So without a Bible, you could not meaningfully know God? That's an interesting idea. What about all of the illiterate people throughout history that had neither the ability nor the leisure time to read Scripture? They never knew the Word of God, Jesus?
Ever since the printing press people have gotten funny ideas about how God is experienced and how good they are at knowing all that God wants us to know.
If it makes you feel good to think that there is no need or command to read the scriptures go ahead
Try not putting words in my mouth, OK?
Pointing out your confusion between the Bible and the Word of God is not to say there is no need to study Scripture. Only that one can recognize that God is experienced through other means than only reading.
When you remove Church and Sacrament and history from your beliefs, it is little surprise that you fixate on Scripture as all. I mean, what else do you have left?
SD
Are you saying that someone that never heard of Christ might be saved? Are you saying there is salvation without a knowledge of Christ?
Ever since the printing press people have gotten funny ideas about how God is experienced and how good they are at knowing all that God wants us to know.
Lets say after the reformation when people learned that they could not get to heaven by purchasing a ticket.
Jesus reinforced that by his constant quoting of the OT as He taught.
If you read the OT you will find that those periods of time where the scriptures were not central to the Jews were the times that they were apostate and following other gods and goddesses . It was only the word of God that brought them to repentance and back to God
Neh 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading.
Neh 8:9 ¶ And Nehemiah, which [is] the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day [is] holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
That is what we saw in the pre-reformation Catholic church. False gods and heresy taught as doctrine and the word of God bring men back to the truth
Very interesting thoughts, SoothingDave.
"When you remove Church and Sacrament and history from your beliefs, it is little surprise that you fixate on Scripture as all. I mean, what else do you have left?"
The scriptures say that that is enough to make you wise unto salvation, 2 Tim. 3:15-17, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
It doesn't say that the Church, sacraments or history can do that. It is only through the Scriptures that God has revealed His plan of salvation. The Scriptures are perspicuous in all that relates to salvation and one does not need a professional class to interpret it. The Holy Spirit is sufficient for the task.