Of course it is the Spirit working within us! :) He is Who leads us to read the Bible in the first place. You appear to be making this an either/or situation. All I'm trying to say is that learning the scriptures is a good part of sanctification. You appear to be saying that learning God's word is "nice", but not really important in terms of a person's Christian education. I understand that to be a Roman Catholic view, and I respectfully disagree with it. I understand the Roman Catholic view to be that the most important thing is to learn the Tradition of men FIRST, and then if people want to read the Bible on side issues it is tolerated to a degree.
The Holy Spirit doesn't lead us to read the Bible if it means separating ourselves from the community that He is the Soul, the Life Force.
You appear to be making this an either/or situation. All I'm trying to say is that learning the scriptures is a good part of sanctification.
Not at all. I am not making it an either/or situation. I am saying that becoming holy is not from bible reading per sec, but from the Holy Spirit.
I understand that to be a Roman Catholic view, and I respectfully disagree with it. I understand the Roman Catholic view to be that the most important thing is to learn the Tradition of men FIRST, and then if people want to read the Bible on side issues it is tolerated to a degree.
It's not the "Roman Catholic" view. Why you continue this self-created charade is beyond me. The Catholic Church has maintained the Bible and continues to hold a high place for it. COMMON SENSE dictates that we need a living body to interpret that book. Thus, your "Scriptures interpret themselves" is a desperate attempt to do away with the leadership established by Christ Himself.
"Tradition" is the lense through which we read and interpret and act upon the Word of God. Sanctification is about putting into practice what we have been taught, not about our knowledge of how many chapters are in 2 Corinthians or other such trivial information. Knowledge of Scriptures is not an indication of sanctification - merely consider the atheist who "knows" Scriptures...
As a result, one can be quite holy without being intimately familiar with all the writings of the Bible. As I have pointed out, numerous illiterate Christians have proven this to be true. The bible itself says that they are HELPFUL, not essential to growth in Christ. Paul never makes the statement that we can ONLY be in Christ by bible reading... He talks about faith and love and repentance, not about reading. Reading is where we get God's Word from, but certainly we can get God's Word from other sources, such as our teachers and preachers, as Paul writes in Ephesians.
Now, you may think I am defending NOT reading the Bible? Not at all. I am merely saying that reading the Bible ALONE is not enough, nor is it even ABSOLUTELY necessary to becoming sanctified. Being sanctified is dependent upon God's graces, not our own knowledge!
I find it interesting that you appear to be pushing forth a "self-sanctification" program. Our own reading doesn't make us holy, the Holy Spirit does. Isn't yours a "work" salvation? "Read the Bible and I will become holy"?
Regards