Posted on 07/10/2014 8:05:46 PM PDT by NKP_Vet
From the article:
“Sola Scriptura is the idea that Christianity ought to be based off of “Scripture Alone” (which is the English translation of “Sola Scriptura”), that is to say, it should be without ritual, or the teaching authority of anyone. And that each of us is obligated to read the Scriptures and form ourselves through them, on our own.”
I stopped reading upon seeing the words that followed “that is to say” in the second full paragraph, knowing that it would only get more preposterously false thereafter. The author’s proposition is akin to the WWII propaganda that depicted all Japanese soldiers and sailors with buckteeth and thick eyeglasses. Such may have worked to some extent 70 years ago, but ...
His assumption that doctrine is based on just a few scriptures to fit what the protestant church wants is just flat out with out support. The doctrine’s of the church have been carefully thought out and the scriptures meticulously studied by men of faith as they were lead by the Holy Spirit and the Bible. The doctrines that have been established are based solidly on scripture and have stood the test of time and attack.
To embrace a system of religion that clearly goes against Gods commandments, minimizes the work that Jesus did on the cross, that elevates a human as a co-redeemer, and says that what Jesus accomplished by his death and resurrection was not enough to pay for your sins, that you must suffer in “purgatory for awhile to finish paying for your sins” is nothing less than mans idea of what is needed to have our sins forgiven and be acceptable to God as perfect. The gate is wide, and the road is easy that leads to death, and many there are that find it.
The only way to be forgiven of all your sins is only through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ alone. Nothing else will do. The bible makes this perfectly clear to anyone that reads it.
Probably because the context of Mark 7 is so greatly ignored. The Pharisees came to Jesus with a challenge of ritual... the washing of hands. This is a tradition of the elders (Mark 7:5) and it is these types of commandments He is referring to. The Pharisees put aside God;s commands (meant for the rapprochement of Israel) in favor of such ritualistic behavior.
WHICH Scriptures? The only written Scripture at the time of Acts was the Old Testament. They were studying what the Church practices today... the New Testament was concealed in the Old and the Old Testament has been revealed by the New. They searched the Old Testament to find the truth of the testimony brought by the Apostles. The Apostles brought their own experience and their teaching authority in building Christ's Church, not Bibles to be memorized.
On this I have no problem. It's when we go beyond what the Apostles taught and left to us in their writings we start to go off the track.
The point I was making is that we are capable of searching the Scriptures to find their meanings as did the Bereans as noted in Acts. We should all be doing this. The Holy Spirit will be our Helper in this.
>”teaching them to observe all that I commanded you”
Is there something Christ commanded besides what is in Scripture and from what authority?
Acts 16:29-31 "The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
What an excellent summation of the Catholic Church's development. You left out one part, though... Christ gave the Deposit of Faith directly to His Apostles and that has been faithfully transmitted through the centuries. This is the Tradition (big "T") which illuminates Scripture. Just as Christ explained the Scripture which spoke of Him on the road to Emmaus so the Church has been given the commission to illuminate the Scriptures to those who have come since. (1 Tim 3:15).
>”Revelation... impenetrable without the rest of Scripture and Tradition.”
Give me one of the latter that I can depend on.
Purgatory
But we don't know all that they said. St Paul references one of his letters as being authoritative in 1 Cor 5:9-11... but we don't have that letter. In 1 Thess 3:10, St Paul says that he wants to be with them face to face because his letter is not enough for their instruction. Rarely did St Paul appeal to Scripture in his writings... he primarily told the reader to be true to the traditions he brought with him (Phil 4:9).
The Bible is the story of our fall and redemption. It isn't a Catechism of all things and a complete instruction manual for life. In Acts 15, we see that the Apostles had to define doctrine based on their understanding of Scripture... not based on established Scripture but in accordance with their commission to the world and authority given by Christ.
Not all was written, only that which was necessary for understanding salvation. The very fact that the Bible Itself tells you It isn't all-inclusive should punch a deciding blow in Sola Scriptura (John 20:30 & John 21:25).
"...the RC Church has been given itself the commission to illuminate, replace, contradict, supplement and supersede the Scriptures to those who have come since based on their Tradition (big T).
That's a lot closer to the truth, eh?
Why don't we simply stick with what is in Scripture... what did Christ serve the Apostles at the Last Supper? Was it His Body and Blood or bread and wine?
what is it about the pope that you think I must believe?
Yes, we have a pope. He is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and The Eucharist is the center of our faith. Why is this so difficult?
Perhaps we would all understand each other better if we kept our eyes on Christ.
What does the word “believe” mean to you?
I recommend you read The Lamb's Supper by Dr Scott Hahn for a great example.
What about it?
Harry Potter must have been really terrifying.
Since those are your edits, I would say it's a lot closer to your perception than the truth.
Nobody claimed it was.
But the Bible alone is sufficient to explain the path to salvation, in that it points us to Jesus, and CLEARLY explains that "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Eph 2:8-9
Salvation is not gained through your church membership, rather, you become a member of Christ's church when you are born again!
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.
Note all baptized.
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