Infallibility in the Old Testament

[johnrogers85]

Similar to how the Church can infallibly interpret sacred Scripture today, what group or person had the ability to infallibly interpret the Torah and sacred Scripture in the Old Testament? The Pharisees? Or the priesthood? Or was there no such authority?

 

[OrbisNonSufficit]

Matthew 23:2-3

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

(Emphasis mine)

I think that is great reference to Old Testament Authority of Clergy. If you want to link it to New Testament Clergy, consider parable about vineyard and those who killed owner’s son so he came, killed them and found someone else to care for it. It also says Pharisees did realize Lord was talking about them. It is clear symbol that their Authority was transferred to Christian Clergy.

 

[Cathoholic]

johnrogers85 . . .

what group or person had the ability to infallibly interpret the Torah and sacred Scripture in the Old Testament?

The Old Testament church leaders wearing the urim and thummim and using it properly is one example.

God bless.

Cathoholic

 

[Kaninchen]

Or was there no such authority?

Interpret Scripture to what end? Judaism could be described as an endless argument about what is the ‘correct’ (ethical) thing to do in every circumstance - “on the one hand, meanwhile on the other hand . . . . . , whilst on an entirely other hand.”

(It’s what Jesus spends a lot of time doing in your Gospels.)

At a community level it’s what the ‘courts’ would be determining - Judaism hasn’t got laws, it is ‘Law’.

 

[Dovekin]

When the Jews returned from their exile in Babylon, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law in the ruins of the Temple. To authenticate this discovery, they consulted the Lord by asking the prophet Huldah:

When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his garments. The king then issued this command to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, son of Shaphan, Achbor, son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant:

“Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, and for all Judah, about the words of this book that has been found, for the rage of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us, because our ancestors did not obey the words of this book, nor do what is written for us.”

So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophet, wife of Shallum, son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; she lived in Jerusalem, in the Second Quarter.
2 Kings 22:11-14

It is the prophets, who speak by the power of the Holy Spirit, that confirm the teaching from the priests and kings. I think that is the answer to your question.

 

[White_Tree]

It is the prophets, who speak by the power of the Holy Spirit, that confirm the teaching from the priests and kings.

I think you are correct here.

The Bible indicates another potential source of authority besides the prophets as well.

These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim. – Ezra 2:62-63

So someone with Urim and Thummim might also fit the bill. Of course, if they had Urim and Thummim, maybe that makes them a prophet, in which case, we are back to your answer.

 

[Gorgias]

Similar to how the Church can infallibly interpret sacred Scripture today, what group or person had the ability to infallibly interpret the Torah and sacred Scripture in the Old Testament? The Pharisees? Or the priesthood? Or was there no such authority?

Not as such. That is, not under the charism of “infallibility”. However, Jesus alludes to the fact that those who sit “on the chair of Moses” have authority. And their authority was “to bind and loose”, that is, to teach.

So… “authoritative teaching” for Jews? Sure. “Infallibility”? Not so much.

 

[kapp19]

The prophets… But because they spontaneously arise and can also lie, this is insufficient, at least for a worldwide visible covenantal structure (the Church).

 

[Genesis315]

The Holy Spirit had not yet been poured forth to lead them in all truth. Rather, they had prophets which received revelation and inspiration from God to help keep them on track. They had kings to govern. And they had priests to offer sacrifice (the high priest with the Urim and Thummim had a special prophetic charism). Christ joined these offices in Himself. Through baptism, joined to Him as a body to its Head, the people of the Church as a whole partake of them. In a special way the bishops exercise these offices in their roles of sanctifying (priest), teaching (prophet), and governing (king). The infallibility of the Church as a whole, and the bishops in particular, comes from this unity with Christ and His sending of the Holy Spirit.