Please, help me understand why my GF believes in Sola Scriptura.

[gtsecc]

My girlfriend and I have come to loggerheads over this issue. I need to know so I can be a better Christian. I do not ask this to be hostile or try to “prove” one side or the other. Naturally, I want to know which canon it is applied to, and why that is the “correct” canon. Thank you.

 

[rmwilliamsll]

My girlfriend and I have come to loggerheads over this issue. I need to know so I can be a better Christian. I do not ask this to be hostile or try to “prove” one side or the other. Naturally, I want to know which canon it is applied to, and why that is the “correct” canon. Thank you.

canon formation is not the same issue as Sola Scriptura.

neither issue is going to be solved with a few message on this forum. rather both require some study.

The Shape of Sola Scriptura
by Keith A. Mathison
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...103-9859407-0963825?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance
by Bruce M. Metzger
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t..._books_2/103-9859407-0963825?v=glance&s=books

if you have specific questions we can probably help, but a general question like this requires some book study on your part.

 

[Foundthelight]

The Shape of Sola Scriptura
by Keith A. Mathison
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1885767749/qid=1098122166/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-9859407-0963825?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

The Mathison book is the best that I have seen on this subject. I can't recomend it strongly enough.

 

[Radagast]

Please, help me understand why my GF believes in Sola Scriptura ... My girlfriend and I have come to loggerheads over this issue...

So she has already given you reasons, then?

-- Radagast

 

[St. Worm2]

My girlfriend and I have come to loggerheads over this issue. I need to know so I can be a better Christian. I do not ask this to be hostile or try to “prove” one side or the other. Naturally, I want to know which canon it is applied to, and why that is the “correct” canon. Thank you.

I must say that I have never heard of Sola Scriptura being the 'wedge' that broke apart a personal relationship before. You two must both take your doctrine very seriously! I will certainly do my best to help you understand Sola Scriptura, but I wonder if you might answer a question for me first? You appear to be "Anglican" (yes?), and your girlfriend holds to Sola Scriptura (yes?), sooooooooo, where's the problem? Is the Anglican Church now holding the authority of their traditions (and/or the RC traditions, Majesterium, and Pope) on the same level as Holy Scripture ..

Yours and His,
David

 

[gtsecc]

Is the Anglican Church now holding the authority of their traditions (and/or the RC traditions, Majesterium, and Pope) on the same level as Holy Scripture ..

Yours and His,
David

No. Scripture is over everything.
However, we also consider the Liturgy as something given to us from Christ. Some folks would think that is ridiculous, that the Liturgy must be man made and not of God since it is not in the bible. We would say that many of Christ's teachings are not in the Bible, and we can support the Liturgy very well with both the Bible and early Church writing such as Justin Martyr ~150 AD.
One other problem is that I recognize the Deutero Cannon and she doesn't.

 

[tigersnare]

I think this is why my Pastor always encourages me to only date Reformed girls.

 

[A. believer]

No. Scripture is over everything.
However, we also consider the Liturgy as something given to us from Christ. Some folks would think that is ridiculous, that the Liturgy must be man made and not of God since it is not in the bible. We would say that many of Christ's teachings are not in the Bible, and we can support the Liturgy very well with both the Bible and early Church writing such as Justin Martyr ~150 AD.
One other problem is that I recognize the Deutero Cannon and she doesn't.

Is this such a troubling issue because you're considering a future together and you're in disagreement over which tradition you'd be raising any future children you may have in? If so, these kinds of disagreements are no small consideration.

Anyway, like some others here, I would also recommend the Keith Mathison book not only for you, but for her as well. This book may very well help you both gain a better appreciation of your common history and of the church as an organic whole as opposed to a bunch of splintered denominations. It will also, probably give both of you a better understanding of what the Protestant Reformers really meant by sola Scriptura. I feel as if I could go on for volumes about the issues you're raising, but I don't want to get off on some tangent that misses the heart of the matter between you. Feel free to keep asking questions though.

Also, when you say that you "recognize the Deutero Canon" and she doesn't, what exactly do you mean by that? Are you saying that you consider these extra books divinely inspired in the same sense that the Protestant canon is or are you simply saying that you consider them beneficial for devotional use? How does your higher view of these books, compared to hers, affect your other beliefs? I just wonder if it wouldn't be the case if the two of you did some study on the place of these books in the historic church if you wouldn't come to the conclusion that you might be holding them in too high esteem, and she might come to the conclusion that she might be holding them in too low esteem? Whatever conclusion you came to, though, I don't see how your disagreement over them would be a serious barrier.

 

[gtsecc]

Parts of the Angelus:
Holy Mary, Mother of God: Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Can seem to many Christians completely inappropriate, especially if that is not your tradition or if you hold tradition so low that it is THE example of Man adding ideas not in the Bible.