Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
(2 Peter 3:15, 16 NIV)
This is a question I have grown in as I grew in faith. My church background and I think in part because I grew up without knowing Jesus fully, or the bible or church community I had an incorrect view of the validity of the bible as scripture.
As I grew in faith I remember really only trusting to Jesus and the "words in red" haha. I thought for example Paul may have been very wise but why should I live under his words any more than another preacher or pastor? Sure his words have wisdom but why is he so special. Why isn't God adding new words and truth for us now? It might be nice to have a letter or word from God today in our present age and technological world of idols and declining faith.
I mean Jesus himself referred to the Old Testament books including the law in the Books of Moses, the Psalms and the Prophets. So ok maybe I could trust the Old Testament and the 4 gospels right.
So then what was I to do with the red rid the New Testament. With Paul's letters, with Hebrews and Revelation? Well I think slowly God opened my heart to do exactly what the authors of those passage in the bible said: read them as ways of understanding the gospel. For they are not independent, they are only relevant in the context of Old Testament scripture and prophecy. And essentially they explain and help us live in the truth of the gospel.
And if I respect these authors Peter and Paul who boast not in founding the church or anything else but boast in the righteousness of Christ then I have to respond to this statement Peter wrote. For above Peter says of Paul that he writes with the wisdom god gave him and says other Scriptures . Peter is including Paul's letters as Scripture. Now that is significant. I can choose to ignore it, but if I have any respect for Peter or Paul as disciples of Christ who were eye witnesses of Christ in body and then in Spirit for Paul then I can either carefully consider and side with Peters statement or accept them as crazy imperfect prideful humans making a name for themselves and writing from human wisdom. But just as I came to believe that Jesus was who he claimed to be I believer he Holy Spirit helped me to believe that the New Testament is Scripture.
I still have questions and doubts, but I live by faith in God. For he is bigger than my understanding and bigger than our understanding of scripture and the word of God. Yet the bible says the entire world and heaven will pass away and yet the word of God will never pass away. The world may say I am foolish for trusting this one book. But I am convinced that this one book is living and powerful and is in fact the Word of God and its truth and wisdom are revealed to us not by human understanding but by the Holy Spirit of God! In the new heaven and new Earth science and nanotechnology will pass away but I believe the promises, history, law, and gospel recorded in the bible as the word of God will never pass away. Now that is a truth that is lasting and absolute not relative. So I trust in scripture. Yet even more I trust in God above all things, even above myself and my understanding.
God help me to trust in you more. Reveal your truth and your gospel more to my heart and mind that I will continue to be transformed into who you made me to be in this life and in eternity.
Amen
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