Bible Question:
Emmaus You present an interesting understanding of 1 John 5:16-17 one which is not understood outside of Catholicism. I wonder how long it was accepted as such within the church ? Which then leads me to my next thought. Since the original church evolved into the Catholic church was this an understanding invented by the church or pass to it by the apostle’s teaching? If it was a teaching of the apostles I wonder what else was lost when the reformation declared many such teachings as invalid or non "sola scriptura"? I might add I find the term "sola scriptura" to be the ideal concept but one in reality that is rarely if ever followed certainly not by any denomination. EdB |
Bible Answer: EdB, Here is a link that may answer some of your questions. This subject is an example of Scripture interpreted by Tradition. http://198.62.75.1/www1/CDHN/gravity.html#GRAVITY I believe the Protestant Reformers sincerely wanted to end real abuses of practice and reestablish the primacy of grace, faith and scripture in the Catholic Church. They succeeded in two ways, one good and one bad. They prompted true reform within the Catholic Church, but they also splintered Christendom. The response of the Church was slow and by the time the Council of Trent was finished and its teachings published an irrepairable breech had developed in both the civil and church sector. The Protestant Reformation itself achieved a kind of inertial momentum which generation by generation led it further and further from its mother Church. I believe it was the abandonment of legitimate Apostolic Tradion and Church Magisterium that has led us to where we are today. For 1500 years they were the final authority in resolving important and divisive disputes related to Scriptural interpretation and Church Discipline and what held the Church together. Rome, the See of Peter was the final court of appeal and the focus point of unity for the Body of Christ. That has been lost to Chritianity at large today. Without it Sola Scriptura leads to endless divisions because so many are unwilling to admit to an authority greater than their own personal opinion when it comes to interpreting scripture. At least that is how I see it. Others disagree. Two books I like to recommend on the subject are: How the Reformation Happened by Hillaire Belloc for the historical side and The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism by Louis Bouyer for an excellent explaination and examination of the legitinate and solid Catholic roots of Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide and Sola Deo Gloria and why they went awry when cut loose from the anchor of Sacred Tradition. A great tape set related to the subject is: Calling All Catholics to Be Bible Christians...and Vice Versa by Scott Hahn. http://www.saintjoe.com/products/5250.html Emmaus |