A High View of Scripture

One of the blogs I check in on from time to time is what some have called a "watch blog." It is essentially a blog dedicated to (sometimes harsh and ungracious) critique of the author's (or group of authors in this case) particular pet issues. Which is certainly fine. It is their blog, and they can put whatever they want on it. It disturbs me that this blog (as with some others of similar nature) are too often loose with the truth. The reality is that they do not need to be. There is enough fodder for critique without making stuff up or misrepresenting what one actually believes.

In a recent post, this blogger posted a passage from an OT prophet on the sin of social injustice in Israel under the Law as a warning to the emergents.

But a warning about what? The passage deals with one of the emergents pet peeves ... social injustice, and condemns it. The passage would actually be one that would support a pursuit of social injustice if we were to ignore the fact that it was addressed to those in Israel. To post it as a warning to those in emergent theology is hardly helpful, it seems to me.

Which leads me to my point: We expect the emergents and liberals to have a low view of Scripture that allows them to misuse Scripture by applying it in ways that it was not intended to be applied. We should not tolerate it from those who claim to have a high view of Scripture.

Misusing Scripture, even in a good cause, is a low view of Scripture.

We must make sure that we say only what God would say from a particular passage. To do less is to use God's name in vain, to use his words to say something he did not and would not say from it.

The fundamental rule in preaching and teaching is this: Would God say this from this passage? If not, then we should not say it.

Notice, it is not enough to ask "Would God say this?" We must ask if he would say it "from this passage."

Let us exalt Scripture by using each individual for what it was intended to be used for. Do not use it to further our own ideas, no matter how good or biblical those ideas are. If you want to say something the passage does not say, then find another passage. Or just say it without Scripture.

PS - I posted a comment on the blog noting the misuse of this passage. It was not allowed to be posted by the moderator. Apparently, some are willing to critique harshly, but are not willing to be challenged about their own views. It's a nice life I suppose