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Bible Question: How
would you go about proving that the Bible is the supreme and only
word of God to a Catholic who believes in additional authorities
and traditions?
Bible Answer: The
New Testament records a number of powerful statements about following
the traditions of men. Jesus and the apostles were very clear about
what we should accept and believe. But the Roman Catholic Church
has ignored the Bible in order to secure control of what its people
believe.
Roman Catholic Teaching. The
Roman Catholic Church does not accept the Bible as the only source of truth.
In fact, they do not believe the Bible is the only source of divine truth. The
following quote comes from the Second Vatican Council.
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.
. . there exists a close connection and communication between
sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. . . Sacred Scripture
is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned
to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while
sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ
the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it
on to their successors in its full purity,
so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth they may
in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain
it, and make it more widely known. |
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Second
Vatican Council. "Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation." no.
9 |
This
statement says that they believe that Sacred Scripture and sacred
tradition are both necessary and both are divine truth. It is also
important to notice that they believe sacred tradition preserves
the Word of God. That is, sacred
tradition has
greater authority than the Sacred Scriptures. It is also important
to note that they believe their understanding of divine truth evolves.
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This
tradition which comes from the Apostles develops in the Church
with the help of the Holy Spirit. For there is a growth in
the understanding of the realities and the words which have
been handed down. . . . For as the centuries succeed one
another, the Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness
of divine truth until the words of God reach their complete
fulfillment in her. |
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Second
Vatican Council. "Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation." no.
8 |
This
last statement simply means that their teachings will change, and
they have. Since Jesus and the Apostles departed from this earth,
the Roman Catholic Church has changed their interpretations of the
teachings of the Bible. One of the most recent new doctrines of the
church is the worship of Mary. This is a serious problem since any
new doctrine could be added or revoked. Is it possible that a new
understanding about the means of salvation will be taught some day?
The concept of an oral tradition with an understanding that evolves
over time means that there is no absolute truth within the Roman
Catholic Church.
The
Second Vatican Council also makes the following statement.
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Consequently
it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws
her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore
both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted
and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence. |
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Second
Vatican Council. "Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation." no.
9 |
They
state that they accept both with equal loyalty and reverence. Then
the "Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation" of the
Second Vatican Council says that both of them are the word of God.
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