The Italian Memorandum

“Thus saith the Lord”

1. The Bible is a firm, fixed point of reference. For example, in Daniel 9:2,
Daniel searchs in “the books” to determine the length of captivity before the
Jews would return to their Jerusalem homeland. Then, hundreds of years later,
the apostle Paul would encourage Timothy to remain firm to “the sacred
writings” (2 Tim. 3:14,15). Today, the Christian has access, not only to the Old
Testament treasury of sacred writings, but also to the New Testament repository
of apostolic letters and gospel accounts (1 Cor. 14:37; Lk. 1:1-4). Truly, the
Psalmist was correct in his appraisal of the Bible: “Forever, O LORD, your word
is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Ps. 119:89). The Bible is a user’s manual for the
will of God via the word of God. The Bible is, therefore, the standard of
religious reference to which all men are directed (2 Tim. 2:3,4).
2. The Bible is a Witness to the Coming of the Christ. For example, in John
5:39 Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you
have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…” Here we have an
unmistakable association of the Scriptures as a witness to Christ. The Old
Testament said that someone was coming (Matt. 21:9); the New Testament says
that he has come (Jn. 4:26); and the Epistles say that he is coming again (Heb.
9:28). To go back to the Bible is to affirm the coming of the Christ.
3. The Bible Alone Without Human Tradition is the Word of God. It has
been our experience to encounter many who attend some particular
denomination, and who also affirm that they use the Bible. Yet, after an
interview, it becomes rather evident that while these do indeed “use the
Bible,” they use it in conjunction with their church creed or denominational
catechism, or, supposed special revelation. It is therefore subject to the criticism
of Jesus as expressed in Mark 7:13 “…making void the word of God by your
tradition”.
To go back to the Bible, is to return to the Christ of the Bible; the church of the
Bible, and to accept the Bible alone as the Bible. Anything less than this is
explicitly condemned (Deut. 4:2; Gal. 1:6-8; Rev. 22;18,19).

-Robert M. Housby