Quote Originally Posted by paco View Post
If I were not to believe that scripture is not totally true how do I know what parts are or are not, what do I use as final authority?
Going back to the adversary. I read early on in the path that their were contradictions in the gospels and other parts of the bible. In the nineteenth century exegesis showed that some of the books of the bible may not have been written by the authors who were credited with those books.

Then I stumbled upon the author Bart Ehrman and read a few of his books. He is a university professor in religious studies. Fluent in the original languages and a specialist in the study or the early manuscripts. He started out a born again evangelical and became an agnostic as a result of his studies.

This really shook my faith in the scriptures. I was torn between wanting to believe and not wanting to be a chump. This is not new. In 1st Corinthians 15 Paul the Apostle addresses those who were being told that there is no resurrection. He says, paraphrasing, if there is no resurrection we are among men most miserable.

Then I was in another thread on this topic some time back and I had occasion to type out a portion of the Reverend Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones introduction to his "Studies In the Sermon On the Mount." One of the best books ever on the topic by one of the greatest exegetical preachers who ever lived. It occured to me that MLJ was a genius and that he had read all of the criticism that I had and then some. Yet he could still say,"All we have is this book, it is our final authority."

Pondering that I came to a peace with myself. I realized that although their may be contradictions and textual questions the message was there and I could have faith that it was true. From that point on I have had no issues with the question. The peace that passes all understanding came to me. Jesus said that we must come as a little child and leave the skepticism behind. The adversary may be responsible for the confusion and I won't be a chump for him.