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Are The Scriptures Sufficiently Clear?

Mountainmike

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Luther never said what you quoted or alluded to.

See how that works.

You made the claim it is your burden to present the evidence.
You either care about truth or you don't.
If you care you will look it up and find it.
Some of Luther's later writings are fascinating.
 
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Athanasius377

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now read the whole of book 4
And see what iraneus actually said: stop cherry picking out of context.

At the time iraneus wrote , the NT was a long way in the future. And iraneus notes the canons of the time e.g. Marcions were rejected by Rome

No New Testament Yet? Then How does Irenaeus know about two Testaments and then quotes from the New Testament to refute "False knowledge". From book IV/XXXII

1. After this fashion also did a presbyter, a disciple of the apostles, reason with respect to the two testaments, proving that both were truly from one and the same God. For [he maintained] that there was no other God besides Him who made and fashioned us, and that the discourse of those men has no foundation who affirm that this world of ours was made either by angels, or by any other power whatsoever, or by another God. For if a man be once moved away from the Creator of all things, and if he grant that this creation to which we belong was formed by any other or through any other [than the one God], he must of necessity fall into much inconsistency, and many contradictions of this sort; to which he will [be able to] furnish no explanations which can be regarded as either probable or true. And, for this reason, those who introduce other doctrines conceal from us the opinion which they themselves hold respecting God, because they are aware of the untenable and absurd nature of their doctrine, and are afraid lest, should they be vanquished, they should have some difficulty in making good their escape. But if any one believes in [only] one God, who also made all things by the Word, as Moses likewise says, “God said, Let there be light: and there was light;”2 and as we read in the Gospel, “All things were made by Him; and without Him was nothing made;” and the Apostle Paul [says] in like manner, “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father, who is above all, and through all, and in us all”4—this man will first of all “hold the head, from which the whole body is compacted and bound together, and, through means of every joint according to the measure of the ministration of each several part, maketh increase of the body to the edification of itself in love.” And then shall every word also seem consistent to him,6 if he for his part diligently read the Scriptures in company with those who are presbyters in the Church, among whom is the apostolic doctrine, as I have pointed out.
2. For all the apostles taught that there were indeed two testaments among the two peoples; but that it was one and the same God who appointed both for the advantage of those men (for whose sakes the testaments were given) who were to believe in God, I have proved in the third book from the very teaching of the apostles; and that the first testament was not given without reason, or to no purpose, or in an accidental sort of manner; but that it subdued8 those to whom it was given to the service of God, for their benefit (for God needs no service from men), and exhibited a type of heavenly things, inasmuch as man was not yet able to see the things of God through means of immediate vision; and foreshadowed the images of those things which [now actually] exist in the Church, in order that our faith might be firmly established;10 and contained a prophecy of things to come, in order that man might learn that God has foreknowledge of all things.


Irenaeus of Lyons. (1885). Irenæus against Heresies. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, pp. 505–506). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.


Iraneus goes on to state that Apostolic doctrine is in harmony with the scriptures. He continues in chapter XXXIII:

8. True knowledge is [that which consists in] the doctrine of the apostles, and the ancient constitution5 of the Church throughout all the world, and the distinctive manifestation of the body of Christ according to the successions of the bishops, by which they have handed down that Church which exists in every place, and has come even unto us, being guarded and preserved,7 without any forging of Scriptures, by a very complete system of doctrine, and neither receiving addition nor [suffering] curtailment [in the truths which she believes]; and [it consists in] reading [the word of God] without falsification, and a lawful and diligent exposition in harmony with the Scriptures, both without danger and without blasphemy; and [above all, it consists in] the pre-eminent gift of love, which is more precious than knowledge, more glorious than prophecy, and which excels all the other gifts [of God].

Ibid

I can go on if you need more. Yes, do read the entire fourth book. In fact read all of Irenaeus.
 
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Phil 1:21

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Just like the early church, like Jesus commanded.

Also, what's to stop the penitent (for lack of a better word) from joining up at some other ecclesial community?
The same thing that stops a wayward Catholic from going down the street and receiving communion at a different parish...nothing.
 
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Athanasius377

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Thanks for the tip. I actually have quite a number of those books in my library .one question, who was the author on the Byzantine rite, Dom Gregory Dix?
 
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thecolorsblend

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Just like the early church, like Jesus commanded.

The same thing that stops a wayward Catholic from going down the street and receiving communion at a different parish...nothing.
You sure about that? Because receiving the Sacrament after ex-communication is sacrilege. Those aren’t stakes most people are willing to play for.
 
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Phil 1:21

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You sure about that? Because receiving the Sacrament after ex-communication is sacrilege. Those aren’t stakes most people are willing to play for.
Well, evidently there is supposed to be some grave penalty for being ex-communicated from the RCC, but that didn't stop the person in question from ending up there anyway. It kind of reminds of that scene from Animal House where the fraternity is put on double secret probation.

Perhaps if you could spell out the "stakes" it would be helpful. Thanks.
 
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redleghunter

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now read the whole of book 4
And see what iraneus actually said: stop cherry picking out of context.
I have several times. What's your point and if I quoted the full book and chapter it just furthers my point.

So please establish your opposing argument and link to the source material.

At the time iraneus wrote , the NT was a long way in the future. And iraneus notes the canons of the time e.g. Marcions were rejected by Rome
Irenaeus quotes from 25 of 27 NT books which would later be called into the canon. Not seeing your point here. Is your point the 27 books of the NT were not recognized as Holy or Sacred Scriptures before the canon was established?


iraneus also stated that the truth of scripture could be found by listening to the doctrine of the church at Rome,

Source the quote please. And when you explain which doctrines were not already written in Holy Scriptures.

and he criticises gnostics for disregarding scripture and tradition wherever it suits them.

He criticized the Gnostics for not being able to justify their secret supposed apostolic traditions which apparently were not written down, nor to be found in Holy Scriptures and were viva voce.

Just like modern day Protestants do.
Actually the Gnostic viva voce traditions are more in line with the supposed Sacred Tradition your church promotes as 'always been known' but never written down. I don't see Irenaeus quoting canons and bulls of the church in Against Heresies. He does quote extensively from the OT and NT books and when he uses the term 'apostolic tradition' he refers to the rule of faith handed down from the apostles.
Scripture says the foundation of truth is the church, which dovetails with iraneus defining which church!
Indeed the church, called out ones, ekklesia are the pillar and foundation of Truth. Meaning the church upholds the Truth as received from Christ and His apostles, not the creators of Truth.
 
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redleghunter

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You either care about truth or you don't.
If you care you will look it up and find it.
Some of Luther's later writings are fascinating.
Sorry Sir you made the claim it is incumbent upon you to source the assertions.

If you want to make whatever point you were making, then you need to provide the evidence.
 
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jamesbond007

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The Scripture is authoritative, complete and infallible, but it isn't clear. I think this is why we have Bible studies and leaders. For example, what day is the Sabbath?

And I would think we have the various Christian denominations because of it albeit it isn't anywhere near 33,000 .
 
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☦Marius☦

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The only regard in which Gnosticism and Orthodoxy are similar is that they are both liturgical, and the Gnostic rite resembles the Eastern rite.

However the Gnostics use different texts then we do and call them scripture. They also pull doctrine from supposed visions they have during meditation. This is entirely different then educated spirit led debate at church councils.
 
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straykat

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I didn't know there was confusion about the Sabbath? It's always been Saturday..the last day. The Church started celebrating the Lord's day, coinciding with the first day of the week when he rose from the dead. This is Sunday. Going back to earliest church fathers, like the epistles of Barnabas (1st or 2nd cent). I suppose when some want to call this Sabbath, that's fair though.. and confusing.
 
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thecolorsblend

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I think you’re missing it. The person would be excommunicated. That’s one penalty: being outside communion with the Church.

Committing sacrilege on top of that is even heavier since the person would then be considered guilty of Our Lord’s blood.

With respect, this is something I’ve noticed Protestants don’t seem to really grasp. Being hell-bound is one thing. Having His body and blood against your account is something even bigger.

Unworthy Communion Is Sacrilege | Catholic Answers
 
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thecolorsblend

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I think you’re missing it. The person would be excommunicated. That’s one penalty: being outside communion with the Church.

Committing sacrilege on top of that is even heavier since the person would then be considered guilty of Our Lord’s blood.

With respect, this is something I’ve noticed Protestants don’t seem to really grasp. Being hell-bound is one thing. Having His body and blood against your account is something even bigger.

Unworthy Communion Is Sacrilege | Catholic Answers
 
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Phil 1:21

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And the "stakes" are?
 
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