1. All this bible-quoting has taken us away from the main topic of the post -- is "Bible Alone" enough? The answer can only be no. It could not have been God's plan because of (a) practical impossibilities for 1900 years of Christianity, and even today, and (b) because individual interpretation of the Bible is inherently corrupt.
Quite frankly, ... corruption may occur in Protestant circles, ... but the, supposedly, infallible teaching of the Roman Catholic Church certainly isn't seen to be producing any better fruit, especially, in light of the scandals the church faces today.
Jesus said ... "You shall know tham by their fruits."
Unfortunately, you cannot look at the fruit of the, spposedly, infallible teaching of the Catholic church and, indeed, conclude that their teacing is infallible.
I would say that corruption is not inherent in the manner of interpretation of the scriptures, ... but rather in the hearts of those doing the interpreting. If one is seeking God, God has promised that you will find Him through His word. This has been His promise since Old Testament days. However, if one seeks according to one's own agenda, corruption will be the result, whether it an individual doing the seeking ... or a, supposedly, infallible oraganization doing the seeking.
Which brings up an interesting question for me.
How is it that you, an Othodox christian, reconcile the claims to unique leadership and teaching by the catholic church ?
Is God's teaching from the seat of Peter for you ?
If not, ... how do the Orthodox trace the authority for the teaching and interpretation of the scriptures ?
I hope you realize that human corruption, which is inherent in our nature, is different from Christian teaching which is guided by the Holy Spirit. As such, the transgresisons of Protestant ministers, or Orthodox priests, or ordinary Christians, or even of the pope, are acts and expressions of our human corruption and not of false theology.
Unfortunately, you cannot look at the fruit of the, supposedly, infallible teaching of the Catholic church and, indeed, conclude that their teacing is infallible
What are we then to say of various Protestants whose acts and behavior were clearly immoral and evil? Obviously, teaching from an infallible Bible did not cure human corruption. That has to come from within -- and it is a long and incomplete process.
I would say that corruption is not inherent in the manner of interpretation of the scriptures, ... but rather in the hearts of those doing the interpreting
We read Scriptures with imperfect minds and therefore interpret them imperfectly. We can only hope that a collective understanding of imperfect minds, because they are imperfect to different degrees, can gives a less imperfect understanding of that which is Incomprehensible, Eternal, Ineffable, Uncircumscribed, Simple, Indivisible, and so on, the apophatic attributes of God.
If one is seeking God, God has promised that you will find Him through His word
Or is it through His Word? Finding God is an awareness of His love and His ever-presence in your life, not knowing Him, as in understanding or comprehension.
How is it that you, an Othodox Christian, reconcile the claims to unique leadership and teaching by the catholic church ?
Why should I reconcile the claims of unique leadership of the Catholic Church and more than reconciling the cliam of the Protestants that the Church was in apostasy before Martin Luther?
Is God's teaching from the seat of Peter for you ?
Our Lord Jesus Christ commisisoned his Apostles to preach in the name of Trinity. Nowhere did He appoint a "leader" with external authority among them. Even that one passage where Jesus says "Though art Peter and on this Rock I will buld My Church..." is understood to refer to Simon's faith that was rock-solid. For it makes more sense for our Lord to build His Church on that rock-solid Faith as a means for our salvation, then on Peter himself!
Peter and his successors, the Bishops of Rome, did enjoy the primacy of honor, but not the juridical authority over and above other Apostles and their successor bishops. All seven Churches were always equal in rank and all Apostles and their descendant bishops are too. how do the Orthodox trace the authority for the teaching and interpretation of the scriptures
Through the Apostles and their bishops, and valid priesthood, in other words -- through Apostolic succession.
The role of the laity in the Orhtodox Church is not a subordinate one, as it is sometimes in the Catholic Church. The lay members of the Church have equal responsibility and duty to correct or challenge other lay members or ordained members of the church if their teachings clash with the collective knowledge of the Church, especially on issues of practices.
It must be understood that the only "authority" in the Orthodox Church is the authority of the Bishop over his church. He is the final say on matter of the Church. That doesn;tr mean that he cannot be challenged. The Church makes decisions through Synods. There is a place of honor for the Patriarch of Constantinople (the second Rome), who is first among equals but who exerts no stewardship or external authority over other bishops.
The Orthodox Church does not see God as an external authority, in the human fashion, but simply as Truth that is implanted in our minds and inscribed in our hearts.