Hello Allen,
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Allen Roy [mailto:allenroy@peoplepc.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 11:22 PM
> To: Robert Schneider; asa@calvin.edu
> Subject: Re: Comment's on Allens postings
> even Paul says, "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to
> the teachings
> (traditions, KJV) we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by
> letter." (2 Thes 2:15) But at the same time he commend those
> who doubted
> his very words. "Now the Bereans were of more noble
> character than the
> Thessalonians, for they ... examined the Scriptures every day
> to see if what
> Paul said was true." The teaching and traditions of Paul and
> the apostles
> were to be measured up against the Bible. If they were found
> true then they
> could be accepted. The traditions cannot be used to
> interpret the Bible.
>
> Allen
When read in context, from the beginning of chapter Acts 17, Luke
records that Paul reasoned with the Thessalonica Jews from Scriptures
(Acts 17:2), explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer
(Acts 17:3). Why did he have to do that for a crowd who was most
probably knowledgeable about the OT? Because there was a gap between
what the OT recorded and what Paul taught, which is that the Christ
who had to suffer and rise again is Jesus (Acts 17:3). Paul was
explaining an OT teaching with a post-Resurrection understanding.
Hence, the Jews of Thessalonica were not arguing about the veracity
of the OT, but about Paul's *interpretation* of it. When Paul arrived
at Berea, he did the same, which was to go to the synagogue to teach
his new interpretation. Of course the Bereans examined the Scriptures
because Paul reasoned with them from Scriptures, but offered a new
interpretation of the messiah. As a result of Paul's teaching, the
Bereans accepted the new interpretation. The!
Bereans were considered noble, not because they examined the
Scriptures carefully (although it was a praiseworthy behavior), but
primarily because they accepted Paul's teaching that Jesus is the
Christ of the OT ("...in that they receive the word with all
readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily..."KJV). Yes,
Paul had to show that his new teaching was consistent with OT
prophecies, but the point is that Paul's teaching is a new
revelation, and the Bereans were more noble because more of them
accepted the new teaching than the Thessolonians.
Tradition, the handing down of knowledge (i.e. Paul's new teaching
that Jesus is the Christ), was exercised in this case, together with
the examination of Scripture.
Adrian.
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