They say the Bible does, so who’s interpretation is right?
What makes your interpretation based on the Bible alone more correct than theirs?
That’s the basic problem I have had with Sola Scriptura since I began questioning it.
What say objectively makes a traditionalist who interprets scripture to say that homosexuality is sinful correct and a liberal who picks other scripture verses to support their view that it’s not?
Isn’t Biblical interpretation using the Bible alone as your guide a subjective exercise?
There is no ability to interpret scripture unless you are guided by the Spirit of God.
This is why a child can correctly discern scripture.
It’s not immediate. Prayer, fasting, and studying the word is required. It might take a long, long time. In fact, God may not enlighten you on a particular topic for awhile. In fact, Catholics believe this, too (Vatican II).
For example, I struggled with comprehending the Trinity (being able to defend it against those who do not believe in the three in one nature of God).
God is not a spirit of confusion or error. Therefore, if you are in God’s will, and with prayer, supplication and fasting you search the scriptures, God WILL be faithful and give you light (understanding).
By the way, the issue you quote (homosexuality as a sin), does NOT need interpretation. It’s very clear in God’s word. The issue is that some want God’s word to say something they would rather agree with. This is not interpreting scripture, it’s twisting it.
How can we be sure that a particular interpretation one believer or another has come up with is right? We use the bible itself — but with two or three witnesses.... There are numerous examples in scripture when God says to use two or three witnesses.
Requiring such proof from scripture makes it very, very hard for those who wish to twist scripture, or get it to say something other than the intention.
One cannot stop incorrect interpretations — but one must check everything against the bible, and in two or three bible witnesses, and with prayer, fasting and study the truth will be found.
Our job is not to correct others, it’s to receive the light we are given, embrace it and ask for more. If everybody did this there would be no controversies.
Sola Scriptura simply means that the final authority is God’s word. Not that we don’t take the counsel of wise men, church leaders, etc. But that every thing be proved via scripture. The Jews did not change one jot or one title, no matter what Rabbi was in charge. This, to me, was the chief reason God chose them. They are a stiff-necked and stubborn people, and they were stiff-necked and stubborn about not changing the Word of God.
We (the Church, i.e. those who are faithful and true to FOLLOW) need to be likewise. We should occupy and hold until Jesus comes again.
Scripture is God-Breathed. You may have heard that until the 15th century man thought the earth was flat - have you ever read this? Isaiah 40:22? Job 26:10, lastly Job 26:7 which states the earth floats in space. This completely contradicts what was thought of by secular scholars at the time. There are numerous proofs that the bible was authored by God.