All scriptures are given for our benefit. If not to be used to help discern the truth, then why, so that someone else can interpret them for us, but don't read them. Sorry. I have tried to study them all my life. This in and of itself does not guarantee I undertand them because they are not mine to interpret as I please or an ecumenical council either. They are interpreted for those who seek the truth with full purpose of heart. Not to prove or disprove. If we cannot seek Him admitting our dependence on Him then we cannot know the truth by the Holy Ghost. Study the scriptures individually is more important than collectively because when I am with a group of people or being instructed by someone in a large group, that is not the time for sinceren heart-felt prayer. It is so simple, but this is exactly why so many don't do it. "Its got to be harder than that" No it doesn't. The Lord saves the small and foolish things of the earth. Men and women who admit they don't know what to do. They study the scriptures and seek Him in personal prayer. God answers personal heartfelt prayer. When desperation to know the truth overcomes pride and every other consideration, then in God's time comes the answer. Not through creeds, traditions, or any other man-made device or reasoning. Why is it so hard for people to pray? Perhaps they don't believe, with no faith Jesus could do little for nazareth. If you take Him to your heart and strive like your life depended on it. He will come. He will tell you what to do. He will tell you which of all the churhes is His church, teaching His doctrine.

-- Frank Godfrey (fgodfrey@macu.org), October 06, 2003

Answers

This is heresy, and it is being done every day in the Church, in the name of ecumanism.

INTERFAITH UNIONS CONDEMNED

To know whom to avoid is a great means of saving our souls. [...] Thus, the Church forbids the faithful to communicate with those unbelievers who have forsaken the faith by corrupting it, such as heretics, or by renouncing it, such as apostates. St. Thomas Aquinas

Thou shalt not sow thy vinyard with different seeds, lest both the seed that thou hast sown and the fruit of the vinyard be sanctified together. Deuteronomy 22:9

And the good seed are the children of the kingdom; and the cockle are the children of the wicked one. St. Matthew 13:38

If you eat the words of God in the Church, and also eat them in the synagogue of the Jews, you transgress the commandment which says: "In one House shall it be eaten" (Exodus 12:46). Origen

-- Horst (cfert@msn.com), October 07, 2003.

Frank,

May I comment please? This line you wrote, Study the scriptures individually is more important than collectively because when I am with a group of people or being instructed by someone in a large group, that is not the time for sincere heart-felt prayer.

That line betrays the essence and end of Sola Scriptura, of which you preach in your original question. Sola Scriptura is heresy. It is not even scriptural. Scripture does not teach "Scripture Alone", that is without Christ's church to guide one also. And the line above shows the most damning part of Sola Scriptura, which is that scripture interpretations are a matter of personal judgment. Each person's individual interpretation is all that matters. And to the extent that this view is practiced is the extent to which you will have as many un-united churches as there are persons. Each person a pope. Today, we find some unity in the Protestant churches to the extent that they do not practice what they preach, namely Sola Scriptura. See here how it is not scriptural...

2 Peter 1:20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation

Then you say, then in God's time comes the answer. Not through creeds, traditions, or any other man-made device or reasoning.

But this clearly contradicts scripture here...

2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.

If we are to hold to traditions we hear by mouth than we are not keeping with scripture alone. And Paul commands we do just this.

If it were to be scripture alone than Paul, in his final letter to Timothy, shortly before Paul's death, would have told Timothy to gather up all the scripture he could find. He would have said, make copies of my letter to the Romans and to the Corinthians, because when I am gone it is scripture alone, he would have said that. But in fact Paul never says anything close to this.

-- Mike H. (beginasyouare@hotmail.com), October 07, 2003.

What a protestant learns first, at his mother's knee, is ''Read your Bible.'' It sounds fine. Many good souls truly can't imagine a day in their lives without the Bible.

I think it's a result of the American pioneer ethic of our country; once widespread. When there was nothing except possibly a ''circuit preacher'' or two for a thousand miles, and people crossed the wilderness in covered wagons. They read the Bible; it's as close as they came to CHURCH, or to spirituality in their lifetimes.

It corrupted their understanding, however, of God's plan for our salvation. Since they had a bible they never missed the Church. Since they had a bible, they had no use for priests or sacraments. Thus, they had no use for God's plan of salvation. They thought they saw another plan: Read the Bible.

No Church, no ordination, no plan at all, except Bible study. Bibliolatry. And unfortunately, they passed it on to their children. A vicious circle of spiritual ignorance with no cause to obey, no cause to learn, no reason to change.

It resulted in mass confusion and arrogance. A multitude of sects and persuasions, all opposed to the Church Christ gave us. I've had a relatively refined, intelligent, honorable man scoff at me when I said I have the Church to teach me. His words were the epitome of American arrogance and secular ignorance.

''I have a brain of my own; I don't need no pope to do my thinking for me.'' That's one of the sad results of having been raised in bibliolatry by well-meaning parents. May God bring them grace to see their invincible ignorance and their pride in time to convert. Amen.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), October 07, 2003.