That's right, which is why I usually scream from the mountaintops that I do not answer for "Protestantism". The term is ill-defined, and could easily include non-Christians. If someone wanted to give me a definition of it in order to answer a specific point, I would be happy to go from there. In my own mind, when I say "Bible believing Protestants", that really narrows it down to something I can work with.
Again, I just don't think Protestantism is as monolithic as you are trying to make it out to be. How can you even state such if you do not know the beliefs of other Protestants?
JOE!!! :) In my previous 15,445, addressed TO YOU, I said: "... This is well stated. My first advice would be to get away from thinking that on the one hand there is Catholicism and on the other is Protestantism. Catholicism is a self-contained monolithic faith. Protestantism is nothing like that. ..." (emphasis added)
Now, I KNOW you read my posts, so unless I'm missing something this is an oops. :)
Can you show me some Scriptures that tells us that the Holy Spirit leads us in Bible study? I am curious, as it doesn't ring a bell. Maybe I skipped over it. Thanks.
Sure, here is an excerpt from The Holy Spirit, Regeneration, and Sanctification by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon:
Sanctification is the work of the spirit, and its beginning starts with conversion and grows from that point. Even after the believer is born again, the work of the Spirit continues in the progressing and growing sanctification of the soul. From the new birth there shall be new life. Christ is emphatic in demonstrating the fruit bearing aspect of the believer in Matthew 7:16-20, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” And likewise He says, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:2).” Such a change comes from a true change of the heart.
Sanctification and the continuance of spiritual life depends upon the gracious operation of the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Romans 8:9 also says this, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” This operation of the Spirit is by His will operating in us, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).”
This walking in the Spirit maintains a constant conflict with indwelling sin and seeks to crucify the remnant of remaining sin still in the soul. Paul says in Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
Yet, every motivation of goodness in the believer, and each motion to good works are done by the Spirit’s power and His action in motioning the soul to work rightly. Galatians 5:18 states, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
OK, so from this we have some evidence that the Spirit leads us in sanctification, and that includes Bible study. We see here the ideas of "living in the Spirit" and "walking in the Spirit". If it is available, how could that not include Bible study? It has to. We also have God working in us to will and to do. Would that include Bible study if it was available? I believe it would. Finally we see that being led by the Spirit, and it doesn't appear that Paul is ONLY referring to the other Apostles here, ahem :), means that we are no longer under law. This is the sanctification of a true believer only, not someone claiming a false faith. Only believers are freed from the law, and it is the Spirit who leads. Bible study isn't the ONLY thing, but it is certainly included in the Spirit's leading of us.
That might be difficult to do, since history sees the Church as one organization that saw numerous heterodox groups fall away from community with this one unit. Thus, it will seem like an "us" vs. "them". The gist of the discussion is that there is no central authority in "non-Catholic" Christian groups (I exclude Orthodox from this discussion because I consider them "catholic" in regards to the articles of faith). Even the Bible is not a central authority, because, as you jokingly point out, different groups bash each other and get nowhere. That is because the individual, not the Bible, is the point of authority. That is because each "Protestant" sees himself led by the Spirit.
To continue, nothing you posted mentions anything about the Holy Spirit giving the individual bible study interpretations. Naturally, we will become more holy by the Spirit's work in us, but it is not suggested anywhere that this is a RESULT of reading the Bible, but rather, of having the Spirit working within us! Thus, your connection or definition of sanctification vis a vis bible study is incorrect. Sanctification is about "making the soil more productive to bear the fruit". That doesn't mean one will have more book knowledge about the Scriptures. As I said before, even illiterate people are quite capable - MORE SO - of being made sanctified (because they have fewer impediments to keep them from dying to selves. People of the First World have a more difficult time doing this)
Regards