Defending the Doctrine and Tradition of Sola Scriptura
In the Christian doctrine and tradition, it's always Bible alone and it's Scriptural. Now it's time to actually go down to defend the doctrine and tradition of what is called as Sola Scriptura or "Scripture alone". Since most cults claim to be apostolic, it would be best to forward most of these with the writings of the apostles themselves to refute their claims. There will however be no mention of specific persons, only heresies and cults. This blog would do its best to keep itself professional and not personal as attacking cults and heresies will refute anybody who upholds them.
1 Timothy 3:15-17 says, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Notice the words "All Scripture", "inspiration of God", "profitable", "doctrine", "reproof", "correction", "instruction in righteousness" and "thoroughly furnished unto all good works" and NOT some good works. In doctrine and tradition of the Church, the Bible stands alone NOT any council of men like the Pharisees or the Council of Trent.
As an example the Lord Jesus Christ quoted "It is written." which is used 46 times in the Bible. The Lord never quoted anything else except Scripture. Matthew 5:17-18 says, "Think not that I came to destroy the Law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily, I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled." He kept the whole Law! Jesus Christ if He ever broke the Law, He would therefore not be the perfect Redeemer from sin.
The Lord Jesus condemned EVERY other source of authority for tradition and doctrine. Mark 7:13 says, "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition which ye have delivered and many such like things do ye." Notice the words "through your tradition". The problem with the Pharisees was that they rejected the Scripture in favor of their own tradition. Today false religions do so. For example the Roman Catholic Church hid the Bible from the general public, forbade it to be shared by commoners except with the permission of the Pope or the archbishops in order to keep silly traditions like the rosary, indulgences, novenas, etc. strong to their followers which the Bible refutes. As a result, the Roman Catholic Church made the Inquisition to murder the Anabaptists who came even before Martin Luther.
In the history of Catholicism (and in extension the magisterial Protestants as MOST Protestants today are NOT Christians) they have persecuted Baptists and Anabaptists and at times, teamed up because they were both opponents of Sola Scriptura. Cults have an instability because they do not rely on Scripture. For example the Roman Catholic Church took several centuries before celibate priesthood was ever made up and the papacy was changed from a kingly dynasty to an electorate, and it couldn't be decided, Pentecostals got divided into Oneness and Trinitarian because they don't stick alone to Scripture and the church of Felix Manalo has undergone several changes from the time of the "last message" because they added non-Scriptural teachings like denying the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
St. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 saying "Therefore brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word our our epistle." That is, the tradition had to come from the epistles (or apostolic writings) and NOT from any religious council- the apostles were guided by God the Holy Spirit in their writings. He also wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:6 saying "Now we command you brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the traditions which he received of us." To deviate from the Bible can cause serious problems especially in the Church. Churches that are not strong with the Bible tend to have divisions like the churches in Corinth. He also wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:6 saying, "And these things, brethren, I have in a figure to myself and to Apollos for your sakes, that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written above that which is written that no one of you be puffed up for one against another."
Now for what St. Peter the first appointed pastor (who Catholics erroneously claim to be the first Pope) has to say. St. Peter quoted Scriptures in 1 Peter 2:6 saying, "Wherefore also it contained in the Scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." In 2 Peter 1:20 he says, "Knowing this first that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation." That means, Peter being the first appointed pastor did not make anything out of his mind as the Pope does. He stuck with Scriptures, realized that there is no private interpretation. In verse 21 he says, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." How true indeed. Peter acknowledged the involvement of God the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures!
Now to deal and debunk with the heresy that Sola Scriptura was not possible. Heretics appeal to John 21:25. However let's face it- anything Jesus Christ did as God in the flesh like He ate, He drank or whatever personal necessity is not recorded because they are not relevant. In the case of studying the biography of a person or in one case, writing a diary, details like making one step to another are not written down. Instead, only important events and words are recorded. As the Creator of the universe, He did SO MANY things that it can't be contained. After all, who knew the conversations Jesus Christ had with Joshua in Joshua 5 knowing He was the Captain of God's Army? Or who knew the whole conversation between Jesus Christ and the heroes of the Old Testament? The Bible only presents important details of the conversation, not in whole like how a history of Christianity book or website do not write every word of preachers like Harry A. Ironside and Charles Spurgeon if they were not related to theology.
Another excuse by the opponents of Sola Scriptura is this, "Well the New Testament Church didn't complete the New Testament yet." However let's face it- the Apostolic writings do not contradict each other although they seem do (like the account of Jesus' temptation between St. Matthew and St. Luke or St. James the earthly half-brother of Jesus and St. Paul). It's been a frequent excuse of the opponents of Sola Scriptura. Nothing contradicted the other. Even if they only have the first four apostolic writings namely the life account of the Lord Jesus Christ in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John whatever they wrote took nothing in or nothing out and each of the four books are in harmony with each other when taken into closer study.
St. Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:15-16, "And account that is long suffering of our Lord is salvation even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom which given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles speaking in them, of these things in which are some things hard to be understood which they are that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction." Notice St. Peter mentions St. Paul. Also St. Paul mentions in Galatians 1:19, "But other of the apostles I saw none save James the Lord's brother." Again, they made reference to each other in completing the New Testament canon, making sure NONE of them contradicted each other. A further study of Greek and Latin will help one understand words spelled the same but different in meaning. And in further reading, there is not one instance in Scripture that anybody can show me that the Apostles elected on doctrines like the Council of Trent did to change doctrine.
Finally the closing is this as Revelation 22:18-19 saying, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this Book: If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this Book."