Sola Scriptura, or obedience to Christ's nomos?

General Faith
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Who is right? Ryan or Sam?

Sam Shamoun Answers: Ryan (NeedGod.net) — Why “Faith Alone” Fails Biblically

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”[1]

Paul states the same principle in Romans:

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”[2]

The ground of salvation is the finished work of Christ in His cross and resurrection. We do not contribute meritorious works to secure justification. Faith rests entirely upon the righteousness of Another.

However, the New Testament is equally clear that genuine faith does not remain barren.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”[3]

And James writes:

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”[4]

So the theological distinction is this:

We are justified by faith alone.
But the faith that justifies is not alone.

Works are not the cause of salvation. They are the necessary fruit of union with the risen Christ. If there are no works at all, Scripture calls into question whether true faith is present.

Therefore, we believe in Christ Jesus without works as the basis of our acceptance before God. Yet the believer, having been united to Christ in His death and resurrection, inevitably walks in works prepared by God.

Faith alone justifies.
The justified do not remain fruitless.

@Bruce_Leiter would appreciate your input here.

Johann.

  1. Ephesians 2:8–9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast - KJV ↩︎

  2. Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law - KJV ↩︎

  3. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them - KJV ↩︎

  4. James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone - KJV ↩︎

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I disagree with Sam in many things , but Sola Scriptura is not right. Catholic Church is the church Jesus founded 2000 years ago. For sure God didn’t wait 1500 years to reform the church. So The reformation was needed but within the papacy and the church not away. I think it’s protest not reform.

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Late here, 01.51 AM. We can discuss this when I’m not “foggy” @DanaCatholic but appreciate your input.

Johann.

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I will not bash your religion, nor am I trying to offend you. Can you find Salvation in the Catholic Church? Of course. Perhaps at one time, Catholicism was the closest to disseminating the Biblical lifestyle as displayed by the Disciples. However, there are MANY things that they have done over time to cause division, confusion, and or outright blasphemy.

Like any religion, over the years, you have had both good and not-so-good leaders. The one that is there now has a lot of things people are saying unholy and against God. People still wonder if the last Pope was forced out to put this one in. Just a few things that you should look at.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16

“Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21

Man is fallible. God is not. When the Church started adding things to the Word, it started to violate the Word. Nothing added or taken. This concept is rooted in Deuteronomy 4:2, which instructs the Israelites not to add to or subtract from the commands of God. This principle emphasizes the sufficiency and authority of Scripture, ensuring that God’s laws are preserved in their intended form. The New Testament also affirms this principle in Revelation 22:18-19, warning against altering the prophetic words of Scripture, which could lead to divine rebuke.

Then you have this. Catholics base the papacy on Matthew 16:18: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” The “rock” refers to Peter’s confession of faith, not the man himself. He was sent to the Jews. It was Paul who was sent to the Gentiles. As you remember, Paul even rebuked Peter at one point.

Again, I say Man is fallible. God is not. This is why we have only one mediator between God and us, and that is Jesus. That is why Sola Scriptura is God’s plan. After all, Jesus IS the Word.

I love the Catholic Church. There is a lot of good in it from the beginning until now. However, never mistake religion with salvation and or man over God.

With love,

Peter

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