IS THE BIBLE SOLE AUTHORITY OR SOLE RULE?

SEPT. 4 1998

Some Christian sects claim that the Bible is the Sole Authority or Sole Rule of Christian faith, that anything not found in the Bible should be rejected outright. They always quote from the selected text of the Bible that seem to lent support to their assertion, and then twist its meaning to sustain their claim. But this time they cannot twist the Bible, because they cannot find a single verse that seem to support the so called Sole Authority or Sole Rule. And they are eating their own words by their refusal to reject their invented heresy! This is contrary to the very teaching of the Bible, and contradicts to their own invented doctrine. Our Lord Jesus Christ never intended to use the Bible as the Sole instrument of His teachings. But His apostles and the church He founded because.. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. He chose the apostles (Mt. 3:16; Mt. 10:1) to carry on His mission of salvation (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk 16:15) not the Bible He built His church on Peter (Mt. 16:18) not on the Bible. He gave the keys of Heaven to Peter (Mt. 16:19) not to the Bible. He asked Peter to feed (take care) His lamb and His sheep (Jh 21:15-17) to Strengthen your brothers (Lk 22:32) He didnt ask the Bible. He commanded them to go and preach all nations, teach everything (Mt. 28:20) For Heaven and earth will pass, my words will not pass. (Mt 24:35) by using only Bible, you cant teach everything since Bible is not complete. (Jh 20:30; Jh 21:25) He said to His disciples: I shall be with you until the end of time (Mt. 16:18-19; Mt. 28:14-20) He didnt say with the Bible. He sent to His disciples the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2-4) and bestowed on them the power to forgive sins (Jh 20:21-23), the power to expel demons, to heal the sick (Mt. 10:1) to proclaim the kingdom of Heaven (Mt. 10:7), the breaking of bread in memory of Me (Lk 22:19) Until I come. (1 Cor 11:26).. All these authorities were given only to the apostles, not to the Bible. He said to the apostles, If they hear you, they hear me, if they reject you, they reject me (Lk 10:16) If they reject the church, treat him as pagan or tax collector (Mt 18:17-18); as the Father sent me, so I sent you (Jh 20:21) St. Paul said: The church is the pillar and bulwark of truth (1 Tim 3:11) not the Bible. Christ never wrote a single verse in the Bible nor asked anyone to write, in fact, in His 3 years of public ministry, the new testament was not yet written. If the Bible is the Sole Rule, why did Christ never say so? Why the Bible was not yet written? The Gospel of St. John was written 80m year A.D. and still incomplete (Jh 21:25; Jh 20:30); the cannon was solemnly defined 400 year later, and the printing press was invented in the 15th century. Before that, how can you distribute the Bible to everyone? Will salvation wait? Will Christ make that kind of mistake? Christianity existed for a long long time without one single Bible Christian. Before a line of new testament was written: (1) Christ founded His church (2) St. Peter converted 3,000 Jews (3) The apostles preached Christs Gospel, great number of Jews and Gentiles were converted. Faith was to won by hearing not by reading. (Rom 10:14-17) will Christ contradict Himself? Conclusion of St. Paul: Stand firm, hold fast to the tradition you received from us, either by words (oral, unwritten, therefore not found in the Bible) or by letter (2 Thes 2:15). Also The spirit distinctly says that in latter times some will turn away from faith and will heed deceitful spirits and things taught by demons (1 Tim 4:1). In Luke 21:8, our Lord Jesus said : Take care not to be misled, many will come in my name Do not follow them. These prophecies are now fulfilling. Final conclusion: we are saved by Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12) through His living church (Mt 16:18; Mt 18:17-18; Jh 20:21), not by the invented Sole Authority which will resuce the LIVING Church founded by Christ to a mere BOOK RELIGION. The Bible came from the church, the church did not come from the Bible, the Bible was written by the church. The church alone guarantees its authenticity, interprets its correct meaning, (2 Peter 1:20; 3:10) and determines its canonicity. Because the church is the SOLE custodian of divine revelation. Christ extends His full authority only to His apostles and His church (Mt 28:18-20) and to no others. Let no one twist or abuse the Bible for their own gain. (2 Peter 2:3) for God didnt spare even the angels. (2 Peter 2:4)

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