Scripture Only

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mom_of_ten

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Just a thought:

Those who adamantly state that Scripture is the one and only guide for us as Christians are issuing a self-contradictory statement.

Nowhere in Scripture is this stated; or implied in any way.

Therefore, those who adhere to this form of thought are actually in defiance of it themselves since it is absent from the Bible.

Consequently, making such a claim enters one into an oxymoron of sorts. One can not claim that the Bible is the sole guide; and then follow a Bible which never makes such a statement…right? If it’s NOT in the Bible, they say, then it is “no-good”.

Thoughts?
 
Mom of Ten,
Interesting point. I’m not sure I’ve heard folks say “Scripture only,” but I will say that Scripture needs to be the basis and the anchor for our faith decisions. If ever we find teaching that contradicts scripture, that teaching cannot be of the Lord.

There are many wise counsels out there. I am very grateful for the teachings of the church, the great hymns, the writings and teachings of Christian authors and speakers. Especially since our world has changed since the days of Scripture, we benefit from the insights of the men and women of God.

That said, I try to make sure that I read some in the Bible each day, even if I’m reading or listening to what I think is sound teaching elsewhere. God’s word has to be central, but I don’t think it needs to be alone. I’d like to hear other’s thoughts on this.

RubyWannabe
 
The Catholic Church agrees with you that if something contradicts Scripture, it is not of the Lord.

However, you say you have not heard others say, “Scripture Only”…most of the Protestant Denominations ADAMANTLY say and adhere to this; hence, the reason behind my comment.
 
RubyWannabe said:
Mom of Ten,
Interesting point. I’m not sure I’ve heard folks say “Scripture only,” but I will say that Scripture needs to be the basis and the anchor for our faith decisions. If ever we find teaching that contradicts scripture, that teaching cannot be of the Lord.

There are many wise counsels out there. I am very grateful for the teachings of the church, the great hymns, the writings and teachings of Christian authors and speakers. Especially since our world has changed since the days of Scripture, we benefit from the insights of the men and women of God.

That said, I try to make sure that I read some in the Bible each day, even if I’m reading or listening to what I think is sound teaching elsewhere. God’s word has to be central, but I don’t think it needs to be alone. I’d like to hear other’s thoughts on this.

RubyWannabe
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Here’s my thoughts. The Church existed BEFORE the Bible. For approximately 300 years the Church taught by Tradition as the cannon was not yet established. Now, if Christians believe that the Holy Spirit was the author of Scripture, it stands to reason that the Holy Spirit would also see to it that the Church would place the correct books into the Bible. Once that was completed, it would be illogical to assume that Tradition stopped being protected by the Holy Spirit, especially when one considers that throughout the NT we are told to hold fast to Tradition. And so it existed for approx 12 to 13 more centuries, and then… 😦
mom_of_ten said:
Just a thought:

Those who adamantly state that Scripture is the one and only guide for us as Christians are issuing a self-contradictory statement.

Nowhere in Scripture is this stated; or implied in any way.

Therefore, those who adhere to this form of thought are actually in defiance of it themselves since it is absent from the Bible.

Consequently, making such a claim enters one into an oxymoron of sorts. One can not claim that the Bible is the sole guide; and then follow a Bible which never makes such a statement…right? If it’s NOT in the Bible, they say, then it is “no-good”.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I agree with you completely and if one takes that to the extreme, it would appear that Christ and His disciples should have starved to death since the Bible only speaks of them having eaten a handful of times during the 3 years of public ministry! :eek:

In regards to your name… what a very blessed lady you must be! 👍 God bless.
 
Your kind words are received with gratitude; and I am humbled by them…God HAS truly blessed us in our family…my husband and I are often approached light-heartedly to “write a book”…and we respond, that what we know most after having ten children, is that we are NOW TEACHABLE…🙂 God Bless You

(I realize this comment is off-topic; but I wanted to respond to your kind words and signature)

Christ’s Peace,
momoften
 
Sola scripturia demands the “perpescuity of scripture” or that the Bible is self-explanatory. This doctrine is contrary to the Bible.

Sola scriptura demands that no interpreter is needed. This doctrine is contrary to the Bible.

Sola scriptura demands that only doctrines that are explicit in scripture are trustworthy. This doctrine is contrary to the Bible.

Sola scripturists depend on Greek lexicons, concordances, subjective footnotes, and human scholarship. This doctrine is Pelagianistic. (revelation by human effort)

Sola scripturists claim the Holy Spirit guides them in understanding the scriptures. This is the doctrine of Individualism, where the individual can pick from thousands of “Bible-only” communities, which ever is the closest to their opinion.
 
RubyWannabe said:
Mom of Ten,
Interesting point. I’m not sure I’ve heard folks say “Scripture only,” but I will say that Scripture needs to be the basis and the anchor for our faith decisions. If ever we find teaching that contradicts scripture, that teaching cannot be of the Lord.

There are many wise counsels out there. I am very grateful for the teachings of the church, the great hymns, the writings and teachings of Christian authors and speakers. Especially since our world has changed since the days of Scripture, we benefit from the insights of the men and women of God.

That said, I try to make sure that I read some in the Bible each day, even if I’m reading or listening to what I think is sound teaching elsewhere. God’s word has to be central, but I don’t think it needs to be alone. I’d like to hear other’s thoughts on this.

RubyWannabe
Click to expand...
Peace to everyone!

It is very explicit in the Sacred Scriptures that GOD in the divine Person of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST repeatedly verbalized that His visit to the world was in fulfillment of the Scriptures. Prior to His revelation of the identity of His Betrayer He emphasized that the Betrayal must happen in fulfillment of the Scriptures. He even read passages from Isaiah that His coming to the world was in fulfillment of the Scriptures that were written down by the prophets prior to His visit. Therefore, following the trend of thought of the language of Divinity that emanates from the mouth of GOD, He followed and fulfilled no other book or manuscript other than the Holy Book of Truth. Hence, it was sola scriptura for the Messiah. The Scriptural fact is He abhorred the Jewish customs and tradition that was the prevailing religion of the time the reason why He incurred the beastly animosity of the Doctors of the Law. Remember that traditions are human practices and customs handed down from generation to generation. They have no Scriptural basis at all. Hence, they are not in fulfillment of the Scriptures that the Son of Man fulfilled and followed.Did He not explicitly state; **"Why do you for your part act contrary to the commandment of GOD for the sake of your ‘tradition’…this means that for the sake of your tradition you nullify GOD’s words. You hypocrites! How accurately did Isaiah prophesy about you when he said, ‘This people pays me lip service but their heart is far from me. They do empty reverence, making dogmas out of human precepts’ (Matthew 15: 3-9). **Are not traditions by definition based on human precepts? Indeed, GOD’s word must be central because He is an absolute reality whose word is omnipotent.

Peace again to everyone!
 
Are not traditions by definition based on human precepts?
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Not in the case of Sacred Tradition, which is another component of the full Word of God.

As St. Paul wrote in his second letter to the Thessalonians (Chapter 2, verse 15), “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.”

This was written in a letter deemed by the Tradition of the Church to be Sacred Scripture after Jesus’ Ascension, and after He had quoted from the only Scripture available during his first visit to earth…the Old Testament.
 
mom_of_ten said:
Just a thought:

Those who adamantly state that Scripture is the one and only guide for us as Christians are issuing a self-contradictory statement.

Nowhere in Scripture is this stated; or implied in any way.

Therefore, those who adhere to this form of thought are actually in defiance of it themselves since it is absent from the Bible.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
congratulations you just refuted the Reformation.
 
mom_of_ten said:
Those who adamantly state that Scripture is the one and only guide for us as Christians are issuing a self-contradictory statement.

Nowhere in Scripture is this stated; or implied in any way.

Therefore, those who adhere to this form of thought are actually in defiance of it themselves since it is absent from the Bible.
Click to expand...
Mark Bonocore, in an e-mail discussion with James White, composed a simple but effective logical structure which I have always used in my own discussions with Protestants. The logical structure passes by the notion of the internal contradictory and self-refuting nature of Sola Scriptura, and moves ahead to offer a challenge to find within historical Christianity a reflection of modern Protestant concepts.

*"i. If the Bible presents us with an objective body of doctrine, and…
ii. If that body of doctrine can be read and correctly understood by anyone who adheres to the principle of Sola Scriptura, and…
iii. If orthodox Christians throughout history have always rejected the “man-made traditions” of Catholicism and “remained faithful” to the Apostolic faith as it is “contained solely in the pages of Scripture,” then…

It necessarily follows … that you must be able to point to an ancient “orthodox Christian” …That is to say, someone who achieved the same result from reading the Bible as you (i.e. the Reformed Baptist Evangelical faith)."
*
 
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