Friday, April 24
Read Ellen G. White, “The Scriptures a Safeguard”, pp. 593-602, in The Great Controversy.
Tradition, experience, culture, reason, and the Bible are all present in our reflection on the Word of God. The decisive question is: Which of these sources has the final say and the ultimate authority in our theology? It is one thing to affirm the Bible, but it is something else altogether to allow the Bible, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, to impact and change the life.
In one sense, culture, experience, reason and even tradition, in and of themselves, might not of necessity be bad. They become problems when they contradict what Scripture teaches. But that is, often, to be expected. What’s worse, however, is when these things take precedence over the Word of God. So much of the history of apostasy in both Old Testament and New Testament times is when outside influences took precedence over divine revelation.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why is it easier to uphold details of some human traditions than to live the spirit of God’s law: to love the Lord our God with all my heart and soul and mind and my neighbor as myself (see Matthew 22:37-40)?
2. In class, discuss your answer to Sunday’s final question. What role should tradition play in our church? Where do you see blessings and challenges in religious traditions?
3. How can we make sure that tradition, no matter how good it may be, does not supersede the Written Word of God as our final norm and authority?
4. Suppose someone claims to have had a dream in which the Lord spoke to him or her, telling him or her that Sunday is the true day of rest and worship for New Testament times. How would you respond to that person, and what does a story like this teach us about how experience must always be tested by the Word of God?
5. In class, talk about the culture in which your church finds itself immersed. How does that culture impact your faith? What examples can we find from history in which culture greatly impacted the actions of church members in a way that, looking back now, we see as negative? What lessons can we take from this for ourselves today, so that we don’t make similar mistakes?
