If the Early Christians didn't believe in Bilble Alone Theology, why do some Christians today do so?

Question

In reading from Acts 15:1-29, you don't see them turning to Scripture to resolve a dispute, they turn to the Apostles and Elders - in otherwords, those given the authority by Christ.

1: But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
2: And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.
6: The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.
7: And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
28: For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

Why is this?

Answer 1

true, turning to the Bible as the only source of authority leads to dispute and division (as their is in the 30,000 sects of Prostestantism). Therefore, the Bible needs a central authority to interpret scripture. Americans need the government to interpret the constitution, in the same way Catholics (Christians) need the leaders to the Church to interpret the Bible.

Answer 2

The early Church of God was not Bible only??? You need to study some more. Maybe your definition of "Bible" is too limited. The teaching of the Apostles and the rulings that they had to make were based entirely on scriptural grounds. There was some dissension due to various levels of understanding, but when it was all said and done, Paul says that the council in Jerusalem did not add or take away from what he was teaching the gentiles, except some rules that governed whether or not the jews and gentiles could share a meal together.

WHAT scriptures?

2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The "New" Testament had not been canonized, or parts of it even written yet when the council in Acts took place, the scriptures , the Holy Writings, mentioned in the New Testament are the entirety of the "Old" Testament.

Paul commends a group of people converted in part thru his teaching and in part by the Bible only:

Acts 17:10 ¶ And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

These people were converted by studying the HEBREW scriptures, the only ones in existence at the time. These scriptures backed up Paul's preaching, they verified what he was teaching.

How many preacher's messages are backed up by the scriptures today? ALL the scriptures, "new" and "old".

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Again, Paul is refering to the Hebrew scriptures.

Answer 3

Actually, as Christians, we are to follow after the Spirit. Make the soul choice to follow after faith, hope, love, joy, peace, patience, truth, etc. The Lord writes His laws of love on our fleshy hearts. So it doesn't matter so much whether we have the Holy Bible. Love God, love others & love our enemies too.

The New Covenant is between Jesus & those redeemed by His Blood. But the Bible is tried & found true. And also, when the Holy Spirit directs our path, the Holy Spirit never contradicts what is in the Holy Bible. We can test things by what is written.

It is true that many Christians learned something following after the Spirit & studying Gods Word. And they have written many good books. But to change the Good News Message or the Prophecies of the Messiah, or the future predictions in Revelation, is adding to or taking away from Gods Word.

Answer 4

The Apostles, and the elders appointed by their virtue and the Holy Spirit, were the people the early church turned to for guidance and direction because they were either with Christ or had knowledge of "The Way". Most of the instruction at that time was oral because few could read or write. The Gospels and Paul's epistles were written for the church at that time both as record and for instruction. As the Apostles died off and the church grew, these writtings and the Septuagint (OT) became the primary sources for instruction besides the leading of God's Spirit within each individual believer. This is also true of most Christians today, except for Catholics who believe the Church, it's doctrine, and traditions have the final authority... that scripture is not open to personal interpetation. There was no "Bible" until these writtings were canonized by agreement of the known churches at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The Catholic Bible was canonized in the 1500's at the Council of Trent in response to the Protestant Reformation and included several apocryphal books.

Answer 5

The Bible alone, faith alone crowd quite improperly and with no authority whatsoever substituted the scriptures for the God-given authority of the church, and then promptly fell into oblivion, proclaiming thousands of different creeds, spawning thousands of different sects, and creating many, many "little popes" ... all claiming guidance from the Holy Spirit, yet all teaching substantiallly in error.

The late day reformers simply made up their own new rules, along with their own new faith traditions, and called them Christian.

This would have impossible if they didn't first deny the enduring power and authority of the true Church, and then illegitimately attempt to transfer that authority to a very holy, but inherently limited book, that they could reinterpret, according to their own rules, at will.

This is very similar to what present day Muslims attempt to do when they deny the earlier existence of the Jewish Temple in Jersusalem, in spite of, and in the face of all the evidence which proves it was truly there.

It's all politics.

Answer 6

Because that is the only authority left for them to believed in when they left the One True Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church!!! They are blinded and refused to believe the truth out of pride as they have condamn the only authority in this world!!!

Answer 7

Because the new testament was not canonized at that point.