I'm afraid not. Because protestants do not recognize the authortity of Sacred Tradition and rip it out of the Deposit of the Faith there really can't be any reasoned discussion on the matter. Sola Scriptura is a novelty of the reform movement and to suggest that any matter of debate within Christianity hinges solely upon Sacred Scripture is a fool's errand. But we'll go at it nonetheless.
Which is another reason why I do not debate protestants purely on scriptural grounds. Why should I play in their sandbox? Which is essentially a construct of their own mind whose parameters can be altered at any moment. That is the end result of having absolutely no authority.
So they can quote chapter and verse to me, or request chapter and verse but it doesn't mean anything if one is not willing to accept the authority of the Word beyond the text.
P.S.: There is no separation between The Church and The Truth. They are the same thing. More false bifurcation.
<<<<......”Because protestants do not recognize the authortity of ‘Sacred Tradition’.... chapter and verse (Scripture)to me, doesn’t mean anything if one is not willing to accept the authority of the Word ‘beyond the text’.......>>>>>>
The Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus about that very thing saying..... “Why don’t your disciples live according to ‘the tradition of the elders’?
Jesus replied, ( note: Jesus using scripture)...... “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ......”These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me....They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules”......
He then continues.....”You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to ‘human traditions’....How nobly you act!... setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!..... (Imposing “your” traditions ‘as equal’ in authority to the laws of God).......Thus.... ‘you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down’. (Mark 7)
....”not willing to accept the authority of the Word beyond the ‘text”.....
That would depend on who or what authority you’re claiming is an authority ‘beyond the scriptures’... for...
There are many now, and in times past, groups of men and otherwise who have written their opinions about God’s word and what they think it means...we may respect what they say but that is not the same thing as what God has instructed us ‘to use’ as the final authority, ....for there’s no ultimate authority then that which He’s written. ....and surely should it oppose or conflict with God’s word then what He says about a matter will always trump mans traditions every time.
I realize that your catchisum tells you...Quote: “Both Scripture and Tradition ‘must’ be accepted and honored with ‘equal’ sentiments of devotion and reverence’....
.... However,.... if you use scripture in order to validate your traditions, which is often done on the threads, then the fact you would do so naturally shows that scripture is the ‘superior’ source, which makes tradition no longer equal but lesser of the two.
Thus you have a catch 22.....how do you justify traditions apart from His word? for by using it will only prove scripture trumps traditions.
Well!! There it is! The belief that relying on God's word alone is a "fools errand".