What does the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written" mean?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Big_Dummy
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Big_Dummy

Guest
1 Corinthians 4:6 (New International Version)

6Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.
 
After Paul’s first visit to Corinth, to establish the “Church” he discovered that the church was in the process of splitting with some factions claiming they belonged to “Paul” others to “Peter” and still others claiming to have a relationship with “JESUS” that no other group had.
Pauls declaration not to go beyond what is written ( or set down) was intended to bring the Church back to the faith and away from all the factions that were splitting the Church through the different interpretations and claims of authority.
As per philosophy professer Peter Kreeft advises, “We do not have the authority to edit the words of GOD”, which was what was happening in Corinth - and following Father Martin Luthers posting of the 99 thesis.
 
Thats a possible interpretation I never heard before, interresting.

From my study of Talmud and Jewish literature. I found that in that time that saying had to do with taking the Scriptures too literally concerning applying them to one’s own life. Basically, the saying was making fun of the person who took things too literally who did not be craeative in applying God’s law to their life. For example, charity is expected of all Righteous. Taking the law too literally, would be limited oneself to only ten percent in the tithe. Whereas, going beyond the literal would be the good samarithan in Jesus’ paraiable.
 
It is not meant to be understood that Paul is pushing Bible only, not that broad of a sense where our whole Faith is limited to Bible alone (the canon of Scripture was not even defined then). But Paul is referring to the places in the Old Testament Scriptures where it warns against boasting and being puffed up, which is what Paul is talking about in verse 6-7.
 
Ditto what Copland said ---- St. Thomas Aquinas cross-referenced this verse with Wisdom 4:19 which reads: “And they shall fall after this without honour, and be a reproach among the dead for ever: for he shall burst them puffed up and speechless, and shall shake them from the foundations, and they shall be utterly laid waste: they shall be in sorrow, and their memory shall perish.” Essentially, Paul was saying one doesn’t even have to go beyond the Scripture that teaches pride is to be avoided. He also may be suggesting not to add words to those passages in order to get them to mean something else.
 
The puffed up thing makes no sense, could you kindly show it from the context of the original quote, please.
 
Big_Dummy said:
The puffed up thing makes no sense, could you kindly show it from the context of the original quote, please.
Click to expand...
“I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.”

Thomas Aquinas’ idea was, there are certain Scriptures which teach us not to be puffed up; Paul here says not to go beyond them, that we might not be puffed up. 1 Cor. 4:6 is a simple command to be obedient to the words of Scripture. Do not go beyond them, or you will be puffed up; for they teach you not to be puffed up.
 
In one’s interpretation of scripture, one should not draw conclusions which are not explicitly presented by the text and then claim such conclusions to be a doctrine of God . This would apply to the Old Testament. It would also apply to the writings of the apostles as contained in the New Testament.

For example: Romans 9:22 states “What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath - prepared for destrucion?” This passage was used by Calvin and Luther as authority for their doctine of “pre-birth predestination to damnation”. The passage doesn’t address any pre-birth action taken by God regarding any individual. The passage also doesn’t address eternal destiny. So, Calvin and Luther went “beyond what is written”.

On the other hand, we know that we are saved By Grace, Through Faith and not By Works because Ephesians 2:8 expressly states this. “For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” John 3:16 is like it: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever Believes in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.” Salvation is by Faith and Faith alone… True Faith, but nontheless, by Faith. All quotes are from the NIV.

God Bless you and yours!
 
bbbeatt said:
In one’s interpretation of scripture, one should not draw conclusions which are not explicitly presented by the text and then claim such conclusions to be a doctrine of God . This would apply to the Old Testament. It would also apply to the writings of the apostles as contained in the New Testament.

For example: Romans 9:22 states “What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath - prepared for destrucion?” This passage was used by Calvin and Luther as authority for their doctine of “pre-birth predestination to damnation”. The passage doesn’t address any pre-birth action taken by God regarding any individual. The passage also doesn’t address eternal destiny. So, Calvin and Luther went “beyond what is written”.
X
God Bless you and yours!
Click to expand...
If they really did base their doctrine about that on only THAT single verse the your example might be a good one.
On the other hand then I’m the greatest prophet of the last days since I can find more:

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Act 10:41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

and there is more on this subject
AND
I’m not a Calvinist
If God knows it does not mean that we know
and one can find opposing verses to “once saved always saved”

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

or just think that what if this son would NOT have repented:
Luk 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.​

Maybe I went off-topic?
then I answered to the original question by example?
 
bbbeatt said:
On the other hand, we know that we are saved By Grace, Through Faith and not By Works because Ephesians 2:8 expressly states this. “For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” John 3:16 is like it: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever Believes in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.” Salvation is by Faith and Faith alone… True Faith, but nontheless, by Faith. All quotes are from the NIV.
Click to expand...
Dear Sir / Ma’am,

I must lovingly remind you that you are going beyond what is written:

James 2:24 “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (and many other verses, including Paul himself - that we were created by God to do good works, Eph 2:10, Mt 25:31 and following (note both sheep and goats have “faith” and call Christ “Lord”)etc, etc, etc…).

You have gone beyond what is written in Ephesians and John’s Gospel and used those verses as “trump” over the rest of Sacred Scripture.

When you go by what is written - ALL of what is written - and what is taught by proper authority (cf. Acts 8:30-31 - cf. 1Pet1:20 - cf. 2Pet3:16, 2 thes 2:15, 1 thes 2:13 and others) you realize that Faith and Works are inseperateable for our salvation.

Also if you want another angle on what Paul ment here and in other places when he used the phrase “Works of the Law”, please look up Dead Sea Scroll 4QMMT. It has the ONLY other ancient use of the phrase “Works of the Law”. According to this scroll, Works of the Law was making sure you had the right sticks to make your sacred fires for sacrifice, clearing the dogs out of the temple and discussing whether or not a ritually clean pitcher can become unclean by pouring water into an unclean bowl…

You will notice it does NOT say that feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, visiting the sick and imprisioned, bury the dead and sheltering the homeless are “Works of the Law”… But Sacred Scripture makes it clear that these things are Necessary for Salvation (Mt. 25:31 again as well as others).

to the OP this may help you:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=657479

God Bless, :signofcross:
 
PoorKnight said:
Dear Sir / Ma’am,

I must lovingly remind you that you are going beyond what is written:

James 2:24 “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (and many other verses, including Paul himself - that we were created by God to do good works, Eph 2:10, Mt 25:31 and following (note both sheep and goats have “faith” and call Christ “Lord”)etc, etc, etc…).

You have gone beyond what is written in Ephesians and John’s Gospel and used those verses as “trump” over the rest of Sacred Scripture.

When you go by what is written - ALL of what is written - and what is taught by proper authority (cf. Acts 8:30-31 - cf. 1Pet1:20 - cf. 2Pet3:16, 2 thes 2:15, 1 thes 2:13 and others) you realize that Faith and Works are inseperateable for our salvation.

Also if you want another angle on what Paul ment here and in other places when he used the phrase “Works of the Law”, please look up Dead Sea Scroll 4QMMT. It has the ONLY other ancient use of the phrase “Works of the Law”. According to this scroll, Works of the Law was making sure you had the right sticks to make your sacred fires for sacrifice, clearing the dogs out of the temple and discussing whether or not a ritually clean pitcher can become unclean by pouring water into an unclean bowl…

You will notice it does NOT say that feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, visiting the sick and imprisioned, bury the dead and sheltering the homeless are “Works of the Law”… But Sacred Scripture makes it clear that these things are Necessary for Salvation (Mt. 25:31 again as well as others).

to the OP this may help you:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=657479

God Bless, :signofcross:
Click to expand...
Quite right! We can’t have good enough deeds to be accepted
Only Christ can save us
BUT
when we are True Believers™
then we also can’t help but so love and mercy everywhere
(yet maybe failing from time to time)

James/Jakob 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
James/Jakob 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
James/Jakob 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
James/Jakob 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
 
bbbeatt said:
In one’s interpretation of scripture, one should not draw conclusions which are not explicitly presented by the text and then claim such conclusions to be a doctrine of God . This would apply to the Old Testament. It would also apply to the writings of the apostles as contained in the New Testament.

For example: Romans 9:22 states “What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath - prepared for destrucion?” This passage was used by Calvin and Luther as authority for their doctine of “pre-birth predestination to damnation”. The passage doesn’t address any pre-birth action taken by God regarding any individual. The passage also doesn’t address eternal destiny. So, Calvin and Luther went “beyond what is written”.

On the other hand, we know that we are saved By Grace, Through Faith and not By Works because Ephesians 2:8 expressly states this. “For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” John 3:16 is like it: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever Believes in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.” Salvation is by Faith and Faith alone… True Faith, but nontheless, by Faith. All quotes are from the NIV.

God Bless you and yours!
Click to expand...
Regarding:
Romans 9:22 states “**What if **God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath - prepared for destrucion?”

Paul was asserting that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He said “WHAT IF” not that “GOD DID.” Paul was asserting that we are not to question God’s Plan of Salvation. We are required to cooperate with His Plan of Salvation and not question it.

Paul also states the following:

2 Timothy 2:19-21 (NKJV)
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ[a] depart from iniquity.”

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

The unrighteous sinners/vessels who do cooperate with God’s mercy and grace and thereby repent of their sins do change their status from unrighteous sinners/vessels to righteous children/vessels of God.
 
CyberAngel said:
…

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Act 10:41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

and there is more on this subject
AND
I’m not a Calvinist
If God knows it does not mean that we know
and one can find opposing verses to “once saved always saved”

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

or just think that what if this son would NOT have repented:
Luk 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.​

Maybe I went off-topic?
then I answered to the original question by example?
Click to expand...
God chose His elect according to His foreknowledge of future events. God knows everything about everything. He is all-knowing/omniscient. Past, present, and future are all eternally present to Him. God is not restricted or constrained by time as we on earth are.

1 Peter 1:2
elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

Before the foundation of the world, God foreknew which of all the persons He would later create would still be faithful to Him and to His commandments at the time of their deaths. God predestined/elected to eternal life only the persons whom He foreknew would still be faithful to Him at the time of their deaths. God did put only these still faithful at death persons into His hand and into His Son’s hand. The persons whom God predestined are called His elect.

Predestine is only used in a positive sense in the Bible. A person can be predestined to inherit eternal life, but he cannot be predestined to hell. He will be condemned to hell instead.

All persons are called by God to repentance and justification. Some ignore the call and therefore they remain unrighteous/unjustified. These persons were called, but they were never justified, and so they were also not glorified in heaven after the judgment, and therefore they were also not predestined by God to inherit eternal life before the foundation of the world.

Some persons will answer His call and repent and as a result become baptized/sanctified/justified/made righteous. However, these justified persons will not remain faithful to God and to His commandments until they die and so these unfaithful persons will be condemned to hell when they die. These persons will fall away from the faith through disobedience to God’s commandments and they will not repent again before they die. These persons were called and justified, but they were not glorified in heaven after the judgment and therefore they were not predestined to inherit eternal life before the foundation of the world.

Some persons will answer God’s call and repent and be justified/made righteous, but they will later fall away and then return to repentance and sanctifying grace (perhaps many times) before they die. They that are in the state of sanctifying grace when they die, they will inherit eternal life. These persons were called and justified and glorified in heaven after the judgment and therefore they were also predestined to inherit eternal life before the foundation of the world.

They who are not in the state of sanctifying grace at the time of their deaths will not be approved to inherit eternal life. They will be condemned to hell. These fallen away persons were called and justified, but they were not glorified and therefore they were not predestined to eternal life before the foundation of the world.

A few people will answer His call, repent, and then they will cooperate always with the Holy Spirit of Grace and thereby they will remain faithful to God and to His commandments until they die. These few will indeed inherit eternal life. These persons God called, justified, glorified, and predestined to eternal life before the foundation of the world.

The elect persons whom God had predestined before the foundation of the world; they were also called, justified, and glorified in heaven after the judgment according to His omniscient foreknowledge of all their future free will actions and these works were all finished even before the foundation of the world:

Romans 8:30 NKJV
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Regarding:
Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

The writer of Hebrews is using hyperbole/exaggeration to warn his listeners of the seriousness of falling away from the faith through sin. A person who finds God, but later rejects Him and His commandments, is in extreme danger of condemnation to hell. Unless he repents again before his death, he will not inherit eternal life. Many persons die suddenly without any warning and they have no time to repent.

Other examples of hyperbole are:

Matthew 23:9 (NKJV)
9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

Mark 9:47
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—

Hyperbolic statements are not meant to be taken literally.
 
1 Corinthians 4:6, “Do not go beyond what is written” is similar to Deuternomy 12:32 “Everything that I command you you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to it or take from it."

Any doctrine should be EXPRESSLY STATED in scripture before it is accepted as a doctrine of God. God does not need man to improve on his words. We have too many doctrines… man made doctrines.
 
PoorKnight said:
Dear Sir / Ma’am,

I must lovingly remind you that you are going beyond what is written:

James 2:24 “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (and many other verses, including Paul himself - that we were created by God to do good works, Eph 2:10, Mt 25:31 and following (note both sheep and goats have “faith” and call Christ “Lord”)etc, etc, etc…).

You have gone beyond what is written in Ephesians and John’s Gospel and used those verses as “trump” over the rest of Sacred Scripture.

When you go by what is written - ALL of what is written - and what is taught by proper authority (cf. Acts 8:30-31 - cf. 1Pet1:20 - cf. 2Pet3:16, 2 thes 2:15, 1 thes 2:13 and others) you realize that Faith and Works are inseperateable for our salvation.

Also if you want another angle on what Paul ment here and in other places when he used the phrase “Works of the Law”, please look up Dead Sea Scroll 4QMMT. It has the ONLY other ancient use of the phrase “Works of the Law”. According to this scroll, Works of the Law was making sure you had the right sticks to make your sacred fires for sacrifice, clearing the dogs out of the temple and discussing whether or not a ritually clean pitcher can become unclean by pouring water into an unclean bowl…

You will notice it does NOT say that feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, visiting the sick and imprisioned, bury the dead and sheltering the homeless are “Works of the Law”… But Sacred Scripture makes it clear that these things are Necessary for Salvation (Mt. 25:31 again as well as others).

to the OP this may help you:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=657479

God Bless, :signofcross:
Click to expand...
Faith and works are inseparable. James explained in 2:17 that faith without works is dead (ineffective). Ephesians 2:8 expressly states that works can not save “not by works”. You quoted a passage about justification.

If I was incorrect is stating that we are saved by “faith alone”… meaning true faith resulting in good works, then what are you saying must be added to true faith to receive salvation?

God Bless
 
bbbeatt said:
Any doctrine should be EXPRESSLY STATED in scripture before it is accepted as a doctrine of God.
Click to expand...
You just got rid of the Trinity. It is not “expressly stated,” it is derived from passages that each teach a separate part of it (“There is one God,” “Jesus is God,” “The Father is God,” etc.)

Besides, even if we went by your standards 1 Cor. 4:6 still doesn’t mention the word “expressly.” You are adding that to the text and therefore violating your own standard. Sola Scriptura contradicts the statement, “Hold fast to the traditions which you were taught, either by word of mouth or by a letter from us.” 2 Thess. 2:15. You can’t have Sola Scriptura if the Scriptura tells you to have something else.
 
BBBeat, I was raised in a denomination, very popular and numerous in the south and southwest that had had “do not go beyond what is written” as a byword or slogan.

Others included “no name but the divine. no book but the bible” etc. They also called themselves Christians only, and thought they were the only Christians even though they have only existed since 1906.

They took this to such extremes that they had no musical instruments in church, no flowers no candles. Why, because they weren’t ordered to be done in the bible. And according to this denomination anything said or done in church had to have permission from the bible.

This is obviously false since the church existed for nearly 400 years before the bible New Testament was canonized and put into a book, and the church did just fine for all those years.
 
When 1st Corinthians 4:6 states do not “go beyond what is written” what is the “what is written” that the verse speaks of in context?
  1. Is the “what is written” the Corinthians are instructed not to go beyond, talking about “the Bible ” as a whole. Is THAT the context? Or . . .
  2. Is the “what is written” that the Corinthians are instructed to not go beyond, talking about: Specific Scriptural writings that warn them that earthly human wisdom on it’s own cannot adequately probe the teachings God that you need to be instructed with.
When this is read in context you will find out that the “what is written” alludes to **specific ****instructions **about not venturing into private interpretation with self-appointed teachers. Far from teaching sola scriptura, this 1st Corinthians 4:6 refutes it and basically warns against private interpretation!

Why? Because **human ****wisdom **is always inadequate to obtain the full message of God, and sometimes (as in this case with the Corinthians) even traverses and transgresses what God wants His people taught.

If the message changes, the teacher of the message is to be discounted. As we will see later, St. Paul EVEN applies this principle to himself!

When we see the following . . .

1st CORINTHIANS 4:6b . . . that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written…

. . . we must look at the whole verse here AND the broader context as well. The context of the “what is written” concerns a “wisdom of this world” that always falls short. That’s all.

Just 11 verses before 1st Corinthians 4:6, St. Paul in 1st Corinthians 3:18-20 talks about how worldly wisdom is inadequate and that is the “what is written” St. Paul is alluding to here in context , not the Bible!

**1st CORINTHIANS 3:18-20a ** 18 Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So let no one boast of men.

Incidentally, private interpretation of course is an example of this type of “wisdom of this world” thinking.

St. Paul is telling them not to carry out private interpretation of what is written! What St. Paul is teaching the Corinthians refutes sola scriptura, not affirms it.

Don’t follow after the “wisdom of this world”, no matter who is presenting to you “wisdom of this world”.

Nobody should be teaching you a different Gospel than I ALREADY TAUGHT you!

Let’s go deeper. . . .
 
St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians attempting to correct some of these erring Corinthians who were rejecting proper God-given authoritative teachings in favor of private interpretation teachers.

As we read on we will see . . .
  • St. Paul writing to Corinthians because “Chloe’s people” told St. Paul that the Corinthians are rejecting what you (St. Paul) have ALREADY TAUGHT THEM and it was causing dissentions. Rejecting what you St. Paul already taught them even BEFORE you wrote any Scripture to them—this is an example of Oral Tradition.
  • St. Paul probably left St. Timothy in charge of this Church (the Church in this context is what we often call “the Diocese” today).
  • “Chloe’s people” apparently also told St. Paul that these Corinthians are rejecting Timothy’s authoritative teaching in favor of their own new-fangled private-interpretation teachers.
  • St. Paul holds the Corinthians to account for this rejection of authoritative teaching that had taken place already; a rejection of doctrine that they were already given by St. Paul himself, (When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom—1st Corinthians 2:1—notice St. Paul had already came to them proclaiming “the testimony of God”, and they are held accountable for this) even BEFORE there was any Scripture ever written to them.
  • St. Paul is apparently correcting the Corinthians for rejecting St. Timothy’s teachings too who was teaching the SAME doctrine as St. Paul had taught them or “as I teach them” (“Therefore I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.”—1st Corinthians 4:17)
  • St. Paul is telling them not to go beyond the Scriptures that he is quoting to them in the proximate preceding verses (in 1st Corinthians 3:19 and 20—admittedly what Paul is quoting to them IS Scripture but the context of the verses cited are all concerning rejecting God’s authentic teaching while relying on your own private intelligence which St. Paul characterizes as “worldly wisdom”)
  • Notice as we read the verses, that the Corinthians are being rebuked for rejecting St. Paul’s earlier teachings to them too which ALSO had to be ORAL TRADITION because no Scripture was written to them when St. Paul taught the Corinthians earlier. After all, this writing is FIRST Corinthians. Oral teachings St. Paul ALREADY gave them BEFORE he wrote FIRST Corinthians to them (again this would be oral teachings by definition) as St. Paul reminds them that the Apostolic testimony to Christ had ALREADY been given to them (“the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you”—1st Corinthians 1:6) before Paul wrote any scripture to them.
  • St. Paul also admonishes the Corinthians for rejecting St. Timothy’s teachings. Timothy’s teachings would have also had to be ORAL Teachings.
  • And there is no Scripture of “Timothy’s Letter To The Corinthians” either. The Corinthians were rejecting authoritative ORAL TESTIMONY as they had NO LETTERS written to them at that point yet. But St. Paul admonishes them anyway now in this, his first letter to them.
  • Far from teaching sola scriptura, this passage, in context, affirms oral tradition, affirms proper authority, and refutes sola scriptura, and refutes private interpretation teachers with mere “worldly wisdom”, especially when they contradict authoritative teachings from people commissioned by God to give them such teachings.
Let’s go on. . . .

If the teaching given to you changes in any way, no matter WHO is leading you, the message is to be rejected because truth cannot change.

St. Paul EVEN applies this admonition to himself in basically saying: “Don’t place even ME above God’s teachings.” If the message changes reject it!

Bind yourselves to the message of God, not to PEOPLE and worldly wisdom, no matter WHO these people are!

**1st CORINTHIANS 4:6 ** 6 I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brethren, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.

When St. Paul says don’t go “beyond what is written” he is referring to the Old Testament verses he had just cited to them, in the context of . . . . people who think their wisdom is adequate for what we are to be instructed with concerning the things of God.

We saw it earlier, let’s look at it again. . . .
 
We saw it earlier, let’s look at it again.

**1st CORINTHIANS 3:18-20a **18 Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So let no one boast of men.

St. Paul doesn’t say anything about affirming sola scriptura here or anywhere else.

Let’s read more of the verses to get a greater grasp on what St. Paul is teaching here.

1st CORINTHIANS 1:1-6, 10-13, 19-20, 2:1, 12-16, 3:1-7, 18-23, 4:1-2, 6-7, 14-17 1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge-- 6 even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you . . . 10 I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? . . . . . 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (Chapter 2) 1 When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. . . . 12 Now **we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit. 14 The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. **15 The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. . . . . (Chapter 3) 1 But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like ordinary men? 4 For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. . . . 18 Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For **the wisdom of this world **is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So let no one boast of men. For all things are yours, 22 whether **Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world **or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; 23 and you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s. (Chapter 4) 1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. . . . . . . .6 **I have applied all this to myself **and Apollos for your benefit, brethren, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift? . . . 14 I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 Therefore I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.

When St. Paul tells the Corinthians to not go beyond what is written, he is telling them they should not follow after specific teachers with worldly wisdom or “wisdom of this world” that contradicts the message he and St. Timothy had already given to them and they are already accountable for despite this being the FIRST letter to the Corinthians!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top