Topic: Bible Alone vs. Church & Bible
Question:
It seems to me that those Churches which have an (allegedly) divinely appointed teaching body (the Catholic Church, the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons, and other sects) don't seem to be any more united than those who believe in Sola Scriptura. Why is it, then, you Catholics are always making a big deal about this "unity" issue when your own ecclesiological structure is not a guarantee of unity?
Answer:
Well, that's a very good question. Of course, you will agree with me that unity is of central importance to the New Testament Church (Cf. 1 Cor 1:10, John 17:22, Acts 15). So unity is a "big deal" - not just because the New Testament Church operated on this very basic principle, but because without it, there would be anarchy. It's really that simple. Sola Scriptura has produced a plethora of Protestant churches and sects numbering in the tens of thousands, with an average of 5 new ones every week. This, in itself, should cause the honest Protestant to pause and ponder about this very disturbing fact.
Now then, to your specific question. You are essentially confusing sufficiency with necessity. While it is necessary to have an (allegedly) divinely appointed teaching body, it is not sufficient because, as you have quite rightly pointed out, there are many contenders for the crown. In other words, although the Mormons and the JWs claim a divinely appointed teaching body (necessity), they can hardly qualify as being that voice since they didn't even exist before the 19th century (sufficiency - an element thereof).
John Pacheco
The Catholic Legate
September 2, 2001