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If you AREN't Sola Scriptura you'll come up with differing views. There are some things that the Orthodox and Catholics disagree on. Maybe not on the divine nature - but then again, I would submit most Sola Scriptura Protestants are in agreement there as well. On essentials, we have unity. There are differences in practice say between a Baptist and a Pentecostal and a Presybterian. SECONDARY ISSUES. All believe in the Trinity. All believe in the Deity of Christ. All believe in salvation by faith through grace. Some Pentecostals believe you can lose that salvation; but how you get it isn't the issue. They probably took their cue from Orthodox and Catholics there.

And, there are a gazillion different religions out there that don't believe Scripture at all - and have all come up with their own views of the divine nature.

It's called being human.

Unity does not mean we all think alike. Unity means there is a sense of harmony to how we operate as the body of Christ. The Lutherans don't usually immerse in baptism; but I still consider them my Christian brothers and sisters. The Presbyterians sometimes are a bit more formal than my church is. You know how much that affects my life? Zilch. I love them as brothers and sisters in Christ.

And you know what? There are even some Catholics and orthodox that I have had fellowship with!

Christ did not call a perfect church. We won't reach perfection until heaven. He called a church that would love one another like Christ loved the church - warts and all.

On essentials - there must be unity. The early creeds contain some essential basics of Christianity - but they got them from SCRIPTURE.

Scripture is the anchor. Scripture is the rule. God gave it to us for a reason. By it we test everything else.

That doesn't mean that we don't get new insight into things along the way that maybe the early church didn't understand. But whatever insights we gain MUST conform to Scripture.

Is there room for interpretation. Yep. But not on the essentials. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. I've seen arguments concerning the word "virgin" that when one really looks at the context (SOLA SCRIPTURA), don't hold water. Jesus was God (found in SCRIPTURE). There is a trinity (FOUND IN SCRIPTURE) which is one God in three persons (FOUND IN SCRIPTURE- maybe not an explicit statement but clearly there). Christ died to save us from our sins (FOUND IN SCRIPTURE). They that put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus are saved. They that don't are damned. (SO SAYS SCRIPTURE). These are essentials. Many other doctrines are important; but the aren't at the same level as the essential doctrine.

As a Calvinist, I would put Calvinistic doctrine as a secondary doctrine. Quite important for understanding God, self, and salvation but can one get saved without believing it - sure. As a matter of fact, I think that the understanding comes later.

So - I guess, D-fendr, that was a long winded way of saying YES! SOLA SCRIPTURA LEADS TO VARYING INTERPRETATIONS but this isn't a bad thing! I disagree that there is a SOLA SCRIPTURA disagreement on the nature of God. There may be within Protestantism some disagreement; but not because one is SOLA SCRIPTURA. Protestantism has many who have lost their way too; just as Catholicism does and undoubtedly just as Orthodox does. It's part of the human condition. We aren't perfect yet.