For my Catholic brothers and sisters. For us who are converts form sola scriptura backgrounds, I can tell you that the issue was never raised. We accepted it as a given fact--like the sky is blue or children are born of mothers. We never asked "Where did the Bible come from?" or "Why do we have a Bible?" It simply was the Bible and it was our final authority on all matters of faith and morals.
Israel and Moses existed a long time before Luther. Why are you crediting Luther for such a time-honored and Biblical doctrine which you simply reject. You are rejecting God not Luther.
In ca. 700 B.C. Isaiah wrote:
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
--and that my friend teachs sola scriptura.
It seems Luther did a good job of convincing a lot of people that we don't need the Church to interpret Scripture for us.
--That concept is heresy, as the Bible gives each and every one of us the responsibility of studying the Bible on our own, and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit come to our own conclusion. That is why
all evangelical Christians are agreed on the essentials of salvation, as opposed to
all Catholics who are confused and don't even know what it is.
I challenge you. Ask ten Catholics to define salvation--the means by which one can be sure of having their sins forgiven and being sure of heaven, and see if you get a unified answer. The answer I get from Catholics is a unified answer. It is "I don't know."
In my particular Baptist church we believed that each of us was personally guided in interpretation (but we weren't allowed to disagree with our baptistic basic tenets if our "interpretation" disagreed with their).
You are confused and not willing to be perfectly honest.
First, you had a bad experience with your Baptist church. Not all Baptist churches are the same.
Second, when one joins a Baptist Church they agree to accept the statement of faith as written.
There can be no disagreement with either the statement of faith or the Constitution. If there is disagreement and things change, then the church would change over time, and would no longer be a Baptist church. It is a Baptist church because it adheres to Baptist principles and a Baptist statement of faith, both of which should not change. And no one should be allowed to change them. Did you expect that certain in that Baptist Church should be allowed to be Catholics like you converted to? Really???
We all but worshiped the Bible. If Jesus himself had come down and told us anything we thought wasn't in the Bible we would have argued with Him.
Jesus spoke with authority. He "word" was "The Word." There would be nothing to argue against.
So, trying to get sola scriptura-ists to let go of this idea is like trying to peel a turtle. It can be done, but the turtle has to be willing or trying to do it could do more harm than good. Why? Because it may cause some to lose faith altogether--their identities are so tied to their personal beliefs that if they didn't have it, they'd crumble. I saw more than one person lose their faith when they didn't get answers to prayers after they'd "claimed it in Jesus' name"--a very sola scriptura thing to do. So, we have to be careful how we approach this issue or any other people hold dear. We have to be sure they are ready to hear it and that it will not harm them. This is why we have to relay the truth in charity, not hit others over the heads with it. Y'all are doing it in love here. Good job!
Jesus said:
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
--Charity is not listed among the prerequisites for going to heaven.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
)
