The Sola Scriptura idea that says each believer is to determine what the Scriptures actually mean never existed until the Martin Luther era.
Don't be foolish. Martin Luther has nothing to do with sola scriptura.
"sola"--alone.
"scriptura"--Scripture.
The Scripture alone is our authority; that is, it is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. No need to bring Martin Luther or any other of the Reformers into the picture. It is a Biblical doctrine practiced not only by the Apostles and Christ, but by the Israelites.
For example, one of the scriptures that Bob keeps pointing you to is:
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.
--Let's examine this using some actual examples.
If a person came to the Israelites claiming to be a prophet but practiced a form of witchcraft telling people they would be healed through his magic potions, what should be the reaction of the nation of Israel?
Witches were to be stoned to death.
False prophets were to be stoned to death.
A false prophet was known by "his fruit," and in this case his fruit (or doctrine) was wrong.
Now, in application to the NT times or our time.
Doctrines like the: trinity, deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection, can be verified by the scriptures and we know they are true and rejoice in them.
But when someone presents: baptismal regeneration, transubstantiation, immaculate conception, assumption of Mary, perpetual virginity of Mary, purgatory, indulgences, praying to the dead, etc. These doctrines must be examined in the light of Scripture.
The Bible is the final authority.
It is not Luther, the pope, the Magesterium, the Catechism, etc. It is the Scriptures. It was in the OT, and it is in the NT. It is the only authority that we have in matters of faith and doctrine.
The doctrines just listed are not found in the Bible. They are man-made doctrine and just as surely as they are man-made, they are false and damnable heretical doctrines that lead people away from the truth away from the entrance of salvation and heaven.
Before that it was the Church that determined things by a combination of the Scriptures and yes what is known as the Sacred Tradition.
There is no tradition that is sacred. Tradition changes.
The Bible does not change; it has not changed for the past two thousand years.
God does not change.
Christ does not change.
But man changes; the RCC and its doctrine changes. We see this as we examine its doctrine throughout the centuries and even as we examine the changes that the present pope is making.
While there might have been certain parts of the NT Scriptures around, the NT as we now know them did not come into being until the 4th century.
That is typical RCC propaganda. The entire NT canon was in existence by the end of the first century. John wrote the last books, particularly the last book, Revelation, in ca. 98 A.D. Then the canon of Scripture was complete. Because of the difficulty of travel, distance, and the fact that the books were written on bulky scrolls, no man may have had all the scrolls at one time. But they did have them, and they were sent and read to different churches. They even knew which ones were inspired. Paul indicates this in some of his writings as does Peter.
For example:
Colossians 4:16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that
it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye
likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
--Paul wanted his epistles to be read.
Until that time there were many "writings" floating about that certain people claimed were inspired by God and these had to be weeded out and it was the One Universal Christian Church that did this. I don't think that 2 Tim 3:16-17 negates the role of the Church in scriptural interpretation or their ultimate formation.
John wrote the First Epistle of John because there were many "false writings" about Gnosticism "floating around." One of the reasons of the epistle was to refute that doctrine.
Christ and all the writers of the NT warned against false teaching.
Acts 8:9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
Acts 8:11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. (rosary, indulgences, special blessings, etc.)
Acts 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
Acts 8:20 But Peter said unto him,
Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Unlike Simon, the RCC has never learned. Its main purpose is still to deceive people and rob them of their money. It holds the power over the people.
From this passage comes the English word "simony," which means paying or bribing someone to gain advancement in a higher office in a religious order.
From Wikipedia:
Simony (
/ˈsaɪ.mə.ni/ or
/ˈsɪ.mə.ni/) is the act of selling church offices and roles. The practice is named after
Simon Magus,
[1] who is described in the
Acts of the Apostles 8:9–24...The term also extends to other forms of trafficking for money in "spiritual things".
[2][3] Simony was also one of the important issues during the
Investiture Controversy.
Thus we use the Bible as our authority. The Catholic Church uses money, tradition, and many other ways of making their decisions. And many of them are wrong and have led them totally astray.