"In Catholic Answers’ seminars we try to emphasize the point that you should always demand that a missionary who comes to your door first establish his authority for what he is going to tell you, and only then proceed to discuss the particular issues he has in mind.
By 'authority,' we don’t mean his personal or academic credentials. We mean his authority to claim he can rightly interpret the Bible."
The Catholic Encyclopedia at http://www.newadvent.org/ puts it this way in their treatment of the topic, Apostles:
"The authority of the Apostles proceeds from the office imposed upon them by Our Lord...In the modern theological terms the Apostle, besides the power of order, has a general power of jurisdiction and magisterium (teaching)...The latter includes the power of setting forth with authority Christ's doctrine...Since the authority with which the Lord endowed the Apostles was given them for the entire Church it is natural that this authority should endure after their death, in other words, pass to successors established by the Apostles."
Thus, Catholics believe that while the Bible is divine in origin, and therefore authoritative, nevertheless the layperson hasn't the authority necessary to claim he can correctly interpret it. Only the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church has this authority, it having been passed down through apostolic succession. Though some may not come out and acknowledge it, what this means is that ultimately the authority of the Church--the Roman Catholic Church--is above the authority of Scripture itself when it comes to the indvidual believer.
ROUND AND ROUND SHE GOES
Consequently, a meaningful discussion with a Catholic over the meaning of Scripture and proper doctrine could prove quite difficult. It really doesn't matter how well the non-Catholic can demonstrate that Catholic doctrine doesn't line up wh the Bible; the Catholic may simply respond, "By what authority do you claim your interpretation is correct?" The words, "The Roman Catholic Church is wrong" could appear in the Bible, and the Catholic would still say, "By what authority do you claim your interpretation is correct?"
In fact, one cannot even expect to have any success in demonstrating that the Catholic notion of authority is unbiblical. Consider the approach recommended by Catholic Answers in the article linked to above: "So before you turn to the verses he brings up, and thus to the topic he brings up, demand that he demonstrate a few things. First, ask him to prove from the Bible that the Bible is the only rule of faith." In a hypothetical conversation between an Evangelical Christian and a Catholic, the article depicts the Catholic saying, "I don’t believe the Bible claims to be the sole rule of faith. I mean the doctrine of sola scriptura is itself unbiblical. Please show me where the Bible claims such a status for itself."
What would the point be? Assume, for a moment, that the Evangelical could point to some passage in Scripture that said, "The Bible is the sole rule of faith." All the Catholic would need to do would respond, "By what authority do you claim your interpretation is correct?" And round and round she goes.
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD
As a result, having little experience witnessing to Catholics, and having spent little time studying the topic of Catholic evangelism, I must confess I feel a bit hopeless. I know because of the Bible's perspicuity--that's a big word, I know; it simply means "clearness or lucidity"--that Catholic doctrine clearly veers from biblical truth in numerous ways. However, demonstrating this effectively seems a near impossible task.
Still, as Jesus said in Mark 10:27, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." I may not be able to change the hearts of Catholic by my own power, but if my understanding of Scripture is correct, then if it's God's will to change their hearts through me, then He will. So, this series, "Reasoning with Rome," is as much for me as it is for you, my readers. I hope that through this journey we will become more competent evangelists to Catholics, and at the same time build greater confidence in our faith.
THE NOBLE BEREANS
Before I end the introduction to this series, I would like to point to one passage that, though not definitive proof that the Bible is to be the ultimate rule of faith for the individual believer, nonetheless should serve to bolster our faith and approach to Scripture. In the book of Acts we're given this account of Paul's and Silas' evangelistic efforts:
"The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men." (Acts 17:10-12)
Notice here what is not said. If, as the Catholics claim, the Apostles had ultimate, unquestionable authority to interpret the Scriptures, it seems this would have gone a bit differently. Paul and Silas could have said, "We were given divine authority by Jesus, and He revealed to us the truth of His gospel in the Scriptures." In response, it might've been said of the Bereans that "these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, recognizing the authority of Jesus' apostles."
But that's not what we read. Instead, in addition to their great eagerness to receive the message of the apostles, the Bereans are said to have been more noble-minded than the Thessalonians because they were "examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." Note that neither the author, Luke, nor Paul and Silas give any indication that the Bereans were illegitimately interpreting the Bible on their own, ignoring the authority of the apostles. There's no sense of anything like that at all.
Again, this is not definitive proof refuting the Catholic doctrine of authority. However, we as non-Catholic Christians can take solace in the fact that we are noble like the Bereans because we test what we're told, by Catholics or by anybody else, in light of Scripture. As we examine Catholic doctrine together, beginning with their claim to authority, let us do so with eagerness, open to the possibility that we are in error; after all, we're to "worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). But we must do so while "examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."
CHRIS SAID....... What would the point be? Assume, for a moment, that the Evangelical could point to some passage in Scripture that said, "The Bible is the sole rule of faith." All the Catholic would need to do would be to respond, "By what authority do you claim your interpretation is correct?" And round and round she goes.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of argument is that? IF there was a passage that said "it is the sole rule of faith" no Catholic or anyone else for that matter would be able to refute it!
Obviously, Sola Scriptura IS unbiblical as no where in the Bible is it taught.
The Bible only exists as a part of Holy Tradition. Whom do you suppose made the copies of the original penned Scriptures and also preserved those copies, and copies of copies? The Church did. You cannot know what Scripture even is, without the early church declaring it so. Did the Holy Spirit guide the early Fathers to determine the correct Canon, but not guide them as how to interpret it? They knew John wrote John but did not know how to interpret correctly what he wrote? That is illogical.
The sola scriptura argument presupposes the Canon as it begs the question on authority. Sola scriptura is therefore illogical and therefore a circular argument. The Bible clearly states, "the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth"(1
Tim 3:15)
Not only is it illogical, but it is not historic and is also refuted by such verses as: 1 Cor 11:2; 2 Thess 2:15; 2 Tim 1:13-14; 2:2
The idea of "Scripture Alone" could not have functioned as the sole rule of faith for a Christian populace that was almost entirely illiterate in the early centuries not to mention the fact that Bibles were highly inaccessible before the invention of the printing press in 1450.