The Catohlic Church teaches that the Scirpture is God breathed, holy and inerrant. Why does it excite you so? This does not make the Sola Scriptura any less of a silly superstition that it is.
Why would the opinions of these theologians have any greater weight than the opinions of theologians who came even later?
Because they were nearer to the source of the teachings of Christ, both written down and not.
Because in the process of acknowleding this truth you also acknowledged that oral transmission is not as accurate. It is very straightforward to see that oral transmission not being of like accuracy would not be held in as high esteem. Thus, in your honesty you acknowledged that one of the legs of your three legged stool "tradition" is not equal to that of Scripture. IOW, you stool is "falling over".
WM: Why would the opinions of these theologians have any greater weight than the opinions of theologians who came even later?
An: Because they were nearer to the source of the teachings of Christ, both written down and not.
It may not have occurred to you, but proximity does not guarantee insight or understanding. A good example would be the creation of a hierarchy, or the mistaken belief in transubstantiation.
Another way to look at the issue of proximity would be in the work place. I might interview two different people for a position. The first candidate having been with us for 20 years and the second for just 5 years. The first candidate may have stayed stuck in his 1st year throughout his 20 years, never growing or maturing, The 2nd candidate may have had 5 years of different experience and because of it grown and matured. Whom do you hire for the position?
If these early theologians only have proximity going for them then why should they be taken anymore seriously than those who came later?
lol. Stalin was closer to Lenin than either of us were. That sure doesn't make Stalin more politically astute than you or me.
The gnostics were "nearer to the source of the teachings of Christ" than any of us, time-wise. Did they get it right?
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh yes . . .
The bureaucratic magicsterical doctrine of PROXIMITY = TRUTH.
Welll then!
Given John the beloved leaned on Christ’s breast so much, clearly his words are truthier than Paul’s
Therefore, God goofed in not having John write more Scripture???
Sometimes these Vaticon convolutions can be hard to follow.