The article challenges the Iglesia Ni Cristo teaching that the Bible cannot be understood without the aid of an ordained minister. It uses the biblical account of Shaphan and Josiah from 2 Kings 22 to argue that scripture is self-sufficient. In this narrative, Josiah, the king of Israel, understands the Book of the Law when it is simply read to him by a secretary, not preached or explained by a priest or ordained messenger. The article concludes that the Bible’s power and clarity do not depend on specialized preaching, directly contradicting the INC’s stance that ordained ministers are necessary for biblical understanding.
While Josiah understood the basic message of repentance from hearing the scripture, the narrative does not negate the importance of ordained ministers in providing deeper interpretation and guidance. In fact, after hearing the Book of the Law, Josiah immediately seeks further counsel from the ordained priest Hilkiah and the prophetess Huldah to fully comprehend God’s will for Israel (2 Kings 22:12-14). This demonstrates that while the scriptures can indeed be read and understood by anyone, the role of ordained messengers or prophets remains crucial in guiding believers toward a more complete and authoritative understanding of the divine message. The passage, therefore, does not contradict the INC’s teaching but rather affirms the need for both personal engagement with scripture and the guidance of appointed spiritual leaders.
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