John 5:39-40 NIV [39] You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, [40] yet you refuse to come to me to have life. The Jewish leaders considered themselves to be the experts on Scripture. After all, they had studied for years and thought they knew it all! They were furious that Jesus had healed a man on the Sabbath and therefore decided that he could not be from God. Jesus answered them and they became even more enraged and wanted to kill him. When Jesus met the two disciples on the road to Emmaus following his resurrection he went through the Scriptures with them and pointed out all of the references that referred to him. This will not be the last time that someone has decided that they know everything there is to know about the Scriptures. It has happened often through the centuries and still happens today. How many times has someone picked out one phrase and used it to justify themselves? For example, Bible quotes were used to justify slavery, to perpetuate apartheid in South Africa, to use wealth as a yardstick to measure holiness and the favor of God. It was also used to justify the Holocaust. Nothing Jesus ever taught could justify any of this! Where was the yardstick of love? We forget that the Scriptures are the living Word of God. Although the Scriptures teach doctrines and values for all time, they also have an historical sense. Today, slavery is recognized for the sin it is. In Biblical times, slaves only had to serve a particular amount of time and then be freed. It is not okay to kill others just because they are of a different faith. It is not okay to invade other countries and annihilate the population. No one can claim to know everything about Scripture, so let us continue to learn from it and grow in our understanding of God's plan for us living a life based on love.