Finally, while Protestants CLAIM to be Sola Scriptura, they never truly follow that doctrine. We can even start with the doctrine of Sola Scriptura itself. The Scripture never gives an EXCLUSIVE command to use only Scripture.
2 Timothy 3:15-17: "For from thy infancy thou hast known the Sacred Writings, which are able to instruct thee unto salvation by the faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproving, for correcting, for instruction in justice, that the man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work."
1 Corinthians 4:6
And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
Acts 17:11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Matthew 4:1-11 note that Jesus always says 'it is written" not "I say" or "tradition teaches". As a matter of fact, the teaching of anything other than sola scriptura would be hard to prove.
We could also question the canon of Scripture with the new-found freedom of Sola Scriptura. Protestants claim that they use the New Testament to confirm the OT canon. Well, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon are never quoted in the New Testament. By all logic, since they are not quoted in the New Testament, they should not be in the OT. Obviously this isn't the criteria used by most Christians, but if I really wanted to, using Sola Scriptura, I could say whatever I wanted to concerning those books, because it is ultimately me, myself, and I who decides what God was saying. Oh yes, and I have the catch-all defense that the Holy Spirit told me to remove those books.
No. And this proves a fundamental ignorance of the doctrine of sola scriptura.
The phrase "Faith alone" is also a tradition, as the only time the phrase is found in Scripture is as a NEGATIVE:
So you see, brothers, that a man is justified by works, and NOT by faith alone.
Hey, way to cherry pick the tired, out of context, stand by from James.
Rom. 3:28-30, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one."
Rom. 5:1, "therefore having been justified by faith,we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
(Most of Romans reads like this)
See, in the end, Evangelical Protestants have their own traditions that they follow, under the guise of interpretations and exegesis. If you get right down to the meat of it, it is all tradition. We are not discussing your interpretation versus Tradition. We are discussing Tradition versus traditions.
No.
Tradition says Mary was assumed into heaven.
Tradition says Jesus is sacrificed again and again in the mass.
Tradition says Mary was sinless.
Tradition says the pope is the head of the church.
Tradition says infant baptism imparts grace.
Tradition says priests must remain unmarried.
Tradition says...etc, etc, etc....ad infinitum.
The scriptures do not say any of this. Sola scriptura means the scriptures are the last word (no pun intended) on doctrine and practice. I think in the end, all that's been highlighted is your lack of understanding when it comes to sola scriptura.