Sola scriptura has not room for the Church Fathers!

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adolfo123

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How can I as a catholic use the church father in showing catholic doctrine to protestants who are very very sola scriptura…? They seem to close their mind once on is qouting outside the bible. please help what is the best was to show them early christian theology
 
I’ve debated this many times with Protestants, and unless they are open to the thought of Scripture and Tradition then they will not accept anything other than Scripture. And even at that they they are only open to their own private interpretations of Scripture. You can show them that the ancient Christians were Catholics but it really makes no difference to most of them, so I just want to warn you on that. But I also encourage you and everyone to study the Church Fathers so that you can make the case whenever it may arise, because that is one of the strongest cases a Catholic can make to defend their Faith.

As for citations from the Church Fathers here is a link litteralchristianlibrary.wetpaint.com/page/Apologetics
 
You must know your own position well to start with, not that you don’t, but a little research on the Catholic rule of faith can solidify ones position on why the Church is the “rule of faith”.
This is even in the Bible:
1 Timothy 3:15: "but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
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On the Rule of Faith:
The word rule (Latin regula, Gr. kanon) means a standard by which something can be tested, and the rule of faith means something extrinsic to our faith, and serving as its norm or measure. Since faith is Divine and infallible, the rule of faith must be also Divine and infallible; and since faith is supernatural assent to Divine truths upon Divine authority, the ultimate or remote rule of faith must be the truthfulness of God in revealing Himself. But since Divine revelation is contained in the written books and unwritten traditions (Vatican Council, I, ii), the Bible and Divine tradition must be the rule of our faith; since, however, these are only silent witnesses and cannot interpret themselves, they are commonly termed “proximate but inanimate rules of faith”. Unless, then, the Bible and tradition are to be profitless, we must look for some proximate rule which shall be animate or living.
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newadvent.org/cathen/05766b.htm
 
adolfo123 said:
How can I as a catholic use the church father in showing catholic doctrine to protestants who are very very sola scriptura…? They seem to close their mind once on is qouting outside the bible. please help what is the best was to show them early christian theology
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As a former Assembly of God for 20 years, I never really paid attention to it until I reviewed the Catholic Church. Many many Protestant are that way. in fact, if you point that no where does the Bible teach Sola Scriptura they scratch their head in amazement because they just assumed.

But, for those who will not listen, not much you can do except to ask them for clear historical an Biblical references.

Blessings!
  • Michael
 
teak421 said:
As a former Assembly of God for 20 years, I never really paid attention to it until I reviewed the Catholic Church. Many many Protestant are that way. in fact, if you point that no where does the Bible teach Sola Scriptura they scratch their head in amazement because they just assumed.

But, for those who will not listen, not much you can do except to ask them for clear historical an Biblical references.

Blessings!
  • Michael
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He’s completely right the only way you can’t fight Sola Scriptura Protestants is with Scripture because that’s all they accept.
 
When I have this type discussion with Protestants I try to point out that the Canons of Scripture were not finalized until around the year 400 AD. Then I ask what the early Christian Martyrs relied on for their faith with no written New Testament available. These early Christians had to rely on Apostolic Tradition.

In many discussions Protestants will claim Catholic Teaching was invented in the Middle Ages. It boggles their minds when you can show them that these Teachings were being taught by the Church Fathers back in the 1st and 2nd centuries.
 
Tyuiop411 said:
He’s completely right the only way you can’t fight Sola Scriptura Protestants is with Scripture because that’s all they accept.
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Unfortunately all they will accept is their personal interpretation of Scripture.
 
It’s not so much the evidence as the person who rejects that evidence. Only the Father in heaven can reveal the truth, not flesh and blood. We do what we can.
 
adolfo123 said:
How can I as a catholic use the church father in showing catholic doctrine to protestants who are very very sola scriptura…? They seem to close their mind once on is qouting outside the bible. please help what is the best was to show them early christian theology
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I think first you need to get them to realize sola scriptura itself isn’t Biblical.

Paul clearly says to hold to what he has taught whether by word of mouth or by writing. It will take a long time to sink in.

Also point out that scripture itself cannot exist without both Authority and Tradition. Pick a book like Esther. Point out that first the Jews had Torah. Along the way things were written that were not added to scripture, other writings were produced that the Jews decided were scripture. Point out the Jews had to have the authority to expand the canon of scripture for Esther to have been added to scripture. Point out that we don’t know the list of books accepted as scripture from scripture we only know which books have been accepted by virtue of tradition that has been handed down, either Jewish or Christian tradition.

This likewise won’t yield fruit quickly. But in time they will hopefully come to see that Sola Scriptura itself is flawed.

Until they see that you cannot navigate past it.
 
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