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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1/2
As it is yours, make the claim, source it.
And the fact he didn't address anything I pointed out was just a bonus.
Amen!
To paraphrase John Bradford: There, but for the grace of God, go I.
And believe me I recognize just how true that is. There was nothing good, wise, or lovely about me, yet God showered me with mercy and grace.
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
“Wait until you go to the Holy Land someday and See The Lords Prayer.. it is as Christ Prayed it to teach apostle not the version created by Protestants.”
The only recorded words of the Lord’s Prayer is in Scripture. Everything else is less than.
“There is only one way to be FULL of Grace as mentioned in Gospel of LUKE... without SIN”
1. you do not apparently understand Greek
2. you do not apparently understand grace.
3. Nowhere in Scripture is Mary EVER described as without sin - God doesn’t say it. The Apostles do not say it. No angel describes her that way. No source in the first 100 years of Christianity describes her that way or even prays to her.
4. Mary herself testifies of her need of a Savior. If she had no sins at all, she would qualify to go to heaven on her own merit and not need a Savior. She needed a Savior.
“I will Take the TRUE Authority That has Been the Creator & caretaker of the Bible from the beginning for 20 Centuries.”
If you refer to the Roman church in this way, you are simply wrong. GOD HIMSELF has been the Creator, Inspirer and Preserver of HIS WORDS - LONG before the New Testament ever came to be. I will trust God instead of going to a second-hand source and pretending it is equal to HIM.
“Christ Promised Peter he would keep his Church Dogma Free of Devils Interpretation until the end of time.
No he did not. Again, made up out of whole cloth.
“Peter was Given the Keys to heaven as is his successors..””
Peter was given a position in the kingdom. No where does it say anyone ever will replace him. Again, made up out of whole cloth.
How folks miss this baffles me!!
(Wait for a bozo to say, "Well; Jesus didn't sin...")
So they let you out again, eh???
Rom_10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Gal_3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Heb_4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Now isn't that a strange way to write a book??? The book talks...The book sees into the future...When you are looking into that book, the book is looking back at you...
I'm sure that's way over your head but if you knew the God of the book, you'd know the supernatural power in the written words of God...
Prove it...For once, prove something you claim...
What does it mean then???
I see what you did there!
(I’ve always wanted to use that phrase and that’s no joke...)
What does it mean then???
You compared knowing the date of creation to the date of an imaginary apostasy. That is analogy. Had you used "like" or "as" then it would have been a simile.
You have no reason to believe me and that makes no difference to me. I know my experience and how difficult it was for me to come back to the Catholic faith. I thank God for taking me out so that my return was that much sweeter.
It is a well known quote, which any literate person knows.
It wasn’t a comparison. It was a lesson in reasoning (you failed by the way). You said if a person couldn’t date an event (like the apostasy of your church) then it didn’t happen. I tried to show you through logic that some dates cannot be known exactly because they were lost to time. We cannot date Creation but we know it happened from the fact we are here now. To say it didn’t happen because we cannot pinpoint the exact date in time is ridiculous as is your argument.
You are telling me what YOU did. Salvation never comes by way of reference to anyone but Christ. Salvation doesn’t come by operation of a prayer or any other act of man, it’s of The Lord (Jonah 2:9). Salvation is purely by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). We can’t will or decide our way to God (John 1:13) We are wholly dependent on God to show us mercy (Romans 9:16).
I fully believe you worked your way to Rome, but I know you didn’t work your way to God for the Scriptures plainly tell us it cannot be done (Galatians 2:16, Romans 3:20, 28, Acts 13:39, Ephesians 2:9)
Thank you oh so very much for your encouragements, dear brother in Christ!
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