If it’s obvious, then why did it take a millennium and a half for anyone to notice?
***Hi, mschrank!
…because for millennia people were reading complete passages, and not truncated, easy to contort fractions of Scriptures… let me show you what I mean:
8 Now as Jannes and Mambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no farther: for their folly shall be manifest to all men, as theirs also was. 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine***, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions: such as came upon me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra: what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse: erring, and driving into error, 14 But continue thou in those things which thou hast learned and which have been committed to thee. Knowing of whom thou hast learned them: 15 And because from thy infancy thou hast known the holy scriptures which can instruct thee to salvation by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work. (2 Timothy 3:8-17–DRV)
…notice how easily Paul puts it…
- there’s a Doctrine being taught
- there’s a common Faith
- there are Consequences to living the Faith
- there’s a Constancy of Learning that begins even at an age where the human mind is not fully developed…
But there is also something that many totally reject:
So it is not sufficient to know that there are Sacred Writtings… it is important that we get into the habit (as early as childhood) of learning the Scriptures… and we must not fall for any source out there; we must be aware of who our instructor is because, as the beginning of the passage states, there are those who “resist the truth, men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith” who will contort Scriptures to serve their own particular belief.
Maran atha!
Angel