Past Whispers For Today

For this to make sense (sort of), yesterday’s post is a lead in. The concept came from a magazine article that asked about “the biggest challenge facing evangelical churches today” and the person being interviewed,Carl Trueman, answered:

How can the church, when it has one or maybe two hours on a Sunday, truly shape people’s minds and characters, when there is so much in the wider culture that is now directly antithetical to Christian ethics and Christian ways of thinking? (“WORLD Magazine”, September 30, 2017, Page 25 printed copy)

The Question and Answer session was an interview in front of students at Patrick Henry College. The topic was Trueman’s book about Martin Luther, as the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation approaches. 

One of the results of the Reformation was the printing of Bibles in common languages and the speakers of those languages reading it on their own. I have personally spoken with people who believe that was – and remains – an error. That only theological training makes a person able to interpret the Bible correctly.

For many, having it in their own language did not open the book for them to read. The majority of the people could not read – that was for the upper class. Today, there should be no educational system that does not teach students the ability to read for themselves.

The Bible was written by a number of different men who tell us over and over it was inspired by God, to carry His word down centuries for us. Paul mentioned the old writings:

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4 KJV)

Paul wrote of them all:

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:31 KJV)


Peter speaks of Paul’s writings being equated with scripture:

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:15-16 KJV)


My favorite was written by John – author of several of the Bible’s books:

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:31 KJV)

That last is the very same reason I return to this blog and write a bit more, sharing not only what I read – and study – but what I believe. Every once in a while I ask: What do you believe?