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Sola Scriptura is the doctrine which states
that the Bible is the only authority about what Jesus said and taught.
This is taught in the Protestant churches who reject the authority of the
Catholic Magesterium. To contrast, the Catholic church teaches that
the Bible AND the Magesterium are the authorities of what Jesus taught.
Why the doctrine of Sola Scriptura doesn't
work.
- You cannot prove the authority of a
book by using that book. Therefore, the only proof that the Bible is the
Word of God is that the Catholic church proclaimed it thusly when it
gathered together the books of the New Testament.
- When Jesus started the church (see
Matt 16:16) He designated a definite "leader", Peter. For the
first 3 centuries, the church was taught through the Apostles and those
ordained by Apostles. In the 4th century, the Catholic church held
a conference and there, they selected the books to be included in the
New Testament. Therefore, it's not that the church is based on the Bible
but the Bible is based on the Catholic church.
- Protestants by accepting the books of
the New Testament, are acknowledging that when the Catholic church
decided which books should be included in the New Testament, they were
led of the Holy Spirit. So even if they teach that the Bible alone is
the authority of what Jesus said, they by accepting the Bible, are ALSO
accepting the authority of the Catholic church.
- In the end of the gospel of John, it
says "Many things that Jesus said and did, which are not written down
here for if they were, they would fill all the books of the world".
Since Jesus is ALL God (as well as ALL man) was anything He did or said,
unimportant? If not, where are all these things He did and said
which were not written down? Those things are in the Magesterium
of the Catholic church. All these things Jesus did and said which
are NOT in the Bible are what Catholics call "Apostolic Tradition".
Early
Church Fathers on Apostolic Tradition |
