Sola Scriptura: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

When God wakes you up at 5 am to write about Sola Scriptura, you should listen,
because He isn't going to let you sleep otherwise.

As a disclaimer, I am not a Catholic Scholar, I do not wish to impose my views upon others, merely encourage personal research and discussion about this topic.
I'm not perfect. I make mistakes and I pray that my Merciful and Loving Father, Jehovah-Jireh, will guide my writing so it may be true and bound together with His word. I also pray that this post reaches the ears and hearts of those who need it. 

Sola Scriptura and what I have come to understand with my own personal research:

Firstly, Sola Scriptura, in Latin, means "by scripture alone". This phrase refers to the belief in most protestant churches that the bible is the supreme and ONLY authority in all matters of doctrine and practice of faith.

As a protestant, I was prepared to bring all the "crazy Catholics" to Christ by relaying scripture that I believed to be affirming Sola Scriptura. The most common scripture was 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
But wait, does it truly affirm Sola Scriptura?

Let's take a look at the verse: "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work." 2 Tim 3:16-17.

Background:
In order to understand this verse, we must understand the purpose Paul had for writing this letter. This is a Pastoral Epistle. This letter was written by Paul to Timothy, a young bishop that Paul himself ordained. This letter was written later in Paul's career and takes on character of a final exhortation and testament to Timothy. It contains instructions for the work of a pastor in caring for the community under his charge.

I would like to ask you, what is the pillar and foundation of truth?
once upon a time, my immediate answer would have been "the Bible", but I have since changed my answer to "the church" because of Paul's words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:15.

By understanding this verse and it's context within Paul's teaching on the mystery of our religion, we are able to understand that while Jesus was on earth, he did not establish a book to be the foundation of the christian faith, but  a church. (Matthew 16:15-18, 18:15-18; Ephesians 2:20, 3:10, 3:20-21, 4:11-15; Hebrews 13:7,17)

Before A.D. 397 there was not an official collection of books and letters called the bible.
So what did they teach in the church that Christ founded?
They taught the law of the lord and writings from the apostles that where considered true and worth mentioning, some that were not included in the cannon.

So, if the church that Jesus had established did not have the bible, all bond together nicely, how did people know that what they heard from the church authorities and these letters was truthful?

Authority:
In Matthew 16 verses 15-19, Jesus asks the disciples who they thought he was. Simon peter replied "you are the messiah" Jesus then blessed peter saying "for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are peter, and upon this rock I will build my church..." Jesus establishes that Peter (his name literally means rock) will be the man who he builds his church on. He goes on to give peter authority in the church by saying, "I will give you keys to the kingdom of heaven. whatever you bind on earth shall be bond in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Jesus shall build his church upon peter and has given peter his authority to teach the people.
Through the laying on of hands as seen in acts 8 verses 14-17, Apostles received the authority of the Holy Spirit and through succession, that authority has been continuously passed down generation after generation until today. this is called Apostolic succession.

Incorporate background knowledge:
So, now that we know a little about the purpose of this letter to Timothy, The true pillar and foundation of truth, Christ's establishment of a church, the teachings before the bible was canonized, the Authority Christ gave peter, and apostolic succession that is still in authority today, We can look back at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 once again.

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work." 2 Tim 3:16-17.

Where does this verse say that Scripture is the only authority?
It states that scripture is "inspired by God", that it is "useful for teaching", "for refutation", and more, but it does NOT state that it is the only source for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and so forth.
Scripture is the "standard of truth" but not in a way that eliminates or denies the binding authority of authentic apostolic tradition and the Church.
To my knowledge, there is no biblical evidence for scripture as the rule of faith in isolation from the Church and Tradition.

If I were to ask you what is the "Word of God", what would you say?
Scripture? The bible?

What if I were to tell you that the "word of God" refers to teachings both oral and written?
Jeremiah 25 shows us how the word of God was given to the people of Jerusalem by the prophet Jeremiah orally. the people would not listen, yet God held them accountable for what they had heard.
Oral teaching holds authority.

Lets take this back to 2 Timothy.

"Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the holy Spirit that dwells within us"1:13-14

"And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well." 2:2

"but you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it" 3:14

 Each of these show the authority that Paul places on oral teaching of the "word of God"

Tradition:
Lets take this one step further.
As a protestant, I used the concept of Sola Scripture to denounce the authority of tradition.
I have since seen how tradition can be the fulfillment of the scriptures and is good.
I think all can agree that tradition, when corrupt, is bad. (Matthew 15:2-6, Mark 7:8-13, Colossians 2:8)
But, when tradition is in harmony with and does not oppose the word of God, it is good. (Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 11:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Timothy 1:13-14, 2:2)

Often times, people look at Catholicism and don't understand it. That's ok.
By reading the works of the church fathers and researching the original way the church held a service, we are able to see the beauty of tradition and how, while not always directly written in the scriptures, it is never against the Word of God. Traditions are given the purpose of encouraging and uplifting someone so they may live a life in accordance with the scriptures and one that brings glory to God. 

All-in-all,
I have found that Sola Scriptura is not biblical, but that Sacred Scripture, Sacred Traditions, and the authority of the Church (three-legged stool) work together to create a beautiful and holy body of Christ that, by grace, are saved through faith acted out by works of love.

I hope this has given you thought-provoking material and encouraged you to do your own research, ask questions, and never stop searching for the true church of our Father. 
If you have any questions or want to know my opinion or personal research on a subject, please don't hesitate to ask. I encourage you to find fault in my work so that I may be strengthened and equipped.

"consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. and let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." james 1:2-4

1. According to Scripture: Sola Scripture
2. Refutation of Sola Scriptura
3. Armstrong, Dave. Proving the Catholic Faith Is Biblical: From Priestly Celibacy to the Rosary: 80 Short Essays Explaining the Biblical Basis of Catholicism. Manchester: Sophia Institute, 2015. Print.
4. Keating, Karl. Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism" by "Bible Christians" San Francisco: Ignatius, 1988. Print.

I'm Coming Home: My Journey to Catholicism

This Blog post will be about my journey, from reluctant and un-(or should I say mis-) informed protestant to soon-to-be Catholic, and the emotional, mental and spiritual tribulations which arose.
I will also address a few misconceptions of the Catholic faith in hopes of clarification for those who are willing to listen.

Firstly, Let me tell you my journey.
Full disclosure, everything written here is about my personal experience and independent study of the catholic faith, also, it is rather long. 
you've been warned.

My journey as a protestant:
I was born into an assembly of God church and at the age of 11, my family began attending a Cumberland Presbyterian church. We remained there. at the age of 14, my mind began to question everything. I was in a public High school, after years of home schooling, and my life had become saturated with people of all different spiritual walks. By 15, I had scene the joy of the Lord in others and sought out a way to acquire a spirit on fire for God.  I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit on August 3rd of 2011. Through the remainder of high school, I led a "Youth Alive" group, actively participated in Apologetic classes and Doctrine of Man studies, by Paul Washer, taught at a local Southern Baptist Church. I also filled my bible with highlighter marks, pen scribbles, drawings, questions, references, dates, sticky notes and more. I January 1-5th of 2013 (my senior year), I attended the Passion Conference in Atlanta, GA (keep this conference in your back pocket, I'll come back to it). I was on fire for the Lord and I led myself to believe that I had it all figured out, when it came to the direction God had set for my life.

Then college hit.

I asked the question, "Why do I believe this?"

Why am I identifying as a Cumberland Presbyterian? 
Why am I involved with the southern baptist ministry on campus?

I had to find the truth.

Searching for the "True Church" in the protestant faith: 
I began researching further into the foundational beliefs of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, then the Southern Baptist, then Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, and more. After 3 semesters, and many different church visits, I found myself attending a Reformed Anglican church with a friend of mine in march of 2015. This was my first encounter with anything close to Catholicism. I sat in the back pew and followed along in their Common Book of Prayer. I watched as people knelt, sat, stood, and bowed for different portions of the service. I found the prayers beautiful and tightly bound by scripture. I watched as the priest would prepare communion for the congregation and I truly felt touched by the way this group of people worshiped.

"Why is this service different from a Presbyterian or baptist service?"
"They are so different, surely, one of them must be more right."
"Why is each Protestant church different?"

I searched deeper. I looked at church history and was incredibly intrigued by the reformation (a concept often overlooked by basic education and students). In 1517, the protestant reformation formally began with Martin Luther's 95 theses being posted on the Wittenburg Cathedral. In 1520, Luther wrote much and denied the authority of the pope to interpret or confirm the interpretation of the bible. from then on, there were executions, protests, and more which led to the birth of the Church of England, the Jesuit Order, Lutherans, and more. Different protestant denominations continue to arise and claim to have it all figured out.

This made me think of my church history. Cumberland Presbyterians were founded on February 4th 1810. "my church has only been around for a little over two hundred years?"  I continued to look at other churches and their history, then wondered, "The Catholic Church must have something right after being around for so long and surviving so much trials and tribulations."

I let that thought linger in the back of my mind as I gathered small bits of information. I feared the Catholic Church. It was unknown territory.

"Those are the people that Worship Mary and pray to saints" 
"They don't actually pray to God directly" 
"They can't be Christian!"
"I don't belong there."

I prayed that God would help me to find his "True Church" time and time again. I wanted so badly to figure it out, because I was honestly becoming frustrated and discouraged. I questioned my faith on many occasions and felt lost.

Finding the Catholics:
At the end of August of 2015, Without prior knowledge of his religious affiliations, I met and went on a date with a Catholic man (Bret). It went well. Turns out, he was a student at my university and invited me to the Catholic Student Organization (CSO) House on campus. I was nervous.

"I'm a protestant."
"I don't belong there."
"What am I getting myself into"

I agreed to tag along.

At the CSO, I met the people that were necessary so I could learn more about the Catholic faith. I had many conversations with the campus minister, priest, missionaries, and students. they were always available when I needed them.
Before long, Bret tricked (more of a "right place at the right time" scenario) me into my first mass at the CSO house.
This was a small service, like any college campus ministry would hold. It was simple and concise.
I was interested to see how a proper and fully equipped parish would hold mass.
I went to St. Michael's on Summer Ave with Bret and his family.
I fell in love.
The service was stunningly rooted in scripture. From the acts of reverence, to the incense, to the presentation of Christ, to the prayers, I saw scripture everywhere!
I kept thinking "Play it cool Ruth."
But my heart was screaming "I know that psalm! I know why you have a profession of faith, greetings of peace, memorial acclamations,etc..." 

"Ok Ruth, this changes things, but don't let your emotions get caught up and make a hasty decision. you've got to think this through. You've got to KNOW that this is the true church."

I was determined to learn all I could. I needed to know if this was where my Father was calling me to be. soon after that mass, I was meeting one-on-one with one of the missionaries each week to answer my questions about the Catholic faith, attending a bible study, and RCIA (the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) classes at a local Parish.

I was completely consuming every bit of information I could find and researching it to be sure that what I was being told was truth.

I was finding answers that were firmly grounded within scripture.
I was falling deeper and deeper in love with the Mass and learning to love my Father in a more intimate and satisfying way.
Throughout my journey, I found overwhelming scriptural evidence that led me to slowly lose grip of things I had always believed to be true, sola scriptura, communion as symbolic, and more.
Even as I gained this new knowledge, I still identified as Protestant and was not prepared to become Catholic.

Adoration:
I was able to see the Beauty of God, His attributes, and the incomparable love He has for His children at the renewal of our covenant with Him at each mass,
But I was struggling to feel my Father.

"If this is your church, where are you?"

I found Eucharistic adoration.
"I found You."

For those of you who are not familiar with adoration, It is the presentation of the Eucharist in a space that is for silent prayer, meditation, and contemplation. you can learn more Here.

I spent hours upon hours in Eucharistic adoration praying for the Lord to reveal the truth to me. I prayed for understanding, willingness to listen even if I did not like what He was telling me.

It was as if I wanted to fully fall on love with the Catholic Church, but I was afraid and trying so hard to guard my heart. I was hesitant. I wanted to know for sure
I still had doubts.

Christmas Eve:
Everything Changed one evening when I returned to my parents' Cumberland Presbyterian church for Christmas Eve service. At that service, I sat and watched the pastor, a dear friend, prepare the congregation to receive communion. As I watched him break the hawaiin sweet bread and present the grape juice, I was uncomfortably trying to justify it, but continued to remember John 6:22-70 and the presentation of Christ's Body. I could not ignore the truth that I had discovered.

 "This isn't right"

The pastor called the congregation to the table of the Lord. I sat and watched my church family receive communion, when it cam time for me to join them, I had an overwhelming and distinct understanding:

"This Is not for you anymore."

I remained in my pew and in that moment, realized that by not partaking in a communion I had received for 10 years, I had separated myself from my protestant faith, my church family, and my family and friends. My foundational beliefs were different.
I was overwhelmed and confused.

Student Leadership Summit:
 January 1st of 2016 came quickly and I found myself on a bus with many other catholic college students, heading to Dallas, TX for a Catholic Conference.
I knew that this trip would change me.
It would be a turning point in my faith. 
I was incredibly excited, but incredibly fearful as well. I was trying so hard to hide my fear and uncertainty from my peers.

Throughout the first two days, I was attempting to hide my frustration and confusion.
I couldn't help but remember that 3 years prior, to the day, I had been at a massive Protestant conference, Passion 2013. at the time, I thought I had my life figured out. I thought I knew exactly where the Lord was leading me. I thought I was home.
I wasn't so sure anymore.
I felt as if I had been led on to believe I was home, only to be turned around because I was missing vital information. I felt misplaced.

"Why would you allow me to fall in love with you within the Protestant church, if you were just going to take it away?"
"Why would you give me a home only to force me out of it?" 

I was upset.
I was angry.
I was hurt.

That evening, I planned to skip the prayer hour before mass in the morning. I was tired, confused, frustrated, and simply did not feel like putting in the effort.
I set my alarm for 8:30 am.

My alarm went off at 7 am.
Then at 7:15.
I figured someone was trying to tell me something.
"Ok. Ok. I get it. I'm going"  

 I got up and went to prayer.
"Daddy, I'm here. I was going to sleep through adoration, but you must have something very important to say to me...
"Father, am I doing the right thing by pursuing Catholicism? Is this where you desire me to be? Really, you have led me on such a roller coaster. I feel misled when I think of the years I spent falling in love with your beautiful spirit, as presented by the protestant faith. I feel as if you withheld your beautiful sacraments from me...
"I'm struggling to find any words Daddy. I'm sitting here, but I don't know what to say...
"Maybe I should just listen."

At that point, I opened my bible to Ephesians 3:14-21 because it was the first Lectio Divina in the 40 day challenge that each of the students were given. 
I was shocked.
This is the exact same verse that was used 3 years ago, to the day, at the Passion conference in Atlanta, GA.  
The exact same verse.

It reads:
¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, ¹⁷ and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

My heart sank and leaped and fluttered all at the same time.
This was amazing, not only was this the verse used 3 years prior, but it specifically speaks of Christ's desire for us to know the fullness of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with all the fullness of God.
I was blown away.
I cried and just thanked God for this. Jehovah-Jireh, You have provided me with exactly what I needed.
I knew in that moment, that I was exactly where God had willed me to be.

There were many other instances where this was reaffirmed throughout the conference, but this was definitely the most moving. 

So, after everything that has happened, everything that I have learned, and everything that is to come, I want to announce that this Easter, I will be coming home to the Catholic church.

Please, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.


I am beyond excited to be coming home to the Catholic church and I am very thankful for all of the people who helped me on this journey.
Thank you.