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xtestament · 5 years ago

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The Problem With Catholics telling you not to rely Solely on The Bible

So there’s this thing going around in the Catholic circles of “how dare you rely solely on The Bible for The Bible is not the only rightful source” of course, this is paraphrased but you get the idea, now this comes with the protestant criticism of the Catholic teachings contradicting The Bible and why that is important so let’s look at the first contradiction from the Catholics themselves using their own words.

“Like you, we believe that Scripture is truly the Word of God, authored by God and without error.”

Ok so they’ve admitted that the Scripture is without error which is good, though it begs then the question of why they get annoyed when we say their teachings and wrongful acts contradict something that is without error. If it is without error then that should be the ultimate source of which everything should rely upon, and if anything else comes that goes against it, it should not be believed. Yet for some reason they continue to believe just some of the following things.

Mary never sinned

Mary is the Coredeemer next to Christ

Mary is the redeemer of sins

Mary is the Queen of Heaven

It’s ok to pray to dead people (the apostles)

The Apostles have been set to govern over certain areas of the world and church up in heaven

Graven images in so many churches is ok

The Apostles have been given titles similar to those of the Greek/Roman Pantheon and beyond.

Only certain people through works can become saints, despite the fact that The Bible mentions that every Christian is a saint.

Priests aren’t allowed to marry

Nuns aren’t allowed to marry

Monks aren’t allowed to marry

The Pope isn’t allowed to Marry (despite previous Popes being married and having kids in history)

That Peter was never married despite The Bible mentioning that he had a wife as well as Church history (see Peter get crusified upside down with his wife)

That the Pope is the Infallible voice of God

The very act of Indulgences (pay us and we’ll give whoever a free ticket to heaven)

That Grace alone is not sufficient to get into Heaven.

These are just some of the few things out of many that contradicts what is in something that the Catholics themselves say... is without error? Like how do you not notice such glaring contradictions? I’m sorry but that takes on some serious blinders to ignore the issues here and that’s just from one sentence. Let’s however get into their “link” that speaks against it and see how it can’t be torn asunder.

“Consider why anyone would want to base their faith on an error instigated 500 years ago by Luther and reject 2,000 years of Church tradition.”

Maybe it was because Luther saw the heresy of the Church who believed that one must do certain works, pay indulgences if you want a soul to go into heaven, that Grace alone was not sufficient, that what the priests and Popes said was more important than the very teachings of Jesus? The level of corruption in the church? There were many reasons that Luther saw to split away and why he nailed his thesis on the doors of the church but here’s a video that might help explain just a little bit of it.

And let’s not forget, that when only one person can read The Bible they can simply say “Oh well, this is totally in the Bible (even though it’s not but you fools don’t know that) so you have to listen to me because you’re all uneducated and don’t know any better” Not to mention the fact that until recently and dare I say even recently, most Catholics are shall I say pushed to not read or rely on The Bible... despite the fact that it is without error... now I wonder why that would be? Oh yes, to keep people ignorant.

But let’s look at their argument for “Tradition” that is to follow Tradition and the Scripture, when it comes to the point where something is wrong, I have heard many Catholics say Tradition is more important... Tradition of errors... is more important than Scripture? Right ok, in that case we must ask who has given them the authority to be more powerful and pure than the Scriptures? Especially when they’re more fallible? Of course, this doesn’t get answered by Catholics but we still must ask the question.

Secondly, when the Early Christian Churches and groups were being created, on of the biggest divisions was that Gentiles must become circumcised in order to become a Christian, this was after all Tradition, and it’s not until Paul steps in to handle that debate that they leave that to the Jews and let Gentiles follow a different set of rules but still very vitally important ones. Also if we want to talk about Tradition as the Catholic church is so opt to do as an excuse for gross contradictions of The Bible that enter into the realms of heresy and blasphemy, why not go back to the source? What do I mean by the source? Well if we’re talking Tradition who else is closer than the Messianic Jews? Why don’t the Catholics follow in their footsteps? Also last I checked the Messianic Jews traditions don’t go against the Bible where as the Catholic ones do, thus one would have an easier time following Pauls words in the Messianic Sphere about tradition than one would anywhere else.

“What is very clear historically is that Jesus established a kingdom with a hierarchy and authority to speak for him (see Lk. 20:29-32, Mt. 10:40, 28:18-20).”

Let’s look at this for a moment because it mentions scripture and we can see what it actually says.

Luke 20: 29-32 “Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children, and the second took her as wife, and he died childless, then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children and died. Lastly the woman died also”

Welp... nothing there that talks about a Hierarchy that he establishes to speak for him, in fact they’re asking him a question, this is I believe at the time was done by the Sadducees who were an opposing sect to the Pharisees, asking Jesus about the ressurection, to which Jesus stated that no one in Heaven is given in marriage, and that people are equal to the angels themselves if you read just a little bit further.

Matthew 10:40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

Ok once again, nothing about a Heirarchy that I can really see, about those who he gave Authority to do things and know everything that Jesus meant and should be said and so on and so forth, so that’s 2 for 2 of whatever they just tried to pull and expected people to just believe without reading. Not to mention that this is right after the line that Jesus tells people to pick up their cross and follow him as well as denying the world and so on and so forth, once again, follow Jesus... not the Church.

Matthew 28: 18-20 “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” Amen.”

Ok so I can see a heirarchy there, but only as much as “Go tell them what I (that is Jesus) have said and commanded of you” not that they were in a higher position necessarily but this was basically the mandate of “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel” which every Christian is to do, also the Heirarchy here seems pretty clear... the things which JESUS taught and commanded, not what some priest 300-1000 years down the line would say that goes against what Jesus taught and commanded (which the Catholics believe is a ok).

Now let’s see what else they have to say for themselves.

“It was members of this Kingdom—the Church—that would write the Scripture, preserve its many texts and eventually canonize it. The Scriptures cannot write or canonize themselves.”

Well first of all they were part of the Kingdom of Christ as every Christian is, they were not yet a Church but would become parts of one later on in life, and yes the Apostles did write majority of the New Testament who all had eye witness accounts of Jesus in one way or another. In fact Luke was instructed to go and see whether the accounts were accurate by Theophilus, and basically went around interviewing every one that he could. But once again these same Apostles did not mention or believe in any of the things I mentioned earlier, and I dare say they would probably count it as false teachings by false teachers and prophets. Also since there were already False teachers and Prophets claiming things, Paul and the others basically stated “don’t listen to them, don’t entertain them, don’t welcome them and highly use discernment to tell whether something is true or false.” There are too many scriptures where this is stated but I will get them all if I must.

“With Protestants I will not debate Purgatory, Mary, Statues, Incense, Bells, Praying to Saints or the bad popes. I will not discuss pedophile priests or celibacy or papal infallibility. I will not discuss transubstantiation, the Immaculate Conception, books we “added” to the Bible, pagan traditions or the Spanish Inquisition.”

Maybe because all those things go against the Bible and the early Church teachings and you bloody well know it, thus can’t properly defend it or accept it I’d imagine.

“The only topic I will discuss is the doctrine of Sola Scripture. If he believes everything must be found in the Bible then we begin by asking where “everything must be in the Bible” is in the Bible. ��

If you’re looking for the exact words Sola Scriptura in the Bible of course it’s not going to be there, but if we must here’s another interesting video this time by a Lutheran defending the basis of Sola Scriptura

and here’s another one

In turn I must ask where in the Bible does it state that the Traditions of Man or the Church are infallible? Where does it state that the Traditions taught are of a higher authority than the Bible? Which I will remind you, you youselfs state is without error. So obviously if there is a contradiction who has the higher Authority? Tradition or the Infallible word of God? You all seem to speak as if it is Tradition that holds more Authority, and if so who decided that?

Oh and just to put the nail in the coffin here, have another video

And finally because I am tired

“Yet Vatican II makes abundantly clear that this Magisterium is not “over the Word of God, but under it. It was instituted by Christ there to serve the revealed Word of God, not to change it or add to it. “

Ok so the Magisterium is not over the Word of God but under it, so then why is it ok to believe in things that are blatant blasphemies, heresies and the like? After all it just states there that it was Instituted by Christ there to serve the revealed Word of God, not to Change or add to it.

Well now fancy that, and yet you guys have both changed and added to it with things that are not right, how do you not see this? Anyways I’m tired I’ve written a lot of thoughts on it, watch the videos because they have good information but this entire post sums up what I wanted to say, even though I could probably write an entire 100 page essay on it, picking it apart piece by piece.

#christianity #christians #catholics #catholicism #sola scriptura #why sola scriptura is important #there is more than one side to an argument or debate #protestant

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sirtravisjacksonoftexas · 5 years ago

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Are we to solely rely on the Holy Spirit to understand the Bible, and ignore what biblical scholars have to say? Um, NO, and here is why.

At home, I have numerous Bible translations, Bible dictionaries, 4 books on apologetics, a Bible encyclopedia and a Bible Atlas. I use a lot of these to help in both writing and preaching sermons, as well as theological articles. I’ve had some of these books since my days at Missouri Baptist University, where I was a religion major. I love delving into the historical and cultural background of the Bible, which helps to illuminate the scripture in ways that are amazing. It is helpful for bible study as well as teaching and preaching.

Does this make me a heretic?

In the eyes of some Christians, yes.

You see, there are many believers out there who refuse to consider Bible commentaries, dictionaries or other aspects of modern biblical scholarship. These Christians believe that you only have to have a bible and the aid of the Holy Spirit, and nothing else, and any who do otherwise don’t understand the scripture. Ben S, a Biblical scholar whose theological videos are found on YouTube, devoted one of those to this very subject, showing the dangers of believing that you need no aid from modern scholarship to understand the word, that you just need to pray to the Holy Spirit before reading scripture, and he alone will enlighten it for you.

Why do they think this?

1. The “Biblical” Argument

There are several proof texts that people who have this idea fall back on.

The first is 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:14 (especially 2:14). Let’s look at a few tidbits from this section of scripture, which attacks the wisdom and knowledge of the world:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” 1 Cor 1:18-25

“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Cor 2:1-2

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,

what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived”—

the things God has prepared for those who love him—

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” 1 Cor 2:6-10

“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-14

More of this can be found in 1 Corinthians 3:18-23:

“Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness” and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.”

At first, this all sounds like both a reinforcement of the belief that Biblical scholarship should be discarded, and that the Holy Spirit alone should be relied on solely for Biblical understanding.

However, there are several major problems with this, including issues with context and Greek.

What is Paul really writing about?

Well, in order to figure that out, we need to look at what came before this passage.

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power 1 Cor 1:10-17

In other words, the following was going on:

Later, in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, it states;

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

There was obviously an argument going on over which Christian authority to follow. This goes on in our world today, some following the teachings of one preacher or another, or one televangelist or another. Some people follow the teachings of the Roman Catholic Pope, others the Orthodox pope. Yet Paul doesn’t say “follow me instead of Apollos and Cephas/Peter!”. He does, however, indicate that we are to follow Christ, that people like Paul and Apollos and Peter are not teaching ultimately on their own authority, but on the authority of Christ. They were authorities in the early church, but they weren’t teaching doctrines that they thought up, but the doctrine of Christ. Indeed, he is basically getting to the point that Christian leaders like himself are not making disciples of their own, but disciples of Christ, as Jesus himself commanded in Matt 28:16-19. Paul is humbling himself in these passages, not being proudful or boastful, despite the fact that he, himself, was a biblical scholar, having been once a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5) as well as an expert on the Gospel message (and no doubt oral tradition) of Jesus Christ. This is why his letters had such weight in the early church. He was a higher up and a theologian. Indeed, the other apostles were likewise authorities on God’s word. They weren’t educated like Paul was, but they were educated by Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry. Jesus taught them the word, both that of the Hebrew Bible as well as new revelation that would become oral tradition…and later the written New Testament. Paul isn’t saying that we shouldn’t listen to biblical scholars; he’s saying that our primary teacher is Christ. Christ gave us his word, and biblical scholars are to do their best to convey his word to fellow Christians, just as Paul and the apostles did. Their authority should rest on HIS authority.

But what about passages like 1 Cor 2:14, which seem to indicate that nobody can understand the word of God without the Holy Spirit’s illumination?

Let’s take another look at the passage in question:

“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (Emphasis mine)

The Greek word translated as “accept” is “dechomai”, which is used 56 times in the New Testament. It’s always used in other parts of scripture to convey the acceptance of a requested offering. No god in the ancient would have been considered unable to understand what an offering is, let alone one that he or she requested. Likewise, the Greek word translated as “Foolishness” is “Moria”. This word is used several times in 1 Corinthians, including 1 Corinthians 3:19, where it states:

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”

This doesn’t mean that God can’t understand worldly wisdom; it means he considers it bull.

Taken together, we can conclude that 1 Corinthians 2:14 and its surrounding passages isn’t stating that nobody can understand the Bible without asking the Holy Spirit in prayer first to illuminate it; it’s simply stating that worldly men and women can understand it, but nevertheless reject it. They understand what it is saying, but they don’t understand that it comes from God.

We see this in our modern culture today. Atheists accept that the Bible teaches that God is real, that it teaches that we are supposed to worship him and no one (or nothing) else, that it teaches that Jesus is the way, truth and the life and none cane get to the Father save through him (John 14:6), and that it teaches that eternal life awaits those who accept him as Lord and Savior while shame and everlasting contempt await those who do not (Dan 12:2). They understand that the Bible teaches that Heaven and Hell are for real, that the Bible teaches that God created all things, that the Bible teaches that stories of Samson tearing the Philistine temple down, David slaying the giant Goliath and Noah’s Flood are historical events, that the Bible teaches that God freed the Israelites from Egypt with the use of 10 plagues, and that the Bible teaches that Jesus was God incarnate and that he died and rose from the grave.

They accept that the Bible teaches these things…but they don’t accept the Bible is telling the truth. They don’t even accept that God is real, let alone that the Bible came from God. People can understand the bible without understanding that it really did come from God, from divine inspiration. They can understand the concept of divine inspiration, can understand that the Bible teaches it, but that doesn’t mean that they will conclude that the Bible is truly divinely inspired, only that it claims to be so.

Likewise, there are many scholars of the Jewish faith who know the Hebrew Bible far better than most Christians in the world, and yet…they don’t accept the fact that the messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Bible point to Christ. Some will study Christian views on the Hebrew Bible’s messianic prophecies, and some even study the New Testament itself and understand its teachings well…but they are not Christians.

Along with biblical books, I have a variety of books on mythology. I have several that deal with Greek Mythology, including English translations of Hesiod Theogony and Works and Days and Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. I can use all of these to understand ancient Greek religion, (including their prophecies about the future, as seen in Hesiod’s Works and Days), but that doesn’t mean that I actually believe that Greek Mythology is true and that the Greek gods are real. It just means that I can understand ancient Greek religion, what they believed.

Likewise, many non-Christians can understand the Bible (How many non-Christians interpret “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13) as anything other than a prohibition against murder??? Even unsaved kids can get that!), and some quite well, without getting that the Bible is truly written by God. This is why it says in 1 Corinthians 2:8 that “None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Being the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate would have learned many Jewish beliefs and customs. Indeed, Jesus admitted to Pilate that he was the King of the Jews, and spoke other spiritual truths to him (Luke 23:3, John 18:28-38). Pilate could understand from what Jesus said that Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews, that his kingdom was not of this world and that he had been sent into the world to testify to God’s truth.

This doesn’t mean that Pilate believed him.

Indeed, he was a pagan, a worshipper of Roman gods, and there is no indication from either the Bible or history that he ever converted to Christianity.

Let’s also not forget that the Devil knows the Bible very well, and is ingenious at twisting it to nefarious ends. We see this in the story of the temptation in the wilderness, where he tries to tempt Jesus with bible verses, only for Jesus to counter with bible verses of his own, showing Satan’s twisting of scripture (Matt 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13). Satan wasn’t screwing up on biblical interpretation and method; he was twisting scripture on purpose in order to try to get Jesus to sin.

Satan understands the Bible without the aid of the Holy Spirit…but we can’t without the aid of the Holy Spirit?

Thus, the passages in 1 Corinthians do not teach that we only need to use the Holy Spirit to interpret the word of God.

Now, let’s look at other proof-texts that people use to disregard Biblical scholarship.

Let’s start with John 16:13:

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

This doesn’t mean that the Holy Spirit will be our only guide into Biblical interpretation, anymore than it means that we don’t even have to have a Bible, just rely on the Holy Spirit alone (remember, neither the Bible nor biblical scholars are mentioned in the passage. If one lumps the Bible under “all truth”, then we can also lump biblical facts that scholars know about also under “all truth”. Truth is truth, whether in scripture or not (is the fact that Austin is the state capital of Texas wrong because its not said to be such in the Bible???? Is the fact that Tom Jones sings in Las Vegas wrong because he’s not mentioned as doing so in the Bible????). Indeed, the Greek grammar of the passage doesn’t indicate that the Holy Spirit will be the sole teacher of truth in our lives, but that his teachings will stand firmly on the truth.

Now let’s look at 1 John 2:27

“But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.“

So, does this mean that the Holy Spirit will supernaturally teach us about everything, including the scripture? That we don’t need the input of men in anything, let alone biblical interpretation? Do Christians not need anyone to teach them?

If so...then why is John teaching his readers in this letter? Why is he teaching them in all of his letters? Why does he teach his readers the story of Christ in his Gospel?

Also, does this passage mean that, no matter what field you are in (school teacher, Nuclear Physics, cosmetology, paleontology, making movies, etc) that you don’t need to be taught by people knowledgeable about these subjects, that you only have to ask for the Holy Spirit to teach you these things and you will gain supernatural knowledge about them? After all, the passage says “ his anointing teaches you about everything”, right?

Before you discard going to medical school and say “I don’t need schooling! I’ll just pray before I operate on people!”, you might want to check on the context of the passage in question.

1 John 2:18-26

“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

‘I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.“

This passage isn’t talking about biblical interpretation; its talking about false Christians who were formerly in the movement but then left, trying to lead believers out of it. They deny that Jesus is the Christ, they deny the Son, and yet John knew that true believers knew the truth; that Jesus is the Christ, that he is the Son of the Living God. They didn’t need anymore teaching in this regard. They already knew what they needed to point out the errors of those who were trying to destroy the church. They knew enough to know that these men and women, these antichrists, where spiritual snake-oil salesmen. Verse 20 states that they had the Holy One’s anointing, and that they had knowledge. They didn’t need anyone to teach them that Jesus is Lord; they already knew it.

And where did they attain this knowledge?

Look at verse 24 more closely:

“Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.“ (Emphasis mine)

What had they heard from the beginning?

The Gospel.

And who told them the Gospel message?

Christian missionaries who knew the word, including Paul.

But what about the statement in verse 27, where it states that the anointing will teach us in all things?

While some biblical scholars believe that “the Anointing” is that of the Holy Spirit, others believe that it refers to the Word of God, specifically the Gospel message. Why can’t it be both? All scripture is God breathed (2 Tim 3:16), and every prophecy of scripture originated not from human will, but from the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). Indeed, the Bible itself would continue to teach them, just as it does to us today, and just like in the modern world, the infant church had teachers of the word of God (Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Corinthians 12:28-29).

Now, some may protest, saying that the teachers of the New Testament church were far different from biblical scholars, because the former where given their ability to teach as a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit, while the latter were not.

Well, for one, how do you know that born-again bible scholars do not have the spiritual gift of teaching?

Two, if we are only to listen to scholars or bible teachers that are given the spiritual gift of teaching and no one else, then how do you explain Matthew 23:1-3?

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.“

Now, to say that Jesus and the Pharisee didn’t get along in an understatement. Indeed, he chastises the Pharisees later in this chapter. Likewise the Pharisees were enemies of Christ and the early church. Yet Jesus said that they, along with the scribes, sit on Moses’ seat, and that thus the people were to do and observe whatever they said. Jesus wasn’t being absolute here: if push came to shove, when Jesus and the Pharisees and scribes had conflicting messages, people where to listen to Christ and obey him. Yet nevertheless, Jesus said that the Pharisees and scribes “sit on Moses seat”, and thus that people must “do and observe whatever they tell you.”

Why?

And what does “sit on Moses seat” mean?

Though there here were prominent seats in the synagogue that are believed by some scholars to have been the “seat of Moses”, and though Pharisaic scribes believed themselves to be Moses’ successors, Jesus was being figurative here. He was meaning that they were among Israel’s religious figures, men who knew the Hebrew Bible. They also knew the Oral tradition, which Jesus condemned (Mark 7:8), but they nevertheless knew the Bible, and Jesus wanted people to not only learn the Hebrew Bible from them, but to do what the scribes and Pharisees weren’t willing to do: live by it. Obey it.

Where the scribes and the Pharisees (some scribes were Pharisees, but not all) given the spiritual gift of teaching by the Holy Spirit? If so, why did they try to undermine Jesus’ ministry? Why did they condemn Jesus? Why did they teach that he was wrong, that Christianity was wrong? This wasn’t a simple case of doctrinal difference like what we see between Paul and Peter in Galatians 2:11-14: this was over whether Jesus was the Messiah or not, over whether Jesus should be followed or not. Jesus was okay with their normal biblical teachings, but not when it came to the oral law or their rejection of him.

The Holy Spirit would not allow his house to be so divided. Nor would he give conflicting messages, either.

Now, some may protest, saying that the Holy Spirit did indeed work among the Pharisees, for the High Priest Caiaphas prophesied about Christ’s coming death, and that prophecy was from God (John 11:45-53). However, Caiaphas was a Sadducee, not a Pharisee. The Sadducees were the ones who controlled the Jewish Temple. The Sadducees didn’t believe in the afterlife, Angels or the resurrection of the dead. They believed that only the Torah or Pentateuch was divinely inspired. This is what they taught. The Holy Spirit would NEVER condone such doctrine or get people to teach it. This prophecy of Caiaphas was a rarity, and as Jesus himself noted, prophecy was not an indicator of being saved (Matthew 7:22-23).

Thus, there is no evidence to show that the Holy Spirit gave Pharisees or the scribes the spiritual gift of teaching (unless of course some converted like Paul). Indeed, as seen above, there is evidence to show that those who rejected Jesus Christ didn’t have this gift.

And yet Jesus said for his disciples to listen to and obey what the Pharisees and scribes taught.

Why?

Because when it came to the Hebrew Bible, they knew what they were talking about. They did adhere to the Oral Law, and they disagreed with Christ for sure, but in other matters of the Hebrew Bible, they were highly educated, experts on the Bible and, according to Jesus, in this regard, they were to be listened to.

Likewise, there are some Bible scholars today who are not Christian, and others who are not up to snuff. One can still learn from them without accepting the poorer aspects of their theology. I have Robert Alter’s Hebrew Bible Translation with commentary at home. Its an amazing work with incredible biblical insights in its commentary. When I attended Missouri Baptist University, it came highly recommended (at the time, Robert Alter had only translated the Torah. He finished his translation with commentary many years later). Robert Alter isn’t a Christian, and in this regard he is wrong (just as the Pharisees and scribes and Sadducees were). However, like the scribes and the Pharisees, he still knows the Hebrew Bible, and one can learn much about the scriptures from him. A Christian only needs to sort out where he gets it wrong and where he gets it right when it comes to theology, just as we would with any biblical scholar, Christian or not. Even Christian biblical scholars will disagree at times (remember Paul and Peter (aka Cephas) disagreeing for a time in Galatians 2:11-14). In those cases, we need to examine the evidence and the arguments they make in order to find the truth. Should we pray to the Holy Spirit to find that truth in those circumstances? Of course, why not? Just remember, though, that he wont always aid supernaturally.

Sometimes, he may lead you to a biblical passage, book or online article that has the answer.

Now, let’s look at 2 Timothy 2:15.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

If we combined this with the above passages, and interpreted the other passages in the faulty way that those who reject biblical scholarship do, then one may conclude that you only need a Bible and a prayer to God in order to study God’s word. However, as we’ve seen above, this is a faulty understanding of the former passages in question.

So…what about 2 Timothy 2:15? Since it says to study to show thyself approved, and then only mentions “the word of truth” (aka the Bible), does this mean that we are only to study the Bible, and not biblical commentaries, dictionaries, academic essays on scripture, etc.? Does it mean that we only need a Bible, and not scholarly works?

I have several books on bears. I’m an animal lover, and bears are my favorite animal. I have two books on bears as a whole (“Bears” by Ian Stirling” and “Bears of the World” by Lance Craighead) and one on grizzlies specifically (“The Grizzly Almanac” by Robert H. Busch). These books are very informative and I highly recommend them. One of the interesting things about them is that they are not just about bears.

Repeat; they are not just about bears.

These books don’t just talk about the animals themselves, including their intelligence, sense of smell and their giant strength. They also talk about…

1. Their habitat

2. Natural competitors (wolves, big cats, humans, etc.)

3. Threats (humans, due to poaching, causing habitat loss, etc.)

4. History

5. mythology and folklore

6. Art

7. Religion

Though these subjects are mentioned in relation to bears, they are still subjects in and of themselves. The authors of these bear books are not just talking about the animals in question, but the impact they have had on wildlife, history and humanity. Human culture in relation to these animals is explored. One cannot fully learn about bears by studying only the animals themselves; one has to also understand the worlds in which these animals have lived in (both the prehistoric world and the modern one), their surroundings, their natural neighbors and man.

Likewise, one cannot fully learn and understand the Bible without learning and understanding its cultural and historical background, at least some aspects of the languages it was originally written in (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. If you don’t know them, get concordances), Bible dictionaries, Bible atlases, and other materials provided by Biblical scholars, who learned at the university and seminary levels about the Bible.

But what about 2 Timothy 3:16-17?

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Well, this passage doesn’t mention “Scripture AND biblical scholarly works”, only “scripture” so we therefore don’t need Biblical scholarly works, only the Bible, right?

How can you use the Bible properly, or better understand it, if you don’t know its historical or cultural background? How can you avoid committing eisegesis (reading into the text a meaning that it doesn’t have) instead of doing sound exegesis (reading from the biblical text its intended meaning)? How can you avoid reading your own modern cultural ideas into an ancient near eastern text like the Bible? If you read Job 40:15-41:34 (which talks about the monsters Behemoth and Leviathan), and if you refused to learn anything about the ancient cultural and historical background of the Bible (which biblical scholars write about), you might conclude that Behemoth was a sauropod dinosaur (like the 110 feet long, 100 ton Argentinosaurus) and Leviathan was some enormous prehistoric sea reptile, like liopleurodon, kronosaurus or Predator X (an interpretation with a basis in modern, not ancient, culture).

However, in reality Behemoth was a giant supernatural bull, while Leviathan was a multi-headed sea monster (Psalm 74:14) of Ugaritic mythology. Both creatures are used here as personifications of natural forces, with Behemoth representing the land and Leviathan the sea respectfully.

They were meant as pure symbolism here, not as real flesh and blood animals or even real supernatural beings. They are literary devices used to show that if Job can’t take on the forces of nature, how can he take on God? And yet, many still believe that this passage is talking about real prehistoric animals, choosing to interpret the passage in question with modern eyes, instead of those of the ancients who better understood what the passage was saying.

Now how could you avoid making that kind of biblical blunder? The Holy Spirit? We’ve already went through those “prooftexts” about the Holy Spirit, so one can’t go to them to defend this idea. Again, how can you avoid reading your own modern cultural ideas and ideals into a text written in ancient near eastern culture?

How can you avoid making an erroneous interpretation of scripture without the aid of modern biblical scholarship?

Let’s say I have a space shuttle. Let’s say that this space shuttle is all I need to get from my home to earth orbit. It has a full tank of gas, and its brand-spanking new. Let’s say it’s ready to go.

Um, I don’t know how to drive a space shuttle. I don’t know how to start it, or how to slow it down or land it. I don’t know anyone who knows these things.

How am I going to use this space shuttle?

Not very well, I imagine.

Indeed, I’d probably crash the sucker!

Now, some may say “But the Holy Spirit can be your guide to flying it, just as he can be your guide in understanding scripture.”

Well, once again, we already went through those passages on the Holy Spirit, so the objection is moot. Plus, it would be seriously tempting God to try to fly a space shuttle, saying “God will help me out”, just as it would be for me to try to drive a car on a freeway (being autistic, I was never taught to drive) all the while saying “God will protect me and keep me from being arrested!”

Once again…how am I going to use the space shuttle?

I think it would be a great idea to at least chat with astronauts about how to use it (you know, guys who’ve been educated on how space shuttle are used and who have flown them into space?), as well as read manuals and books on this very subject, before I use it, don’t you?

Likewise, I think one should have at least a few bible dictionaries and commentaries (sound ones that delve into the Bible’s historical and cultural background. Not all commentaries do this) and use them to enlighten their bible reading, don’t you agree?

But what about Acts 5:29?

Well, let’s see what it has to say:

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

This is used by adherents to the idea that you don’t need Bible scholars to show…that you don’t need bible scholars! After all, they are men, and we don’t need to listen to what men say.

You know, men like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Apostle Paul, Peter the Rock, Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Elijah, Jeremiah, etc.

Now, some will cry foul, saying that these MEN don’t count, because these MEN were inspired by God.

They’re still…MEN!

And the others who taught the Gospel in the 1rst century who aren’t listed in the Bible, nor wrote any part of the New Testament? Men who spoke the Oral Gospel long before it was written (besides the apostles)? All the preachers who preached sermons to the first Christians? Those who studied both the Gospel and the Hebrew Bible extensively during the time when the New Testament was being put to paper?

MEN!

Indeed, people who use this passage as prooftext for their rejection of Biblical scholars and their works don’t seem to consider the context of the passage. The passage as a whole is about how the High Priest had Peter and the apostles busted. An angel let them out, and ordered them to got to the Temple to teach them the Gospel. The High Priest had them arrested again, and reminded them that the Sanhedrin had forbidden them from teaching in Jesus’ name (all of this can be found in Acts 5:17-28.

What was Peter’s response?

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Peter is NOT telling the High Priest (who wasn’t Christian, but a Sadducee), that they had to let God interpret biblical passages instead of Bible scholars; He was saying that if God told them to do something…and humans told them not to do it…they would have to obey God. This isn’t teaching us that we should wait for divine revelation of scripture and its meaning instead of relying on bible scholars, any more than it is teaching us that people in the ancient world had to wait for Jesus to reveal himself in person to them, instead of waiting for an apostle to do so with the Gospel message that Jesus taught. No, this passage is teaching us that if the world says one thing, and God another, we need to obey God.

But what about 2 Timothy 4:3?

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

Hmmm, so this passage refers to Biblical scholars? All of them? There were no bible-based Christian teachers of God’s word in the infant church?

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,” Ephesians 4:11 (emphasis mine).

“And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.” Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?” 1 Corinthians 12:28-29.

2 Timothy 4:3 isn’t talking about Bible scholars as a whole.

It’s talking about false teachers.

Taken together, we can see how these passages were twisted to reinforce the false belief that only the Holy spirit is to be our guide in scripture interpretation. This should be enough to discard the idea that we should disregard biblical scholarship and rely solely on God to interpret scripture, but there are other faulty aspects about it that we need to examine.

2. Lost in translation

The idea that we should only use the Holy Spirit, not scholars, to interpret the Bible, is logically impossible.

I repeat; the idea that we should only use the Holy Spirit, not scholars, to interpret the Bible is logically impossible.

It is impossible to do so.

How do I know this?

As I mentioned earlier, the Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Hebrew itself is one of several Canaanite dialects. Originally it was written in Proto-Canaanite script, which was later replaced with Paleo-Hebrew script. Both had different alphabets from both Classical and Modern Hebrew. This is because the latter two use the Aramaic alphabet, which is why, to someone who doesn’t know either language, it is virtually impossible to tell Hebrew texts apart from Aramaic texts. The Aramaic alphabet was adopted in the 5th century BC. The Hebrew language would have changed in other ways, and this would have basically led to the ancient Israelites making more linguistically updated versions of the Hebrew Bible, just as we make more linguistically updated English Bibles today. Indeed, the King James Bibles that we have today are not identical to the original 1611 King James version. This is because the King James Bible has been edited on several occasions in order to keep up with the changes in English language. Indeed, the New King James and the King James 2000 are linguistically updated versions of the King James, using modern English.

The biblical languages were no different. True, Hebrew, Aramaic and other Semitic languages were comparatively stable (indeed, remarkably so), but they still underwent changes, to the extent that the Prophet Daniel, who lived during the time of the Babylonian Exile (589-439 BC), would have been unable to read anything that Moses or Joshua wrote.

Indeed, Koine Greek, the Greek of the New Testament, is very different from modern Greek. Dr. Curtis McClain, one of my old college professors at Missouri Baptist University, is fluent in Koine Greek (as well as numerous other languages, including biblical Hebrew), and he admitted that he would not be able to converse with anyone in modern Greece. That speaks volumes about how much Greek has changed in 2000 years. Eventually the Bible was translated into other languages. The Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek in the 3rd century BC. Both old and new testaments were later translated into Latin. We have had countless English translations, to say nothing of Bible translations into other languages, such as Spanish, Norwegian, Hindi and Japanese. We even have Hebrew translations of the New Testament!

And where did all of these translations come from?

From scholars who know Classical Hebrew, Aramaic and Koine Greek.

Whenever you pick up a Bible, whether it is the timeless King James Version or the more modern (and more accurate) English Standard Version, from the popular New International Version to the rare Complete Jewish Bible, you are picking up not only a Bible, but a product of scholarship. In most cases, many a scholar worked on these translations. Even those that had only one translated (Like the Complete Jewish Bible or Robert Alter’s Hebrew Bible translation) are still the product of scholarship. Each was translated by a scholar of at least two biblical languages. The Bible that you use and read, the Bible that you pray over…was brought into being by scholars who translated the Holy Bible into English.

Thus, the people who claim that you don’t need scholarly to properly interpret the Bible…are using scholarly works to understand the Bible! They are using translations made by MEN to understand God’s word in their native tongues.

“Well, that’s not a problem.” some might say, “I’ll just learn the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek and learn God’s word that way, so I can avoid the scholars!”

Well, you’ll still need scholars who will teach you these Biblical languages at eh university and seminary levels.

“We’ll, I’ll just teach myself! Nothing wrong with being self-taught!!”

Well, you’ll still need scholarly textbooks on Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek in order to teach yourself. Most people who write such books are biblical scholars.

“Well, I’ll just choose textbooks on biblical Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek NOT written by biblical scholars!”

They’ll still be written by scholars of the biblical languages, and you will still be using them to understand the Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic biblical texts.

“Well, I’ll just not use a Bible and simply ask God to tell me what it means. I wont even need to read it! God will be my bible!”

Well, do you ever say “I won’t need to feed myself; God will feed me, so I won’t eat! I’ll just let him do it!”?

Or “I don’t need to go to work! God will feed me and give me shelter and money. Let him do the work!”?

One can see the faulty logic that this kind of thinking can lead to.

One can also see how it tests or tempts God…

And this brings me to the final error in the theory that we don’t need biblical scholars or their works to help us understand the word of God.

3. You shall not tempt the Lord thy God.

Once upon a time, there was a man who was caught in a devastating flood in Martindale, Texas. The flood waters rose, touching the edge of his roof. He was on that very roof, praying to God for deliverance.

All of a sudden, a raft came by.

A little boy was on it, calling out to the man, saying “Hey mister, get on my raft! I’ll take you to dry land.”

The man on the roof shook his head, saying “I prayed to the Lord, and he will rescue me himself.”

The boy looked up, shrugged, shook his head and then paddled away.

The floodwaters rose…

Later, a boat came by with several cops on board, along with a few rescued people. One of the cops said “Hey pal! Come on board! We’ll take you to town!”

The man on the roof shook his head.

“Nope. I prayed to God, and he’ll rescue me himself!”

The cops cocked their heads. One of the rescued people on board, a life-long atheist, chuckled, saying “Religion makes you so dumb! This vindicates my atheism!”

Shrugging, the cops fired the boat’s engine. The boat left.

The floodwaters rose…

Out of the gray overcast, a rescue chopper appeared, a rope ladder hanging down its left side. A voice boomed from the Helicopter, saying “Hey buddy! Grab the ladder! Come on up quick, before the flood get’s yah! We’ll take you over to Houston and get you some Mexican food, what do you say?”

The man on the roof looked up, smirked…then shook his head.

“Nope! God himself will save me. I don’t need your help. You have a nice day.”

The men in the helicopter gawked and scratched their heads. As one of them pulled the ladder back up, the pilot turned the helicopter to the south.

The floodwaters rose…

…and the man drowned.

His spirit was taken to Heaven, where he was greeted by a smiling St. Peter. He let him enter the Pearly Gates, where God smiled and hugged him. The man was beyond happy, but be had a question...

“God, I prayed to you, asked you to save me from the flood. Why didn’t you?”

God looked at him, shook his head, and said,

“Dude, I sent you a raft, a boat and a helicopter! I mean, really?”

There is an old saying in Texas; God feeds the birds but he doesn’t leave the food in the nest.

Its one thing to ask God to illuminate the scripture for you, but its quite another to think that he will always do this supernaturally. Indeed, most of the time he probably won’t. People who believe otherwise say that, since God comes before scholars, we should only listen to God’s supernatural guidance on scripture, not that of biblical scholars. Well…God comes before doctors, so we should pray to God for healing of illness…without going to a doctor? God comes before any mechanic, so are we going to pray to God to have him fix your car…without taking your car to a mechanic to have him look at it? If your child is very rebellious and everything you do to end that behavior fails…well, God comes before psychologists and experts on child rearing, so are you going to pray to God to have him supernaturally fix your child and leave it at that…or are you going to get human help as well? If your teenaged daughter or son is a drug addict and everything you do to break that habit has failed…well, God does come before experts on how to curb drug addiction, so…are you only going to pray to God to end your child’s drug addiction…or are you also going to force your daughter or son into a rehab? Likewise, it’s one thing to pray to God to help him illuminate the scripture, but it’s another to do so without taking the proper steps to understand it. Why can’t we realize that God may illuminate the scripture through commentaries, bible dictionaries and other forms of Biblical scholarship? Why can’t he do so through sermons and bible studies and college level classes or textbooks on Christianity and the Bible?

Remember when I talked about Christ’s temptation in the wilderness? There is a passage in Matthew about it that really speaks to the heart of what is going on here:

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” -Matthew 4:5-7

In the King James version, Jesus states “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

Folks, we are not to tempt the Lord thy God. To say “I don’t need biblical scholarship to understand God’s word. I’ll just ask God himself to teach me!” is just as bad as jumping off the Sears Tower of Chicago and saying “I don’t need to worry about gravity! God will protect me!” or “I don’t need to go to no doctor to cure me! God will cure me himself!”. God doesn’t honor foolishness. He doesn’t reward stupidity. He expects us to not be lazy, to not tempt or test him. His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), and he wants us to study to show thyself approved (2 Timothy 2:15). He also doesn’t want us to give his enemies ammo to use against his church and his word. I’ll bet you every dime I have that atheists and agnostics are already over the “we only need the Holy Spirit, not biblical scholars” idea. I bet you they are using it to lampoon Christians, to “prove” to others that religion makes one stupid, that they are justified in their atheism. The moment we do this is the moment we hurt the Gospel and impede its spread.

As Christians, we are to spread God’s word and be Christ-like in a Christ-less world. We are to show who we serve, and we are to destroy arguments and lofty opinion, and take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).

The idea that we should only use the Holy Spirit to interpret scripture, that we don’t need the work of biblical scholars, is one argument we need to destroy and never use again.

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a97pwxWaCzc&t=240s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMf1OKxT390&t=83s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxGARM5cYKY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIOUj1wyjfg&t=932s

“The Portable Seminary: A Master’s Level Overview in One Volume” by David Horton (General Editor), 49-69, 71

“Oxford Guide to the Bible” by Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (Editors), 686-87

“Archeological Study Bible” (NIV), 672, 1600

“IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament” by Craig S. Keener, 107, 740

“Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Completely Revised, Updated and Expanded” by Chad Brand, Charles Draper and Archie England (General Editors), 918, 1432

“Into the World of the New Testament Greco-Roman and Jewish Texts and Contexts” by Daniel Lynwood Smith, 83

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Into_the_World_of_the_New_Testament/2svcBAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Caiaphas%2BSadducee&pg=PA83&printsec=frontcover

https://www.google.com/books/edition/On_the_Death_and_Life_of_Languages/lXxuFhJqK8MC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Hebrew+borrowed+Aramaic+Alphabet&pg=PA248&printsec=frontcover

https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/ancient-alphabet/paleo-hebrew-alphabet.htm

“The Words of Jesus in the Original Aramaic” by Stephen Andrew Missick, 33

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Words_of_Jesus_in_the_Original_Arama/kxGxVNaPVoYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Paleo-Hebrew%2BAramaic%2Balphabet&pg=PA33&printsec=frontcover

https://rosenhebrewschool.com/articles/paleo-hebrew-alphabet/

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/inscriptions/precursor-to-the-paleo-hebrew-script-discovered-in-jerusalem/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103091035.htm

“Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance: Second Edition” by Edward W. Goodrick and John R. Kohlenberger III, 10-11, 412, 1539, 1572

“The Holy Land: Guide to the Archeological Sites and Historical Monuments” by Fabio Bourbon and Enrico Lavagno (Translated by Richard Pierce), 9-10

“Planet Dinosaur” Fight for Life episode.

“Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Creatures of the Deep” by Mike Everhart, 12, 18-19, 118-27

“The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Life” by Tim Haines and Paul Chambers, 118-19,

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