I was simply trying to say that YOU alone cannot determine what is Scriptural and what is not. A "feeling" that something is divine or not has led to the creation of Islam, Hinduism, and many other false religions. You cannot logically rely on just yourself or even a few people to decide what is and what is not true.

Actually, whenever the NT cites the OT, it always is from the Septuagint (LXX). As you should know, the LXX DID include the deuterocanonical books. To name one example, Mary's Magnificat is based on a prayer of Judith from the book of the same name.


If you accept the Bible simply because you feel like God is speaking to you in it, then a Muslim who feels that God is speaking to him in the Quran is just as correct as you. The obvious falsehood of this is easily avoidable by only using sourceds tyhat come from a good authority.

Not to delve too far into philosophy, but actually it is not an axiomatic truth that you exist. The only universal truth able to be defined is that you perceive. All else derives from this.

Again, this debate is far from its original topic.
I DO NOT need to prove ANY Sacred Traditions to refute sola scriptura (though I can). However, YOU MUST prove sola scriptura from JUST the Bible.

If you cannot prove sola scriptura, then admit it is false and THEN I will give you an example of a Sacred Tradition.

We must determine what is Scriptural and what is not. Your answer seems to be that you determine what is Scripture based on your theory that what ever the RCC says is scripture is scripture. You are still making a determination, though on faulty grounds, as you cannot prove that what the RCC says is God's Word.

In fact there are millions of persons in the Church. These have said all kinds of conflicting things over 2000 years of time. Thus the statements of the Church cannot be taken to be God's Word.

Neither do you have any proof that ecclesiastical council decrees, papal bulls, or sayings of Church Fathers are God's Word. Your reference to the word "traditions" in the NT refers to things said in the past, oral statements by prophets & written prophecy, like Paul's letters. It has no ref at all to future decrees or statements by future "church fathers." Anyone who heard a prophecy given orally or read a prophetic epistle became responsible to obey the truth received. This has nothing to do with imaginary church father traditions.

MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE

Christians have an innate ability & the indwelling Holy Spirit anointing which enables then to recognize the voice of God when they hear it. Thus they have little trouble knowing what is scripture & what is bogus. There was no centuries long process of discovering what was God's Word. When it was published immediately the recipients knew what it was.

GOSPEL OF JOHN:

"But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand."


1 JOHN

"And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all the things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth. "

1 JOHN 2

"And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal. 26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray. 27 And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you; concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him. "

1 THES 1-2

"how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showed ourselves toward you for your sake. 6 And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit;"

" 13 And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe. "

Believers who heard the prophetic message received it at that time; they did not wait hundreds of years for ecclesiastical canons.

1 Cor 15

"15:1 Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, 2 by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. "

It is clear that those who received the Word of God were expected to recognize it as such & obey it very quickly. No ecclesiastic council was required.

Well, I hold it axiomatic that I exist & prior to affirming that I perceive. How could I perceive, if there were no I???

I do not need to prove the 66 books since you accept them. They are common ground.

Also the facts that 1) the God of the Bible exists & that 2) the Bible is the Word of God are axioms. They are self-evident. You have to affirm these for yourself.

MY CLAIM IS THAT THE 66 BOOKS ARE GOD'S WORD. It has never been proven to me that anything else (which is readily available to me) is God's Word. Now if you want to refute my POV, you have to prove to me that something else is God's Word.

Can you do that?

Did you read my postings on faith, epistemology, & axioms below?