Question for Catholics

Matt. 28:20 - "observe ALL I have commanded," but, you see in John 20:30; 21:25, not everything Jesus taught is in Scripture. So are there things outside of Scripture that we must observe? Must be! This disproves 'sola scriptura" theology.

 

No it doesn't. That which is in the Scripture is inspired and only that which is in the Scripture is inspired. It is God's Word and therefore our final authority. Nothing outside can be authoritative.

John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

 

Sorry about your experience. I guess your Catholic Church skipped the Liturgy of the Word during mass as well? In my Catholic Church there are Bible studies scheduled every day of the week.

 

There is no evidence in the Bible or elsewhere that Jesus intended the Bible to be sole authority of the Christian faith.

 

This is the typical come-back from a Catholic. When I read from those readings I hardly recognized them as Scriptures. They were not in a Bible. They were just printed in some other book. I had never read a Bible and the references were meaningless to me. We didn't have Bible-classes. Why are you trying to deny things that never happened?

 

Acts 8:30-31; Heb. 5:12 - Don't these verse show that we need help in interpreting the Bible? We cannot interpret them infallibly on our own. That has resulted in how many new protestant denominations? We need appointed leadership within the Church to teach us.

 

I'm not particularly defending catholicism here, but are you referring to the readings in a Catholic mass? A mass will have three readings: One from the OT, one from the NT excluding the Gospels, and one from the Gospels expressly. So if you're claiming these readings aren't from scripture, you're quite mistaken.

 

I am not denying anything. I am relating to you my own experience in my Catholic Church. Simply because the four different scripture lessons were not read from a bound bible doesn't make them any less scripture, does it? Sounds like you just chose not to pay attention.

 

Actually, there are four. The psalter is included in the Sunday masses.

 

I believe almost all the Bible is read in a three year cycle.

 

Deny. Deny. Deny. Every evidence that is given you, you throw out the window, rationalize, or deny. At your age your mind is made up. You are completely unteachable. If all the evidence and proof beyond any shadow of a doubt were presented to you, would you accept it? The obvious answer is, no. Your mind is made up. You are not going to accept the truth no matter what we say. Your attitude has become one of an atheist who will not accept the veracity of the resurrection even if evidence is presented. His attitude is no matter what you say I will not believe. Though not an atheist your attitude is the same.

The Bible is intended and always has been intended to be the final authority in all matters pertaining to faith and doctrine. Now that is spelled out quite clearly. It is not my sole or final authority in Chemistry and trigonometry. Does that make sense to you?

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
--They did not take what Paul said at face value. Why? The Scriptures were their final authority. They went to the Scriptures to check what he said against the Scriptures, to verify what he said if it was true. The Scriptures were their guideline.

Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
--The Scriptures have always been the authority. If you don't speak according to the Word of God, then you don't have light in you; you are not saved if the Scripture is not your authority. That is fairly straightforward statement.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
--All Scripture is inspired of God. Therefore, by default it is our final authority. It is authoritative and not any other source.
--The purpose of authoritative inspired Scripture: It is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
--It also completes the man of God, thoroughly furnishes him for all good works. No other book can do that; no missal, no Traditions, nothing!

2 Peter 1:19-21 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
--Verse 21 especially says how the Scripture came about: Holy men of God (not the RCC) spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. These holy men of God were the prophets of the OT (and by extension the apostles of the NT); the ones that wrote our Bible. The MSS that they wrote were inspired by God, God using them to pen the actual words that God wanted them to write. God also promised to preserve those words to this day. That promise was never given to any other writer or writings.

It is a Book of no private interpretation. This verse applies to the RCC who claims that it alone has the private interpretation. The interpretation descends down to the priest who interprets it for the people. The people dare not go against the private interpretation of the priest, which ultimately resides in the magesterium. That is what private interpretation means.

Yes, the Bible states that by very means that it is the inspired God-breathed Scripture, the Word of God, that it is the final authority in all matters of faith and doctrine that we have. There is no other authority.

We are to:
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
--Study, not Tradition, but the Bible.

 

I know some Baptist colleges and universities that teach the same thing.

My own Baptist college taught evolution in the biology class and creation in the OT class.

 

I didn't claim that. I wrote of my experience as a Catholic.

 

Your quite right. There is false teaching and apostacy not only in the Roman Catholic church, but also among Christian churches and colleges.

 

Ok, thanks for clearing that up.

The issue of genesis literalism is no more apostacy than arminianism to a calvinist. Then again, I've seen several calvinists on this site call arminians apostates, so I'm sure that mentality is out there.

 

Where is the proof that the Bible is the sole authority? Certainly not in II Timothy 3:16-17. It says it is 'profitable' but not the exclusive source.

It is all your 'private interpretations' that have resulted in the many, many protestant denominations all claiming their 'private interpretations' are Holy Spirit given.

 

1 Cor. 11:2 - Paul commends the faithful to obey apostolic tradition, and not the bible alone.