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Originally posted by Scott
Colleen: The visible church (i.e. the organization) is the pillar and ground of truth.
Originally posted by Scott
The Church is Christ's Bride. I want to know what the Bride has to say on interpretive issues.
Originally posted by doulosChristou on 9-5-2003
Believers do not need people to interpret Scripture for them. If you believe they do, you misunderstand the ecclesiastical role of the teacher. Two great and historic errors must be avoided. The first is that of the Jews who had elevated their commentaries to the place of Scripture so that disagreeing with certain rabbinical writings was akin to disagreeing with God. The second is that of Rome which teaches that individuals cannot rightly interpret much of Scripture and therefore the church (an elite leadership, not the entire body of Christ) must interpret Scripture for the masses. Evangelical Protestants can fall victim to both errors, yet both assault the Reformation principle of private interpretation - which is a principle based upon Scriptures' perspicuity. The Reformed doctrine of perspicuity states that some portions of Scripture are more plain than others. It also acknowledges that God is not a God of confusion. The key to the Reformed doctrine of perspicuity is that it asserts that every difficult passage is made plain by clearer passages so that every truth and every teaching of Scripture is perfectly plain and presented as a whole with the greatest of clarity. They are the very words of the Creator and are more clear than any creation of man, including his creeds and his confessions and his commentaries and his commentaries upon his confessions ad infinitum. Man contradicts himself, confuses others, and pens muddy works of half-truths that will wither like grass. The Bible, however, is both an eternal and a holy book. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isa.40:8). “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Mat.24:35). “Every word of God is pure” (Prov.30:5). Do fallible men improve upon God's word? Do they take hold of it with unclean hands and then pass it on more pristine? Do the fallible make the infallible all the more pure and transparent?
Source: www.puritanboard.com/forum/viewthread.php%3Ftid%3D1710%26page%3D8+%22WCF%22+%22rightly+interpret%22&hl=en]Theological Traditionalism: Defined, Examined, Refuted[/url]
Originally posted by LadyFlynt
never thought I'd do this, especially not in this thread....but Cheri....!!! (you go, sista!)
I would disagree. The Text does not specify the "visible" church or the "invisible" church, but simply the church. There is only one church, one Body. WE make these distinctions, not God.
--the appointment of officers
--qualifications for officers
--duties of members
--using church councils to resolve controversies of faith
--censuring
--excommunicating
--absolving sinful church members
--how officers are to administer the sacraments
--how to publicly worship