The bible wasn’t around for approximately the first 400 years of Christianity, this is a historical fact. Protestants believe the bible is the only source of truth, or the only basis as to how their religion should be set up. What about those first 400 years before there was a bible? Was Christianity supposed to take a 400 year hiatus? To me this seems like a giant flaw in the argument of Sola Scriptura, it goes to prove why we as Catholics also have Church Tradition, were following the teachings and practices set forth before the Bible, and coincidentally, they run parallel to the teachings in the Bible which came LATER.
Update:Still though neither of you has given me a reason why Christians should ignore and completely disregard the Traditions of the early church fathers. You"re just furthering my point.
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Also you forget Protestants hold the KJV as the only true scripture and and that did not come around until 1611.
I actually had an evangelical Christian tell me Christianity was invented by Martin Luther.
The Bible is based on scripture that can be dated to 40 years after Jesus' death and Paul's letters are only 15 years after Jesus' death. The earliest documents of Plato man has come across were made over 1,000 years after his death and we have something like 10 copies, but we teach that stuff in school like it couldn't be more accurate. Yet, somehow we found ourselves arguing about a scripture written only 40 years after the fact and documents that come by the thousands, none of which contradict each other. The Bible is based on these scriptures. Christianity didn't take a hiatus, we just hadn't put in a book for 400 years. There are books in the Catholic Bible on popes, don't act like Catholicism hasn't done anything to dilute Christianity. It got to the point to where Catholics were brainwashing people into thinking they had to spend money to have their sins forgiven and I still see Catholics praying to Mary, statues, and Angels which terribly contradicts what any Bible says. Unless there is a Bible that says it's okay to worship and pray to people that aren't God.
Scripture has been around since the time of Moses, who wrote down the first 5 books of the bible. Jesus himself read scripture in the synagogues, so we know it existed then already. The gospels that record the life of Jesus were all written down within 75 years of His ascension. The apostle Paul also wrote his epistles at the same time. There were no printing presses in those days, and it took a long time to write books by hand, so actual written scripture was scarce. That's why the Word was kept in believing men's hearts, and also why Christians gathered together so they could share this Word. The important thing is that all scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, thus it is the Word of God Himself. Whether men read it from a book or hear it from other men, the Word of God will accomplish what He wants it to.
You know what I like about Sola Scriptura?
Just the Latin. ;o)
not only that but they don't even have the entire biblical cannon of scripture