Non-Biblical Examples Should Not Be Elevated
The concept that non-biblical examples should not be elevated is rooted in biblical teachings that caution against pride, self-exaltation, and the misuse of human wisdom. The Bible warns against lifting oneself up or seeking to elevate human achievements above divine guidance [2, 5]. In Deuteronomy and Exodus, the Israelites are commanded not to create idols or images, emphasizing the importance of not elevating human creations above God's commands [3, 4].
The biblical emphasis on humility is reflected in passages such as Psalms 75:5, which advises against lifting one's "horn against heaven or speak with an outstretched neck" [2]. Similarly, in I Samuel 2:3, it is written that one should not "increase speaking ⌞very proud⌟ words! Let no arrogance go forth from your mouth, for Yahweh is a God of knowledge" [5]. The New Testament reinforces this idea, with Ephesians 2:9 stating that salvation is "not by works, lest any man should boast" [1].
In interpreting these biblical teachings, various traditions emphasize the importance of not elevating non-biblical examples. The Jewish tradition, as represented by Ramban (Nachmanides), highlights the exclusivity of divine revelation, cautioning against the inclusion of external influences in understanding God's law [6]. Abraham Ibn Ezra, a rationalist Jewish commentator, warns against spreading false reports or inventing fantasies, underscoring the need for truthfulness and the avoidance of elevating human fabrications [7].
In Christian tradition, commentators like John Gill and Adam Clarke stress the importance of adhering to biblical teachings and avoiding the elevation of human achievements or external wisdom. Gill notes that offering "strange incense" — or using mediators other than Christ — is unacceptable to God, emphasizing the centrality of Christ in Christian worship and the dangers of elevating other mediators or human works [10]. Clarke advises Christians to examine their conduct by the words and example of Christ, rather than comparing themselves to others, highlighting the unique standard of Christ [8].
The Protestant academic tradition, as seen in the Tyndale House commentary on Isaiah, underscores the theme of divine judgment on human pride and the futility of human attempts to exalt themselves [9]. This perspective is echoed in the Baptist/Reformed tradition, which emphasizes the sole sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice and the dangers of pleading human righteousness before God [10, 11].
The consistent thread across these traditions is the caution against elevating human elements above divine revelation, emphasizing the importance of humility and adherence to biblical teachings.
Sources
- Ephesians “Ephesians 2:9 (Webster) — Not by works, lest any man should boast.”
- Psalms “Psalms 75:5 (BSB) — Do not lift up your horn against heaven or speak with an outstretched neck.’””
- Deuteronomy ““You shall not make an engraved image for yourself, any likeness of what is in heaven above, or what is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. -- Deuteronomy 5:8”
- Exodus “Exodus 20:4 (BSB) — You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.”
- I Samuel “I Samuel 2:3 (LEB) — Do not increase speaking ⌞very proud⌟ words! Let no arrogance go forth from your mouth, for Yahweh is a God of knowledge whose deeds are not weighed.”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Kabbalistic/Philosophical)) “Ramban (Nachmanides) on Exodus 34:3: AND NO MAN SHALL COME UP WITH THEE. None of the elders of Israel at all should go up with you, as they had done at the first Tablets of the Law. 501 Above, 24:9.”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 23:1: THOU SHALT NOT UTTER A FALSE REPORT. One should not invent fantasies in order to spread lies.”
- Galatians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Galatians 6:4: Prove his own work - Let him examine himself and his conduct by the words and example of Christ; and if he find that they bear this touchstone, then he shall have rejoicing in himself alone, feeling that he resembles his Lord and Master, and not in another - not derive his consolation from comparing himself with another who may be weaker, or less instructed than himself. The only rule for a Christian is the word of Christ; the only pattern for his imitation is the example of Christ. He should not compare himself with others; they are not his standard. Christ hath ”
- Isaiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Isaiah 2:5: 2:5–4:1 Isaiah condemned Israel’s and Judah’s arrogance and self-exaltation, warning them that only God was to be exalted. All attempts by humans to lift themselves up will actually result in humiliation. 2:5-22 The prophet threatened judgment and scoffed at human pride. All human structures (religious, economic, military, social) will come under divine scrutiny and be found deficient on the day of the Lord—that final day in history when God will judge the wicked once and for all (1 Cor 1:8; 1 Thes 5:2; 2 Thes 2:2; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 20:7-15). At times, the prophets a”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 30:9: Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon,.... Which had not the same, but was made of other materials, or had more or fewer; whatever was not exactly the same was not to be offered; and so to make use of other mediators than Christ, whether angels or men, or to put up prayer to God for the sake of our own righteousness, pleading the merits of our works, and not the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ, is to offer strange incense, unacceptable to God, and which will be of no avail to men: nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; these were to be offered and”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 5:44: Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father,.... To God the Father, as the Ethiopic version reads. The Syriac and Persic versions read by way of interrogation, "do ye think that I will?" &c. Christ is no accuser of men; no, not of the worst of men; see Joh 8:10; he came not into the world to bring charges against men and condemn them, but to save them; to be an accuser is not agreeable to his characters of a Surety, a Saviour, an Advocate, and Judge: there were enough to accuse these persons of; as their perverseness and stubbornness, in not coming to Christ for l”