Answer 1

My opponent here is assuming two things: The Church has to be infallible (which is no doubt a result of his presupposition that Rome is infallible) and that the verse in question assumes the infallibility of  “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” First Timothy 3:15 says: “but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” Nowhere in this verse is an infallible church assumed. One only needs to look at the church of Corinth to see that the church as a body errs at times. This is because while we are a body of believers, we are yet still a body of sinners who are being sanctified.

God has indeed promised us that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church. But instead of this being indicative of an infallible church, this demonstrates to us that it is God who is our protector and rock. We are built on the testimony of the apostles, but are held firm by the one who called us onto Himself and redeemed us in Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 states: “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” We who espouse Sola Scriptura do not believe such an admonishment has ceased at all. Indeed, we are to stand firm in the faith, and hold to what we are taught from the apostles. However, my opponent assumes that “traditions” here is in reference to his concept of “Apostolic Tradition” and he assumes that any unwritten admonishments by the apostles exist to this day. However, he can neither prove that a tradition finds its root in the apostles, nor can he effectively demonstrate that what Paul is talking about here is the “Roman Catholic concept of Tradition.” We who believe in Sola Scriptura contend that the teachings of the apostles were inscripturated.

It is for this reason that God supplied godly teachers. You are making an assumption, first of all, that one has to have an infallible canon list and a fully completed Bible in order to attain a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Secondly, you are assuming that we who believe in Sola Scriptura have eliminated the need for teachers, or said that godly pastors are spurious. But nothing could be further from the truth. God always has, and always will, raise up workers who are teaching and defending the truth. And God makes His truth very clear in His Word, from page one onward.

Answer 4

The letter of 2nd Timothy is probably Paul’s final letter� written before he was martyred. Paul knew he was about to die for the faith (2 Tim 4:6-8) and was laying down His message to Timothy along with admonishments to him. What matters about 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is not that the canon of Scripture had been completed. It is the fact that Paul is telling Timothy the inspiration and nature of Scripture, the resultant sufficiency of Scripture due to being God-breathed, and the functions of Scripture. Furthermore, what must be noted about this passage is that no other rule of faith is given by Paul which can accomplish the things he states that Scripture can do� 

(2 Timothy 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 2 Timothy 3:17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.)

Emphasis mine. Once again� this is derived from its nature as God-breathed, inspired revelation. And Scripture can be fully demonstrated to be God-breathed inspired revelation. Tradition, in the Roman Catholic sense, however, is such a amorphous term that it can hardly be defined by Rome, let alone demonstrated to be as equally theopneustos (God breathed) as Scripture is.

Answer 5

I do not have to establish a wall of defense on my side as to “how many ECF’s are on my side” in order to demonstrate the truth of Sola Scriptura. That is the RC burden, and not mine, as the RC ascribes more weight to the testimony of the Early Church Fathers. I respect their council and their stances, and look at them as godly brothers who went before and paved the way, but they are not the ultimate authorities on what is truth and what is error, as they themselves struggled with these very points. That having been said, if indeed Irenaeus is stating the “Roman Catholic dogma of Tradition,” then I would respectfully disagree with his assertion. However, I suspect that this is not the case, given what Irenaeus has written elsewhere:

“We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from those through whom the Gospel has come down to us, which they did at one time proclaim in public, and, at a later period, by the will of God, handed down to us in the Scriptures, to be the ground and pillar of our faith.” (Against Heresies III.1.1)

William Webster explains it best when speaking of these Irenaeus quotes cited by my opponent:

“Irenaeus proposes here a hypothetical situation. The Churches have received the tradition of the truth from the apostles. What, he asks, if they had not left us any writings? Then it would be necessary to follow the teaching, the tradition, of those Churches which have had direct contact with the apostles. The operative phrase here is, “what if the apostles had not left us their writings.” But in point of fact they have left us their writings. And the point he makes is that while the Church does preach and teach orally, the doctrinal content of that preaching and teaching is directly verifiable from the written Scriptures. Irenaeus is not affirming the existence of oral tradition. He is simply presenting a hypothetical situation as a way of combating the Gnostic heretics.” (Holy Scripture: The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith Vol. II, pg 25)

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Julie Staples