Did Jesus expect the original Christians to learn the truth of Christianity from scripture alone?

I'm Protestant, but the only honest answer possible is that He intended them to learn it from/in the Church. The New Testament didn't exist at the time, although the things recorded in it certainly did. But the early church was absolutely built on apostolic authority and teaching. The bible still embodies that authority and teaching which is why even the Church of Rome bases it's teaching ultimately on Scripture. The "traditions" that Protestants get so worked up about are based on the same teaching and authority that produced the bible. If I understand it right, Catholics don't see anything in tradition that contradicts the apostolic teaching preserved in Scripture. The only two concrete examples of Catholicism changing what is in the bible are the permission of icons and changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. But even here, they cite the authority granted by Christ to the apostles and their successors.

peace

First of all the Christianity did not exist before the coming of Christ. The chosen people of God were the jews to whom the Messiah was sent. They already knew the scriptures especially the Pharisees and also the other sects. But with all their knowledge the majority of them did not accept Christ as the chosen one. Even though He made all those miracles and the preaching for which more than once they exclaimed that they did never hear such preaching or saw such great things. Jesus said ' they have eyes but could not see, they have ears but could not hear.' From the time Christ was risen and the Apostles started to show the people, not only the Jews, that Christ was the Lord. Christ came also not to put away the Old testament and the Laws but to make them more perfect as He was perfect. So it is a mixture of both scriptures. The Old being as a good background and the New the affirmation of what God wanted from us. From there on the followers of Christ began to be called Christians. Mainly it is from the Scriptures that we know all but then there has to be the personal relationship and following of Christ to be a real Christian.

No since the Holy Spirit gave voice through the bible which states that he church is to guide.

* 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - Scripture is profitable for teaching, that the man of God may be complete

Acts 8:26-35 - But guidance is needed to interpret the Scriptures

1 Timothy 3:15 - The Church (not the Bible) is the pillar and foundation of truth

Acts 2:42 - Church followed apostolic teaching (no Bibles, printing press not invented yet)

2 Peter 1:20 - Scripture is not a matter of ones own interpretation

2 Peter 3:16 - The ignorant and unstable twist Scripture to their own destruction

Proverbs 3:5 - Do not rely on your own insight

I don't think that this is possible, on our own. The OT jews had the Prophets, the Apostles had Jesus, and we now have the Spirit.

Obviously, being raised in and of the world until the time we came to knowledge, we have picked up one or two nasty habits. One of these is the inability to hear the Word of God, even through scripture. I would liken it to growing a callous on a much used portion of the body. After awhile, the same operation that was uncomfortable (like playing the guitar), no longer is affected,as the callous cushions that particular part. As time went on, we came to accept behavior we should never accept, and embraced ideas that are not the sort of things we should be thinking, all the while, telling ourselves, "but it must be okay, everyone else is doing it".

Today, devoted Christians are always going against the tide, not because we tend to be obnoxious, but because the tide has turned direction, and we are charged with the task of speaking the truth, even when it runs contrary to popular thinking.

Therefore, I would have to say no, we cannot rely on our own thinking to discern the truth, as we are still imperfect. We need to continue to seek the favor of God, and the presence of the Spirit, who, as you recall, was sent to lead us into all truth. Be well.

The original Christians learned from the Word Himself - there were no Scriptures. After Pentecost they emerged from the upper room, which is still there today, and spread the good news by word of mouth and action. They baptized all those people the first day, but didn't have one Bible to look at. What were they thinking?

They had the Words of Jesus and followed what He said. Churches with seven Sacraments developed and were first described in Acts as in Acts 2:42 "They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers." Notice that is the verse immediately after Acts 2:41 "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day. " Acts 2:42 would describe an early Mass, or gathering.

"The things which you have heard from me through many witnesses you must hand on to trustworthy men who will be able to teach others" (2 Tim. 2:2).

Considering the New Testament had not been written during Christ life with us on Earth and He gave us The Inspired Written Word telling us to Hold To Tradition, No.

Read 2 Timothy 1:13–14 carefully: "Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us." Now the phrase "sound words" or "sound teaching" occurs seven times in the pastoral epistles (cf. 1 Tim. 1:10; 2 Tim. 1:13; 4:3; Titus 1:9, 13; 2:1, 2).

No He didn't. If that were the case, He would have written a book like Mohamed did. He would have told them read all about it in my book. He never even instructed the Apostles to write a book. The Church took that burden upon Herself to record the memoirs of the Apostles before they were all gone an heresy began to creep in. I don't believe He expects modern Christians either to get every thing He taught from a book. The last paragraph of John clearly tells us there was much more said and done than could fit in all the books in the world. That is where Apostolic Tradition comes in. The trinity of Tradition, Magisterium and scripture is what Christ expected His followers to learn from. Pax Christi

the apostles learned first hand from Jesus the truth so with that they went and taught the world and annointed others to help them in this process thru sucession which began with the death and judas iscariot with the choosing of matthias. Otherwise the truth could not have been spread since it was given as task to men, not by some magical process of some divine infusion into each individual.

No, not at all!

Jesus expected his disciples to teach others the truths of His church (first refered to as Catholic, or universal, around 107 AD, in a letter to the Christians at Smyrna). It was Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, taught his apostles to choose deacons and act as biships through the laying on of hands, which we see in the book of Acts and is the start of apostolic succession, and it was Christ who chose Peter as the head of the apostles, when he said "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah. Amen, I say to you, from now on, you are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build my church."

Had Christ intended for Christians, even modern Christians, to learn the truth from scripture alone, he would not have inspired Paul to write that what is in the Bible is good, but there are other ways to find knowledge and wisdom. To call sola scriptura a good way of thinking is like calling turkey the only nurishment that is good to eat, or water the only liquid that is good to drink.

The Old Testament was given as a shadow of things to come.

The New Testament was the record of the things to come being fulfilled and some letters of correction and edification of the Churches that were founded.

But as the New Testament was recorded after the Churches were founded then it would have been impossible for the original Christians to learn the Truth from it.

Originally, the faith was taught orally, as Christ did Himself.

The Holy bible does not contained all the teachings of Jesus.

Gospel of Matthew: The Final Chapter & Great Commission

The last chapter of the Gospel of Matthew specifies the calling of all disciples of Christ: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20). This is the mission of all Christians that have a faithful commitment to Jesus Christ. It is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world and teach the lessons that He commands.

Comments: TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE "ALL THINGS".. means His written and oral teachings. Written = holy scriptures; oral = holy traditions as taught to the Apostles/apostolics fathers then handed down from generation to generation.

You can't twist or repackage them.