Of Augustine and Perspecuity

[SQLservant]

In On Christian Doctrine, I came across the following interesting statements:

Speaking of those who "profess to understand the Scriptures without any directions from man," St. Augustine says this:

[t]hey must surely grant that every one of us learnt his own language by hearing it constantly from childhood.

He then sets up a hypothetical situation where the professing individual's idea is taken to the extreme:

Now, then, suppose we advise all our brethren not to teach their children any of these things, because on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit the apostles immediately began to speak the language of every race; and warn every one who has not had a like experience that he need not consider himself a Christian, or at least doubt whether he has yet received the Holy Spirit.

To those that believe the Bible to be clear enough for any reader to understand, what do you say to this? Why do you feel this way? I came from a church that teaches just this, but I never really understood why or how that conclusion was reached.

 

[Percivale]

It is true that to understand anything one must have learned something from someone else. However, communication is basically designed to be understood by someone who knows the language, although the time between when the Bible was written and the present is a factor. So, there are two extremes to avoid; some things require more than an average person's knowledge to be understood, but a lot can be understood by anyone.