This article is a continuation of our previous article, “Why Are There So Many Heresies?” In this article, we examine the same subject from a different perspective. Let us take a look.
“We are in no danger from a wise person, nor from an ignorant person. We are in danger from a person with only partial knowledge.”
To teach one of his monks how dangerous partial knowledge is, an Elder told him the following:
“On the basis of Holy Scripture, I can prove to you that there is no God. For example, the Psalm says, ‘There is no God’ (Psalm 13:1). Of course, the Psalm says this, but it clarifies: ‘The fool has said in his heart, There is no God’ (Psalm 13:1). If we stop at the first statement, we risk becoming unbelievers with Holy Scripture as our guide.” The Elder continued:
“Again, on the basis of Holy Scripture, I can prove to you that prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of God. For example, the Lord said to the Pharisees, ‘Prostitutes go into the Kingdom of God before you’ (Matthew 21:31). However, this is partial knowledge, half the truth, which is the worst lie. What is the other half of the truth? Prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of God if they repent. ‘Do not be deceived: neither fornicators… nor adulterers… will inherit the Kingdom of God’ (1 Corinthians 6:9 to 10) if they do not repent.
In other words, it is not enough to support our view with Holy Scripture. We must place it on its proper basis, on the right foundation.
The theory of nudists is also based on Holy Scripture, using the argument that Adam and Eve were naked in Paradise. Yes, they were naked, but before the Fall, when there was no sin. After the Fall, however, they hastened to cover their naked bodies (Genesis 3:7).
A Jehovah’s Witness, seeking to support his belief that Christ is not equal to God the Father, appealed to Christ’s own words: “For my Father is greater than I” (John 14:28)—understood here in the sense that Christ is begotten of the Father. Nevertheless, Christ also declares: “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). Thus, the Jehovah’s Witness presented only half the truth
Even Orthodox Christians who reject certain aspects of the unwritten Orthodox tradition, seeking to support their mistaken view, turn to Christ’s words: “You set aside the commandment of God and keep human traditions” (Mark 7:8). However, Christ clarified what these traditions were. They were a “ritual” that the Jews were required to observe before eating: “such as the washing of vessels and cups, and you do many other similar things” (Mark 7:8). In other words, these were things unrelated to the unwritten Orthodox tradition. And the deliberate misinterpretation of Christ’s words is considered a sin…!
The above means that it is not enough to study Holy Scripture. We must also interpret it correctly, on the basis of the teaching of our Church and our Holy Fathers. After all, all heresies are based on Holy Scripture.
The Catholic abbot Bernard of Clairvaux, who is also a saint of the Catholic Church, said: “When you make yourself your own teacher, you become the pupil of a madman” (Letter 87, 7). In our case, this means that when a person interprets Scripture according to his own reasoning, he “becomes the pupil of a madman.”
Consider the things someone might say while appealing to Scripture.
“Wine gladdens the heart of man” (Psalm 104:5), “ we must not forget that,” a man said to his friend as he drank wine at the table.His friend added, “Nor must we forget: ‘Take, eat’ (Matthew 26:26).”
And they went on eating and drinking, with Holy Scripture as their guide…
Let us reflect on all the above.
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