It's interesting that many here, regardless of the side they take on Sola Scriptura, acknowledge that the reading of Scripture alone isn't necessarily sufficient to ensure proper or full understanding of the faith.
The argument is that "testing doctrine" is done by reading scripture "alone" as we see in Acts 17:11
It does not say "they could not read scripture so they asked their Jewish magesterium if the magisterium's condemnation of Paul's doctrine, was what the Bible was really saying or not".
I don't think this part is the least bit confusing to readers on either side of this topic.
Others, OTOH, apparently believe that picking up the Bible and reading it on their own will guarantee a full, objective, and proper understanding of the faith.
just as we see in the case of the Bereans in Acts 17:10-11 -- (a verse some are very reluctant to quote)
The Bereans were noble as they conscientiously sought to know the truth
And they sought scripture to "SEE IF" those things spoken to them by the Apostles Paul "were so" -- EVEN though their own magisterium in both tradition and teaching had already condemned that teaching.
Details so often skimmed past
That doesn't mean, however, that they could come to know the truth via scripture alone
These are non-Christian students of the Bible in Acts 17:11. They had NO
Christian magisterium to tell them what to say or think.
They had to test against scripture (as the text actually says) and could not rely on the guidance of the very magisterium that was on record as condemning Paul's teaching -- to get to the right answer.
I don't see how this is even a little bit confusing to unbiased objective readers.
Acts 17:10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived,
they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were
more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and
searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12
Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks
so then ... obvious for all to see that these were NOT Christians testing out their OWN Christian leadership - rather they were NON-Christians choosing to TEST the doctrine
they had just heard in their Synagogue - against the Bible "alone" --
to "SEE IF" those things were so.
Which is what the Bereans did in Acts 17:11 to the point of flat out rejecting the teaching/tradition of their magisterium on that very same topic of whether to accept or reject Paul's doctrine
what part of that text -- the details in it -- tell you that the non-Christian Bereans were relying on the guidance of their non-Christian magisterium to judge the teaching of Paul ?? Especially since their magisterium had already condemned Paul's teaching?
This is a straightforward question.
I look forward to how it is addressed here on this thread.
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Did not have long to wait...
Somehow I'm not sure if you even read my post. It was just assessing the different viewpoints.
Ok - well as you see from my post above - I did respond to several segments of it.
Is this where you consider answering the one Question above??
As far as any authority or magisterium goes, they're not acting any differently than Paul;
Paul is speaking the doctrine of the Christian church in that Acts 17:11 Jewish Synagogue.
The text you are still not quoting is stating that they consult scriptures to "see IF those things spoken by Paul - WERE SO" even though they were not Christians at all. And the writer of Acts 17 -- says they are approved for doing it. sola scriptura.
they're presenting the truth as they believe they've received it somewhere or somehow
The text does not say "somewhere somehow" ... the text you are not quoting says 'they searched the scriptures daily to SEE IF" those things were so.
Are you trying to argue they ran straight to their magisterium to see IF their traditions were affirming Paul -- and if SO then Paul is approved?? Is that how you would change the text.
We, then, must assess those claims as best we can with whatever resources and guidance of the Holy Spirit we have.
Ok so what does the text say that they did that does NOT look like "sola scriptura testing" of Paul's doctrine in your POV?
(speaking of the text you are not quoting)