Do Protestants really follow the Bible alone?

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lifeisnotachoic said:
Thanks for the welcome!

There isn’t a place that specifically says to follow only the Bible or else. Jesus told us in the book of Matthew to follow Him. The only guide I have to Jesus’ teachings and expectations for me and my life are found in the Bible. This is just my belief
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Fair enough.

But the Catholic Church believes that Jesus’ teachings were not contained only in the Bible.

The teachings of the Apostles were preserved through Sacred Tradition.

So to follow the Bible Alone (which never says to do this, BTW!) is to miss an entire channel of God’s Word!
 
The teachings of the Apostles were preserved through Sacred Tradition.

What is Sacred Tradition?
 
lifeisnotachoic said:
Thanks for the welcome!

There isn’t a place that specifically says to follow only the Bible or else. Jesus told us in the book of Matthew to follow Him.** The only guide I have to Jesus’ teachings and expectations for me and my life are found in the Bible. This is just my belief. I study my Bible daily because it helps me feel closer to my Lord. I don’t follow a denomination. I follow God’s Word.**
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The problem inherent to this obvious. How do you know it is the word of God? Why are we to believe in these 27 books as opposed to the gnostic writings? Can justify the bible from the bible alone? I don’t think you can. Can you have all the answers as to your Christian practice?
  • Why do Chrisitans gather on sunday?
  • How are Christians supposed worship when they gather?
  • What are the actual contents of teh bible?
  • Do Christians have certain holy days?
Alot of basic Christian practice simply dissapears when we have only the bible guide us.
 
IgnatianPhilo said:
The problem inherent to this obvious. How do you know it is the word of God? Why are we to believe in these 27 books as opposed to the gnostic writings? Can justify the bible from the bible alone? I don’t think you can. Can you have all the answers as to your Christian practice?
  • Why do Chrisitans gather on sunday?
  • How are Christians supposed worship when they gather?
  • What are the actual contents of teh bible?
  • Do Christians have certain holy days?
Alot of basic Christian practice simply dissapears when we have only the bible guide us.
Click to expand...
No, I definitely do NOT have all the answers. Not even close!!! I have no idea why we gather on Sunday when according to the Bible the Sabbath falls on Saturday.
Every church worships differently and they think their way is the only way. There are arguments over clothes, times of service and music.
As far as holy days, Christmas, Easter, Good Friday and Palm Sunday are the only ones that come to mind.
I was always taught that the Bible was the only way and the only book because it was God’s Word. I guess actually there is no concrete proof that it’s the word of God. I read all 66 books because I love history. In my limited experience, any questions I need answered can be found in the Bible. Maybe the real answers are found in the Dead Sea scrolls. I’m not sure. I have even read the book of Mormon. I was raised in a legalistic denomination that says if a woman wears pants or short sleeves she’s going to hell or if you watch television you will go to hell so obviously as soon as I was old enough I ran the other way and have recently started back to church and have joined a SB church but I seem to still be searching.
 
lifeisnotachoic said:
No, I definitely do NOT have all the answers. Not even close!!! I have no idea why we gather on Sunday when according to the Bible the Sabbath falls on Saturday.
Every church worships differently and they think their way is the only way. There are arguments over clothes, times of service and music.
As far as holy days, Christmas, Easter, Good Friday and Palm Sunday are the only ones that come to mind.
I was always taught that the Bible was the only way and the only book because it was God’s Word. I guess actually there is no concrete proof that it’s the word of God. I read all 66 books because I love history. In my limited experience, any questions I need answered can be found in the Bible. Maybe the real answers are found in the Dead Sea scrolls. I’m not sure. I have even read the book of Mormon. I was raised in a legalistic denomination that says if a woman wears pants or short sleeves she’s going to hell or if you watch television you will go to hell so obviously as soon as I was old enough I ran the other way and have recently started back to church and have joined a SB church but I seem to still be searching.
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Well lets start from one assumptions, namely scripture. Why is your canon correct as opposed to my canon? That is the Orthodox church with its bible, containing 76 books, plus parts of Daniel and psalm 151 which you do not include in the bible. What is the determining authority for the canon of scripture?
 
IgnatianPhilo said:
Well lets start from one assumptions, namely scripture. Why is your canon correct as opposed to my canon? That is the Orthodox church with its bible, containing 76 books, plus parts of Daniel and psalm 151 which you do not include in the bible. What is the determining authority for the canon of scripture?
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I have always used the King James version of the Bible just because that’s what I was taught. I don’t know that it’s correct or not. How does anyone know? I use a different version than my pastor, so is one of us wrong? I don’t know.
 
lifeisnotachoic said:
No, I definitely do NOT have all the answers. Not even close!!! I have no idea why we gather on Sunday when according to the Bible the Sabbath falls on Saturday.
Every church worships differently and they think their way is the only way. There are arguments over clothes, times of service and music.
As far as holy days, Christmas, Easter, Good Friday and Palm Sunday are the only ones that come to mind.
**I was always taught that the Bible was the only way and the only book because it was God’s Word. I guess actually there is no concrete proof that it’s the word of God. **I read all 66 books because I love history. In my limited experience, any questions I need answered can be found in the Bible. Maybe the real answers are found in the Dead Sea scrolls. I’m not sure. I have even read the book of Mormon. I was raised in a legalistic denomination that says if a woman wears pants or short sleeves she’s going to hell or if you watch television you will go to hell so obviously as soon as I was old enough I ran the other way and have recently started back to church and have joined a SB church but I seem to still be searching.
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Life,

I appreciate your sincere approach and undogmatic attitude. Let me assure you that God is calling you as He calls all of us. Let me also assure you that what you read, although in the past I may have parsed essentials, is the Word of God and God speaks to you. Concerning the Dead Sea Scrolls, they affirm what you read.

Now concerning women wearing pants or short sleeves let me say that modesty or lack thereof may not be considered matters of condemnation rather a contrite heart or lack thereof would be open to discussion.

Watching television can be a hellish experience with what we see there now and then and perhaps with the pay per view there may be avenues for the road to perdition.

Joining a SB Church in your search and coming here in your search…God is calling and all you need to do is answer…

keep looking…if you read the book of Mormon…why not read the Catholic Catechism.?
 
lifeisnotachoic said:
The teachings of the Apostles were preserved through Sacred Tradition.

What is Sacred Tradition?
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Sacred Tradition…hmmm…for one, it gave us the canon or list of books of the Scripture…both OT and NT…but protestants removed 7 OT books on their own sometime in 1826 or so…

It gave us the Trinity, the Theotokos…the ancient creeds…defined the basic Christian beliefs through church councils…among others.

mark-shea.com/tradition.html
 
lifeisnotachoic said:
I have always used the King James version of the Bible just because that’s what I was taught. I don’t know that it’s correct or not. How does anyone know? I use a different version than my pastor, so is one of us wrong? I don’t know.
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Well I won’t press this discussion, but instead ask you look into the history of the bible. That before King James and protestantism more books were accepted into the canons of scripture.
 
lifeisnotachoic said:
I have always used the King James version of the Bible just because that’s what I was taught. I don’t know that it’s correct or not. How does anyone know? I use a different version than my pastor, so is one of us wrong? I don’t know.
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Jenn -

I love Indiana. I spent many years traveling to Evansville. I love my friends there. When I changed jobs and drove home from there the last time I cried. Such good memories with people who are salt of the Earth, Catholic and catholic. I miss my friend John who farms and owns 6,000 acres plus my friend Julie who owns a few hundred acres for her 50 cows. I miss the farmers restaurant in Haubstadt where I could eat a smoked 1/2 chicken dinner and a beer for less then $10, tip included. You have to be a farmer to even find the place. Also know quite a bit about South Bend…home of the soon to be rated number one fighting Irish.:irish2:

Recommendation…there are a lot of books that you can read. The catechism of the Catholic Church is compendius…and a long read. I commonly recommend Catholicism for Dummies. It’s in the “dummy series” …which you are not…and is written by two Catholic priests. The format is good and it covers and explains the major points of Catholicism. Patrick Madrid has a couple of excellent short books titled Where is That in the Bible? and Where is That in Tradition? You may also like reading the conversion story of Scott and Kimberly Hahn, Rome Sweet Home, Our Journey to Catholicsim.
 
CopticChristian said:
Life,

I appreciate your sincere approach and undogmatic attitude. Let me assure you that God is calling you as He calls all of us. Let me also assure you that what you read, although in the past I may have parsed essentials, is the Word of God and God speaks to you. Concerning the Dead Sea Scrolls, they affirm what you read.

Now concerning women wearing pants or short sleeves let me say that modesty or lack thereof may not be considered matters of condemnation rather a contrite heart or lack thereof would be open to discussion.

Watching television can be a hellish experience with what we see there now and then and perhaps with the pay per view there may be avenues for the road to perdition.

Joining a SB Church in your search and coming here in your search…God is calling and all you need to do is answer…

keep looking…if you read the book of Mormon…why not read the Catholic Catechism.?
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I will read it and thanks to everyone for their undogmatic attitude, also. Everyone has been very kind and patient with me.

God is still calling me and I’m still searching. I think that’s why He led me here last night when I sat at my computer.
 
lifeisnotachoic said:
The teachings of the Apostles were preserved through Sacred Tradition.

What is Sacred Tradition?
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Sacred Tradition is the Word of God preserved orally, transmitted through the Apostles and their successors.

One example of this is the canon of Scripture. You would not know what books belong in the Bible except through the oral passing down of the Word of God through the anointed apostles, who anointed their successors, who anointed their successors…etc…
 
lifeisnotachoic…

Welcome to CAF!..Yes, the Lord is leading you here. As the Lord said in regards to seeking Truth…that is none other than Jesus Christ Himself…the Word Made Flesh…you will find the fullness of truth.

Persevere!
 
We believe that doctrine comes from Gods word alone, but that doesn’t mean that everyone who owns a bible is mr. Theologian guy. Protestantism is not anarchy, Finneyism is. We read the works of competing theologians and when we have a question we read scripture, pray, an look at what great theologians such as Calvin or Luther had to say about it. They weren’t infallible (which is why it’s important to look at competing schools of theological thought), however many of them came to the same conclusions independent of eachother after reading and studying scripture much more than your average Christian.
 
IgnatianPhilo said:
Well I won’t press this discussion, but instead ask you look into the history of the bible. That before King James and protestantism more books were accepted into the canons of scripture.
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They were not accepted as scripture, but rather as helpful books. For instance, 1 Maccabees, while accepted as deuterocanical and fit for discerning doctrine from by Catholics, it it used by we Protestants as a way to understand the history of the Macedonian era from a Jewish, God centered perspective.
 
PaulinePresbytr said:
They were not accepted as scripture, but rather as helpful books. For instance, 1 Maccabees, while accepted as deuterocanical and **fit for discerning doctrine **from by Catholics, it it used by we Protestants as a way to understand the history of the Macedonian era from a Jewish, God centered perspective.
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Actually, the bolded section is not a correct explication of Catholicism, Pauline.

Catholicism does not glean its doctrines from Scripture. Rather, the Catholic faith was whole and entire before a single word of the NT was ever put to writ. Our doctrines come from Jesus, through His Apostles.

And not from a book, no matter how holy.
 
Is faith from the Bible

or is faith from the heart

I can’t imagine anyone following the BIble alone. Though I think most of us tend to follow our hearts more perhaps in reality, and what we are taught gets fed into us which can confuse our faith especially when we are trying to keep things of simplicity and not get bogged down by whats expected of us. My believe of God is simplistic and at the moment I know where I am at with my faith:) It certainly nothing that the Bible alone has included in it. My priest has taught me how to be thus. And I feel certain it is where I have been trying to reach over the years. I do not get drawn into the theology of it all. Church teaches us the Bible as well as encourages us to worship God. Sermons break down barriers of the Bible for us so we can understand things in today’s context and strive to Love Christlike God and not other gods.
 
englishredrose said:
Is faith from the Bible

or is faith from the heart

I can’t imagine anyone following the BIble alone. Though I think most of us tend to follow our hearts more perhaps in reality, and what we are taught gets fed into us which can confuse our faith especially when we are trying to keep things of simplicity and not get bogged down by whats expected of us. My believe of God is simplistic and at the moment I know where I am at with my faith:) It certainly nothing that the Bible alone has included in it. My priest has taught me how to be thus. And I feel certain it is where I have been trying to reach over the years. I do not get drawn into the theology of it all. Church teaches us the Bible as well as encourages us to worship God. Sermons break down barriers of the Bible for us so we can understand things in today’s context and strive to Love Christlike God and not other gods.
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While I understand what you are saying, I do not think it is a correct explication of what is expected of us.

We are commanded to love God with our entire hearts, yes–that is what you are proposing here.

But we are also commanded to love God with our entire minds, souls and strength (see Matt 22:37). The “minds” part is what I think you seem to be dismissing] here.
 
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