Do not go beyond what is written

[thessalonian]

1 Cor 4:4-6

[4] I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.
[5] Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then every man will receive his commendation from God.
[6] I have applied all this to myself and Apol'los for your benefit, brethren, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.

This verse has always bothered me a little. It is commonly used to defend sola scriptura. i.e. if it’s not in the Bible clearly and plainly then it is forbidden. It was used just yesterday with regard to praying to saints. The guy said “where in the bible does it have anyone praying to a saint”. Well, let’s just say he’s not living up to his standard very well as my response back to him was “where in the Bible does it have altar calls in which people are not baptized”. He has been unable to find a verse. His only comeback is “it’s not condemned anywhere”. Which I of course agree with and in reality that is not the point anyway. The point is whether he lives up to his standard.

But back to the verse. Another Protestant on this board quoted the verse “the one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved”, using it to say that everyone else who does not do this is damned. Whether or not this is true (and I think a strong case can be made that it is not true in the case of invincible ignorance) this logical conclusion cannot be drawn from the verse. Therefore in using it in this manner one is going beyond what is written. This seems to me to fit far better what Paul is getting at in 1 Cor 4:4-6. We must be careful in being attentive to what scripture is saying and just as careful in not drawing conclusions beyond what a particular verse is saying. Which can cause us to become puffed up against another we disgree with. It's a very bad sola scriptura verse in this case.

Thoughts?

[phatcatholic]

from the Navarre Commentary:[list]"Not to go beyond what is written": this is open to various interpretations. It may be a proverb with which the Corinthians were familiar, meaning that one should stay on firm ground (in this case, Paul's guidelines for the infant Church at Corinth). "What is written" could also refer to all scripture or just to the quotations which Paul has used (cf. 1:19,31; 3:19). In any event he makes it clear to the Corinthians that it is they themselves who, due to their immaturity and pride, have caused the dissentions in their community through exalting one preacher at the expense of others. Paul and Apollos have behaved quite properly and therefore cannot be held responsible for these divisions
[/list]also, i always point out that using this verse "begs the question" b/c it assumes that catholic belief goes beyond what is written, but that is the very thing yet to be proven. so, it really does no good to use it. plus, both parties know that we aren't to go beyond what is written. so that fact in and of itself is understood. the actual task is rather or not catholic belief is an example of doing such a thing.

[argent_paladin]

Two things:

First, it is always useful to think to yourself "What is written?". If Paul literally meant that his audience should only accept what was at that time written, then they would have to reject the Gospels and Revelation and the later letters. Why? Because they hadn't been written yet. Paul didn't say "What is written and what will be written." So obviously he wasn't literally saying that only those things written and nothing else can be used.

Second, in the same chapter, in verse 16, he urges them to imitate himself. But if they are to imitate Paul, wouldn't they then be doing things not written? That is two sources: written things and the apostolic witness. That is starting to sound a lot like Scripture and Tradition!

[thessalonian]

Thanks for the responses guys. We can pretty much bury it with this I think from Gary Hoge's website.

[url="http://catholicoutlook.com/sola2.php"]http://catholicoutlook.com/sola2.php[/url]

1 Corinthians 4:6


Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.

At first glance, this verse really seems to nail it. “Do not go beyond what is written.” What could be clearer? Here, at last, is the perspicuous biblical teaching that all doctrines must be derived from the Scripture alone. Or so it seems. Unfortunately, what looks at first to be a clear teaching of sola Scriptura evaporates under scrutiny. Whatever this verse does teach, we know for certain that it does not teach that the Scriptures are the only source of truth, and we must never go beyond them. We know that because just seven chapters later, Paul wrote, “Now I praise you because you . . . hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you” (1 Cor. 11:2). The Corinthians were commended for holding firmly to the oral teachings of Paul, and not to the Scriptures alone. So unless Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, contradicted himself, this verse does not teach sola Scriptura.

So what does it teach? That depends in part on how it is translated. The phrase “the meaning of the saying,” in the New International Version (NIV) translation cited above is not found in the Greek text of 1 Corinthians; it is an interpretation. What the Greek literally says is,


Now these things, brothers, I adapted to myself and Apollos because of you, in order that among us ye may learn not [to think] above what things have been written, lest ye are puffed up against one on behalf of the other.8

The King James Version (KJV) is actually much closer to the literal meaning than the NIV:


And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

That certainly fits the context of Chapter 4, which is a warning to the Corinthians not to exalt Paul or Apollos above what is appropriate, and not to divide into factions. In other words, it is possible that Paul is saying, “that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written about the subject at hand.” The Old Testament Scriptures (to which Paul is referring) teach enough about the nature of man that the Corinthians should know better than to exalt one over the other, and to divide into factions. This verse really has nothing to do with the Scriptures and their role in the formulation of doctrine and practice; it has to do with the proper attitude of the Corinthians toward Paul and Apollos.

Another problem with this verse is that it is not clear what Paul meant by “that which is written.” In a footnote to this verse, Geisler and MacKenzie note, “There is some debate even among Protestant scholars as to whether Paul is referring here to his own previous statements or to Scripture as a whole.” The great Protestant Scripture commentator Matthew Henry was of the opinion that Paul was referring to his own previous statements. There is actually some question whether he’s referring to the Scriptures at all. Look at the verse in context:


And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ . . . For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? . . . For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: bet he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. (1 Corinthians 3:1, 4-5, 21; 4:1, 4-6).

It is possible that the key to understanding verse 6 is found in the phrase “And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred . . .” What things? The things in the immediately preceding verses, of course. Those verses deal with the final judgement:


Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1 Corinthians 4:5).

This judgement is described in Revelation:


And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. (Revelation 20:12).

From the context, this may well be what Paul had in mind. When he says, “that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another,” he may be talking about not exceeding what is written in God’s books of judgement. In other words, “Look at men as they really are. Do not think of men above that which is written in heaven about them, then you will not take pride in one man over against another.” Perhaps Paul was simply reminding the Corinthians that he and Apollos and Cephas were mere men, who, like them, must one day face judgement. Therefore, the Corinthians should not think more highly of them than is appropriate, and they certainly shouldn’t divide into factions because of them.

I have offered two possible explanations of what verse 6 means, perhaps you can think of others. But as I said before, we know for sure that it does not support sola Scriptura because it was clearly not addressing that subject in the first place, and because of Paul’s statement in chapter 11 that the Corinthians are to be commended for holding to the oral Tradition Paul handed down to them.

[phatcatholic]

catholics simply have no reason whatsoever to fear scripture.....

[Fides_et_Ratio]

[quote name='phatcatholic' date='Feb 23 2005, 11:01 AM'] catholics simply have no reason whatsoever to fear scripture..... [/quote]
Amen to that. I remember a Protestant friend once told me (when I was still "thinking" I might want to be Catholic) that I ought to open the Bible more because everything in the Bible went against Catholic teaching and how her Church taught everything that was in there & followed all the Scriptures, and so I did open a Bible then (jokingly) and it opened to John 20:22-23... ... she never mentioned it again.

[phatcatholic]

one of my favorites

[b]John 20:22-23[/b]
[b]22 [/b]And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
[b]23 [/b]If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."