Welcome to the first multi-media episode in the three-part”Three Pillars of Truth” series starting NOW! Each episode/Pillar will be broadcast on YouTube in 2 sections for your viewing convenience. Next week there will be a Q&A video for you. There is also a summary of the video transcriptions (below) and an audio link to listen to at the very end of this post.

Links

Pillar One, Part 1 airs on Tuesday the 20th of May at 09:00 and the link is here: PILLARS PART 1



Pillar One Part 2 also airs on Tuesday the 20th of May, but at 09:30 and the link is here: PILLARS PART 2



Obviously, if you are reading this after the premier times don't worry, everything will still be there.



The Audio is at the very end of this post, so just scroll down to listen.



I would like to extend my thanks to Crowded House Church for the use of their facilities and to Chris Botha, Richard Grove, Luke vd Merwe, and James Perris, who sat through the full presentation and asked such excellent questions in the Q&A. I would also like to acknowledge the excellent videographer and editor, Shaun Shaw. Thanks also to my dear daughter Karen for her great artwork.



A summary of the transcript of both parts of Pillar One is as follows:

Part 1

"The Three Pillars of Truth," is a framework, based on 30 years of research, prayer, and experience in building both a church and a seminary. I hope to encourage you to deepen your understanding of Jesus and scripture through these pillars: Bible-based, Jesus-centred, and Spirit-dependent. These are not isolated concepts; they are interconnected foundations for Christian truth, with Jesus at the very heart. This discussion will focus on the first pillar: what I believe it truly means to be Bible-based.

For us as Christians, I contend that truth rests on three foundations: the person of Jesus, who declared, "I am the truth"; the Bible, which we call the "word of truth"; and the Holy Spirit, known as the "spirit of truth".

A Brief Historical Overview

To grasp what "Bible-based" signifies, I find it helpful to look at a brief historical overview of how the Church's approach to scripture has evolved.



Around 50 AD, I see a divergence in the early church. The Alexandrian school in Egypt emphasised mystical interpretations with multiple layers of meaning- literal, moral, and allegorical. Meanwhile, the Roman school was more pragmatic, eventually becoming increasingly sacramental and developing doctrines through synthesis, such as the idea of Mary as a co-redeemer. It also emphasised hierarchical structures.



The Reformation in 1570 shifted the focus again, reacting against Roman sacramentalism and becoming intellectualised, analytical, and conservative. Then, in 1901, Pentecostalism emerged, which I see as reintroducing allegorical interpretations and an emphasis on layers of meaning, reminiscent of the Alexandrian school. The 1900s also witnessed the rise of liberalism, bringing with it scepticism, a demand for scientific validation for truth, and a downplaying of the supernatural. I've observed that these varied historical approaches and ideas continue to circulate in our churches and Christian literature today.



So, to clarify what I mean by "Bible-based," I first want to outline what, in my understanding, the Bible is not:

What the Bible is Not



It is not a magic book from which we can pluck verses out of context to use as charms or mantras.

It is not a theological dictionary or a systematic theology; it isn't structured into neat doctrinal categories.

It is not a religious artefact or an object of worship.

Crucially, in my view, the Bible is not the ultimate source of truth. Jesus Christ himself is that source, having stated, "I am the truth." The Bible is the written revelation of this truth,