Col 4:16
Tells the church in Colossae to read the epistle and then give to the church in Laodicea. And then for the church at Colossae to read the epistle from Laodicea.
God’s word shows the pattern of the apostles revealing God’s word by the written word, telling churches to read & distribute them, and that not all of these letters were preserved for history (where is the letter to Laodicea?)
Much ideological /academic debate exists about “canon” (what is and is not God’s word and what authority confirmed God’s word). And there is even debate about the authority of customs & teachings not written in God’s word.
But recognize what the plain text shows:
1) Christ’s chosen apostles wrote God’s word to churches of Christ (already saved people)
2) God’s word is written, not unwritten
3) churches read them
4) churches share with other churches
5) not all of these letters were preserved for us today
6) God’s word was understood to be God’s word based on authorship of apostle (the epistles don’t mention non-apostles’ letters to & from churches as though they are to be obeyed/studied/shared).
LESSON: Rampant denominationalism makes divisions within the body of people who claim Christ such that Christ’s body is not functioning with unity. Testing a spirit is done with God’s word. Adding qualifiers & considerations to God’s word changes truth to something that may look like truth.
Tells the church in Colossae to read the epistle and then give to the church in Laodicea. And then for the church at Colossae to read the epistle from Laodicea.
God’s word shows the pattern of the apostles revealing God’s word by the written word, telling churches to read & distribute them, and that not all of these letters were preserved for history (where is the letter to Laodicea?)
Much ideological /academic debate exists about “canon” (what is and is not God’s word and what authority confirmed God’s word). And there is even debate about the authority of customs & teachings not written in God’s word.
But recognize what the plain text shows:
1) Christ’s chosen apostles wrote God’s word to churches of Christ (already saved people)
2) God’s word is written, not unwritten
3) churches read them
4) churches share with other churches
5) not all of these letters were preserved for us today
6) God’s word was understood to be God’s word based on authorship of apostle (the epistles don’t mention non-apostles’ letters to & from churches as though they are to be obeyed/studied/shared).
LESSON: Rampant denominationalism makes divisions within the body of people who claim Christ such that Christ’s body is not functioning with unity. Testing a spirit is done with God’s word. Adding qualifiers & considerations to God’s word changes truth to something that may look like truth.