The latter is inseperable from Sola Scriptura.
The whole point is that the focal point of our understanding is Scripture. It is the anchor.
We dig through Scripture. Chew on it a while. Take it in. Why? Because that is one of the ways that God helps us to learn. He left teachers here to teach. Prophets to Prophesy. Apostles to Apostlize (joking here with the word use so don't jump on me). The Body of Christ is truly a way we learn - BUT NOT APART FROM SCRIPTURE! That is what Sola Scriptura is about. It isn't about someone appearing and creating new doctrine that isn't found in Scripture or even hinting at and then some centralized hierarchical structure saying "yep, it's from God."
Even with the apostles, what they taught was in a certain harmony with the Old Testament with Christ Jesus as the hinge which connected and interwove the two.
D-fendr. You are trying hard to make a point about Sola Scriptura. But if you don't have the right understanding about what Sola Scriptura is, then your point falls hollow.
Also, you never answered the question. How do you know the church got it right? You pick on the Protestants stance that we can rightly understand and interpret Scripture as if the Protestants are the only ones who can blow it on a matter of Scripture. What about your faith ? How do you know that these men were led of God? How do you know that they got it right? How do you know that they are the "church" that Christ spoke of and not a substitute?
And, as you've said, come up with different interpretations.
Why? Because that is one of the ways that God helps us to learn.
Not doubting the value of reading scripture. But who then teaches and corrects when one asks: What does Christ's Church teach?
He left teachers here to teach.
Yes he did and they taught others who taught others in the manner Christ established..
"some centralized hierarchical structure saying "yep, it's from God." ?"
If you have a Church - excepting perhaps a Unitarian one - somebody, somewhere said that. Does you not teach that what you teach is "from God."? Our disagreement is about who teaches what and why and what their method and authority is.
How do you know the church got it right?
That's the question isn't it? Your answer is 'they agree in what I think are essentials according to (my interpretation of) scripture.
Personally I see that as a formula for invent your own religion based on this book.
I don't look for The Church, The Christian Church, to give me this assignment. I want to know from it what is the Orthodox Christian Faith. I can reject or accept this. But I can't even get this far with Protestantism.