| The Bible is the foundation of all knowledge. | | | | something then it must be okay. This is |
| Everything is built upward from God. Of course | | | | dangerous and allows for much flippancy in |
| we cannot find what 2 + 2 equals in the Bible. We | | | | regards to worship. For Example, using lyrics of |
| are not speaking of the sufficiency of Scripture in | | | | secular bands or even neutral lyrics during song |
| terms of how to change the oil on my vehicle or | | | | and praise. It must be based on Scripture. If it is |
| write a chemical equation. However, everything | | | | not then you must leave it out. God is particular |
| we do and learn can and should be centered on | | | | about how His Church is run. The problem with |
| Christ, on God's Word. Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10. Our | | | | most of this pragmatic, normative principle |
| daily lives are a ministry! | | | | philosophy is that most of the people who adhere |
| Disagree? Well, I guess we need to work on | | | | to it are not thoroughly studying the Word of |
| interpretation of God's Word. The number one | | | | God. If they were studying the Word of God |
| hermeneutical principle is that Scripture interprets | | | | rather than being satisfied with the milk of the |
| Scripture. We as Christians get pragmatic at | | | | Word and their comfy little man-centered |
| times.(for some of us pragmatism consumes our | | | | ideologies, then they would find almost ALL of |
| interpretation.) That is to say that Christians will | | | | their ideas are actually refuted by Scripture. |
| proclaim something is perfectly fine to do because | | | | Well, then we get into the sufficiency of Scripture |
| it worked for them. "It worked for me. I turned | | | | and it turns out that these very people do not |
| out fine. So the Bible must not be against it." I | | | | believe the Word is sufficient. The Word of God |
| hear this a lot when discussing home (Godly | | | | needs some help apparently. They say it's inerrant |
| family, church) education vs. public school (secular, | | | | but not all-sufficient. This renders the Bible useless. |
| government) education. "I went to public school | | | | If it is not all sufficient (from Genesis to |
| and I turned out just fine!" First of all, who is to | | | | Revelation) then why does it matter it is |
| say you are just fine? I am not just fine. Nobody | | | | inerrant??? You can pick and choose what you |
| is just fine. We all need the Word of God to show | | | | want from the Word and what you don't want |
| us the way to rear our families and educate | | | | from the Word because "Hey, what I'm doing |
| them. We surely do NOT need the anti God, | | | | now worked for me and it worked for Joe Blow |
| politically correct government indoctrinating our | | | | down the street and it worked for my gramma." |
| children! Amen! FYI many of our Private Christian | | | | Pragmatism. One of the down falls of the modern |
| Schools are not much different than the public | | | | Church. |
| schools. | | | | We are not each entitled to our own |
| Another issue concerning sufficiency of Scripture | | | | interpretation. This is absurd. there is a right and a |
| arises with the regulative principle vs. normative | | | | wrong interpretation. Developing our own |
| principle. In short, the regulative principle states | | | | pragmatic interpretations is one reason why we |
| that we do only what Scripture commands us to | | | | have such division in the Church. It is one reason |
| do when it comes to worship in the Church. By | | | | why we have weak Christians. It is one reason |
| the way worship is not simply song time. It | | | | why we are losing our young people in droves! It |
| involves the expository reading of the Word, | | | | is one reason why Evangelical Christians are being |
| Singing of the Word, Praying of the Word, | | | | out numbered today. It is one reason why our |
| Preaching of the Word, and Seeing the Word | | | | country is in the ungodly, pluralistic, politically |
| (sacraments). Sola Scriptura. Only Scripture or | | | | correct state it's in. |
| Scripture alone! Now, in short, normative principle | | | | God's Word is sufficient for me and my family! |
| states that if the Scripture does not prohibit | | | | Amen. |