Posted on 03/31/2014 5:45:28 PM PDT by matthewrobertolson
Sola Scriptura is the Protestant doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Under it, only doctrines that are found directly within the Bible or are drawn indirectly from it by simple reasoning are allowed. (See material vs. formal sufficiency & perspicuity.)“[The Church] does not, in the conventional phrase, believe what the Bible says, for the simple reason that the Bible does not say anything. You cannot put a book in the witness-box and ask it what it really means.” – G. K. Chesterton
2 Timothy 3:16-17 is the primary passage used to defend this view, which always boggles my mind. Perhaps I need spectacles, but I do not see an “Only” at the beginning of this verse. The Church teaches (as Scripture teaches) that all Scripture is valuable. She does not, however, turn it into an idol.
Some Protestants also claim to honor other authorities, like the Church – but do they really? In a short written debate with a Protestant professor, he said, “Sola Scriptura does not even claim that there is no other authority besides the Bible; it maintains that the Bible is alone (sola) as the only infallible authority.” Some apologists concede this position, but I see no reason to, and so I responded, “The practical effect [of Sola Scriptura] is that it denies the authoritativeness of any other authority – making that authority not an authority at all.” The professor quickly changed the topic.
Sacred Tradition (capital ‘T’) is, obviously, a stumbling block for many, but it is perfectly reasonable. Not everything of relevance could fit within the Bible (John 20:30-31, John 21:25). This is evidenced by the elaborations of the Church Fathers, as well as the decrees of the Councils. And much of this has been written and can therefore even qualify as (extra canon) Scripture! Anyway, all Scripture must be interpreted “according to the spiritual meaning which the Spirit grants to the Church” (Origen).
Pope Francis noted, “Sacred Scripture is the written testimony of the divine Word, the canonical memory that attests to the event of Revelation. However, the Word of God precedes the Bible and surpasses it. That is why the center of our faith isn’t just a book, but a salvation history and above all a person, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh.” (cf. CCC #108). All teaching is valuable – God is not limited to a book compiled by His Bride. On this point, the Bible is like a wedding album shared by two spouses: the husband, typically, arranges and provides for everything, while his wife fills in the details – but still, at the end of the day, it does not sum up their whole marriage.
Another great blow to Sola Scriptura is that the Bible did not put itself together, and it does not list the books that belong within it. It took the Jews thousands of years to decide on the Tanakh (their canon) and, even then, “Hellenistic” Jews preferred the Septuagint! The only reason that we know which books comprise the Testaments is that the Church has informed us. If the Church, as Her own entity, is not infallible on such doctrine, then the Bible cannot be trusted.
Many Protestants also allude that absolute truth can only be found within the Bible. If I throw an apple up into the air, it will fall. Where is that in the Bible? Of course, one could quickly retort with the idea that the Bible only necessarily contains the absolute moral truth necessary for salvation. But many Protestants do not actually believe that – just look at the large crowds of literal creationists! To be clear, the Bible is not guaranteed to be totally historically or scientifically inerrant in a literal sense. “Inerrancy extends to what the biblical writers intend to teach, not necessarily to what they assume or presuppose or what isn’t integral to what they assert.” [Catholic Answers] And if a Protestant would like to say otherwise, he must prove his position from the Bible – which he cannot do, at least not to any definite degree. Even natural law, which exists outside of the Bible, does not encompass such. Leaders like Ken Ham could be defeated with these points.
I just cannot help but despise this great heresy of Sola Scriptura, the implication of which is that the Bride of Christ does not know Her Husband.
I love the Second Vatican Council’s statement on all of this: “[T]he task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed.” (Dei Verbum)
Let us put it this way: only trusting the Bible without the Church would be like loving “Romeo and Juliet” and hating Shakespeare’s explanation of it.
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They supported LEGISLATION to accept abortion in 1971 re-read it Health exception Rape Incest etc.. It was the wording of Roe vs Wade
They supported LEGISLATION to accept abortion in 1971 re-read it Health exception Rape Incest etc.. It was the wording of Roe vs Wade
What do you make of this?
Matthew 12
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Human instrumentalities happen to be involved whether it is the reading aloud of the Bible in a service or the distribution of a written copy.
No pun intended, but I think we are on the same page there.
Well, I think I’ll stand pat with my sins being forgiven and my heart changed because I believed the scriptures.
I have a tangible relationship with Jesus and I don’t need either a Pope or a Priest to communicate for me with Jesus, Jesus IS my High Priest and my Savior and as the Apostle Paul states in Chapter 8 of Romans, his Spirit witnesses to my spirit that I am a child of God.
I don’t need to live in my sin as Christ died for me and saved me and gave me power/Victory over my sin.
Why do you guys keep making stuff up and then pretend it is scripture???
Yes! Praise be to God for His goodness
Gabriel told Mary what was to happen, Mary's response "let it be to me according to your word." No question from Gabriel, no 'permission' from Mary. Just acceptance and obedience.
As for sinless Mary: The same Mary who in the Magnificat praises her Savior. Made up doctrine.
dead horse beating contest begins again. someone must be bored.
that’s why i said someone must be bored again, beating the dead horse. this is just to stir up trouble not to dialogue for any positive reasons.
the difference don’t matter early as much as the unorthodoxy in the differences, do. you can all be unified in your unorthodoxy but at least you’rall agreeing on the unorthodoxy together. doesn’t help you much.
not all lutherans.
i don’t see “Roman Catholic Church” or “Vatican” or “Papacy” in there either.
thank you.
logically b/c of what he read before it. what was before it was that men are not saved by their works. but by faith. no works save you, it must be because of faith, and since none of your works save you, you must be saved by faith, alone.
the only thing God needed was a perfect atoning sacrifice to fulfill His plan and promise to us.
His sinless vessel was Jesus Christ, not Mary. Muse on your own warning.
these threads are started with zero good intentions, they arestartedjustto get people fighting. brings people apart, not closer.
Let’s all pray for one another then. Seriously.
i wouldgo forthat. muzzies are seculars are gunning for all of us.
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