Living into the Life of Jesus by Issler Klaus;Miller Calvin;

Author:Issler, Klaus;Miller, Calvin; [Issler, Klaus]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2012-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

The Importance of Scripture as an Essential Source of Knowledge

Through our study and meditation of Scripture we wish to have our core beliefs transformed by truth. Jesus claims he is The Truth. “I am the way and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6). In the Bible, Jesus presents an account of reality, without spin or sound bites. Jesus wants our life perspectives to be aligned with the wisdom that he teaches. Through Scripture our worldview can become aligned with God’s view of reality. God the Father tells Jesus’ disciples—and us today—to listen to Jesus, to follow his life and teachings. “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Mt 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35).

The Bible claims to present God’s truthful presentation about reality. There is a uniqueness about Scripture that gives it an exceptional status among other sources (e.g., natural sciences, social sciences, humanities) as a source of knowledge. According to philosopher Dallas Willard, the Bible is a reliable source of unique knowledge, not just for Christians but also for the public arena.

My hope [in this book] is to enable intellectually serious people, Christians or not, to understand the indispensable role of knowledge in faith and life. I also want to make it clear that there is a body of uniquely Christian knowledge, one that is available to all who would appropriately seek it and receive it—again, whether Christian or not. Like all knowledge of any complexity and depth, that body of knowledge does not jump down one’s throat, and no one can force it upon another. It has to be welcomed to be possessed. . . . When understood and accepted as knowledge, it is objectively testable—again, in ways suitable to its subject matter—and it lays a foundation for action and character that is unequaled for human good.[6]

The Bible provides an exclusive set of truth claims about key matters of life and reality itself that we can find nowhere else.

A survey of Jesus’ life reveals how steeped in Scripture he was. His Bible was the Old Testament and he knew it well.[7] The phrase “it is written” or some variation occurs more than twenty unique times on Jesus’ lips. He was so familiar with Scripture he could stump the Ph.D. seminary professors of his day. During his final week, the religious leaders tried to catch Jesus with various puzzling theological questions. For example, when asked to name the foremost command in the Old Testament, Jesus identified two commandments. The “Ph.D.” in the law agreed, affirming that to love God and to love one’s neighbor “is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mk 12:33). Jesus ably answered their brainteasers and then he posed a riddle of his own in Matthew 22:45-46. Quoting Psalm 110:1, Jesus asked, If Messiah was a descendent of King David, thus lesser in status than David, why did David call Messiah “Lord” (thus implying Messiah’s deity and humanity)? Jesus knew his Scriptures well.

Some time ago I was asking the Lord what topic it might be worthwhile for me to study.

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