Sola Scriptura
Logic
and the Foundations of Protestantism
Fr. Brian W. Harrison
From
the Editor
Marcus Grodi
Your
Are That Man
Mark Connell
"What
is Truth?" An Examination of Sola Scriptura
Dwight Longenecker
The
Practical Problems of Sola Scriptura
James Akin
The
Perspicuity ("Clearness") of Scripture
David Armstrong
"Pastor,
Can I Ask You Something?"
Marcus C.
Grodi
Oral
Tradition in the New Testament
David Palm
When
Evangelicals Treat Catholic Tradition Like Revelation
Mark P.
Shea
What
Do Catholics Believe About Scripture?
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
Did
the Church Fathers Believe in Sola Scriptura?
Joseph Gallegos
Before
You Object - Sola Scriptura: A Stony Path
Marcus C.
Grodi
Other Journals
Welcome
to the Fifth Edition
of the Coming Home Journal
Marcus C. Grodi
Once upon a time, there was this Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians. He was in charge of all of her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship, and the apostle Philip had been led by an angel to go and meet him. As the Ethiopian official was on his way back, Philip found him riding his chariot and eading the prophet Isaiah.
Now I’m of course not making this story up. It’s found in Acts 8.25-40. Few details are given about the background of this African eunuch: what he specifically believed and why he had been drawn to travel all the way up to Jerusalem to worship. But apparently while he was there, he must have stopped by a local Hebrew scroll-store and purchased a copy of the book of Isaiah. This of course had to be a hand copied scroll—for the printing press was still nearly 1400 years away—and therefore it would have been quite rare and expensive. (It is very important to realize that in those days not just everyone had copies of the Old Testament Scriptures laying around on their coffee tables. This was a phenomenon that did not evolve for many, many centuries.)
When Phillip encountered the official, the angel led him to ask if the African understood what he was reading. The eunuch’s response indicates that his problem was not from a lack of being able to read the language, which would either have been Hebrew or Greek (if it were the Septuagint version). No, the problem was one of interpretation, for he responded, "Well, how could I [understand], unless someone guides me?"
For anyone who claims that the Bible alone is sufficient, this account must stand as a main stumbling block—if it doesn’t, then I can’t help but believe that they are merely not listening to what the Bible here is so clearly teaching.
The apparently highly educated Ethiopian official was reading one of the clearest prophecies from Isaiah about the Suffering Servant-Messiah:
"He was led as a sheep to slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He does not open His mouth.
In humiliation His judgement was taken away;
Who shall relate His generation?
For His life is removed from the earth."
The Ethiopian then asked Philip, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?"
Now let’s pull ourselves away from the Ethiopian’s specific question and Philip’s response, and recognize the significance of what is happening: the written biblical prophecy was not sufficient to lead this man to Christ, or to faith and therefore salvation. A human witness and interpreter was needed.
Some might shoot back that Philip’s answer as well as those given by Paul, Peter, James, John, Matthew, Luke, etc. became the New Testament which thereby explained the meaning of this and other Old Testament prophesies for any who would ever need an answer. But if this is true, why then are there still thousands upon thousands of sermons being preached and bible studies being led all over the world, if further explanation isn’t necessary?
Because just as this highly motivated Ethiopian eunuch recognized, one cannot understand the eternal significance of the Scriptures unless "someone guides." But we have been given the Holy Spirit to provide this guidance?! Then why so much confusion, contradiction and conflict amongst Christians?
No, just as the apostle Philip so specifically represents, Jesus sent forth his hand-chosen and anointed apostolic band to "make disciples and …teach" the whole world about who he was and about salvation.
This edition of the Coming Home Journal addresses the issue at question here: whether the Bible alone is truly sufficient for all matters of faith. This is a dogma most Protestants believe, or at least upon which they have based most of their doctrinal apologetics, ever since Martin Luther made the following bold statement at the Diet of Worms:
"Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen."
An entire article could be written to address the important obvious as well as hidden implications of this statement (and with hindsight I wish one had been prepared for this issue), but suffice it to say that out of this bold stand (in which Luther was actually holding stubbornly to his own private interpretations of a select list of verses) has evolved the modern view that "All I need is the Bible to know all I need about Jesus and salvation." The articles in this edition of the CHJournal each in its own way addresses how naive if not downright ridiculous this notion is. On the surface it may sound very gallant and faithful—as if one is rightly raising and praising the divinely inspired Word of God—but in reality the person holding to sola scripture too often is giving primary approval to the other two foundations upon which Luther took his stand: "clear reason" and "conscience," the result of which, when unguided by the divinely established and guided authority of the Church have led to all kinds of aberrations, such as the rights to abortion and euthanasia as well as a long list of contemporary lifestyles.
As we’ve said form the beginning of our work, the goals of the Coming Home Network International and the CHJournal are not to proselytize, but rather to explain in clear terms the truth about and the truths of the Catholic Church. Most of our authors for the CHJournal are converts to the Catholic Church, some having been ordained clergymen of many different denominations, including the Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian.
It is our prayer that these articles and stories are an encouragement to your faith. If you have any questions or comments, please either contact us or the person who gave you this journal. We want to do whatever we can to help those outside the Catholic Church, those who have left the Church, or those who are lifelong Catholics but have lost the "joy of their salvation," to discover the great joys and truth of the Catholic Faith.
May the Father richly bless you as you seek to follow Jesus His Son through the loving guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Sincerely In Christ,
Marcus C. Grodi
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