Theology – Page 5 – Faith Unto Ages

Sola Scriptura & the Private Interpretation of Scripture: Is it Orthodox?

“…that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation…” ( 2 Peter 1:20).

What exactly is the Private interpretation of scripture?

St. Basil the Great defines the private interpretation of scripture as one refusing “to follow the fathers, (and) not holding their declaration of more authority than one’s own opinion…” (Letter to the Canonicae 52:1 [A.D. 370]).

In other words, the one interpreting the Bible interprets it in accordance to how they want it to be understood. This is dangerous since this creates opportunities for false doctrines to arise, as the individual misinterpreting the scriptures departs from the Tradition of the Church and the Gospel message as a whole.

Reflection: Why was Jesus Baptized? The Feast of Epiphany & Biblical Catechesis

My brothers and sisters, today I wanted to share some catechesis for the Holy Feast of Epiphany:

As we know, we celebrate the baptism of Jesus within the Jordan river. But why? Is not baptism used for the remission of sin? Was Jesus not sinless? Below I will answer the reasons why our Lord was baptized.

1. Christ was baptized to fulfill the Old Testament story of Exodus. How so? Because: Just as God called the Israelites out of the land Egypt through water (Exodus 12) to which they later passed through the Jordan to enter the promised land (Book of Numbers), so has Christ been called out of Egypt (Matt 2:15), to also later pass through the Jordan through His baptism to show that He is the fulfillment of Israel. Thus His words to John: “It is fitting to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matt 3:15).

“There is one God, the Father of the living Word, who is His subsistent Wisdom and Power and Eternal Image: perfect Begetter of the perfect Begotten, Father of the only-begotten Son. There is one Lord, Only of the Only, God of God, Image and Likeness of Deity, Efficient Word, Wisdom comprehensive of the constitution of all things, and Power formative of the whole creation, true Son of true Father, Invisible of Invisible, and Incorruptible of Incorruptible, and Immortal of Immortal and Eternal of Eternal. And there is One Holy Spirit, having His subsistence from God, and being made manifest by the Son, to wit to men: Image of the Son, Perfect Image of the Perfect; Life, the Cause of the living; Holy Fount; Sanctity, the Supplier, or Leader, of Sanctification; in whom is manifested God the Father, who is above all and in all, and God the Son, who is through all. There is a perfect Trinity, in glory and eternity and sovereignty, neither divided nor estranged. Wherefore there is nothing either created or in servitude in the Trinity; nor anything superinduced, as if at some former period it was non-existent, and at some later period it was introduced. And thus neither was the Son ever wanting to the Father, nor the Spirit to the Son; but without variation and without change, the same Trinity abides ever.” - A Declaration of Faith, St. Gregory Thaumaturgus

“Having therefore received a charge, and having been fully assured through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and confirmed in the word of God with full assurance of the Holy Ghost, they (the apostles) went forth with the glad tidings that the kingdom of God should come. So preaching everywhere in country and town, they appointed their first-fruits, when they had proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons unto them that should believe. And this they did in no new fashion; for indeed it had been written concerning bishops and deacons from very ancient times; for thus said the scripture in a certain place, I will appoint their bishops in righteousness and their deacons in faith.”
- St. Clement of Rome (A.D. 96).

“A brother came to see Abba Macarius the Egyptian, and said to him, ‘Abba, give me a word, that I may be saved.’ So the old man said, ‘Go to the cemetery and abuse [insult] the dead.’ The brother went there, abused [insulted] them and threw stones at them; then he returned and told the old man about it. The latter said to him, ‘Didn’t they say anything to you?’ He replied, ‘No.’ The old man said, ‘Go back tomorrow and praise them.’ So the brother went away and praised them, calling them ‘Apostles, saints and righteous men.’ He returned to the old man and said to him, ‘I have complimented them.’ And the old man said to him, ‘Did they not answer you?’ The brother said no. The old man said to him, ‘You know how you insulted them and they did not reply, and how you praised them and they did not speak; so you too if you wish to be saved must do the same and become a dead man. Like the dead, take no account of either the scorn of men or their praises, and you can be saved.’”