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To: Asfarastheeastisfromthewest...
It's not suprising that you disagree with the interpretation of the Church. Its one of the differences between Cathoics and non-Catholics. For the sake of demonstrating private interpretation of Scripture, I will reply with the Church's interpretation. I do not expect you or any non-Catholic to change your mind from this post - I am merely demonstrating the gulf that exists between us - if you'll suffer through this reply.

Take for example virtually all of Psalm 119 where nearly every other verse in the longest chapter in the Bible talks about the individual studying God's word and seeking guidance directly from God as to its meaning for his/her life (and I am only going to include a handful of the 176 verses here). 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

A very good example, however, your interpretation is not the interpretation of the Church. Heres the other side of the coin from my Bible: 118:2 *Blessed are they who search his testimonies: that seek him with their whole heart.

*His testimonies The commandments of God are called His testimonies because they testify His Holy will unto us. Note here that in almost every verse of this psalm, (which in number are 176) the word and law of God, and the love and obsevance of it, are perpetually indicated under a variety of denominations, all signifying the same thing.

I would also suggest that the literal rendering of 2 Timothy 3:15 to 17 yields a similar thought - that being that all of scripture is for the common man to take in for all the reasons listed here (and more that are mentioned elsewhere). 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Once again, I will post a portion the other side of the coin as dictated from my Bible:

*3:14 But continue thou in those things which thou hast learned, and which have been committed to thee: knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
3:15 And because from thy infancy thou hast known the holy scriptures, which can instruct thee to salvation, by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
3:16 All scripture, divinely inspired, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work. *

But continue thou in those things which thou hast learned
St. Paul here gives particular advice to his disciple, St. Timothy, who had been long since instructed in all the holy truths and mysteries of the Christian faith, who had received the gifts of the Holy Ghost, of prophesy, of interpreting the Scriptures, who was a priest, a bishop of Ephesus, the metropolis of Asia, whose office it was to instruct, direct and convert others.
(Vs 15) He tells this great bishop that the holy scriptures are able, and may conduce or can instruct him unto salvation, unto his own salvation and that of others. The Apostle here entreats his disciple, and in him all future Christians, that all Scripture is profitable; but not with Protestants, that Scripture alone is necessary and sufficient.
(Vs 16) All scripture, divinely inspired, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, or admonish, to instruct others in justice and in the ways of virtue, that thus he who is a man of God, a minister of the Gospel, may be perfect and instructed unto every good work. But when our adversaries of the pretended reformation, undertake from these four verses to shew, first, that every ignorant man or woman is hereby warranted to read and put what construction his or her private spirit or private judgement, suggests upon all places of the holy Scripture; and secondly, that the Scripture alone contain all truths which a Christian is bound to believe; or at least, that the Scriptures teach him all things necessary to salvation, without regard to the interpretation and authority of the Catholic Church; I may at least say (without examining at present any other pretended grounds of these assertions) that these consequences are very remote from the text and sense of St. Paul in this place.

As to the first, does this follow; the Scriptures must be read by St. Timothy, a priest, a bishop, a man of God, a minister of the Gospel, whose office it is to instruct and convert others, therefore they are proper to be read and expounded by every ignorant man or woman?

Does not St. Paul say elsewhere (2 Cor. 2:17) that many adulterate and corrupt the word of God? Does not St. Peter tell us also, (2 Peter 3:16) that in St. Paul’s epistles are some things.....which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as also the other scriptures, to their own perdition?
***************

It continues on to exhaustively cover the subject, but I'll stop here as I think, if you've read the whole post, it suffices to show another side of the coin that perhaps you've not considered.

"But I would not believe in the Gospel, had not the authority of the Catholic Church already moved me." - St. Augustine. This quote pretty much sums it up in a nutshell.

60 posted on 11/24/2004 4:14:18 AM PST by Stubborn (It Is The Mass That Matters)
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To: Stubborn
Ah, you are correct. The discussion sure does show the differences between Catholics and non-Catholics - but this is as good a forum as any for doing the 'Come, let us reason together...' deliberation.
I see you have commented on my passages from Psalm 119 and 2 Timothy 3. I guess I could say 'and your point is exactly what?' because honestly, it would seem like you have read into the passages something that is not there - or at least have seized upon those tiny areas of 'open-endedness' and interpreted those in such a way to fit your argument while sidestepping some rather plain readings and meanings of the texts. Regarding your question at the end of your discussion of the 2 Timothy passages,

[As to the first, does this follow; the Scriptures must be read by St. Timothy, a priest, a bishop, a man of God, a minister of the Gospel, whose office it is to instruct and convert others, therefore they are proper to be read and expounded by every ignorant man or woman?]

Here are my questions for you - very simply, where does it say that it is improper for every 'ignorant' man or woman to read scripture and conversely, where does it say that the reading and interpretation of scripture can only be handled by a select few? Your answer seems to imply that these verses in Timothy support this assertion but it's not there.

Regarding the 2 Corinthians 2:17 reference, Paul very clearly says that corruption of the Word will occur - 'For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God....'. Are you inferring that this occurs because the unlearned are reading the scriptures and proliferating errors as a result of their faulty expository? So when it says in;

Acts 20:29 'For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.', and in:

2 Peter 2:1 'But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.'

Do you think these verses imply problems that arise because of faulty interpretations by the rank and file or by the church hierarchy? Personally I don't think one needs to worry about the 'ignorant men and women' adulterating God's word - it would seem from these verses that the wolves, false prophets and false teachers stem from the inside.
138 posted on 11/24/2004 8:49:50 PM PST by Asfarastheeastisfromthewest...
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