The “self-interpretation of the Bible” claimed by the former Protestantism is a thorn in the side of the Roman Catholic Church. An attack on their exclusive authority and infallibility. Reason enough to indirectly and repeatedly declare humanity as too stupid to understand the Bible.
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Insult to the Roman Church
It’s understandable that representatives of the Roman Catholic Church “get pustules” when someone dares to claim that the Bible can be understood by everyone. The Church of Rome claims to be the only authority on earth capable of understanding the Holy Scriptures due to its self-given “divine authority”. The Vatican does speak of freedom in interpreting the Bible, but for Catholics this can only happen within the framework of the catechism. However, if the result of the “free interpretation of the Bible” differs from the church’s predetermined result, it would already be heresy. So the whole package of arrogance and arrogance of this institution of Roman heritage.
Catholic Church and its sovereignty
The Bible is also not the only basis of faith for the Roman Church. A point of reference, various pointers, but crucial for the clergy are the insights gained since the beginnings of this church, or the ideas of the “theological thinkers”. Pope Pius XI explained this clearly in 1934:
“We Catholics do not accept the Bible as the only rule of faith. Besides the Bible we have the living Church, the authority of the Church, as a rule to guide us. We say this Church, instituted by Christ, to teach and guide men through life, has the right to change the Ceremonial laws of the Old Testament and hence, we accept her change of the Sabbath to the Sunday.” (More info).
Church sees monopoly in danger
For understandable reasons, the author of the US magazine catholic.com, Joe Heschmeyer, considers the “self-interpretation” of the Bible claimed by Protestants to be one of the “most dangerous ideas” of the Reformation (Source).
The author’s attempt to ridicule this accurate statement of the (first) Protestants is also understandable. The fact that the Bible is understandable to everyone represents a frontal attack on the Church’s self-referential exclusive position. The author explains it himself, because according to the Protestants’ view, there is no longer a need for an “infallible Catholic Church”. An affront. But at this point Heschmeyer is wrong. The Catholic Church has never been infallible and has never been needed by humanity. This institution has imposed itself on humanity according to all the rules of untruth and brutality.
Term ridiculed
The author uses the statement of Professor John Gerstner for his argument attempts:
“First, Rome denies that the Bible is a self-interpreting revelation. The Bible declares itself to be self-explanatory. This is called the doctrine of the perspicuity of the Scriptures (the see-through-ableness of the Scripture). It may be understood in its own light. What is obscure in one passage will be clearer in another. What is incomplete here is completed there. What is a figure in one place is a commentary in another.“
The author complains that the statement that the Bible is a “revelation of self-interpretation” is unbiblical and incoherent. It’s like saying, “the book reads itself.” Apparently Heschmeyer assumes that his readership is dealing with the same naivety as the teachings of his church assume. Neither the early Protestants nor the professor he quoted said that the Bible reads itself. That’s not what the quote says at all. Assuming that the author actually understood the quote, one can only assume that this is an intentional defamation. If you wanted to, you could also misunderstand and interpret the signal of a red traffic light.
Self-interpretation – explanation elsewhere
The statement in the “self-interpretation of the Bible” simply means that a Bible reader receives an explanation for a statement that is unclear to him elsewhere. This applies particularly “popularly” to the book of Revelation. The last book of the Bible, extremely important for current and future events, is full of symbolic language.
There is, among other things, the language of olive trees, angels, bowls of wrath, the hot wine of fornication and a harlot in purple and scarlet sitting on a scarlet beast. The depictions do not explain themselves, as the author ridicules them, but what olive trees, angels, wine and a woman or a whore mean can be found elsewhere in the Bible. A whole list of symbols of revelation and their explanations can be found here.
Weak reasoning
The author argues that if the Bible were so clear and interpreted by itself, then there would not be so many different Protestant churches. Since there is only one Catholic Church, this is also evidence that it has exclusive authority for the correct interpretation of the Bible.
In fact, there are around 30,000 different Protestant denominations. But is this automatically due to the comprehensibility of the Bible? Isn’t it more up to people themselves how they interpret the Scripture for themselves, perhaps in the way they would like it to be (see 2 Timothy 4:3-4)?
Is it actually evidence of the “infallibility” of the Roman Catholic Church if it forms a supposed unity? Or is it more because the Church of Rome held a position of power that was unique in human history and now almost has it again? So that she could assert her exclusive understanding of the gospel as her proclaimed “truth” with all conceivable injustice and cruelty?
If the author had simply said that all people except the Catholic clergy were too stupid to understand the Bible, he would have saved himself a lot of time. However, a simple example from Revelation 17 proves the opposite – hier.
Lost sight of reality
The author seems to have reached such heights on his Roman Catholic cloud that he can no longer keep track of the details in his own church. There is no unity in this church at all. The inner conflict has always been present throughout their history and especially today.
Popes from noble houses and banking families (Medici) as well as numerous anti-popes do not exactly testify to a closed, closely united religious club of celibacy (Info). There was one pope and at times two anti-popes in the area of 1415, the year in which the “main pope” had the reformer Jan Hus murdered in Constance. Since the beginning of Francis’ pontificate, all hell has broken loose in this house, sometimes literally (see Revelation 18:2).
We are not supposed to read the Bible
Overconfidence, presumption, arrogance and tyranny based on the state and religious monopoly power that has been achieved are the decisive reasons for the Catholic understanding of the Bible and its interpretation. This church’s own teachings speak to its actual core competencies, paganism and blasphemy (Info).
Understanding the Bible, especially the description in the book of Daniel and Revelation, also means recognizing the adversary, the “man of sin.” Of course, the Roman Catholic Church must avoid this (Info). This is the only reason why the “normal” person should not read the Bible under any circumstances and should only rely on the fantasies of the Roman Church.
God also has truly believing people in this blasphemous institution and its many daughters. They are called upon to get out of there as quickly as possible (Info).
Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Revelation 18:4-6
Bible verses from King James Version
