Divine Tradition, why would scripture say to hold traditions WHETHER by WORD or EPISTLE??
[2Tim1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou STIR UP **THE GIFT OF GOD, which is **IN THEE BY **the
PUTTING ON OF MY HANDS. 7 For GOD HATH NOT GIVEN **US **THE SPIRIT OF FEAR; **BUT OF POWER, ** and of love, and of a sound mind.]
2Tim1:13
HOLD FAST the form of
SOUND WORDS, which thou hast
HEARD OF ME, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 14 THAT GOOD THING which was
COMMITTED unto thee **KEEP BY THE HOLY GHOST **which dwelleth
IN US.
2Tim2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And
THE THINGS that THOU HAST HEARD OF ME among many witnesses,
THE SAME COMMIT thou TO FAITHFUL MEN, who shall be
ABLE TO TEACH OTHERS also.
Paul even checked his teaching with that one fellowship, to be sure he was not teaching another doctrine or gospel. [Gal2:1 Then fourteen years after **I WENT UP AGAIN TO JERUSALEM with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2 And I went up
BY REVELATION, and
COMMUNICATED UNTO THEM that GOSPEL which I PREACH among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation,
LEST BY ANY MEANS I SHOULD run, or HAD RUN, IN VAIN.]
But to me I do not want part of the truth. I MUST have the FULLNESS of the Truth, And that is promsed to me by God in the Catholic Church. So to me the right Religion is the Most Important thing.