Skilled in the word of Righteousness (Hebrews 5:13) Part 23

SKILLED IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Hebrews 5:13)

Part 23

Written by Yeow Chin Kiong

Having made a prima facie case that the New Testament,- especially the four gospels and the Acts of the Apostles,- are a reliable record of historical facts (including facts relating to supernatural phenomena, like miracles), we then located in those reliable scriptures evidence of the claims and miraculous works of Jesus Christ that He was human AND DIVINE. Jesus was “worshiped” (Matthew 28:17), as only Deity or God should be.

From the same reliable historical record, too, we establish that Jesus was granted all authority (Matthew 28:18-20) as He was also to be heard (Matthew 17:5) as the definitive Spokesman on all things true (Hebrews 1:1-2), being Himself the embodiment,- and bringer,- of Truth (John 1:14, 17). As such, what Jesus says about a topic (such as the truthfulness of Biblical scriptures) must necessarily be true.

Firstly, Jesus put His stamp of approval on the wrtten word of the Old Testament (OT) as reliable and trustworthy. As for individual books of the OT, one of the earliest declarations He made publicly was regarding the trustworthiness of the book (or “scroll”) of Isaiah as prophecy (Luke 4:17-21). As for individual verses of the OT, He quoted them as authoritative to oppose Satan who tempted Him (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:16, 31). As for the entire OT, we have Him going through as true the Law, the Prophets and the Writings (constituting the three seqments of the OT) with reference to what they prophesied about Him (Luke 24:25-27, 32, 44-47).

Jesus declared the OT scriptures to be inspired of God and a true record of what God spoke to man (e.g. Matthew 22:31-32 in this instance quoting Exodus 3:6, 15). Jesus even equated the OT scriptures with the greatest of God’s miracles (in Luke 16:29-31, teaching that if the Jews did not believe in the writings of “Moses and the prophets,” they would not believe even one raised from the dead!) Jesus quoted scripture as the basis for His own teaching (e.g. Matthew 19:4-5; 22:31-32, 43). Jesus insisted that OT scriptures “cannot be broken” (John 10:35), that He came to fulfill and not abolish them (Matthew 5:17-19).

The Israelites, or Jews, of Jesus’ day were receivers and custodians of God’s revelation (as “to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises” (Romans 9:4). Jesus’ dispute with them was NOT that they did not have God’s word in written form but that, in their application of that inspired word, they had rejected the written commandments of God so that they could keep “as doctrines” the “commandments of men” which they added, as man’s traditions, to God’s word (Mark 7:6-9).

Jesus criticized those of His day who were “mistaken, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29). By “the scriptures” here, He meant our Old Testament in the hands of the Jews then. Jesus oftem reminded them that the words contained in OT scriptures, - inspired by God but written by men,- will be used to judge them in the last day (John 12.48, Jesus’ words will be the basis of judgment, including His words affirming the Divine inspiration of the OT).

We shall next see how Jesus puts the stamp of His authority on the written contents of the New Testament as inspired by God.