Living by the Bible

By Robert Brinsmead

Paul's reply is summarized in Galatians 5:18: "If you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law ( Torah- Jewish scripture)." In 2nd Corinthians 3:6 Paul says, "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."  In Romans 7 the apostle also uses another synonym for being under the law - being controlled by the "letter" The Greek word for the letter is gramma and the emphasis is on the written textually of the Torah.

The book of Romans is the most complete exposition given anywhere of the Christian gospel and its ramifications for life.  But there is an astonishing aspect to this book.  Nowhere does Paul tell us how to study the Bible and how urgent it is to live by the Bible.  In fact, such instruction is nowhere to be found in the great body of Pauline literature.  Paul did not live by the written letter of the law (scripture). 

His religion was not textually dominated and controlled. In his attacks in Galatians and Corinthians he makes it clear that this manner of using the Bible kills rather than brings life.  It imprisons rather than frees.  Living by the letter incites one to do evil and stimulates a person to do exactly what it forbids (Romans 7) Used in this way, the law, scripture - stirs up all kinds of evil desires. Indeed Paul uses the analogy of the serpent in the Garden of Eden.  "Sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death" (Romans 7:11).  Such use of the Bible really makes people hypocrites.

Bonnie... I saw you asked Robert if he ever wondered why no one agreed with him....

I can answer that.  NO... He does not.

He has stated before He is the ONLY one who has truth. He is the ONLY one who was sent to straighten us all out.

HTH.

This is really sad.  Some are so desperate to live by written instructions that they have taken Paul's instructions to believers and have made them laws and rules to live by.  Paul never intended for his instructions to become law.  They were simple instructions to new believers.  Another misuse of the Bible.

If you are living by written instructions you are living by the law.  Mature Christians do not need to be told how they should live.  We are no longer under the school master.

Hebrews 8:10  "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them on their hearts: and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people.

Jesus never instructed them to study the Old Testament.

I have always had a problem with 2nd Timothy 3:15.

For one thing Paul's letters were never considered to be scripture they were letters.

The only thing that was scripture was the Old Testament.

So was Paul directing Timothy to the Old Testament?

John 5;39 Jesus said to the Pharisees.  "Search the scriptures: for in them you think that you have eternal life: and they are which testify of me."

Jesus never instructed them to study the Old Testament.

When Jesus referred the apostles to the Old Testament it was in reference to him.

Paul was apparently directing Timothy to Old Testament scripture concerning Christ.  The New Testament had not been written yet.

James Rondon

Jesus never instructed his disciples to live according to Old Testament scripture.  This was what I meant.

Where do you think the apostles got there information from?  Jesus never instructed them to study the Old Testament.  Jesus never wrote anything down.  They were Spirit led and Spirit taught.

But you are going to nit pick everything I say.