Would you stay?

No need to interpret, just read and study the full counsel God gave us. The Apostles wrote as the Holy Spirit instructed. God gave us teachers and preachers to guide us through the Scriptures, not as interpreters. The Scripture says what it says, it is not difficult. Creeds are from men, some portions are accurate, some are flawed with conjecture. Yet the Scripture itself is perfect. It's all one needs. The reason Christians are not all on the "same page" is bc of conjecture and opinions. But you are Catholic, correct? Catholics have to believe what they are told to believe.

 

Maybe you could give an example of a scripture passage that needs to be interpreted by an outside source apart from the Bible?

 

Yes, one conclusion. Did you search and study the full counsel of God's Word so you could come to the correct conclusion? Or did you come to your conclusion by listening to outside of scripture conjectures from men?

 

Help from who? Men with an agenda to control the people? Did you search and study the full counsel of God's Word so you could come to the correct conclusion? Did you even bother to study the chapter from which this sentence is extracted from? If you did, you would find Jame's explanation and his conclusion. Abraham's works fulfilled Abraham's "said" faith. The works justified Abraham's confession of faith.

Jas 2:20
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.


•(James 2:14-26).
•Verse 22 - “Faith” made “perfect”. “perfect” – “teleioo” – “fulfill”.
•Verse 23 - “the scripture was fulfilled” - what scripture was fulfilled? – “which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:”
•So if we say we “believe in the LORD” is our “said faith” justified and fulfilled by how we respond to God’s direction for how we should live our lives as professing believers?
•So when the scripture said “Abraham believed God” (Genesis 15) – How was it fulfilled? How do we know Abraham believed God? – when Abraham obeyed God by doing what God asked him to do.

It's all right there. No need for "help" from any outside source apart from the Scripture itself. And we could go to the Apostle Paul as well with additional conformation that a soul is justified by "Faith alone" and the soul's "Confession" is made perfect, fulfilled, justified by the soul's "Works". However, the ONLY works that will justify "said faith" is if that faith is in the Son of God and the confession is that Jesus Christ is Lord.

And Jame's concludes, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." Why yes I do James, because I took the time to read your full explanation and i also know what your fellow Apostle Paul had to say about justification through works. Thank you James for explaining what you were talking about because if you hadn't explained it by using Abraham as an example men would want to twist what you said into some sort of justification by works apart from any faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God.

 

I find it very shameful. The good preachers/teachers I have listened to will emphasize the Word of God and that they are only there to guide their listeners through the Word. If I or any good preacher/teacher says "this means......" it will not because they think they have some sort of special revelation, or that they are offering a personal interpretation, they will guide their listeners through supporting Scripture which does the interpreting, they are just guides for the people. GOOD TEACHERS DO NOT INTERPRET, THEY SEARCH THE SCRIPTURE AND LET THE SCRIPTURE INTERPRET SCRIPTURE. Then they give their OPINION/ADVICE on how we can or should apply the Word of God to our lives.

 

Therein lies the problem, you speak truth and don't even see the problem. Following the Church and following men is one in the same. Here is what you should be saying and realize, "Too many "Christians" have strayed over the centuries, following men instead of the Word of God.

 

LOL. James answered it, explained it for us even. What don;t you understand? Just saying you have faith and not having any evidence of your faith is USELESS at best and hell bound at worst. Can it even save you James asked? It must be true genuine faith in the Son of God Jesus Christ which if present produces good works as evidence your said faith is truly from being born from above.

Eph 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 

LOL. He isn't speaking to me. I'm not the foolish fellow, I know faith without works is dead. I also know what James means by dead because I read his whole explanation. No need for any group of men with their own conjecture apart from Scripture to explain it, who actually argue against Scripture. James and Paul do just fine.