Scripture is God's breath, according the bible. Who says who we don't have authority? There's bishops in every protestant group, you think each of the protestant is the king of their own? When there's 10 believer gathered as a church, we don't need a pope to tell us what to do, there will be leader among us, we live our lives base on God's words.Jesus said the church needed authority on doctrine ( power to bind and loose) and structure ( succession, office of keys). It’s also clearly reflected in early letters, describing sacraments and episcopal authority.
Indeed the prime Protestant doctrine “ sola scriptura “ is a problem, scripture says the church ( not scripture) is the “foundation of truth” and New Testament canon, was not only a product of the church ( both what was selected and deselected), it wasn’t there for early Christians which “ handed down the faith” “ as Jesus handed to me, I hand down to you”. The present meaning of the word “tradition “ confuses what it really meant “ paradoseis” teachings handed down. The church was not even sola scriptura in Old Testament times. As witness the Mishnah.
Sadly without authority and tradition Protestant churches drift apart, and schism endlessly, they have no means to resolve their differences in interpretation of scripture.
Upvote
0