If the Bible alone is the pillar of truth then why doesn't it say that it is?

I think you are trying to dismantle a fundamentalist (evangelical) notion that says that the Bible is self-evident in its meaning, and also that it is the final authority. The people who make such claims actually interpret the scriptures according to their own agendas, but they claim that the Bible is inerrant and the sole "pillar of truth" in order to support their positions. By masking the fact that their understanding of scripture is actually an interpretation grounded in a particular time, place, and set of issues, the proponents of such a view try to make their political assertions seem self-evident and beyond argument. They say that the Bible is the ultimate authority and firm in meaning and inerrant so that they can attribute those same qualities to their own thoughts/agendas/conclusions.

But the history of "sola scriptura" to which you refer is not really directly behind the attitudes of people who say that the Bible alone is the pillar of truth. The Reformers never divorced their notion of "scripture alone" from a specific theological context or from the authority of the Christian community. There were actually five "only's" of the Reformation (see link below if interested): Sola Scriptura; Solus Christus; Sola Gratia. Sola Fide; Soli Deo Gloria, that is, Scripture alone, Christ alone, Grace alone, Faith alone, for the Glory of God alone. The reformers understood that the scriptures had to be interpreted to make sense.

They also understood a very important point for understanding scripture and the church: Christ is the Word of God in its fullest and most accessible expression. The Church has access to the fullness of the Word and the presence of God, and the "Truth" through the sacrament of the Eucharist/Holy Communion. (Even though they disagreed as to how, all the reformers would have agreed to the preceding; the presence of God in Christ was the most authoritative Truth and measure of Truth and could be accessed in communion.) The church as the gathered community in union with Christ through the Holy Spirit and the sacraments would have access to the truth.

But the church is not yet perfect. Until God is "all in all," that is, until human relationships perfectly reflect the perfect love of God, the church will not fully reflect the truth. So the truth is living and unfolding in history at the same time as Jesus Christ, the True God, Word of God made flesh, is the ultimate "pillar of truth." So far as scripture itself goes, it contains all that is necessary for our salvation, but must be made the living word by the presence of the Holy Spirit, as part of the life of the ongoing community of the church, people united through Christ's presence in sacraments.

Complicated answer, but the question is complicated. I hope this helps.

Hi Velvet,

Let me start by saying that I've read your question several times and I've gone through the answers so far as well.

I'll come right out and tell you that I'm not sure that I fully understand what you're asking.

Do you want an argument for the Bible being the only revelation of God?

Off the top of my head, Romans 1:16-25 and Psalm 19 come to mind. God declares Himself through nature. God has revealed Himself in everything He created, but nature cannot tell us His Will.

Do you mean other writings? I read other writings, but the Bible is the only reference I'm sure of and the only one I consider inspired by God. I Timothy 2:16-17

16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

As to why the Bible says the Church is the pillar of truth, I agree with most of what's been posted. Pillars are structural supports. When Paul wrote this to Timothy, there were no Bibles. The Church is where people had to go to get God's word. The Church is made of individuals, and the more those individuals were transformed by God's word, the more influence they would have on the world around them. In turn, the greater the structure would become.

Even though we have Bibles today, I think it is still in the Church that we influence each other as to how we can practically apply the Bible to our lives.

Oh! The angels would have been privy to all nature and are with God in His presence, yet I Peter 1:10-12 tells about how the gospel - a matter angels desired to look into - was revealed to us and, of course, is part of the Bible.

Like others have said, since the Bible wasn't available in the form we have, there's not really a verse that addresses what's not in it, and it doesn't address itself as such. The epistles were passed around through the churches - perhaps another reason the Church is the pillar of truth?

I believe part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to guard the Word.

I'm sorry if this is not what you're asking. I'll check back later to see if you've added any details. And I'll keep thinking....

You Having Doubt And Nit-Picking Certain Things You Want The Bible To Say....If The Bible Says What You Want It To Say Would You Believe It?....There Is Scripture Truth In The Bible That "Jesus Is The Way, The Truth, And The Life, No Man Come To The Father (Heaven) Except Through Jesus" (John 14:6)..... Jesus Is God's Word!..... Proof Enough For You!...

Pillar of truth means it is a solid foundation to build your house around. "A house divided against itself can not stand.", or "A house built on sand that washes away." are examples of lives built around temporary things. So it is speaking of the need of it being both eternal, and united to itself for its own good.

The Holy Bible is a "best of" compilation of various scriptures, but since it was compiled by imperfect people, some things probably did not make it in, especially since the gospel of John state that all the books in the world couldn't contain what Jesus did.

Koran claims to be a new "chapter" in the continuing book of God, which has some credibility in that claim. Certainly not all the books in what is the modern bible were written at the same time, so there's no plausible reason to believe the continuance should end, especially if different people have varied capacities to understand what's already there.

Mohammad also said to His followers in the Koran to refer anything they didn't understand to the things written afore time e.g. the Holy Bible, and/or ask the Christians or Jews. This has been misunderstood as being revealed for Mohammad's sake, and many use that as an excuse to disbelieve Him, but it was a revelation for His followers, which they still often ignore.

The lack of relations between these groups is what has caused the misunderstandings, even though Mohammad was explicit in teaching good relations were necessary for Muslims to build with Christians and Jews if they were to resolve misinterpretations.

It is also for these lack of good relations that the book of God is being divided into different houses of people, and consequently the conflicts will prevent them from standing firm until they're properly united before the throne of God.

This is what the Second Coming of Christ is for, and why they both await its advent.

I happen to believe this has already occurred, and with it the old distances are removed since the telegraph (may 23rd 1844), and the barriers between them must ultimately fall.

The Bible often uses the analogy of Jesus being the foundation or cornerstone of the church and the believers are the stones that make up the spiritual house that is the church (1Peter 2:4-8). The church is the pillar of truth which means that the believers are the ones that are to be supporters of truth which ultimately means the support of the testimony about Jesus who is the truth. No other body has been given the task of supporting the truth as the church has. The church is inclusive of all peoples who want to join it but it is exclusive to those who seek to uphold the truth of Jesus.

The Bible is the word of God, or should i say the will of God. A will is (normally) a written doc given by a person to the person(s) who would inherit his/her property. So God gave us His will on how he wants us to use His property, which is everything including us. Hence the Bible is the truth that governs or should govern the earth.

The church is the body of Christ, and coz Jesus is the Truth (Am the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life John 14). Since the church is the body of Christ, and Christ is the truth, its not difficult to see that the church is the foundation of Truth.

The Bible is not the word of the writers. See these authors like journalists writing what God said. When a journalist is reporting somebody, he is not the originator of the story, but the story bares his name. 2Peter1:20-21 "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scriptures came about by the prophets own action. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." So the bible is God's word.

Again nobody is perfect, we live by God's grace. Grace simply means being given what you don't merit. Our shortcomings has never stopped God from using us to do His will. If whatever people did results in good result(especially when they were doing them trusting in God), then its godly. When it is good then it is God. James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Yes God can use force to remove evil. Jesus wiped the people who were selling in the church. It is the opposers of these people who called them protestants. They never called themselves protestants. To me they are liberators not protestants; coz they were liberating people, and not protesting as the power that was decided to call them then. Martin Luther was a liberator not a protester.

So its prety clear here. You have all the arguments that started the protestant reformation. Perhaps you should read some of martin luters writings. Like the 95 thesis. It all boils down to this. who do you believe? the Bible or the church? Who is your reference? The bible does warn us very strongly about trusting the church over the bible. In the last days before Jesus returns it warns that some people will give up on the bible and follow men. They will be lost.

In my own opinion, basing all actions in the word of God alone, as what Christians beleived, misses something. Yes, the word of God is the primary source of guidance in matters relating to heavenly truth and what God wants us to do. However, St. John in the last part of his Gospel, stated that "It is this disciple who testifies about the things he has recorded here and we know that his testimony is true. But Jesus did many other things; if all were written down, the world would not hold the books recording them.' Jn 21:24-25.

Therefore, if the Bible is not all-incomapassing, it maybe safe to assume that other sources might as well be used espcially when the Bible is silent as to a particular issue. Roman Catholics use traditions handed down from the early beleivers as the basis for their actions. This issue have caused some brows to raise for the Christians, but for a catholic like me is acceptable. The most important is that the catholic magisterium rules the issue to be moraly true.

The Bible is just a book of collected stories--some from thousands of years BEFORE Christ. And if you ever read the Bible all the way through, you would see that most of what it says in one area is refuted in another area, or completely contradicted in another area. Quit looking for anything or anyone to be "the" pillar of "truth" and be true to loving your neighbor as yourself--in other words: the golden rule that you learned in kindergarten!!! Take whatever parts of the Bible that "move" you, or soothe you, or sound beautiful, and cherish them as you would with the words of any other book you like. But don"t think that you can quote it and have some mystical power of divining "truth". (If that were the case, wouldn't they be used as lie detectors?)

You missed the comma. It says as you quoted

"15but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

The pillar and ground of the truth is the living God not the church. The Bible is the revelation of who the living God is to mankind. So it's a good question with an easy answer.