Comments on: The Illogical Logic of Sola Scriptura https://chnetwork.org/2013/09/04/the-illogical-logic-of-sola-scriptura/ A network of inquirers, converts, and reverts to the Catholic Church, as well as life-long Catholics, all on a journey of continual conversion to Jesus Christ. Mon, 16 Oct 2017 16:37:14 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 By: Jesse F https://chnetwork.org/2013/09/04/the-illogical-logic-of-sola-scriptura/#comment-27970 Fri, 13 Mar 2015 06:15:00 +0000 https://chnetwork.org/?p=7549#comment-27970 In reply to Eric.

Eric,
The breakdown of your argument about circular reasoning regarding Truth and authority is this: the Catholic faith is an historic faith, meaning that it is backed by historical facts and eye witnesses. Part of that “eye witness” is Scritpure. Ultimately, though, what validates the Scriptures as being a valid source of ibformation is the Church, through her unified bishops. These bishops represent an historical handing on of teaching starting all the way back at Jesus. Jesus was a historical figure who performed many works, who lived, died and rose again. The event and person of Jesus was witnessed by the Apostles and others. Through the Apostles handing on this continual witness, we may know who Jesus was and what he taught. (The same would be true for Moses and the Hebrew faith). The Scriptures cannot supplant this invaluable witness of truth. What the Catholic Church is, is “someone” who was there from the beginnging, who knows what really happened. While the Scriptures are living by its inspiration and power of the Spirit, we find that the Catholic Church is a living artifact to the historical reality of Christ and his teaching. As J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote, “What would Christianity now be if the Roman Church has in fact been destroyed?”

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]]> By: Eric https://chnetwork.org/2013/09/04/the-illogical-logic-of-sola-scriptura/#comment-27329 Thu, 15 May 2014 02:24:00 +0000 https://chnetwork.org/?p=7549#comment-27329 In reply to Eric.

You are correct that both Catholics and Protestants depend on the results of the wrestling of councils for Canon. For Protestants this is a potential issue because they are depending on a council which is not the sole source of authority. Protestants need to wrestle with this.

The issue for Catholics is that they will often say that the Church was given the infallible authority to decide what was included in the canon. When asked how that can be known they appeal to passages of Scripture that according to the tradition give her that authority. When asked how we can know that such traditions are true they point to Scripture and tradition. This is circular logic. Catholics must wrestle with this.

]]> By: Eric https://chnetwork.org/2013/09/04/the-illogical-logic-of-sola-scriptura/#comment-27328 Thu, 15 May 2014 02:12:00 +0000 https://chnetwork.org/?p=7549#comment-27328 Circular reasoning is a challenge for any of us (protestants and Catholics) who hold to an ultimate source of truth. The problem is that if we say ultimate authoritative truth resides in A, we must ultimately appeal to A to substantiate that claim because A is the only place ultimate truth resides. Any other source used to substantiate our claim does not carry authority. Even Catholics who hold to tradition, the magisterium, and Scripture, must at some point depend on them to substantiate that they are the sole source of authoritative truth. So a Catholic may say that Scripture supports the idea of tradition, but then need to depend that same tradition to substantiate that the meaning of the passages in question are teaching about the traditions they are trying to substantiate.

Protestants are an easier target because the claim on ultimate source of truth. It is easier to see the circular reasoning. But ultimately my Catholic brothers must appeal the their source of ultimate truth and authority to establish it as the ultimate source of truth and authority.

We are in the same boat, my brother, in terms of trying to prove that our source of absolute truth is the correct one. I don’t think this means we’re are wrong. I think that it indicates there are other things to consider in how we determine our ultimate source of truth.

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