René Pache (1904-1979) on "Escaping the Trap of Subjectivism"

 

From X Post:

"For all practical purposes, everyone who makes a distinction between Scripture and the Word of God accepts biblical criticism, often in its most radical form. With this, every word of the text can be, and is indeed, subjected to question. All the knowledge which modern theologians have... and that which they call 'the Word of God'--all of this comes from the very words of the Bible. But if those words are not sure or are not worthy of confidence, must one then keep searching his own mind for certainty? How can anything definite be made out of this nebulous communication, seeing it is not the words themselves which speak to us? Moreover, the Word perceived will be variable from one person to another, even from one great theologian to another...."

-The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture, 260-261.

The Vision (8.21.26): The Apocrypha is Not Inspired Scripture

 

In our Midweek Meeting on Wednesday we continued our study of the Belgic Confession looking at Article 6 on “The Difference Between the Canonical and Apocryphal Books.” We noted that the Roman Church, as well as the Eastern Orthodox Church, accept several books in their Old Testament that are rejected by Bible-believing Protestants.

We gave a brief survey of these books, which include 1-2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the so-called Wisdom of Solomon, Jesus (Joshua) ben Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, the additions to Esther, the additions to Daniel (Song of the Three Hebrews, Susannah, Bel and the Dragon), 1-2 Maccabees.

I offered five reasons we reject these books, and classify them as non-canonical:

1.     They were not accepted by ancient Jews (Rom 3:2);

2.     They were not originally written in Hebrew, the language of the OT, but Greek, showing they were written late.

3.     They have errors (e.g., Judith 1:1 which says Nebuchadnezzar ruled in Ninevah and not Babylon).

4.     These books were never explicitly cited as Scripture in the NT by the Lord Jesus and the Apostles and their associates.

5.     They were used by the Roman Church to support unbiblical doctrines and practices, like prayers for the dead (2 Macc 12:44); expiatory sacrifices (as in the mass) (2 Macc 12:39-46); expiatory alms (precursor to indulgences) (Tobit 12:9; 4:10); the invocation and intercession of saints (2 Macc. 15:14); Bar 3:4); the worship of angels (Tobit 12:12); purgatory and salvation after death (2 Macc 12:42).

We were reminded that the Reformation is not over. We have many differences with Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, even the books of the Bible.

I closed Wednesday by reading this statement from a French-Swiss evangelical theologian named René Pache (1904-1979). He wrote:

“Except for certain interesting historical information (especially in 1 Maccabees) and a few beautiful moral thoughts (e.g., Wisdom of Solomon), these books contain absurd legends and platitudes, and historical, geographical, and chronological errors, as well as manifestly heretical doctrines; they even recommend immoral acts (Judith 9:10, 13)” (The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture, Trans. Helen I. Needham [Moody Press, 1969], 172).

Let us continue to hold fast to and in defense of God’s holy, inspired, preserved, and true Word.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

René Pache (1904-1979) on the Apocrypha:

 X Post:

"Except for certain interesting historical information (especially in 1 Maccabees) and a few beautiful moral thoughts (e.g., Wisdom of Solomon), these books contain absurd legends and platitudes, and historical, geographical, and chronological errors, as well as manifestly heretical doctrines; they even recommend immoral acts (Judith 9:10, 13)."

-The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture, Trans. Helen I. Needham (Moody Press, 1969), 172.

JTR