What do you base your beliefs (Christian or not) on?
2006-12-13 04:29:55 · 6 answers · asked by bbjones9 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Bible. It is the inspired Word of God.
2006-12-13 04:42:32 · answer #1 · answered by Char 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Holy Catholic Church
Catholics venerate the Scriptures as they venerate the Lord's body. But Catholics do not believe that God has given us His divine Revelation in Christ exclusively through Scripture. Catholics also believe that God's Revelation comes to us through the Apostolic Tradition and teaching authority of the Church.
What Church? Scripture reveals this Church to be the one Jesus Christ built upon the rock of Saint Peter (Matt. 16:18). By giving Peter the keys of authority (Matt. 16:19), Jesus appointed Peter as the chief steward over His earthly kingdom (cf. Isaiah. 22:19-22). Jesus also charged Peter to be the source of strength for the rest of the apostles (Luke 22:32) and the earthly shepherd of Jesus' flock (John 21:15-17). Jesus further gave Peter, and the apostles and elders in union with him, the power to bind and loose in heaven what they bound and loosed on earth. (Matt. 16:19; 18:18). This teaching authority did not die with Peter and the apostles, but was transferred to future bishops through the laying on of hands (e.g., Acts 1:20; 6:6; 13:3; 8:18; 9:17; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22; 2 Tim. 1:6).
By virtue of this divinely-appointed authority, the Catholic Church determined the canon of Scripture (what books belong in the Bible) at the end of the fourth century. We therefore believe in the Scriptures on the authority of the Catholic Church. After all, nothing in Scripture tells us what Scriptures are inspired, what books belong in the Bible, or that Scripture is the final authority on questions concerning the Christian faith. Instead, the Bible says that the Church, not the Scriptures, is the pinnacle and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15) and the final arbiter on questions of the Christian faith (Matt. 18:17). It is through the teaching authority and Apostolic Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6; 1 Cor. 11:2) of this Church, who is guided by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 16:13), that we know of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and the manifold wisdom of God. (cf. Ephesians 3:10).
Gen. to Rev. - Scripture never says that Scripture is the sole infallible authority for God's Word. Scripture also mandates the use of tradition. This fact alone disproves sola Scriptura.
Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15 - those that preached the Gospel to all creation but did not write the Gospel were not less obedient to Jesus, or their teachings less important.
Matt. 28:20 - "observe ALL I have commanded," but, as we see in John 20:30; 21:25, not ALL Jesus taught is in Scripture. So there must be things outside of Scripture that we must observe. This disproves "Bible alone" theology.
Mark 16:15 - Jesus commands the apostles to "preach," not write, and only three apostles wrote. The others who did not write were not less faithful to Jesus, because Jesus gave them no directive to write. There is no evidence in the Bible or elsewhere that Jesus intended the Bible to be sole authority of the Christian faith.
2006-12-13 04:42:55 · answer #2 · answered by Gods child 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sola Scriptora for the temporal realm.
Holy Spirit for the eternal-spiritual realm..
2006-12-13 04:39:31 · answer #3 · answered by Jay Z 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Final authority. The Bible. Cant go wrong there.
2006-12-13 04:39:40 · answer #4 · answered by yournotalone 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Bible (Gos's inspired word) Jesus said, "Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35).
2006-12-13 05:48:00 · answer #5 · answered by Freedom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Society, secular ethics, personal morals, Chuck Norris
2006-12-13 04:35:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋