Sectarian Bible Interpretation

I want to try to explain why specially the members of the sects take to this kind of argument.

These "Churches" exist barely two centuries. So they have no tradition. They have to jump 1700 years. And their interpretation of Scripture has to be necessarily literal because the have no other criteria, except the scientific ones.

The Catholic Church has three helps to get at the truth to express it a bit directly:

Scripture

Tradition

Magisterium

I will give you an example. When the Church seeks the truth as, for example, in the Vatican Council, the Pope and the Bishops (the magisterium) question the Scripture but not alone the Scripture. The revise what has been said by the Church through the centuries, by other Ecumenical Councils, by the Fathers of the Church (those most near to the Apostles = Tradition). Because the Church guards this treasure very carefully. So when they find that Scripture is interpreted by Tradition and Magisterium there can't be another possible interpretation because God has guided His Church to the truth. Or has God abandoned His Church for 1500 years? Come on!

The sectarian Churches have only one criterion and they have to rely on literal interpretation.

Regarding statues, read the explanations of the iconoclast period. Yes, in the Catholic Church there have been monks that went from church to church and broke up all statues. They were in their majority uneducated and knew only the literal interpretation of Scripture and nothing else. History repeats itself.

The bishops (magisterium) got together and scrutinized the Scripture and the teaching of Tradition and put things to right.

I like to tease my evangelistical brethren telling them that they should circumcise themselves (Scripture!). And I tell them that the should not give false witness. We do not adore statues but they do no accept what we say.

They cannot accept our arguments, they cannot otherwise because they would have to accept tradition and become catholic as did Newman. He studied Church History and found a tradition without interruption from the Apostles to the modern Church.

So they have to jump at least 17 centuries to get at Scripture.

The Catholic Church looks back through all the centuries and hears all the witnesses until she reaches the Apostles. There you have unity in teaching. Hear what said Vincent from Lerin: all, everywhere, all the time! No jumping but walking in communion with all believing generations from century to century. A symphony of orthodoxy, directed by the Holy Ghost.

An other moment will be dedicated to talk about the sin of the Church.

Pax et Bonum

mscperu