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Sola Scriptura. Why?

WCH said:
The eating of flesh and drinking of blood. Using metaphor to describe the 'way'.
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No early Christians took that anything but literally. Catholics, Orthodox, all believed it was literal for hundreds of years. There was no church that taught otherwise. Did God permit such error for hundreds of years?
 
Grand Mal said:
Do you believe the Bible is infallible? There's errors in it, and translation oddities. The King James version was written by a series of groups who each brought in their versions of their assignments and choices were made by a governing committee.
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So use translations that are closer to the original source material, you know the over 7000 manuscripts that are less than a century removed from the originals that sustain a phenomenally high level of accuracy between them. A standard that eclipses every other ancient manuscript and history by orders of magnitude.
 
UtahBill said:
No middleman allowed, Jesus said so...."No man shall come unto the father but by me".
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That's weird, then why did Jesus send out the 70?
 
phattonez said:
That's weird, then why did Jesus send out the 70?
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as missionaries? does not change anything, Jesus is the one who atoned and the one with authority to mediate in our behalf.
 
I will never understand Sola Scriptura. Reading Torah without commentary is like fumbling in the dark. They also tend to be literalists in my experience which I also think is extra humorous.
 
phattonez said:
No early Christians took that anything but literally. Catholics, Orthodox, all believed it was literal for hundreds of years. There was no church that taught otherwise. Did God permit such error for hundreds of years?
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Free will.
 
phattonez said:
That's weird, then why did Jesus send out the 70?
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To spread his message. That was pretty simple.
The great commission didn't come till he ascended.

Pastors are the messengers Christ is the only way.
A pastor can lead you to salvation but not save you.
 
phattonez said:
I don't really see a thread on this issue, but seeing as how this is an important distinction between Protestants and Catholics/Orthodox
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Not exactly. Prima scriptura is also a popular approach, particularly with the Wesleyan branches of Christianity which take the quadrilateral approach (scripture, tradition, reason, and experience).

We could also get into ways of reading the bible: dialogical vs monarchical views, etc. Which further muddy the waters.

It's not as clear cut as "protestants believe in sola scriptura, Catholics and Orthodox don't".
 
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When it comes to Sola Scriptura, one thing that always confused me.

What is the scriptural basis for Sola Scriptura? If it isn't in scripture, wouldn't that be a contradiction, because they are adding things to scripture (scripture alone) that isn't in scripture?
 
phattonez said:
I don't really see a thread on this issue, but seeing as how this is an important distinction between Protestants and Catholics/Orthodox, it's a debate that's worth having here.

So, why do you support sola scriptura when:
1) The Bible nowhere actually says that you should go by scripture alone?
2) Christians for at least a few decades had no Bible, while for a few hundred years there was no settled canon?
3) There is no way to use the Bible to prove what books belong in the Bible?
4) The Bible explicitly teaches that you are to use tradition to guide you?
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Sola Scriptura......because the Bible is God-breathed, complete, authoritative! We know that it is the Word of God!

If you read the Bible, you'd know that tradition (which is still practiced by the Catholic Church), some of its practices are contradictory to the Scriptures! While the Bible itself does not say Sola Scriptura, the Bible however, definitely does not allow for traditions that contradict the Scriptures!

The only way that we may know what is expected from us by God, is to stay true to what we know God has revealed to us!
While we definitely know that the Bible is reliable, and authoritative.....the same cannot be said of traditions!

Sola Scriptura is basing our spiritual life on the Bible alone.....and rejecting any traditions or teachings that isn't in full agreement with the Bible.
 
phattonez said:
2) Christians for at least a few decades had no Bible, while for a few hundred years there was no settled canon?
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Is the Bible's authority based only on its availability?

Does a person's inability to read the Bible changes the fact that the Bible is God's Word?
 
phattonez said:
No early Christians took that anything but literally. Catholics, Orthodox, all believed it was literal for hundreds of years. There was no church that taught otherwise. Did God permit such error for hundreds of years?
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The first church didn't take it literally!
 
RAMOSS said:
When it comes to Sola Scriptura, one thing that always confused me.

What is the scriptural basis for Sola Scriptura? If it isn't in scripture, wouldn't that be a contradiction, because they are adding things to scripture (scripture alone) that isn't in scripture?
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Yes, we shouldn't be adding anything to the Scriptures, especially something that is a contradiction to it.

When I was a Catholic, we call our priests "Father." That's directly against the Scriptures:




Matthew 23

Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees

23 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.
6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
 
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tosca1 said:
Sola Scriptura......because the Bible is God-breathed, complete, authoritative! We know that it is the Word of God!

Sola Scriptura is basing our spiritual life on the Bible alone.....and rejecting any traditions or teachings that isn't in full agreement with the Bible.
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I have never met a sola scriptura Christian. Are you one?
 
tosca1 said:
Yes, we shouldn't be adding anything to the Scriptures, especially something that is a contradiction to it.

When I was a Catholic, we call our priests "Father." That's directly against the Scriptures:




Matthew 23

Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees

23 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.
6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
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Maybe you can point out then. Where in scriptures does it say 'scriptures alone?'

That passage does not say 'scripture alone'.
 
tosca1 said:
Yes, I try to be.
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Please don't try. Doing so is contrary to both Judaism and Christian tradition. Neither religion was ever sola scriptura. Rather, the religious messages of both religions are meant to be passed on by teaching authorities. Some aspects of the Bible have no clear literal teaching. For example:

Is divorce permitted?
Can I be forced to serve in the military?

If you are a woman and truly trying to be sola Scriptura, be mindful of the following:

Whenever a woman has her menstrual period, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. Anyone who touches her during that time will be unclean until evening. 20 Anything on which the woman lies or sits during the time of her period will be unclean. 21 If any of you touch her bed, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. 22 If you touch any object she has sat on, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening Leviticus 15:19-33

Likewise, there are other verses:
- Exodus 22:18King James Version (KJV): Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
- "Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards. Leviticus 19-27 (well, it would apply to your husband, not you)

This verse, if taken sola scriptura states that all of the above are valid today:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. 18For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.… Matthew 5:17
 
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Cryptic said:
Please don't try to be one as doing so would be contrary to both Judaism and Christian tradition. Neither religion was ever sola scriptura. Rather, the religious messages of both religions are meant to be passed on by teaching authorities. Some aspects of the Bible have no clear literal teaching. For example:

Is divorce permitted?
Can I be forced to serve in the military?

Likewise, if you truly are trying to be sola Scriptura, be mindful of the following:

Whenever a woman has her menstrual period, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days. Anyone who touches her during that time will be unclean until evening. 20 Anything on which the woman lies or sits during the time of her period will be unclean. 21 If any of you touch her bed, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening. 22 If you touch any object she has sat on, you must wash your clothes and bathe yourself in water, and you will remain unclean until evening Leviticus 15:19-33 and

7Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. 18For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.… Matthew 5:17

- Exodus 22:18King James Version (KJV): Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
- "Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards. Leviticus 19-27 (well, it would apply to your husband, not you)
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Or how many children you should have. The first commandment is to be fruitful and multiply. If you think this is the literal divine word of God surely you would wonder how you fulfill that commandment. So... what is it?
 
Sherman123 said:
Or how many children you should have. The first commandment is to be fruitful and multiply. If you think this is the literal divine word of God surely you would wonder how you fulfill that commandment. So... what is it?
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That sola scriptura is best left to Wahhabi Islam and ISIS.
 
UtahBill said:
as missionaries? does not change anything, Jesus is the one who atoned and the one with authority to mediate in our behalf.
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And he sends out people to act on His behalf.
 
WCH said:
No social media/ ;)

Those folks were hand-picked by Jesus himself not, by mere mortals.
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So how did Christianity survive after all of the apostles died and there was still no canon?
 
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