“The second reason for this thread is to point out the disunity that the Sola Scriptura perspective brings. Without the Catholic Church as a foil, you flounder for meaning. It’s easy to point to the Church and tell Her where you disagree. It isn’t so easy to agree with one another in your own exegesis. Read this thread and you will see bafflement, guesses, and conjecture. You won’t read teaching from the Protestant perspective that is authoritative and instructive for all.”
First of all the idea that “without the Catholic Church as a foil, you flounder for meaning” is utter rubbish. My faith, and the faith of any regenerated, bible-believing Christian is not in reference to Rome in any way shape or form. Most saved people never give a thought to what Rome believes or teaches.
And then maybe you need teaching that is “authoritative” but every single truly born-again regenerate Christian is “taught of God.” God gave us His Word and He gives us teachers, but we are never to simply accept anyone’s “authoritative” teaching. The people in Berea were called more noble because they searched the Scriptures daily to see if what they had been taught was true. They didn’t blindly accept teaching—and their teachers were Paul and Silas.
“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6:45)
Also, the idea that different people from different perspectives and different stages of their spiritual journey shouldn’t be surprising. Also, we have no idea who is and isn’t saved. Also, I didn’t specifically reference Psalm 22 because it had already been ably mentioned by several others. Another thing, I dashed out a brief response to a question on an internet forum. I doubt anyone answered your question with the depth and thoughtfulness they are capable of given time. Since we don’t have Rome’s authoritative teachings to blindly spout, you should marvel at the general consistency of the responses.
This is an apt explanation for the disunity of the Protestant world. The Calvinists, Baptists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Evangelicals, Presbyterians, Methodists, Pentecostals, Anabaptists, et al can't all be correct at the same time. They all approach the Bible from a differing faith tradition and interpret the exact same passages in opposing ways. The lack of a teaching authority in the Protestant world doesn't erase the Magisterium... it makes everyone their own Pope! When all are equal in authority, there is no authority. When every answer is true, there is no truth.
The people in Berea were called more noble because they searched the Scriptures daily to see if what they had been taught was true.
Yes... and what Scripture did they search? There wasn't a Canon of the New Testament for them. St Paul himself says repeatedly that he brought them Tradition (2 Thess 2:15, Phil 4:9). This Tradition is the Gospel of Jesus which illuminated the Old Testament just as Jesus opened the eyes and ears of the Apostles on the Road to Emmaus.
Since we don’t have Rome’s authoritative teachings to blindly spout, you should marvel at the general consistency of the responses.
I spout nothing blindly and what I post I post for the edification of the Church. If others are posting without careful consideration of faith then they do great damage to those who truly seek to understand. And, by the way, you do have the Church's Wisdom available to you for study... She has never hidden it.