Sola Scriptura, Part 7

Shawn McCraney highlights the criticism he faces for his teachings, particularly emphasizing the importance of questioning religious traditions and testing beliefs, much like he encourages Christians to approach faith with open inquiry, as he once advised those leaving Mormonism. He stresses the central role of love in Christianity, suggesting that true Christian love involves both truth-telling and caring for others, even amidst challenging societal issues.

To ensure our motivations are rooted in love and aligned with the teachings of Jesus, we must evaluate our attitudes using the Fruit of the Spirit—joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—as indicators of God's presence in our actions towards others. The illustration of a father's unwavering patience and love in helping his son face his fear of flying parallels how Jesus encourages us to trust and follow Him, demonstrating that true victories are achieved through acts of love and compassion in our spiritual battles.

The teaching emphasizes that various groups demand conformity to their views, claiming authority from historical legends while all appealing to the Bible, yet only God through His Spirit truly guides the church rather than human interpretations of scripture. It challenges the notion of Sola Scriptura by highlighting that early believers relied on the Holy Spirit and not only on scriptures, questioning whether the use of the Bible unites or divides believers.

Shawn discusses the complexities and developments in the early Christian church, highlighting how various early texts, like the Secret Gospel of Mark and the Shepherd of Hermas, were quoted by Apostolic Fathers instead of the New Testament, raising questions about the authority and authenticity of early Christian writings. The teaching also covers significant events such as the creation of the Diatessaron, the role of Constantine in Christianity's evolution, and the determination of canonical texts, illustrating the evolving nature of Christian doctrine and practice over time.