Scripture and traditions

By Rev. Reg Higginbottom

April 11, 2008 10:58 am

— Alexander Campbell, from our heritage as part of the Restoration movement, wrote, “Where the Scriptures speak, we speak,” and “Bible names for Bible things.” He spoke of the importance of scripture in the understanding of our faith. Amos 8:9-11 speaks of a time when people will be seeking and they will come seeking comfort from their feats, from their worship, but will not find it.
They will come seeking to hear the word of God but they will not find it. God promises that he will send a famine of the hearing of the word of God. People will seek but not find it. Tradition and our special ways of worship will not bring the comfort and strength of the presence of God. Ultimately, the word of God is the only place one can find comfort because it is a revelation of God. Scripture and traditions!
Amos told the people of Israel that a time would come when they would not find comfort or spiritual nourishment from their celebrations, from their feasts (Holy Days), or from their worship because they do not honor, seek or obey Him or His teachings. He will not hear or accept them because they are only a rational to keep on living as they have. The fact was that they did not honor God with their worship.
Do we do the same thing? We go to church so we can get that done, because it is expected of us. After all, we are “Christians.” Kind of a fix to get us through the week. Amo says a time will come when that will not work. Do we go to church so we can be forgiven so that we can have a clean slate to go out to sin again on Monday? Amos says a time will come that that will not work because we do not include God.
Amos said that a time is coming when people will seek the word of the Lord and will not find it. Israel rejected the Word of God given through the prophets and they did not obey God’s word. With their actions, Amos says they will seek and not find it because they do not hear it or honor or obey God’s Word as a revelation of God.
The same is true today, we as Christians do not honor God by seeking Him through his revelation, the Bible. People will come seeking it and not find His Word for us. There are some who just read the Bible as literature and miss much of its gold. Reading scripture as a Christian with the aid of God’s gift of the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, opens a deep, deep vast revelation of the love and power and majesty of God. When we do not include and seek for God’s wisdom in His word, we miss out on its power for our life.
However, there could very well be a time coming when those who reject and attack what the scriptures teach will get their way and Christians will not be able to carry a Bible in public. Nor will they be able to teach from the scripture, or at least parts of scripture, because they do not want to hear what it teaches or reveals of the sin in their lives. This, in fact, is a reality even in some western nations today.
In fact Paul, in his letter to II Timothy in particular, says that a time is coming when people will want words that in essence tickle their ears rather than exhort them to truth and obedience to God. How long before historical revisionists seek to do that with scripture today? (More than some revisionists have already done.)
Scripture and tradition!
A time is coming when we will not find comfort in our traditions, our Holy Days and our Worship because they do not include nor seek God, because we do not seek God in His Word. Maybe that’s already happening. Is it? A time is coming when we will seek the word of the Lord but shall not find it, because we do not see the Bible as the revelation of God nor read it, obey it, let alone recognize scripture as a revelation of God to us.
Scripture and tradition! Scripture reveals the nature and character of God. God is truth. We miss God and the guide for our lives because we see the Bible as a “rule book,” rather than teaching us principles for life. That as we apply the principles that the scriptures teach, not only would we be better able to handle what life sends our way, but we would reveal our Lord and God to others as well.
Where the scriptures speak we speak, where they are silent we are silent, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” II Timothy 3:16-17.