Sola Scriptura Does Not Suffice

Introduction Sola Scriptura is a Protestant doctrine developed in the midst of the Protestant Reformation which was fueled by the martyrdom of men and women who died for their faith in the word of God alone and were never a part of the Catholic church. While this doctrine was not new, it was established to clarify the Protestant position as opposed to that of Catholicism. The five "solas" of the protestant reformation were never to be taken as statements of faith per say or even a summary of the Protestant faith, but rather, they were put worth and defended against perceived Catholic heresy. However, the doctrine that God's written word is the sole arbiter of truth and the final authority of all matters of faith and practice is certainly supported by the scriptures themselves as long as it is taken to account that the Holy Spirit who first inspired these words is also the one who illuminates the understanding of men and opens their eyes to the truths of His word. The word of God is spiritual and is not limited to the text itself, that is to say, a man may read the text in its proper grammatical context and structure and yet remain closed to understanding it's truths as the Holy Spirit has not revealed to them its true meaning. Lest my opponent argue that I am really claiming that only the Holy Spirit is the source of truth, consider that any truth coming from God is in fact God's word, thus it must be in agreement with the Bible. Anyone can claim God has spoken to them, but the measure of all claims of divine revelation is the word of God itself. Essentially, the Holy Spirit simply provides the key to unlocking the meaning of God's written word. With all this said, allow me to address Pro's claimed implications of Sola Scriptura. Implications of Sola Scriptura 1. I have no problem with the first implication as stated. 2. While I agree that the Bible alone is the sole source of authority, I do not agree that Sola Scriptura necessarily means that you ought to learn God's truths without the aid of fellow believers. The Bible may be sufficient as the source of God's truths, but without prayer, humility and the working of the Holy Spirit to open one's understanding, the Bible will remain a closed book. 3. I have no problem with the third implication as stated. 4. I would have to disagree that the essentials are clear while the rest of God's truths may not be. All of God's truths are clear when access is granted to understanding them, thus none of God's truths may be clear if the Bible remains a closed book. Every word, verse, phrase, chapter, and book in the Bible may be misconstrued or wrongly interpreted by a person who simply picks up the Bible and reads. For example, anyone can read John 3:16 and conclude in their mind that since God loves the world, He would never condemn someone to hell. This of course is not only refuted by other scriptures but to understand what the verse truly means, one must have the Holy Spirit open their understanding. 5. While I agree with the concept of scripture interpreting scripture in principle, it should be understood that the prerequisite for utilizing this method of interpretation is having one's understanding opened by the Holy Spirit. Rebuttal of Pro's Arguments A. None of Pro's quoted scripture references provide evidence that a teaching authority was established to provide further revelation than what is given in scripture. Teachers, disciples, and apostles were all established to guide and aid men to the truth which is ultimately provided by the word of God through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. B. The Bible is the final authority for all matters of faith and practice because it in fact addresses all such matters. To argue that it is not the authority of those things which are not contained in it is not an argument against its veracity. Pro must argue for a verifiable source of revelation outside of scripture which is not itself addressed by scripture in order for his argument to stand. What further revelation exists apart from the Bible, and by what authority does one verify it? C. As I previously stated, the Bible remains a closed book to those without their understanding opened by the Holy Spirit. Of course even Christians can misinterpret the Bible if they are reading it without having God's truths revealed to them by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is clear as far as one has the proper access to its truths. D. Again, without the Holy Spirit's revelation, men cannot understand God's word no matter how many good teachers they may have. Holy unity is shared amongst men who have received their understanding of God's word from the Holy Spirit, not from other men. Unity which is brought about solely on the basis of a teaching authority of men without ultimate regard for the revelation of the Holy Spirit is liable to be a unification in error. It is better to be separate for the sake of God's revealed truths than to be united in error. My Evidence for Sola Scriptura The Bible states on many occasions that the word of God is truth (John 17:17). It also states that all scripture has been given by the direction of the Spirit of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21). Scripture establishes itself as authoritative and as a measure of all truth (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 14:49, John 10:35, Acts 1:16, Acts 17:2, Acts 17:11, 1 Corinthians 4:6, 2 Timothy 3:15). The Holy Spirit gives men the ability to understand the final authority (i.e. the Bible) through revelation (Job 32:8). However, the Holy Spirit is does not add to or negate that which is written in scripture (John 16:13). 2 Timothy 3:15-17 reveals that assurance of the truth comes from scripture alone, knowledge required for salvation comes from scripture alone, even a child can understand the salvation of God taught in scripture, and scripture is sufficient to enable a man to be complete and fully equipped for all good works. What else could possibly be added by novel teachings of men? Clearly any teaching authority must be in agreement with scripture, must not add to nor take away from it, and must thereby be checked by it and thus cannot possibly provide any further insight than that which is readily available through scripture itself to anyone who has proper access. I will gladly explain and defend any of my claims in the next round. I look forward to addressing my opponents rebuttals. Thank you for your time and interest in this important topic.