UNITY OF TRUTH: NINE THESES

Posted on by

UNITY OF TRUTH: NINE THESES
Jack Cottrell – January 2018

I am working on a project I call “the unity of truth.” It is mainly a response to the common idea that we have to choose between the unity of the body of Christ and how we understand the truth of God’s word. I have developed nine basic theses, which I am simply affirming here, along with a few Scripture references that help to establish each.
I plan to give a brief explanation of the last six of these theses at the Florida Bible Conference on January 24, 2018 (Wednesday) from 2:15 to 4:00 p.m. Here are the nine theses:

ONE. The Bible is the Word of God. 2 Sam. 23:2; Rom. 3:2; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16.

TWO. Because the Bible is the Word of God, it is TRUE in every statement it makes. Prov. 30:5; John 10:35; John 17:17; Titus 1:2; 1 John 3:20.

THREE. The Bible is God’s personal communication to his human creatures. 1 Cor. 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:16-17.

FOUR. When God communicates with us in the Bible in human language, he intends for everything he says to have one specific true and right meaning. Isaiah 55:11; 1 Cor. 14:9-10.

FIVE. God intends and expects us human beings to know and UNDERSTAND the one specific true and right meaning of Scripture. Matt. 22:37 (Mark 12:33); 2 Cor. 1:13-14; Col. 1:9-10; Heb. 4:12.

SIX. We CAN understand this one true and right meaning of Scripture, because we have been created in the image of God. Eph. 4:23-24; Col. 3:9-10.

SEVEN. We as human beings not only CAN understand the one true and right meaning of Scripture; we are under MORAL OBLIGATION to do so, i.e., NOT to understand the one true meaning of Scripture is a sin. Matt. 13:1-23; Matt. 15:10; Eph. 5:17; 2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Tim. 2:25-26.

EIGHT. We must not only understand and believe the one true and right meaning of Scripture; we must actually HOLD FAST to this understanding with full assurance, confidence, and conviction. 1 Cor. 11:2; Col. 2:2; Col. 4:12; 2 Thess. 2:15; 2 Tim. 3:14; Titus 1:9; Titus 3:8; Heb. 10:22-23.

NINE. If all the above are true, then we must conclude that it is God’s preceptive will that all Christians have a UNITY of belief and truth—that we all hold to the SAME UNDERSTANDING of the one true and right meaning of Biblical teaching. 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:12-13; Phil. 1:27; Phil. 2:2; 1 Peter 3:8.

Comments

UNITY OF TRUTH: NINE THESES — 4 Comments

  2. I have read your book entitled, “Unity of Truth.” Thank you for expanding this blog post into a “short read.” I sense relativism encroaching upon the church in which I serve. The book was/is greatly beneficial to those who may be dealing with the same in their local church. I highly recommend it.

    Blessings