gingercat said:
Don't you guys know your own churches' Bible class situations?
I read the Bible for three years before I made a decision because I didn't trust anybody. I agree with sola scriptura or what is known as scripture alone and I do not put other people on a par with God's word.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
I know pastors and people with doctorate degrees in Bible and they have something like 4,000 books. I don't have that many but I have a couple of hundred books which include many Bible versions, several dictionaries, lexicons, maps, commentaries, history, apologetics, hermeneutics, etc., etc., etc.
I listen to a dozen radio pastors from different denominations and non-denominations. My modern day heroes of the faith would include Christians from different denominations and I can do that because I feel there is a unity among us but I still don't trust anyone though two commentaries I have which carry weight with me because there is no modern day agenda because the authors are deceased and they were well rounded (astute in the word) and honest with the truth when they lived.
I think if you aren't learning from different sources then you aren't doing all you can to love God with all your mind. Some of the pastors I know read all of the commentaries out there and he lays out something like 35 commentaries on a table and reviews a great number of the ideas put forth and you would have to do that and more to be part of my counsellors. If anyone tries to teach me God's word then they have to know and not pretend that they are knowing.
Proverbs 24:6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
A lot of people don't like my methodology because they think I should think for myself and not listen to other people but the Bible says in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Just because there are a lot of counsellors that tell me one thing or another is not enough because it is when the written word jumps off the page at me that I recognise that it is God whom is speaking because God works through counsellors (Bible pastors) by the power of the Holy Spirit and His word. I still compare what they say to the Word of God and I would be your most negative person because I have to be to honor God's word. I check everything and compare it to the Word of God as time permits and I find that many people make mistakes because they deviate from the Word of God.. And don't think that just because people are pastors that I would leave them alone because I will challenge them and legally go after them for any heresy because the Bible says not to be afraid of them and I will take people on even if they are bigger than me and I will take them to task. I will expose people if that what it takes and some pastors are scared of me.
