What does it matter that heretics mouth error and call it truth?
Without the guidance of the magisterium, people will misinterpret the Scriptures even on "important things".
lol. But according to the word of God, the magisterium is riddled with errors. Why would I put faith in such a misguided organization that gets so much wrong?
Trust the Scriptures, A8, and trust the power of God to accomplish His will and the power of the Holy Spirit to lead you in righteousness.
They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright." -- Psalm 20:7-8"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Because you are using the same gnostic methodology to justify your theological position. If we remain unaware of the *fundamental* causes of the errors of the heretics, then we will not be able to see whether we are heretics as well. For example, if you have spent significant time dialoguing with Mormons about theology, then you know that the appeal to the "burning in the bosom" trumps all your exegetical efforts. The person has fallen into a epistemic pit, and in order to reason with him, you first have to step back from the discussion of the plausibility of Mormonism, to a discussion of the "burning in the bosom" method of discerning truth.
Your constant appeal to "if God gives you ears to hear and eyes to see" is just very same epistemic pit into which the Mormons have fallen. It is a recurrence of Montanistic gnosticism. To see the problems with it, you have to encounter (or become aware of) all the people who make use of this very same method, and yet who come to completely incompatible and radically different conclusions. Once you see that, then you realize that that method is not reliable in itself apart from a more concrete test of truth.
But according to the word of God, the magisterium is riddled with errors.
According to your interpretation of the word of God.
Your present mode of theological reasoning hides from itself the fact that you are interpreting the Scriptures. As long as you remain oblivious to the fact that you are interpreting the Scriptures, you will remain unable to see that you are misinterpreting the Scriptures.
-A8
Thank you for sharing all of your insights. And thank you for that perfect passage of Scripture!