Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 11/14/2011

Question
Dear Don,
Do Baptist teach that the Church is the pillar and bulwark of the truth (1Tim 3:15)? Where in the Bible does it say that the Bible is the foundation of truth for faith and practice? I thought Christ was the foundation of truth and Christ founded the Church(Matt 16:16-19)? History shows that the Church is who gave us the Bible as a record of the the life of Our Blessed Lord and an early record of His Church.
         God Bless,
         Glen

Answer
Hi Glen,

THank you for this great question.  The Bible does state that the church is the pillar of truth....  Let us remember that the Pillar is a support beam, not the origin of truth.  Yes the church was given the responsibility to guard and proclaim the truth as seen in scripture.  The Bible tells us what truth is and where to find it.

John 17:17 (AV)
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.


Jesus shows us through His prayer that the origin of truth is the WOrd of God.  God actually holds His word above His very name.

Psalm 138:2 (AV)
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.


The Old Testament cannon was recognized by Ezra around 500 BC....  way before the church was even created.  Peter recognized New Testament writings as scriptures way before The Roman Church said it was so.

We must realize also that the church that Jesus promised to build in Matthew 16:18 was a "called out assembly".  To imagine that it was some kind of invisable demonation is to venture beyond the truth of scripture.  Jesus instituted the true Bible Believing local church.  So, yes Baptists do believe that churches are the pillars of Bible truth.  Jesus daid that truth is the Word of God.  We are also given warnings about following tradition rather than the truth of the Bible.

Colossians 2:8 (AV)
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.


I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don