Teaching from a grasp of Scripture

The Sermon on the Mount may have appeared at first to e without connection to the Scriptures. Their rabbis carefully built around the Law, following the traditional interpretations of the Scriptures. The rabbis followed a predictable path, citing the accepted authorities, always within the orthodox structure of ideas. But Jesus cited no one, except to use the traditions as a contrast. He did not obviously cite Scripture either. Yet Jesus was teaching from Scripture, he was teaching the intention of Scripture.

The Sermon on the Mount is carefully built on a Psalm about a Rock, although it is not obvious. Jesus followed the order of this Psalm, teaching the application of the meaning. He understood the meaning of the Scriptures; He taught what His Father revealed to him through Scriptures. Jesus was fulfilling Scripture; the Scriptures bore witness to Him. The teachings of Jesus are based on an understanding of Scripture, not on an orthodoxy built around it.

The message that Jesus preached is Scriptural, but it was not part of the orthodoxy. The kingdom of God is near; Scripture bears witness to this. But the traditional teachings did not express this The religious scholars had carefully analyzed Scriptures for centuries, but did not find the good news.
The intention of Scripture is build the life of Jesus Christ in us. Scripture cannot be understood in isolation from life; it is not just fact. Scripture is like DNA; a complete listing of human DNA is of little value itself. In order DNA to have meaning, it must be expression a living organism. then the intention of the code can be see; DNA is expressed in what it builds, and in the mechanisms that come from it.

In the same way, the Scriptures are to build life in a person; the true intention of Scripture can only be seen in a living man.

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Teaching is to come from the Word made flesh.

Excerpt from "The Foundation of Discipleship" by Greg Whitten, angiken@gmail.com] or Basic Christianity