Though I clearly do not agree with Sola Scriptura, I do respect it as a rite with explicit orthodoxy. I should wish that all Protestants would follow it without deviation. A dogmatic observation of Sola Scriptura would have prevented the errors of pretribulation teaching and the rise of popular cults like that of Harold Camping.
He claims to be using the Bible alone as his source. His problem is a hermeneutical issue.
Pilgrim knows a little about my returning to the Reformed Faith and the faith journey I've been on in the last few years.
A large reason for my wandering was because of the difficulties the Church has with interpreting and understanding the Bible.
I came to a point where I was just simply exhausted by trying to understand everyone's Biblical views.
So, I decided to take a close look at the Apostolic Church and the early Church Fathers and I decided through modern Catholic Apologists; that "Church Tradition" was very appealing to me. I got rid of all the work on my end... "The Keys of the Kingdom were given to Peter." Therefore, Peter has authority not Scripture.
I concluded that God did not simply stop revealing His will with Christ, but continued to guide His Church via the Popes. This was all very attractive to me, remember; the person who was sick and tired of trying to figure out the Protestant Faith with all of it's 3000 flavors.
So it became a lot easier to just chuck my Bibles and a hundred or so other Reformed books into the closet and just Let Church Tradition take control.
So I started to learn Catholicism. I went to a Traditional Catholic Church where the Mass was done in all Latin and I learned the Catholic Faith on my own. I then became a Catechumen and stared to go the RICA.
It was about this time, that I decided to read through Romans again and the whole thing crashed.
The whole Catholic position on the Epistle to the Romans is that Paul is referring to the Levitical Law; but it is very obvious that Paul is in fact referring to the Mosaic Law.
After re-reading Romans again and again, it was indisputable that Justification comes by faith alone apart from the works of the Law.
The Gospel is that we are saved by the Grace of God not by our own goodness or self righteousness.
So I finally started to discern all who were relying on their own righteousness ( religion ) and those who were relying on the Atoning work of Christ imputed to them through faith alone.
So I say all of this to say that; in our day, I fully believe that the Majority of the Church is in Error. There is major apostasy going on in the world today. This is the reason why no one can agree.
I believe, based upon the New Testament Scriptures; that Church Tradition should serve to keep and protect the Truth of God's Word and to guide the Church in their Sanctification.
One of the truly most disheartening realities of our day is the fact that there is absolutely no Church Authority and Discipline anymore. The Church is no longer truly sanctified anymore.
Even the most "Reformed" Presbyterian Churches in my area don't exorcise much to any authority anymore.
I see more authority exorcised in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Churches then I do in the Reformed Churches in my area.
This is a clear sign of little to no Church Tradition anymore. Most Churches, and sadly, even the Reformed Presbyterian Churches are being effected by the Modern Seeker Sensitive/ Arminian heresy.
Anyway..... here is my personal experience point; when I put all my extra-Biblical stuff off to the side and I committed myself to just read and listen to the Bible for a few months. ( I work alone and I drive a lot, which allows me to listen to many books of the Bible in a week ) Through Scripture Alone, I came back to the Reformed Faith.
It wasn't that I was Reformed and learned the Bible; it was I learned the Bible and became Reformed.
One who knows and understands and accepts and has faith in Genesis thru Revelations will become "Reformed."
The problem is that "Being Reformed" can just be a genre. In other words; there are many who call themselves "Reformed" but don't have an deep understanding of the Bible. They read everything but... so they become very "theologically reformed" but still aren't being washed by the Word.
This is why you have so many differences in the Reformed community; again leading to people who are trying to understand their faith better scratching their heads in frustration with all the differences among Reformed leaders and preachers.
My solution?
Sadly, I can not find too many people in my area who love the Word and spend time in it and in prayer every day. I can not find too many Church communities who are likewise.
So I just seek out and establish discipling fellowship relationships with those few that do love and understand the Truth. They always seem to be the most well rounded Reformed folks that I find.
Like Pilgrim as an example.
Dave
