where did the Bible-fundamentalists get the idea that Martin Luther is right when he said Sola Scriptura...?

Question

and Sola Fide are enough to enter heaven?

it cannot be found even in their Bible that they claim they religiously obey.

it's not there at all. give me the verse if it's there.

hey, why do you resort to attacking Catholicism? did I say I'm a Catholic? you guys always feel the need to attack the Catholic Church when your beliefs are being questioned.

Answer 1

The fundies agree with Luther in issues that suit their agenda and disagree with him in issues that do not. It is sort of like cherry-picking the Bible...the fundies also cherry-pick the writings of Protestant leaders and theologians.

Answer 2

Sola Fide - Catholicism, in those days, told people that doing good works was the way to Heaven. Luther argued that only the grace of God got people to Heaven. He believed that faith alone was enough. In other words, you couldn't buy your way into Heaven.

Sola Scriptura - It used to be that the Bible was locked away and held by the church. They did not believe that people should have access to it. They said that only clergy were to deliver the word of God to the people. They stated that only those in an authority position could receive the gift from God to preach the word of God. Luther however, thought that was rubbish. He believed that the word itself was sufficient in delivering the message to anyone who read it. In this way, the Bible could be received free of tradition and institutionalization that the church created.

You are right that it is not in the Bible, but neither are a great number of things that Catholicism was preaching... and that was the point that Luther was making.

Edit:
Tango, who's attacking Catholicism? I don't see that anywhere. If you think I am, I can assure you I am not. I am merely sharing with you what I learned about Luther when I studied Theology at a Catholic University. And, I am an Atheist. I have no reason to take sides in this debate. :)

I thought people might apprecitiate an objective perspective. Judging by all the thumbs down, I can see that people don't care about the facts. They just want people to agree with them.

Answer 3

za,

It is no where in the Bible. In fact, St. Paul taught against sola scriptura in His pastoral letters. This is the Protestant heresy responsible for so many schisms.

Protestants claim that Scripture is the “supreme” rule of faith; it may surprise them that I do not disagree with that statement. What I do disagree with most strongly is when one says that it is the sole rule of faith as most modernist “Sola Scriptura” advocates claim. Note, I said modernist, as Martin Luther did not share the same view as many claiming “Sola Scriptura” do today, in regards to the Scriptural understanding. Luther believed that Biblical understanding is a partnership between the scholar and the lay person and that it was to be taught in community instead of each person believing themselves to be a theologian. Here is what Fr. Martin Luther said:

"This one will not hear of Baptism, and that one denies the sacrament, another puts a world between this and the last day: some teach that Christ is not God, some say this, some say that: there are as many sects and creeds as there are heads. No yokel is so rude but when he has dreams and fancies, he thinks himself inspired by the Holy Ghost and must be a prophet" De Wette III, 61. quoted in O'Hare, THE FACTS ABOUT LUTHER, 208.

"Noblemen, townsmen, peasants, all classes understand the Evangelium better than I or St. Paul; they are now wise and think themselves more learned than all the ministers." Walch XIV, 1360. quoted in O'Hare, Ibid, 209.

"We concede -- as we must -- that so much of what they [the Catholic Church] say is true: that the papacy has God's word and the office of the apostles, and that we have received Holy Scriptures, Baptism, the Sacrament, and the pulpit from them. What would we know of these if it were not for them?" Sermon on the gospel of St. John, chaps. 14 - 16 (1537), in vol. 24 of LUTHER'S WORKS, St. Louis, Mo.: Concordia, 1961, 304

By the time Fr. Martin Luther made these quotes Ulrich Zwingli had already “thrown the baby out with the bathwater” by denying the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, essentially forbidding Christ from protestant worship. There were already schisms and vile disagreements over the most basic of Christian beliefs and the identity of Christianity was changing by these reformers on the whims of eisegesical whimsy and exegetical error. The fact is that Luther’s lamentations were prophetic, realizing that the Church had maintained Sacred Tradition and that his movement was sliding down a slippery slope of apostasy in exponentially increasing proportions.

The truth is, as Vatican II states that sacred Tradition and Sacred Scriptures flow from the same wellspring, which is Christ, they are unified and culminate to the same end. If one wishes to follow biblical teaching about the “rule of faith”, it is Scripture and apostolic tradition as interpreted by the living teaching authority of the Church from which comes the oral teaching of Jesus and the apostles and the authority of interpretation given to the Church.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 4

They are not enough to enter Heaven.
The only source for all trustworthy faith, belief, and practice comes from the Bible. No one can add to the words or take away from them without being called a liar.
Reading the scriptures makes one wise to salvation.
By grace are we saved through faith, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the words of God.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Answer 5

Sorry, but it is in the Bible. Try Galatians for a start. Or the letter of James. See for instance (as part of a longer argument) James 2 v 23. Abraham was justified by his faith. That is all we need, thank God.

Of course if it's a question of throwing verses around, then count me out. The Catholics have plenty (! - see below) of ammunition. So do the protestants. If you are so concerned, why not research the matter yourself, but don't expect it to be quick. Months, if not years. I suspect most of those here won't be bothered, and move on to something else.

I'm not attacking Catholicism. As a catholic (presumably?) you asked a provocative question, asking why people think your belief is wrong. I attempted to answer that question, possibly not very well, but I am (obviously) a protestant, and therefore a heretic to catholics, so I disagree with you, although I respect you.

'If you don't like heat, keep out of the kitchen.'

And ...

Dear Father Joseph,

Scripture, reason and tradition. I agree. The issue, from where I am at least, is one of balance. In my opinion Scripture is 'reliable' and 'authentic', and never significantly wrong. I think it is dangerous to base a doctrine on a single verse (the phrase 'all scripture is inspired ...' from 2 Timothy is seriously misused, in my view, and those who argue from it to an inerrant Bible go too far by a long way) but I do believe scripture is reliable when an idea is developed at length, and in different places, such as St Paul's summary of the gospel at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 15. (I expect you to agree with me on that one!)

For that reason I believe (and this will come as no surprise to you) that the book of Hebrews, for instance, is not consistent with the Catholic idea of priesthood. You argue that your tradition takes the opposite line - fair enough. That's why I say it's a question of balance. I lean more heavily towards scripture, you towards tradition. [Those who lean towards reason are liberals, of course.] The logical extension of my thinking is to say that 'scripture alone' is the ultimate authority, although tempered by reason : for instance I regard the exhortation for women to cover their head as a cultural rather than a spiritual matter.

It has often been said that Catholics have an inerrant Pope, and the Protestants asn inerrant Bible. I don't believe either!

What I hope we can agree on (and the things which unite us are, in my view, far more than those which divide) is the supreme duty to love God and our neighbour. Simple, yet so hard. I also look to people like Basil Hume and admire and respect his transparent spirituality, honesty, integrity and commitment to his Lord.

Answer 6

There is a good article about it in Wikipedia. Will give you biblical scriptures used to support both sides.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sola_fide

Answer 7

of course they would attack the Church! that's the foundation of their beliefs. attack the Church, what else?

Answer 8

You have a better idea?

Answer 9

Out of ignorance!