Ankerburg doesn’t provide any verse showing that “the Bible is the sole or ultimate rule of faith.”
I found this particularly amusing:
-— Scriptures achieve their stated purpose: “that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17 NIV).
They are the perfect guide to the Christian faith-—
How does he jump from the Scriptures helping to prepare presbyters (the “man of God”) for every good work, to the Scriptures being the “perfect guide to the Christian faith?”
The passage doesn’t say that. No passage does.
Yes, the Scriptures contain divine revelation, but the Scriptures require an authority to determine what constitutes Scripture.
History and Scripture tells us that Christ’s Church is “the pillar and foundation of truth.”
Jesus commands us to “listen to the church,” and that those who “ will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector.”
Could you lead us to the infallible Magisterium's commentary on the whole bible
Wrong!!!!
Scripture does not *contain* divine revelation.
Scripture *IS* divine revelation.
The enemy's work always begins with *Did God REALLY say....?????*
The minute Satan can get someone to question the integrity of God's word or the integrity of God Himself, his battle is won.
Wrong again. Scripture tells us that, not history.
But you're not going to be a hypocrite here and appeal to the authority of Scripture to give the church its authority to give Scripture its authority, are you?
“History and Scripture tells us that Christ’s Church is “the pillar and foundation of truth.”
“Jesus commands us to “listen to the church,” and that those who “ will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector.”
..............
You keep beatin’ that drum, but you’ve been shown neither verse means what you claim.
That error has been addressed several times already.
If Jesus gave the command somewhere to *Listen to the church*, please provide the chapter and verse for it.
...and that those who “will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector.”
And again, that is in regard to dealing with disputes between individual believers where the issue has not been resolved at the levels before it.
Here is the passage in context.
This passage is not a blanket order to obey the leadership of any church which claims that it alone is the one true church.
It is at the end of a discourse addressing how to handle disputes in the body.
It lays out very specifically the steps one is to go through in resolving personal conflict within the body.
Matthew 18:15-20 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.
And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
NOWHERE does Jesus command us to "listen to the church".
The comment is *IF he does not listen to the church, then......*
That is a gross misinterpretation of the passage to claim or imply that it is a standing order of Jesus to listen to the Catholic church.
The clear meaning is here for everyone to see. It's dealing with disputes among believers, not absolute authority given to *the Church*.
No, ALL Scripture is God-breathed - that's what Paul said under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it doesn't just "contain" it. The authority is inherent IN Scripture because of that. Nothing that comes from man can be in authority OVER Scripture. God is who determines what is Scripture because it comes from Him. All we must do is obey and be in submission to what He tells us. We don't get to sit in judgment deciding what is or isn't from God. He holds us accountable for what He has spoken.
History and Scripture tells us that Christ’s Church is “the pillar and foundation of truth.”
Pillars and foundations/buttresses SUPPORT the truth, they don't invent, create or build the truth. Therefore, any assembly of believers must first know the truth and then continue to teach it without wavering if they are to BE one with Christ and partakers of His ministry.