Is the Scripture enough?

[fisherman_carl]

I am wondering if Scripture, all by itself, is enough to bring somebody to the saving knowledge of Christ? As a former Protestant, I used to think that but now as a Catholic, I see us believing in things that do not pertain to things necessary for salvation, such as saying the Rosary, praying to the Saints, praying to Mary, etc. It seems to me that the power of Scripture is itself powerful enough to bring someone to repentance and point them to Christ. Thoughts?

Scripture itself is part of Tradition. It was the Church who selected which books are part of the canon. So you can not have the bible without the Church. So I would say that you can not have the bible alone. The bible itself refutes it.

But someone might say now that we have the bible we don’t need the church who brought us the bible. That’s a bit like saying we don’t need the sun because we already feel warm. The church is the vehicle through which God’s grace has poured through to produce the bible. And, that grace continues to this day through things like the Sacraments. Without grace we can not be saved. Who in their right mind refuses God’s grace in favor of the bible alone? The bible alone can’t save. Itis faith in Jesus that saves. And Jesus has chosen to work through people.

As far as salvation is concerned, it is possible to be saved by Jesus without any scripture. For example, the theif on the cross. Yet, the normal means of salvation is not simply by reading a book but requires baptism.

 

[submariner2]

I am wondering if Scripture, all by itself, is enough to bring somebody to the saving knowledge of Christ? As a former Protestant, I used to think that but now as a Catholic, I see us believing in things that do not pertain to things necessary for salvation, such as saying the Rosary, praying to the Saints, praying to Mary, etc. It seems to me that the power of Scripture is itself powerful enough to bring someone to repentance and point them to Christ. Thoughts?

ware,

That is called “sola scriptura” Your protestant roots are showing.

Rob

 

[Erich]

It seems to me that the power of Scripture is itself powerful enough to bring someone to repentance and point them to Christ. Thoughts?

Acts 2:

37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?”
38 Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”
40 He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Not a syllable of the New Testament had been written prior to that day, yet 3,000 persons were nonetheless brought to repentance and pointed to Christ.