The Bible Alone - Sola Scriptura - Dr. Scott Hahn replies

Matt Fradd from Pints With Aquinas interviews Dr. Scott Hahn, and asks him to respond to Sola Scriptura.

For more on Matt Fradd visit:

For more on Dr. Scott Hahn visit:

[rickrogue]

It is truly amazing to see, it seems that God reassigned former atheists, protestants, and others, to be as very eloquent and passionate apologists, theologians, and defenders of the Catholic Church and faith at our time.

[jvlp]

God allowed only those oral/verbal traditions that have significance, relevance, and importance to the process of SALVATION of Mankind to be written down called the SCROLL/BIBLE... why?... God knew, there will come a day, (our present day, today) that Oral/Verbal Traditions that were not written down but are still practiced will be HARDER to DEFEND by the Written Scriptures (Word of God) against Non-Believers (Atheists/Agnostics) who constantly attack/oppose our Spiritual God in Heaven... Amen.

[jvlp]

My understanding is this... All written WORD of God (Holy Scriptures) are AUTHORITATIVE and are Breathed out of God, profitable for TEACHING, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, and for TRAINING in Righteousness, that the man of God may/might be completed, equipt for every Good WORK (Acts/Deeds)"... (Ref. 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Therefore, any Verbal/Oral Traditions after the Book was completely written, that do not conform, sanction, adhere to, cohere to, and are not allowed by the written Holy Scriptures (the Bible), must and should not be followed, obeyed, or practiced by Christians... Amen.

[jvlp]

The President of any Country has an acclimation title of "The Excellency"... while the Pope is called "MOST HOLY EXCELLENCY" in the SUPERLATIVE DEGREE... Above God/YHWH's Acclimation Title..."Holy, Holy, Holy"... versus... "Most Holy Excellency"...

[reddhedds]

It’s a little bit straw man. Sola Scriptura recognizes Scripture as the highest and solely ultimate authority, recognizing the authority of the church and church leadership. Everything must be tested by Scripture but it does not denounce wisdom where wisdom does not conflict with Scripture.

[jvlp]

Apostle Peter was the 1st BISHOP of the 7 Churches in Asia Minor of the 1st Cent. A.D.... Not the 1ST FATHER/ PATER/POPE/PAPA claimed by the R.C.C.
By proper definition, the word BISHOP does not equate with the word POPE/PAPA/FATHER...
Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen.

[jvlp]

"All (Written) SCRIPTURE is given by INSPIRATION of God (God-Breathed), and is profitable for DOCTRINAL TEACHINGS, for REPROOF (Rebuke/Reproval), for CORRECTION (Rectify/Repair/Revise), and for INSTRUCTION (Command/Direction/Order) of RIGHTEOUSNESS... (ref. 2 Timothy 3:16)...

Therefore, the WRITTEN TRADITION is more AUTHORiTATIVE than the Oral/Verbal Tradition... Amen.

[jvlp]

As long as the Old Oral/Verbal Tradition does not contradict God's Written Tradition, God still allowed them to be practiced... However, if it does contradict, then God's Written Tradition which is more AUTHORITATIVE must supersede, overrule, and stop the practice immediately... (ref. 2 Timothy 3:16)...
The Oral and Written Traditions must be UNITED as ONE without confusion and division... One (United) God, One WORD (Scripture/Bible), and One TRUTH...
Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen.

[jvlp]

Take Note #1:... St. Paul said, "STAND FIRMLY and HOLD ON to the TRADITIONS (plural) that you have been taught by us (Apostles) whether by words of mouth/spoke words (Oral Tradition) or by our written Epistles/letters (Written Tradition)." (ref. 2 Thessa. 2:15)... Amen.
Therefore, as long as the Oral Tradition does not contradict the Written Tradition, that is OK/FINE...

However, if there are contradictions, the WRITTEN Tradition must override/overrule/supersede the questionable ORAL/VERBAL Tradition...
In other words, the WRITTEN TRADITION has a Greater Authority over the ORAL/VERBAL TRADITION... (ref. Mark 7:1-13)...

Written Tradition of the Words of God must always PREVAIL no matter the case maybe... Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen...

[jvlp]

Take Note: 1#... The English Word BIBLE comes from the Greek Word "TA BIBLIA" which merely/simply means "THE BOOK."...
The SOURCE of TRUTH is not the BOOK (Bible) itself but what is WRITTEN inside the BOOK which is the "WORD OF GOD." ... (Composed of Narration of History, True Stories of Goodness versus Evilness, betrayal, love, hope, faith, forgiveness, Laws, Commandments, etc.)...

Nobody (mortal man) could memorize all those things by ORAL TRADITION, which was why God/YHWH decided to have His WORD be WRITTEN down by God's chosen Inspired Men (no women) guided by the Holy Spirit to put them into writing... Those Oral Traditions that God did allow to be written down, clearly meant, that God NO LONGER wanted them to be practiced by True Christians after God's WORDS were completed in around 110 A.D. onward up to our time today... (ref. John 21:25)...

Again, as long as the Old Oral/Verbal Tradition does not contradict the WRITTEN TRADITION, that means, God still allows them to be practiced by True Christians... However, if not, the WRITTEN TRADITION must stop/remove those ORAL TRADITIONS, immediately (ASAP)....

In other words, The written "WORD OF GOD" is the Only Source of TRUTH in the SAGA OF MANKIND towards SALVATION...

"Every WORD of God proves TRUE, and God SANCTIFY the People of TRUTH." ... (ref. Proverbs 30:5-6)
"For the WORD of the Lord God is RIGHT and TRUE, He is faithful to all He Does." ... (ref. Psalm 33)
"The sum of your WORD is TRUTH, and every one of your RIGHTEOUS rules endures forever." ... (ref. Psalm 119:160).
"SANCTIFY them in TRUTH, Your (God's) WORD is the TRUTH." ... (ref. John 17:17)
(and many more, just to name a few)...

The Written WORD OF GOD is the Only Source of TRUTH... Facts and Truth of the Matters... Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen.

[jvlp]

Take Note #2:... The English word BISHOP comes from the Greek word "EPISKOPOS" and in Latin "EPISCOPUS" which means "Head, Team Leader, Overseer, Watcher, Care Taker, Keeper, etc... The Old English of Bishop is "BISCEOP" ... later on became BISHOP...

The HEAD of God's CHURCH is His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus founded upon Himself, "The ROCK."... When Christ Jesus ascended to God's Kingdom, Christ handed over God's Church to Peter as their FIRST CHURCH ELDER (Leader)... or in other words, FIRST BISHOP of God's 7 Churches in Asia Minor (presently Turkey)... Then followed by CHURCH WORKERS (Body of Christ) without HIERARCHY, each one partakes the DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES and BURDEN of the CHURCH matters...

Everybody is EQUAL (in Status/Treatment/Respect) among the BODY of Christ in God's Church, including the BISHOP or ELDER LEADER.

There is a SENCE of TRANSPARENCY in God's CHURCH with everything including FINANCES (Collections and Contributions) in the 1st to 3rd Cent. A.D.... The BODY of Christ has the VOICE and VOTE (SAY) to where the FINANCES must priority be spent first... for the sake of the Sick, Poor, Widows, etc... and not on Big Expensive/Luxurius Buildings, or Physical Structures...

Christ said, "God does not dwell on the HOUSE built by the Hands of Men." (ref. Acts 7:47-48 & 17:24-28)...

The English word FATHER in Greek is "PATER"... and in Latin is "PAPA" or "POPE"...

According to the written WORD of God, when it comes to Spiritual/Religious/Church Matters, we must not use or call anyone on Earth the Head/Elder/Leader/Teacher in God's CHURCH, as "FATHER, PATER, PAPA, or POPE, for we have only One Father which God/YHWH... (ref. Matt. 23:9)...

The Greek Orthodox Churches correctly called their Church Elder/Priest/Brethren as BISHOP which means OVERSEER and not FATHER...

Most Protestant Churches called their Overseer/Keeper, as the "Overal Elder Brethren or Head Brethren, " and not FATHER or POPE....
Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen...

[jvlp]

Take Note #2:... God said, "I will WRITE down My Laws/Commandments (God's WILL) to their HEARTS." (ref. Jeremiah 31:33 / Ezekiel 11:19 / 2 Corin. 3:3).

But for that to happen, God must first LITERALLY WRITE it down, which God does by/with His own fingers, God's Ten (10) Commandments written into two ( 2) Pieces of Stone Tablets that were given to Prophet Moses at Mt. Sinai.

Why must be written first?... Basically, because in those days only a few are Educated to know how to READ and WRITE like Moses...
Moses was the 1ST Scriber (inspired writer from the Holy Spirit) of God who wrote some of the MOSAIC LAWS of Israel...
For Example, the Law of Divorce, the Law of Purification, the Law of Sabbath, the Law of Food/Meat, Circumcision, Tithings, etc...

Finally, so that, starting with Prophet Moses, he could Speak out to the crowd of Israelites by READING the written "WORDS of God" that they may KNOW and BELIEVE/OBEY the WILL of God...

According to St. Paul, "FAITH starts/comes from (frequent) HEARING and LISTENING to the Words of God." (ref. Romans 10:17)... that was the ONLY WAY the Words of God be written in the HEARTS of the True BELIEVERS (True Christians who Worship God in SPIRIT and in TRUTH without Idols, Images, Statues, Rosary, Medallion, etc.) ... (ref. John 4:23)...

In conclusion, the WORDS of God must be Literally/Physically WRITTEN down first before the WORDS be written to every man's HEARTS, accordingly...
Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen.

[jvlp]

If R.C.C.'s argument is that the Oral Tradition came first before the Written Tradition... therefore, the Israelite Jews can also argue that the O.T. came first before the N.T., right?... But it does not mean just because the O.T. came first, we (Christians) need to still follow/obey the O.T. more than the N.T. ...

Christ Jesus said, "Do not mix/pour NEW wine on an OLD wineskin." ... and ... "Do not patch/sew a NEW cloth to a hole of an OLD garment." ... (ref. Mark 2:22 / Luke 5:37 / Matt. 9:16-17 )...

Again, when the WRITTEN TRADITION was finally completed from 70 A.D. to 110 A.D. (about 40 years to complete, John's Gospel and Revelation were the last)... all other written books after 110 A.D. were not considered inspired by the Holy Spirit, thus, not included...

God/YHWH was the AUTHOR of the WRITTEN TRADITION, and not man... that was God's own WORD... the Inspired Writers were merely just the SCRIBERS of God guided by the Holy Spirit...

God had summarized all the EVENTS that HIS only begotten Son, Christ Jesus had done for about 33 years of His life on Earth...
God had chosen only those with GREAT IMPORTANCE for Mankind's Salvation to be literally written down, for if all EVENTS that Christ Jesus had done will be written down, the whole world can not hold/contain the books... (ref. John 21:25)...

That was the reason why there were so many missing EVENTS of Christ Jesus' life from 12 years old onward that God did not allow them to be written down... but it does not mean Christ Jesus disappeared in Nazareth and somehow managed to go around the world and only came back during His Ministry.

Take Note #1: ... God is so MERCIFUL to us, HE summarized His WORDS into a Single Compiled Written Scriptures called BOOK to follow/obey so that we may have the Promise of Salvation, and also many could be SAVED...

Christ said, "Come to Me all of you who were Weary and Tired, for My YOKE (Task) is Easy and My BURDEN (Tests/Trials) is Light, come to Me, and I will give you REST."... (Physical/Spiritual Rest = Sabbath of Christ)... (ref. Matt. 11:28-30)...

IMAGINE if all the EVENTS done by Christ Jesus were written down for us to follow/obey, definitely, only a few or maybe no one will be saved.

God made it much SIMPLE (Simplified) for us to follow/Obey HIS WORDS... but here we are debating which is more AUTHORITATIVE either the Oral/Verbal or Written Tradition...

I personally put my TRUST (confidence) with the WRITTEN TRADITION than with the Oral/Verbal Tradition... I truly believe that God does not want those Oral/verbal Traditions that were NOT sanctioned/approved by the Written Tradition whose author is Father God/YHWH (and not Christ Jesus) to be practiced by True Christian Believers/Worshippers starting from approx. 110 A.D. onwards till today...

Take Note #2: ...God/YHWH made the WRITTEN TRADITION so that, the Believers have the MEANS (way) to check and balance the Oral Tradition if they are EXCEEDING beyond what is WRITTEN... (1 Corinthians 4:6)...

Take Note #3: ... It is the "WILL of Father GOD/YHWH" that we need to follow/obey, that is what Christ Jesus truly wants... (ref. Matt. 12:50).
Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen.

[jvlp]

The Oral Tradition that the Apostles had passed down to early Christians during those times without Written Tradition yet does not contradict to their Epistles and the 4 Gospel Writers... Most of the R.C.C. Dogmas especially from Blessed Mary contradicted from their writings...

After the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ Jesus to Heaven, approx. 40 years the Early Christian believers have only ORAL/VERBAL Tradition of the Words of God... That was why God allowed INSPIRED MEN to write down the ORAL/VERBAL TRADITIONS into WRITTEN TRADITION and to leave the EVENTS that Christ Jesus had done not to be written down that have LESS RELEVANT importance to our SALVATION... (ref. John 21:25)...

God had chosen only those EVENTS that have Great Importance to the Salvation of Mankind to be written down through the Inspired Men guided by the Holy Spirit.

After the Words of God were written down, those Old Oral/Tradition that are not written down, which meant, God no longer required them to be practiced by Christian Believers... otherwise, they should have been written down in the first place by the Apostles, logically speaking...

Again, as long as the Old Oral Tradition does not contradict to the writings of the Apostles and their Disciples, that is OK/fine to practice... However, if it does, the Written Tradition must override, supersede, and overrule the Old Oral Tradition...

Logically speaking, St. Paul would not dare to say, "DO NOT GO/EXCEED WHAT IS WRITTEN, " if he knew the Written Tradition would not be completed after he died (beheaded)... He was the only ONE that God had shown the 3RD HEAVEN in Vision...

All N.T. Scriptures had been WRITTEN down before the END of the 1st Cent. A.D. (or before 110 A.D.) ... the Book of Revelation was the last written Scripture that God revealed to Apostle John around 92-96 A.D. ... The 4 Gospels and Epistles/Letters were all WRITTEN down before the END of the 1st Cent. A.D. (or before 110 A.D.) ... All the 7 Churches of God in Christ from Asia Minor have all those ORIGINAL copies in Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek, preserved but were not compiled together as one book...

"All (Written) SCRIPTURE is given by INSPIRATION of God (God-Breathed), and is profitable for DOCTRINAL TEACHINGS, for REPROOF (Rebuke/Reproval), for CORRECTION (Rectify/Repair/Revise), and for INSTRUCTION (Command/Direction/Order) of RIGHTEOUSNESS...
(ref. 2 Timothy 3:16)...

Therefore, the WRITTEN TRADITION is more AUTHORiTATIVE than the Oral/Verbal Tradition...
Facts and Truth of the Matters, Biblically and logically speaking... Praise be to God in Christ Jesus...Amen.

[jvlp]

The Written Scriptures already EXISTED long before Rome became Catholic in the 4th Cent. A.D. ... Take note, most of the Written Scriptures were written in Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek... and not in Latin... What the Catholics did was to translate them into LATIN with some BIAS Doctrines to FIT their Dogmas...

For example... Prophet Isaiah Prophesied (Isaiah 7:14)... the word "HA ALMAH, " which only means, "The Young Woman."... the Roman Catholic Latin Version was translated as "The VIRGIN MAIDEN" ... Isaiah never mentioned "BETHULAH" (Virgin)... he never wrote "HA ALMAH BETULAH."
DINAH the daughter of Jacob was called "ALMAH" (young woman) even after she was RAPED by the pagan prince... R.C.C. twisted the narrative of the Prophecy of Isaiah to FIT their DOGMA narrative of PERPETUAL VIRGINITY... and many more...

The Israelite Jews knew what the R.C.C. had done in the 4th Cent. A.D., which was why the R.C.C. persecuted the WONDERING (Exiled) Jews around the world... They knew what they had done...

Christ Jesus's True CHURCH never commanded His Apostles to harm, persecute, or murder/slaughter those who do not AGREE or CONVERT to CATHOLICISM... "For whatever you do the least of your brothers/neighbors (foes alike), you are doing unto ME (Christ Jesus)" ... (ref. Matt. 25:40)...

Christ only commanded His Apostles a "Symbolic and Spiritual Act" to "SHAKE THE DUST OFF THEIR FEET/SANDALS, " for/to those who do not want to accept (rejected) the Gospel"...(ref. Matt. 10:14)... NO Physical VIOLENCE of whatsoever...

Does the R.C.C. obey and follow that?... History attested they have NOT... therefore, that CHURCH was not from GOD from the start... but from SATAN and his FALLEN Angels who always like VIOLENCE, CHAOS, DIVISION, and WAR...

Historians, Theologians, and Archeologists NEVER found the 7 CHURCHES of God built and founded by Christ Jesus in the 1st Century A.D. in Asia Minor mentioned in the Book of Revelation, up to the 3rd Century A.D. ForeFathers of the CHURCH had harmed, persecuted, or murdered Pagans, Gentiles, Agnostics, Heretics, Atheists, and Jews... absolutely, NONE for the sake of FAITH of the CHURCH...

However, perhaps, individual Early Christians had harmed somebody NOT for the SAKE of the CHURCH (FAITH) but for their self/personal reasons caused by their own weaknesses... For example, cheating spouses, jealousy, vendetta, pride, debts, drunkness, etc...

Only in the 4th Century ONWARD when Pagan Rome had accepted CHRISTIANITY through Emperor Constantine... that persecution and slaughtering started for the SAKE of the R.C. CHURCH... Catholicism and Islamism are both KILLING for the sake of their RELIGION/CHURCH.

Facts and Truth, HISTORIANS, THEOLOGIANS, and ARCHEOLOGISTS attested to this matter... Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen.

[jvlp]

The Roman and Greek Catholic Church still practiced or copied some Jewish Tradition of Priesthood in their Temple/Synagogue... for example the use of Priesthood colorful Vest/Cloak, the use of Ritual Incense smoke, the use of the ALTAR (sacred table), and all ritual paraphernalia... (may not be exactly the same but were taken from the same tradition)...

In the 1st Century A.D. Christians... Do all the Apostles of Christ "ACT" somewhat like a PRIESTHOOD doing some Spiritual Ritual at any Altar every time Christians gathered around during Sunday (Rest in Christ/Resurrection Day)?... NOPE... Christ Jesus is the Last Priesthood of God... but never acted the same way the Jewish Priesthood did in the Temple/Synagogue...

Does the "Breaking of the Bread" (commemorating the Last Supper of Christ) need/require Ritual INCENSE Smoke and BELLS?...where does this Ritual come from?... I thought Christians were no longer under the Law of Moses and Mosaic Law by practicing Priesthood Rituals every SUNDAY?...

[angeliquebreux]

For Sola fide
What the Bible asks is not only to have faith, it is to do what is true with faith. The Bible is a book with verses that are part of a whole, not separate verses to be understood as we want, taken out of context and interpreted. We may have faith, but if we are in the world we are the enemy of God. As James 4:4 said : Adulteresses that you are! Don't you know that love for the world is synonymous with hatred against God? He therefore who wants to be the friend of the world makes himself the enemy of God. If we believe what Christ said but act as the world pleases, then we are acting like the Pharisees, who believed in God, but did not act as they preached. Actions are how we show ourselves to be obedient, consistent, loving, it is through action that we prove that we really agree with what Jesus said and that we are not lying to ourselves. Faith alone is not enough, we needs actions, love, obedience, the grace of God. A servant is not a servant if he believe in what make a servant but do not serve. Actions are complementary to Faith, like women is for men. The Bible is what lead our actions, not only a speech to agree with.

[jrhemmerich]

It is clear that the church of the Apostles precedes their writings, but that does not mean that their writings are equal to the indeterminant oral tradition carried on in the church beyond the first generation or two.

The oral tradition gave the early post-Apostolic church (Polycarp, Clement, etc.) the ability to identify authentic Apostolic writings (supposing they met with those not directly given to them). And these men witnessed to the veracity of the Apostolic writings. But once these men passed away the oral tradition was diluted and no longer helpful. The written tradition in the scriptures preserved accurately the oral tradition. It is not that Protestants deny oral tradition, but rather that there is a lack of proof that any oral tradition can be established which is not also found in the written tradition.

That is the burden of proof which the Roman Catholic bears. If the authority of the church dogmatizes teachings that are underdetermined from the standpoint of the Apostolic written tradition, then it is likely setting the bar too high, it is making demands that exceed the Apostolic requirement, especially when it claims to be able to do this not only for administrative matters that change with the times, but for dogma that is required for salvation. When one adds the claim of infallibility, which was only for the Apostles who heard Jesus himself, it becomes extremely problematic.

The Holy Spirit through Paul says, “do not go beyond what is written, then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of of one of us against another” (1 Cor. 4:6). There would be much more unity in the church if we listed to Him.

[TheBadTrad]

What a treasure Dr Hahn is for Holy Mother Church! Thank God for him!

[frankcaciques]

Traditions may not contradict scripture. They are not mutually exclusive.