Saturday, July 7, 2012

MOSAIC DISPERSION

No truth is founded on a single verse of scripture. The minimum requirement to establish new covenant truth is two co-witnessing New Testament verses taken in context, with three preferred (Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; Ref. 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28; type – Dt. 19:15). Truth seemly established on a single verse of scripture is either incomplete, with applicable related passages excluded, or simply is not truth. The strength of a doctrine is directly related to its frequency of mention. Conversely, doctrine must be in harmony with all topically related parallel passages, without conflict or contractions, all passages taken into unifying consideration. God teaches by mosaic dispersion, dispersing bits and pieces of a doctrinal mosaic here and there, breathing truth through the various New Testament writers. A mosaic of truth must be “seen”, perceived, in all its various colors and hues before it can be understood. The “workman” of God’s word is to collect everything God says on a subject and compile it into a comprehensive whole – complete the mosaic.
For example, there are at least 27 New Testament passages on asking and receiving petitions from God:   To take any one of these scriptures such as Jn. 14:12-15, “Whatsoever you ask in my name, that I will do”, and form a doctrine for petitioning God based solely on this one condition at the exclusion of the other 26 scriptures, is not considering the whole council of God.  In addition to “ask in my name” one must also believe (Mk. 9:23), abide in Jesus and have His words abide in them (Jn. 15:7), bear fruit (Jn. 15:16), ask according to His will (1 Jn. 5:14), obey His commandments (1 Jn. 3:22, 23), etc.  It is wise to be “slow to speak”, searching the scriptures (Acts 17:11) to ascertain the “whole council of God” relative to any truth, before sharing truth with others. Failure to consider all the relevant parallel passages when studying a topic is paramount to assembling a picture puzzle while discarding some of the pieces, creating an incomplete picture. God is obliviously serious about His command to study as a perquisite to rightly interpreting truth and to gaining His approval. This methodology is sayonara to Cherry-picking passages to substantiate pet doctrines.
Truth-Truth: Truth with a Capital “T”



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