Wednesday, 12 December 2018

Scripture is Foundational Revelation

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For the follower of Messiah Yeshua, Scripture is the foundation to which we must compare anything we consider interpretation or "words from the L-rd." Like we said in our earlier posts, in order to have appropriate Biblical context and application, we must begin with Torah and proceed forward - not remove later Scripture from its rooted context based upon "personal interpretations" or "personal revelations." We have seen a lot of harm done to individuals, communities and families, even leading to people distancing themselves from G-d, by this failure to keep any revelation rooted in the foundation of the Torah and subsequent Scriptures.

Torah itself is clear about its foundational nature for all subsequent Scripture. In Torah, Hashem states that no one may add to or take away from its words (Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32), it says that, if a prophet or miracle worker teaches something contradictory, they are to be disregarded (Deuteronomy 13:15). It declares that the King of Israel must follow its commands, not turning "to the right or to the left" (Deuteronomyt 17:14-20). The rest of Scripture is built upon the foundation of Torah; all later Scripture presupposes Torah's authority. All of it points backward towards Torah and forward to Messiah Yeshua. The Torah and then the Prophets declare what the Messiah will look like, how he will live and what he will do. If we are teaching a message that contradicts what The L-rd has already revealed, then our message is off. We should take a cue from our Master, Messiah Yeshua, and his Apostles, as they quoted continually from the Torah and the Prophets to validate their message. They did not try to rely upon their own status, or miracles and signs, or individual authority alone.

Following Messiah's example, we lean upon the foundational revelation of Scripture, beginning with Torah and moving forward to define our theology and worldviews. We should not rely upon miracles, signs and wonders to determine our theology, because these are found all across science and various religions. During the time of the Apostles, Greco-Roman religions had babbling tongues, interpretations, prophesies and people who were gifted in languages. Even today, eastern mystics and Sufi Muslims have ecstatic religious experiences that can yield beneficial life transformation and deep awareness of the transcendent spiritual world. Various other religions can claim miraculous healings, deliverances and prophesies. Signs and miracles do not define our religion, nor did these define the faith of Messiah Yeshua and his Apostles. Instead, we base our faith upon the unchanging Word of the unchanging G-d. The miraculous must align with and confirm the Scripture which G-d has given to His people.

Messiah Yeshua's life and message is grounded within, and is in continuity with, the Jewish Scriptures. The astounding events of his life all serve as Divine confirmation, of a message consistent with the foundations of Scripture. The firm, unchanging nature of Scripture gives our faith security as we follow Messiah Yeshua, grounded in His ancient message to radically transform the world for good.