Sola Scriptura
To those who do not believe in Apostolic tradition, but in Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura):
 | The Bible was not put under one cover until the Councils of Hippo (393) and 3rd Council of Carthage (397) accepted the official list of books . Not for over 1000 years after these early Councils was the printing press invented (1450), so Bible manuscripts were quite rare and costly before the printing press came about. Between 397 and 1450 then, how did most people learn about the contents of Scripture, and who was the authoritative figure for the early Church during these centuries? The authority clearly could not have been the Bible, but clearly was the Church Herself who preached it to the faithful. So how can Scripture have been our only guide for the centuries before copies of the Bible were readily available, and were the people who lived during those centuries all damned because they did not have access to Scripture? |
posted by Michael Krahn @ 6:49 AM
2 Comments:
- To those who do not believe in Apostolic tradition (What is the Apostolic tradition? I believe in AN apostolic tradition, but I don't know if it is the same thing they are talking about)
- Between 397 and 1450 then, how did most people learn about the contents of Scripture (I have visited a chapel outside of Munich that discovered murals of Bible stories underneath the white paint. There, travelling artists went around and painted the Bible on the wall in such a way it could be "read" by the illiterate)
- So how can Scripture have been our only guide for the centuries before copies of the Bible were readily available (How can the whole world be saved if they have never heard the Gospel? We must go and preach it. But we didn't know until we were told. When someone realizes something is wrong, they need to go and change it. Kind of like you now, on your quest.)
- were the people who lived during those centuries all damned because they did not have access to Scripture? (No, of course not... by grace we are saved through faith. Not through the dripping of water on a baby's head) * :) *
Hmmm... let's see...
Mike, I think you are right on the following thoughts:
1)Protestant churches think they are right. But there is so much division. How can they all be right? --> you said you used to believe they all had parts of the Truth. I still do believe that. Because... they do.
2)The Catholic Church is not evil. In fact, the Catholic Church even has a lot of treasures in its values and revelations that cannot be appreciated by Protestants who discount it completely.
3) Many of the beliefs and traditions of the Catholic Church come straight from the New Testament design for churches. (eg. apostolic tradition --> apostle became bishop, pastor became priest?)
However... I have an issue with the thought that I have read recently that if the Catholic Church was at one point called the True Church, before we had "Scripture", then "Her Word" has more pull than Scripture. Does that apply to anything She says? Does this mean She is infallible? Because that thought disgusts me. Two words come to mind... the crusades and residential schools.
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