If I'm a "bible alone" Christian than why use a concordance?

Question

If I'm a "bible alone" Christian than why use a concordance or go to bible college and learn from other teachers who didn't write the bible books? Or why read additional books written by Billy Graham, John MacArthur, Yancey, Charles Stanley? Shouldn't being bible alone be... bible alone? Or why follow and profess in a church mission statement/creed which is "extra biblical"?

spirit it's funny you mention self-baptism because that is exactly what the father of the Baptist denomination did. John Smythe an ex-Anglican priest rebaptised himself.

Answer 1

I don't know what kind of concordance you use, but my Strong's only gives definitions of the words and where I can find the word mentioned in every instance in the Bible...also gives the Greek and Chaldean/Hebrew spellings, etc. I have read some books written about the Bible, and about the belief systems of the churches which sponser those fellows you wrote about...if you know the Bible, you also can discern where those fellows stray from scriptural doctrine and embrace the traditions of man. This was a warning by Daniel and Jesus...to follow God's doctrines instead of man's rules and regulations. A Bible college might be a place where you could get credentials to be a pastor...some churches require some kind of study in order to be raised to leadership.
You should not follow nor profess to believe anything that is not found in the Holy Bible...and to the person who thinks the early Christians were Catholic...the first Christians were not Catholic, but were persecuted by their ancestors...you think the leaders of the first churches were as pompous as the Catholic church leaders? Their symbol was the fish...and they did not force people to adhere to their rules at threat of burning....
Truth in history hurts many who believe false doctrines and follow false teachers/churches.

Answer 2

There's a whole category of words that some conservative evangelical groups use to separate themselves from other Christians. They are the Bible-believing, Spirit-filled, real Christians who worship God in Spirit and in truth and have a personal relationship with Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Those other people are Sunday Christians, liberals in dead churches with candles and stained glass windows who belong to denominations and have religion instead of relationship. "Those other people" are usually Catholics, yes, as well as the older Protestant denominations (Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists). It may also include whatever rival sect the pastor is fulminating against at the moment (five-point Calvinists, hyper-Pentecostals, cessationists) and it would include the Orthodox if they ever thought about them. The sad thing is, this thinking is embedded in the culture, and many otherwise non-judgmental people think in these categories because they're taught to, or just use this kind of language without considering its implications. They don't realize how incredibly divisive this language is when used against fellow Christians.

Answer 3

It sometimes helps to see what others have figured out. I haven't written any books, or read any either, but I figured out that Adam and Eve did not understand that their "knowing" each other had anything to do with her bearing children, nor that she had conceived. KJV is careful to say "She said," God gave her Seth. She was not giving the glory to God. They had no other explanation. Of course, I got that from what I know of anthropology. So it definitely helps your understanding to know what other people have learned; especially when translating from the Hebrew or Greek. Also, there were books not included in the bible for no good reason. And the bible does not tell everything there is to know. I find that is I think of "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.", as covering the first 10 1/2 billion years of creation, there is no conflict with science or the theory of evolution. Science is just discovering that time doesn't exist anyway; it is just a concept honed to the nʱ degree for measuring change. God bless.

Answer 4

Today the word 'Christian' does not mean what it did in the time of the apostles and other Christian Bible writers.
Those people relied on the teachings of Jesus, the holy spirit, and the sacred Scriptures that they had, commonly called The Old Testament.
The first century Christians were not a bunch of independent 'churches'. They were very organized. They had a governing body of older men located in Jerusalem. When questions arose about belief they were presented to these older men for a solution. To give a God approved answer these men relied on prayer and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Acts 15:1-33.
When the apostle Paul heard that there was a disagreement among the people in the Corinthian congregation notice what he told them: "Now I exhort YOU, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that YOU should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among YOU, but that YOU may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought." 1 Cor. 1:10.
Jesus and Paul tell us that in these last days something very special would be taking place. "And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." "This he caused to abound toward us in all wisdom and good sense, in that he made known to us the sacred secret of his will. It is according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself for an administration at the full limit of the appointed times, namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth." Ephesians 3:8-10.
And, 1 Peter 2:17 shows that the Christians of his time were an association of brothers. "Honor [men] of all sorts, have love for the whole association of brothers, be in fear of God, have honor for the king."
This was to become a world-wide brotherhood that would be recognized by the love they showed. John 13:35.
This brotherhood is now functioning and preaching the Good News of God's Kingdom earthwide.
To get the good news of the kingdom preached it is necessary to have study material printed to help people understand what God requires and what the kingdom is and how it will affect the lives of each one living today.

Answer 5

You don't have to, but the concordances are actually extra books written that explain the history of the time the books were written. They give a bit of local history, habits, customs, and so forth.

Reading the bible by itself, is okay.

Answer 6

God speaks to us through many different things. Most Christians immediately assume one or two things about the book:
1) the Bible is the only inspired word of God
2) the Biblical canon is closed (the "Bible" never said such a thing").

One has to acknowledge that there are other ways of seeing and knowing God -- like through experience, nature, etc. Bible means God's Words not 'the' book.

Answer 7

The Bible alone is the authority. Aids to education are sometimes needed and are of great help, especially if you forget where something is, or cannot recall some cultural point.
These other books of course must not disagree with the doctrines of scripture. Too many do, and are published just to make a buck.
When choosing books, you really need to watch what you're getting.
The authors you named usually do sermons and commentaries I think.
I must admit, I DO wonder what they do with all their royalties!

Answer 8

Why do they need a minister to get married? Can't they just go out in a field and promise before God?

Why do they need someone else to baptize them - why not pour the water over their own heads, or immerse themselves all by themselves?

Why do they need a minister a man not God, to help with those two? Isn't that extra biblical too?


Great question, Billy



EDIT: I knew they would defend it, yet in the same breath they will blast Catholicism for using extra biblical aids. LOL!!

And FYI folks - all ministers, pastors, AND concordances give THEIR opinion, so you are not following the 'Bible only'

Answer 9

Because a concordance and commentaries are used to help us find different things and gain a better understanding of what is being said. Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) means that we rely on the Bible as the final word and authority for what we do and believe

Answer 10

A concordance is simply a tool. I haven't found any suggestive doctrines in a concordance,. Why use the Internet? I have several Bibles loaded on my PC..The tools are easy to use..Actually I feel God is just as active in our lives today as back in Biblical days, I suppose it would actually be possible to get so in need of God in ones life that they could be led to believe that God only exists within pages of a book and the holy spirit must communicate in some divine way special so, they can get the correct interpretation of what God is saying and telling them to do in this life. Men can use this to suggest that they and only they have this great understanding of the Bible and I need to read and ask them for the correct interpretation, as for me the bible is great history but, God also lives today and can communicate with me in today's understandings. I have found it easy to communicate with God on a personal basis without any other person or book to be involved in the influence of my talks with him. I feel the bible is good but, has been misused in many different religions to control the meek and loving people of this world.
There are some who would want you to believe that they are with-out sin and also that they KNOW they are going to heaven although they are still to go through the judgement, Well I do not know that myself and I must leave it up to my God to say on the day of judgement whether I can enter Heven or not. One writer in the Bible said.."There will be many in that day to say Lord haven't I served you well and bla bla bla but, God will say ., Go away because I do not know you...? I feel good to understand that I have a personal relationship with my God and although I want others to pray for me, it is still my works in life to be looked at by God on the day of judgement and not what some other person has said in my defense to God about me. Our God knows everything and it will be my good deeds in this life that will be my defense...All are equal in the eyes of God and no one has a free sins pass because of their association of church or religion or color or language. He is an equal opportunity God..There is wrong and there is right, thats the way it is.