John a Fewkes

New Testament Doctrine, Teaching and Tradition John a Fewkes

The purpose of this short writing is to introduce the concept of Biblical teachings and our response to such teaching. These thoughts were first gathered and presented in Austria for a seminar on church growth among new Christians - most of them refugees from Islamic countries. It was refreshing to be among those who did not have generations or decades of pre-conceived attitudes, but openly and eagerly sought greater understanding. We will look at a number of passages to consider what the Bible says about itself and about its teachings. We will also ask, "Do we have an obligation \ responsibility to believe everything the Bible teaches, or only certain portions of the Bible?" Are we allowed to choose some passages and dismiss others as irrelevant and without authority in our relationship with God? The thesis I will present is this: we are, as beings created by God, responsible to Him for our behaviors and beliefs. That thesis is uncomfortable or unacceptable to those who find in the Scriptures teachings they would not prefer to accept as authoritative for their lives and \ or religious practices. Can we be acceptable to God while rejecting Biblical doctrine? To list various viewpoints and religious differences is a practical impossibility and is not the focus of this writing. Nor do we seek to present in depth the various principles of Biblical interpretation. Our focus will be on the value of, and indeed, the necessity of yielding to Biblical doctrine. We will present the Biblical passages that relate to us considerations about Biblical teachings. The content of that doctrine is another study.