This blog is an attempt to help clear up misconceptions about the Catholic Church, to explain why we and our families became Catholic, and to interact with Protestant and Bible-only ideas opposed to the Catholic Faith.
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.'" (Matthew 28)
“What is the Church?” and “What is faith?”: Two key questions with which, it seems, any thoughtful Christian must reckon. Such questions are at the heart of the Christian revelation, and, also, sadly, at the heart of much division between those who desire to follow Christ. In answer to the first question, I will base myself upon the "Great Commission" in the Gospel of Matthew, and try to begin to describe the nature of the Church by seeking to show that the Church, in some recognizable way, is infallible. In a later post I will then seek to show that faith, by its very nature, presupposes the Church’s infallibility, and the denial of the Church's supernatural commission, authority and, thus, infallibility results in the denial of possibility for true faith.
A Definition of Sola Scriptura (Bible alone): “The Word of God as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the only infallible rule of faith and practice” (C. Hodge, Systematic Theology vol. 1)
Based on this borrowed definition from the respected 19th century Presbyterian theologian, I will offer some theses on why the doctrine of Sola Scripture (Bible-only) cannot be true. I hope my statements will elicit reflection, discussion and debate.
In the hope of preempting any reader of this post from getting the notion that my statements against Sola Scriptura are directed towards the Bible, as such, I offer a summary of my positions with respect to Scripture. I am not intending to lessen the importance or dignity of Scripture. My intention is to help clarify the true role of Scripture, as God intended it. God, being reason and truth itself, would not establish an unreasonable economy of salvation. Thus any doctrine that claims to be from God must be reasonable and practicable. If a doctrine fails on either or both these accounts the doctrine cannot be from God. I leave it to my readers' intelligence to infer the other possible sources of unreasonable doctrines.
The Catholic Church teaches, and I believe, that Scripture is God's written Word. This means Scripture is inspired and inerrant as a whole and in all its parts. Thus the 73 books of the Bible make up the canon of Scripture and contain only what God intended. Whatever is asserted by Scripture is true in virtue of its divine inspiration and thus must be believed and/or obeyed as the Word of God.
Some Theses against Sola Scriptura:
Thesis I: The principle of Sola Scriptura (SS) is nowhere clearly taught in Scripture.
Thesis II: SS is in contradiction to the model of the early Church as begun with Jesus and His disciples. Moreover, Scripture nowhere indicates a transition from a living authority to a written.
Thesis III: SS cannot be the only rule because it cannot resolve doctrinal and pastoral disputes.
Thesis IV: SS cannot explain either the canon or inspiration (and thus) the divine authority of the Bible.
Thesis V: SS cannot consistently function as a rule for orthodoxy--e.g., the debate over essential versus non-essential matters. Another example: logically, one who reasons according to SS cannot exclude Roman Catholicism from orthodox Christianity. If one tries to exclude Roman Catholicism, he must, logically also exclude all other individuals and groups with whom he disagrees over matters that pertain to what God commands or reveals in Scripture.
If any or all of the above theses are true, SS is called into question, if not rendered untenable. The fact that each of the above theses are debatable by reasonable people, who are basing themselves on, generally speaking, "Christian" teachings and sources, also casts doubt on SS. If SS is a (possibly the) foundational principle upon which Christianity rests--as we come to know and understand it today--wouldn't God have made it a little clearer?
