Convincing men that he doesn't exist may have been Satan's greatest trick, but his second greatest would definitely be convincing men they are on the same plane as the Holy Spirit via Sola Scriptura.
I find it amazing that the Jews managed to carry on their 'religion' WITHOUT their BOOK; merely going on the 'traditions of men' (Whatever their holyfathers told them, but when the BOOK is found - OH MY!! - What wailing and carrying on when they realise that they had NOT been doing it right!!
NIV 2 Kings 22:8-20
8. Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.
9. Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: "Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple."
10. Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
11. When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.
12. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant:
13. "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us."
14. Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.
15. She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,
16. `This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read.
17. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.'
18. Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, `This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:
19. Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD.
20. Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.'" So they took her answer back to the king.
NIV 2 Chronicles 34:14-33
14. While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been given through Moses.
15. Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan.
16. Then Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to him: "Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them.
17. They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers."
18. Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
19. When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.
20. He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant:
21. "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book."
22. Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.
23. She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,
24. `This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people--all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah.
25. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all that their hands have made, my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.'
26. Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, `This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:
27. Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD.
28. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.'" So they took her answer back to the king.
29. Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30. He went up to the temple of the LORD with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites--all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD.
31. The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD--to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.
32. Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33. Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers.
Now in the NT, the same idea is present:
NIV Acts 28:23-28
23. They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.
24. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.
25. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26. "`Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."
27. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'
28. "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!"
(Is verse 28 a parallel; similar to the Catholics and Protestants??)
NIV 2 Corinthians 1:12-15
12. Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace.
13. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, (Sola Scriptura????)
14. as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.
NIV Ephesians 3:1-6
1. For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--
2. Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you,
3. that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
4. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5. which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.
NIV 2 Peter 1:20
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.
NIV 2 Peter 3:15-18
15. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
16. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.
18. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Thoughtout the NT, the emphasis is on WRITING and READING; NOT listening to others 'explain' what the words mean.