A Simple Question for non-Catholic Christians?

Question

In this recent post:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071212132856AAKhUwx&r=w#AcV4JzbBKkLi9MMIw2EI
..one girl said: "The scriptures interpret themselves."

If this is true, then why is the non-Catholic christianity divided into hundreds of denominations which disagree on doctrine? If the scriptures "interpret themselves" , then shouldn't you guys be all teaching the exact same thing?

The answer is obvious: Sola Scriptura is a FALSE doctrine of men. I just want to see if any protestants are honest enough to admit it.

Answer 1

Good luck. I doubt you'll find any protestant's honest enough to admit it. If they did that...they'd have to change the way they believe...and most likely find themselves Catholic eventually.

Answer 2

When I am attempting to interpret scripture I will read/listen to the authorities and I acknowledge that there are many who are Roman Catholics. For instance I do not know any better interpreter of the Gospel of St John that Raymond Brown. But there are also many good interpreters who are not Roman Catholic. Many are priests in the Anglican Communion which is reformed Catholic so I am not sure whether the questioner would recognise them or not. Others are Lutheran.
In chapter 1 to 'Mary in the New Testament' which was the result of a collabrative study by 12 scholars representing the major churches in the US it is written that all those engaged in the task force enjoyed this form of collaborative study and learned immensely from it.
The Catholic Church has a strong central hierarchy made up of older men and it is slow to adapt. If it listened a bit more to the experiences of the priests on the ground in pastoral situations I think it might gain to the benefit of the kingdom of heaven.

Answer 3

The various Non-catholic denominations very in their interpretation od the Scriptures. But when it comes right down to it these differences are miniscule. This Sola Scriptura you speak of shouldn't be judged based on one answer from a Blog. In truth the answer to your comment is kind of the same as what kind of car do youdrive and why? If a true Christian believes that Christ is the Messiah and God incarnate, anything else is just trivial.

Answer 4

I was talking about something similar recently, and a good point was made -- Anything, including scripture, has to be filtered through our own fallible human minds. Even if scripture does "interpret itself", our minds are still the "middle man" between what God intended and what we actually practice.

But the way I look at it, having the Church interpret scripture presents the same problem. The men who interpret scripture and build Church tradition and dogma on top of them still have that same fallible, human mind. And even though God is powerful enough to make his will known, he has proven time and time again that he doesn't like to interfere in our free will.

Answer 5

The hundreds of denominations do not all disagree on basic doctrine (I have to except sects like Mormonism based on the next answer), and many try to have as few (human) rules as possible. This mirrors the first-century Christians, who all developed different philosophies. Catholicism merely solidified what was already going on with rigid interpretation. That church also further separated man from God by having human intercession (the only way to God is through a priest) and not allowing the Bible to used by common people.

Irish Catholicism developed much differently because of the distance from Rome and the lack of Roman Catholic interest in Irish affairs.

Answer 6

To St Frances and everyone else ... I am the girl that he was quoting I am the one that said the scriptures interpret themselves. If you read and study the Bible like we are instructed to line upon line precept upon precept here a little there a little you will find that the Bible explains itself. You do not need a priest or pastor or teacher to explain the meaning to you. The Bible is like a huge puzzle you have to find everything it says about one topic to get the whole picture it is an amazing book and there is none other like anywhere. If you study it with those guidelines you will find that it never contradicts itself.
Peace be with you all and God Bless

Answer 7

The problem of false doctrine is when man attempts to interpret the scriptures where they should be taken literally. The Bible is very easy to understand with proper study. Where it is written literally, it needs to be read literally. Where it is figurative it needs to be understood figuratively. There is nothing difficult to understand in the Bible with an open mind.

The Bible Was Written To Be Understood

* Deut. 30:11-14 the word is not out of reach.
* 31:9-13 to be read to men, women, children every seven years, an enduring process
* It was to all Israel: smart, dumb, conservatives, liberals
* those who didn't know it were expected to learn it Luke 1:1-4 Luke carefully investigated the life of Jesus that you might know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
* 2 Cor. 1:13 Paul wrote no other thing but what you can understand.
* Eph. 3:3-4 Paul wrote so that "you can understand when you read."
* 1 John 2:21 John said Christians can know the truth and can distinguish a lie.

Answer 8

I dont believe the Catholic Church ever had the authority to interpret the scriptures to begin with.

Scriptures dont interpret themselves. That doesnt even make sense. One scripture can be interpreted 5 diff ways. You must have the authority from God to be able to speak on behalf of Gods entire church. Only an apostle or a prophet really has that authority. That is why our church believes in prophets and apostles, still. Why would we no longer need them today when they were clearly needed in the past and really needed now.

Since most protestant churches claim zero authority from God in terms of divine revelation or priesthood lineage, I dont see how any of them can claim they have the ability to insist their scriptural interpretation is correct. At least when you claim divine authority, even if it isnt true, you have something to base your interpretations correctness on.

Answer 9

Bad news bone head...the idea that the scriptures interpret themselves doesn't mean it's not possible for morons similar to you to lead people astray in their translations...people can hold sway over other people if they are willing to follow...many more people than you could ever consider will be lead astray by false doctrines dictated by men...



Even in the time of Jesus, there were 2 different Jewish doctrines...as well as the fact that some dude called John the Baptist was going around baptizing people in rivers...

Answer 10

some Catholics are Christians. some Protestants are actually not Christians. The Protestant Reformation contained in the 1500s became the end results of people who believed the Roman Catholic Church had grow to be apostate. Rome disagreed with needed teachings of the hot testomony alongside with "Justification with the help of religion on my own in Christ on my own". Jesus instructed his Apostles that he might deliver the Holy Spirit to lead them contained in the writings that grew to grow to be the hot testomony. So the hot testomony is the be responsive to God. Rome places its traditions above the hot testomony. Many Catholics placed their have faith contained in the Church to take care of their salvation. some placed their have faith contained in the hot testomony as a exchange.

Answer 11

The Catholic Church, itself has changed some of it's teachings over the years. If it required the Pope to determine what was true and correct, why would it ever change. Most of the differences are caused by men interpreting the scriptures in light of what they already believe rather than in light of what God is saying. Scripture SHOULD be able to support itself without man's clarification. To say otherwise is to say that God needs man to translate His message. He doesn't need man; man needs Him.