Jesus is and should be considered the criterion of Bible interpretation. Consider John Kohler's comments on Jesus' own view of the Scriptures.
1. He believed in the Genesis account of creation - Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
2. He believed in the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch - John 5:46-47 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
3. He believed in the historicity and universality of the Noahic Flood - Matt. 24:37-39 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
4. He believed in the historicity of Abraham - John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
5. He believed in the historicity of Sodom and Gomorrah - Matt. 11:23-24 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
6. He believed God gave manna from heaven to Israel - John 6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
7. He believed in the Davidic authorship of the Psalms - Matt. 22:43-45 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
8. He believed in the historicity of Jonah and the whale - Matt. 12:39-41 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
9. He believed the Jews had a history of rejecting God's word - Luke 11:47-51 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
10. He scolded the Sadducees for their ignorance of Scripture - Matt. 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
11. He taught that every word of Scripture proceeded from God - Matt. 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
12. He taught the doctrine of the preservation of Scripture - Matt. 5:17-18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
13. He taught that man will be judged by God's word - John 12:47-48 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
14. He taught the absolute authority of Scripture - John 10:34-36 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
15. He pre-authenticated the New Testament writings as Scripture - John 16:12-13 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 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.
16. He never corrected or criticized Scripture, even though He did not possess the original autographs - John 17:13-17 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Jesus never involved Himself in higher or lower criticism or attempted to recover the original autographs during his earthly ministry. He either 1) knew Scripture was the word of God and said it was so, 2) did not know if Scripture was the word of God or not and said it was, or 3) knew Scripture was not the word of God and said it was anyway. The first option is the whole truth of the matter!!!
Those who claim to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ ought to hold the same high view of Scripture that He had. What right do they have to hold any other view??? Obviously, no right at all!!!!!
(Some excerpts from an article by John Kohler III as posted on Jim's Standing In The Gap blog, Friday, May 25, 2007)
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