Understanding the teaching of Jesus
Published:Thursday | January 31, 2019 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
I refer to the letter by Gregory McDermott in your publication of Saturday, January 26, 2019, and wish to comment as follows:
1. Jesus did not give us a Bible. He gave us a Church, with the apostles as the first leaders. In John, He commissioned them, saying, “As the Father sent Me so I send you” … “Go and teach all nations all that I have commanded you, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit … and I will be with you always”… to protect their teaching from doctrinal error and “whoever reject your teaching reject Me and also reject He that sent Me”.
The apostles did not give us a Bible either. All of them collectively authored a document called the Didache, which contains regulations for Christian living, including how to baptise and worship. They also appointed successors to themselves, who they commissioned to teach the sound doctrines as handed down to them and refute errors (see Titus 1:5-9 among other scriptures).
The Bible did not come into being until AD 405 when it was compiled by the Catholic Church, which is the continuation of the authority of the apostles, who received their authority from Jesus Himself and taught to baptise in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in keeping with Jesus’ command.
So you should try to understand what they teach and accept the authority vested in them so we can start on the road to unity, otherwise you will continue to be in error and make unity impossible. St Paul says accursed is anyone who teaches anything opposed to what the apostles teach (Galatians.1:8-9), and the wrath of God will descend on the disobedient (Ephesians. 5:6).
JAMES AL