Indeed, Christians have the help of the Holy Spirit. But which Christians? You say that there is no Scripture prohibiting the attempt of the individual to understand God’s Word. There is also no express grant of that right. Believe it or not, Catholics are also urged to read Scripture in search of the truth, but we seed what you do not, that where that search is not curbed, then there is division. Indeed, even with curbing there is division. The devil has his agents at work inside the Church as well as out. God is righteous: he will keep his covenant. He will also help us to keep our faith as well. The ship will not sink, but someone must read the charts and who that is is the question.
Indeed, Christians have the help of the Holy Spirit. But which Christians? You say that there is no Scripture prohibiting the attempt of the individual to understand God’s Word. There is also no express grant of that right. Believe it or not, Catholics are also urged to read Scripture in search of the truth, but we seed what you do not, that where that search is not curbed, then there is division. Indeed, even with curbing there is division. The devil has his agents at work inside the Church as well as out. God is righteous: he will keep his covenant. He will also help us to keep our faith as well. The ship will not sink, but someone must read the charts and who that is is the question.
1. All Christians have the help of the Holy Spirit: That's part of the package deal. If you belong to Christ, you must have the Spirit :
Ephesians 1:12-14 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
So if you don't have the Spirit, you don't have the down payment on your heavenly inheritance, i.e., you don't belong to Christ.
2. If your question is really, which "denomination" has the assurance of the Holy Spirit's assistance, Scripture doesn't tell us. Instead, it offers various tests by which we can discern the truth. For example:
Matthew 24:23-26 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. (24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (25) Behold, I have told you before. (26) Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
So under this particular test, while we are waiting for Christ to return, we can know a false Christ by someone representing that He is here, just hidden in some secret chamber. This is obviously false because Christ in His physical being is sitting at the right hand of God, not hiding out in Area 51, or disguised as a wafer in a monstrance.
Who has access to these truth tests? The sheep, as I mentioned in my previous post. His sheep hear His voice, and will not follow another. So it's not about a denomination. It's about whether you are one of the sheep.
3. If you are looking for an express grant to digest food in Scripture, you have set up an impossible test. Some powers are simply implied by others. For example, in constitutional law, the federal government has some implied powers, based on those expressly enumerated. An implied power is one that is necessary and proper to carry out the action of an express power.
Similarly, everyone has an express duty to feed on God's word. Interpretation is digestion, drawing out the sustenance from the food consumed. Therefore, even if we did not have a multitude of Biblical examples of people attempting to understand the word of God, we would still have the implied authority for any act "necessary and proper" to carry out our express duty to "live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God," including interpretation. Yes, we use God's gifted teachers to help us interpret rightly, but we do not substitute their digestion for ours. It does us no good to sit in the pews afraid to ask with the Bereans whether what we are hearing is true. We have an obligation before God to reject falsehood, no matter from what human authority we may hear it.
4. The Roman ship sank long ago. They have drifted so far from the simplicity of the Gospel as revealed in Scripture that one cannot even tell what Roman doctrine is without reference to the Roman equivalent of Joe Smith's magic glasses. Whereas it is the duty and joy of any ordinary believer to meditate daily on God's word, without fear of offending funny hat wearers anywhere, but as the Scriptures say, to mature past the milk stage, and get on to the solid meat that God has for us in His word:
Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Peace,
SR