Application: This week I'm giving thanks for Scripture as "the great equalizer." When the Protestant reformers established the doctrine of "Sola Scriptura"--that only Scripture is the foundation for Christian belief--the Holy Spirit did a wonderfully new thing by sharing authority with all who can read, hear and reflect. The advent of the printing press and the eventual rise in literacy gave "power to the people"!
With this "great power," as they say, "comes great responsibility". It's no longer the responsibility of a Pope, Bishop, or even your pastor to tell you what the Bible says--you can now do it for yourself--but there's still a lot of background and history to know, if you want to get a sense of who was writing and why. There will always be room for devotional reading, engaging directly with Scripture and asking "what does this mean for me today?" But just as the Holy Spirit has placed God's word in our hands, She has also surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses, Saints all around us and through all time, as our study partners. We are not unqualified to hear God speak. But neither are we independent or alone.
God, thank you for your Word, that can lift up the lowly and tear down the lofty. May it make us faithful. Amen.
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