My "Ideas of the Reformation" Presentation

Over the weekend I gave another presentation at a parish in Peru, IN – a sort of follow up to one in Wabash.  This one focuses on the ideas under discussion between the Protestant leaders and the Catholic bishops. 

• Sola Scriptura
• Grace and Free Will
• Sola Fide

The Bible and "God's Word"

A student recently sent me a fascinating video of a debate between an Evangelical pastor and a Mormon.  One thing which struck me was the way the pastor referred to the Bible as "God's Word ".  

For Evangelicals, the term "God's Word " is synonymous with "the Bible ".  But that terminology can sound odd for someone who has always been immersed in Catholic culture.  We just don't talk like that.

It is a weird quirk of how Catholic and Evangelical language has evolved separately, but reflects deeply held assumptions.  So today I want to explore this phenomenon and ask:

"What does the Bible say "God's Word" is?"   

How Does a Catholic Read: 1Corinthians 4:6

A while ago I had the idea to canvas some of my non-Catholic friends and ask, "What verses of the New Testament do you think Catholics simply don't get? You look at it and think, 'Are Catholics unaware of this verse? What do they do with this?'"

Today I wanted to cover one last verse which relates to Sola Scriptura.  That passage is 1Corinthians 4:6.  Just as before, we're going to examine the passage, apply it to the Sola Scriptura controversy... and answer the question:

"What the heck does a Catholic do with 1Corinthians 4:6?"

The Chaos Argument Againt Sola-Scriptura

This year I have returned to several times is the issue of "Sola Scriptura".  It is one big diving lines between Catholics and non-Catholics. 

In short, Sola Scriptura is the belief that all Christian doctrine must derive itself from the pages of the Bible.  It also rejects the idea of a central authoritative body which authoritatively bind all Christians to a particular interpretation of the inspired text.

Today I want to look at another argument against Sola Scriptura.  This could be called:

       “The Argument from the Irresolvibility of Doctrinal Disagreements”.

Or perhaps more succinctly – "The Chaos Argument".

How Does a Catholic Read: Revelation 22:18-19

Recently I had the idea to canvas some of my non-Catholic Christian friends and ask, "What verses of the New Testament do you think Catholics simply don't get?"  One suggestion was Revelation 22:18-19 - a text which is often used to support the doctrine of "Sola Scriptura".

[For background on Sola Scriptura and why it matters, you'll find that discussion -here-]

So today we're going to examine the passage, apply it to the Sola Scriptura controversy... and answer the question:

"What the heck does a Catholic do with Revelation 22:18-19?"

Sola Scriptura and the Canon Conundrum

One theme I have returned to several times on this blog is the issue the question of how one comes to know the true content of the Christian faith.  This question forms one of the few – or perhaps the only – bright dividing lines between Catholics and "Protestants".

The “Protestant” position is commonly known as Sola Scriptura, which means “Scriptura Alone”.   While people differ on the details, Sola Scriptura usually entails the following:

“The Bible is the only infallible and authoritative source of Christian doctrine.  It is sufficient on its own to deliver all the truths of the Christian religion.  Conversely, there can be no binding Christian doctrine which is not taught by Scripture." 

A Catholic would disagree with that.  Instead, he would say:

"It is true that the Bible is the inspired word of God.  However, the Christian faith contains things which are not explicitly taught in the text of the Bible.  Likewise, it is necessary to have an official interpreter and teacher of the faith which is authorized by God pass on and preserve the Christian religion.”  

Today I want to take a look at one of the simplest and most powerful arguments against Sola Scriptura.  It is an argument which uses the Bible itself to show the impossibility and incoherence of “Bible Alone”.

I call it “The Canon Conundrum”.

How Does a Catholic Read: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Recently I had the idea to canvas some of my non-Catholic Christian friends and ask, "What verses of the New Testament do you think Catholics simply don't get?  You look at it and think, 'Are Catholics unaware of this verse?  What do they do with this?'"

The first passage which was suggested to me was 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – a text which is often used to support the doctrine of "Sola Scriptura".  So today we're going to examine the passage, apply it to the Sola Scriptura controversy... and answer the question:

"What the heck does a Catholic do with 2 Timothy 3:16-17?"