Going Beyond What is Written...

“Now, brethren, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying: ‘Nothing beyond what is written.’ The purpose is that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over another” (1 Cor 4:6, HCSB). Much hermeneutical ink has been spilt over this verse textually, grammatically, applicationally, et al. However, the guiding principle contained in it always needs to be heeded and practiced.

Throughout church history theological pursuits have enticed men to go “beyond what is written.”

Most often fueled by intellectual pride a la 1 Corinthians 8:1, intense controversies have erupted and have kept on bubbling and boiling. Even the ecumenical councils that were convened to resolve such theological differences were often driven by pagan philosophical presuppositions resulting in perverted hermeneutics on both sides of the fence. The creedal outcomes were regularly closer to political compromises than to exegetically driven systematizations.

Well, unfortunately, things have not improved in our era which today is characterized by blog wars.