IS
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AN INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER OF THE BIBLE?
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
By David
J. Riggs
http://www.bible.ca/cath-bible-church-interpreter.htm
I)
INTRODUCTION
A)
CATHOLICS TRY TO PROVE THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BY
STATING THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THE INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER OF THE
BIBLE
B)
THERE ARE NO PASSAGES IN THE BIBLE WHICH STATE THAT CHRIST MADE HIS
CHURCH THE INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER OF HIS WORD
C)
CATHOLIC OFFICIALS FALSELY IMPLY THAT THE BIBLE CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD
WITHOUT THEIR INPUT
D)
CATHOLIC OFFICIALS FALSELY STATE THAT ONE CAN GET THE TRUE MEANING ONLY
FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
E)
CATHOLIC OFFICIALS FALSELY STATE THAT SCRIPTURE TEACHES THAT ONE CANNOT
MAKE A PRIVATE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE & THUS ONE MUST RELY ON
THE CHURCH'S INTERPRETATION
1)
2 PET. 1:20 IS FALSELY USED TO CLAIM THAT A PRIVATE INTERPRETATION IS
NOT PERMITTED
a)
BUT HOW CAN ONE BE EXPECTED TO PRIVATELY INTERPRET 2 PET 1:20 TO ARRIVE
AT THE INTERPRETATION THAT ONE IS NOT PERMITTED TO PRIVATELY INTERPRET
ANY VERSE
b)
PETER IS NOT SAYING ONE CANNOT HAVE A PRIVATE INTERPRETATION OF
SCRIPTURE, IT IS TEACHING THAT NO PROPHECY OF SCRIPTURE
EVER CAME BY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION
2)
THE FALSE USE OF THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH TO SUPPORT 'NO PRIVATE
INTERPRETATION' IGNORES THE ABSENCE OF WHAT SPECIFICALLY HAPPENED AT
CALVARY IN THE OT WHICH APOSTLE PHILIP HAD TO EXPLAIN TO THE EUNCUCH
3)
THE ARGUMENT THAT ONE WHO MAKES A PRIVATE INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE,
I.E., HAS HIS OWN UNDERSTANDING, THEN MUST CLAIM INFALLIBILITY IS FALSE
a)
TO SAY THAT ONE CANNOT HAVE A PRIVATE INTERPRETATION IS SAYING THAT ONE
CANNOT HAVE ONE'S OWN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE
b)
WHEN AN
INDIVIDUAL READS AND INTERPRETS THE BIBLE IT NO MORE IMPLIES HE IS
INFALLIBLE THAN DOES READING ABRAHAM LINCOLN MAKE HIM ABRAHAM LINCOLN
c)
THE WORD OF GOD
ITSELF IS THE INFALLIBLE AUTHORITY NOT THE ORGANIZATION OR INDIVIDUAL
INTERPRETING IT
4)
THE BIBLE AND HISTORY TEACH THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL IS REQUIRED TO HAVE
THEIR OWN UNDERSTANDING, I.E., PRIVATE INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE
a)
A STUDY OF THE BIBLE REVEALS THAT GOD REQUIRES/EXPECTS MAN TO MAKE
PRIVATE INTERPRETATIONS OF HIS WORD
b)
JESUS EXPECTED THE PEOPLE OF HIS DAY TO PRIVATELY INTERPRET THE
SCRIPTURES
c)
THE COMMON PEOPLE READILY HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD CHRIST'S TEACHINGS
WITHOUT AN INFALLBLE INTERPRETER
d)
AFTER THE CHURCH WAS ESTABLISHED, THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS LIKEWISE
REQUIRED THAT PEOPLE MAKE PRIVATE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE
e)
WHAT THE BIBLE DOES SAY VS WHAT IT DOES NOT SAY RE: THE CONCEPT OF
APRIVATE INTERPRETATION
f)
PASSAGES WHICH ARE ADDRESSED TO THE PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL REQUIRE THE
BELIEVER TO UNDERGO JUDGMENT, STUDY THE WORD, TEST TEACHERS AS TO THEIR
PROPER TEACHING OF THE BIBLE, WITHDRAW FROM TEACHERS IN ERROR - ALL
REQUIRING A PRIVATE INTERPRETATION
II)
THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF THE INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER
A)
IT IMPLIES THAT THE COMMON PEOPLE ARE TOO IGNORANT TO UNDERSTAND GOD'S
WORD
B)
THE DOCTRINE OF AN "INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER" IMPLIES THAT
RELIGIOUIS LEADERS SHOULD MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE PEOPLE
1)
THE CATHOLIC DOCTRINE OF AN "INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER" DEMANDS A
DEPENDENCE ON THE UNNAMIMOUS CONSENT OF CATHOLIC OFFICIALS FOR
INTERPRETATION
2)
THE "UNANIMOUS CONSENT OF THE FATHERS" IS A NON-ENTITY AND NOT
TRUSTWORTHY IN ANY CASE
3)
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIMSELF AND IS
NOT TO BLINDLY FOLLOW RELIGIOUS LEADERS
a)
THE JEWS OF OLD WERE TO LISTEN TO GOD'S WORD, NOT TO MAN'S
INTERPRETATIONS
i)
[Isa 28:7]:
ii)
[Jer 5:31]:
iii)
[Jer 8:10]:
iv)
[Jer 23:11]:
v)
[Ezek 22:26]:
vi)
[Osee 6:9]:
vii)
[Soph 3:4]:
C)
THE DOCTRINE OF THE "INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER" IMPLIES THAT GOD
DID NOT MAKE HIMSELF CLEAR
1)
IT IMPLIES THAT GOD GAVE US A REVELATION THAT STILL NEEDS REVEALING
2)
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS FAR MORE CONFUSING THAN THE BIBLE BECAUSE IT IS A
VERY COMPLICATED AND EVER CHANGING ORGANIZATION
D)
THE DOCTRINE OF AN "INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER" IS IMPRACTICAL AND
UNFEASIBLE
1)
THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN GIVE AN INFALLIBLE INTERPRETATION IS THE POPE
AND HE CAN DO IT ONLY WHEN HE IS SPEAKING EX-CATHEDRA
2)
THE CATHOLIC OFFICIALS THEMSELVES HAVE MADE UP ALL OF THE ABOVE "EX-CATHEDRA"
CONDITIONS. THERE ARE NO SUCH CONDITIONS IN THE BIBLE
3)
CATHOLIC OFFICIALS DODGE SUCH MISTAKES OF THE POPES BY SAYHING THAT THEY
WREN'T SPEAKING EX-CATHEDRA. THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS MADE NO SUCH
MISTAKES
4)
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ONE TO RECEIVE AN INFALLIBLE INTERPRETATION FROM
THE CHURCH WHEN THEY NEED IT
5)
THERE HAVE BEEN VERY FEW 'INFALLIBLE' INTERPRETATIONS IN NEARLY 2,000
YEARS AND THE AVERAGE CATHOLIC DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE
6)
IF ONE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE INSPIRED WRITINGS OF PETER, THE SUPPOSED
FIRST POPE, HOW DOES ONE KNOW ONE CAN UNDERSTAND THE 'INFALLIBLE'
INTERPRETATIONS OF THE PRESENT POPE?
7)
WHO GIVES THE INFALLIBLE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE INFALLLIBLE INTERPRETER?
8)
GOD DID NOT GIVE US AN INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER OF THE WORD, BUT GAVE US
THE WORD ITSELF AND HE WANTS AND EXPECTS ALL TO PROPERLY INTERPRET IT
DETAILED
EXAMINATION OF THE SELF-EVIDENT RULES OF INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE:
III)
THE FALSE DOCTRINE THAT PRIVATE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE CAUSES
UNGODLY DIVISION
A)
IT IS NOT THE PRIVATE INTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPTURES, BUT
CATHOLICISM'S CONTINUOUS FLOOD OF FALSE ARGUMENTS TO DISPLACE THE BIBLE
AS THE SOLE AUTHORITY THAT CAUSES DIVISION
B)
EVERY MAJOR DIVISION IN CHRISTIANITY ORGINATED FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
IV)
CONCLUSION
A)
THE DOCTRINE THAT THE CHURCH IS THE INFALLIBLE INTERPRETER OF THE BIBLE
IS COMPLETELY FALSE
1)
IT IMPLIES THAT THE COMMON PEOLE ARE TOO IGNORANT TO UNDERSTOOD
2)
IT DEMANDS THAT RELIGOUS LEADERS MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE PEOPLE
3)
IT INDICATES THAT GOD CANNOT MAKE HIMSELF CLEAR
4)
IT IS IMPRACTICAL AND UNFEASIBLE
5)
THE SCRIPTURES NOWHERE INDICATE THAT GOD GAVE US AN INFALLIBLE
INTERPRETER OF HIS WORD, BUT PLAINLY REVEAL THAT HE SIMPLY GAVE US HIS
INFALLIBLE WORD
6)
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT PRIVATE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE IS POSSIBLE
AND NECESSARY
B)
JESUS CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES PLACED NO AUTHORITY WHATSOEVER IN THE
CHURCH, BUT INSTEAD EXALTED THE HOLY SCRIPTURES AS MAN'S INFALLIBLE
GUIDE
1)
[Jn 5:39]:
2)
[Luke 16:29-31]:
3)
[2 Tim 3:16-17]:
4)
[Jn 20:31]:
5)
[Jn 17:14, 17]:
V)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
