If Perchance Catholicism Is Mistaken

[garee]

Whether the cloud of witnesses is witnessing to us of what they have seen or witnessing what we are doing looks to me like a matter of interpretation once again.

Yes, God sees the hearts. If we say something out loud, then those around us, witnesses, can hear what we have said.

Hi thanks for the reply.

Yes it is matter of interpretation. But interpreting who and what?

Has God left us as orphans with out any prescriptions as to how we can hear him and not men seen . After all he does lovingly command us(not just a good suggestion) to study in order to seek His approval .Do we make that to no effect and seek the approval of the fathers?

Bottom line has to do with the unseen (faith) Where and who does it come from? Things of men the temporal seen or eternal God not seen .

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Do we run from it as it is written or embrace it as it is written? Like the below.

I have offered it many times to a Catholic and the subject matter from my experience is avoided like a plague. This is seeing it turns their idea of Peter being the key that the gates of hell could never overcome upside down. The same thing the faithless Jewish fathers performed seeking the things of men seen. In respect to Catholisicim its like the verse is simply not there .They must make it in the phrase as it is written as the source of God's faith to no effect so they can serve the things seen.

Its not a cherry they would pick. The chapter would end with verse 19 assuming Peter is the key.

Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.Mathew16:22-23

What's your interpretation of that verse above? Does it show Peter is the key or God not seen?? Can't serve two masters as one master key.

It is always a matter of interpreting the source of faith as in how we can we hear God not seen and not men seen. We are warned over and over of those who would seduce us to believe we do need a man seen to teach us rather than the Holy Spirit. 1 John 2:26-28

We defend the faith that comes from hearing God as it is written. . . . in effect defends us as the armor of God..

If a person has another source to build on other than all things written in the law and the prophets the conclusion will differ and one of the teaching authorities will be made to no effect. No man can serve two masters in that way . Its men seen the temporal or God not seen the eternal .

According to the Catholic fathers book of their law it is all one in the same. Therefore making the words that came from the mouth of God not seen without effect.

Why they listed the tradition of God second hand says much. Saying it is same divine well-spring tells all.

www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/80.htm
80 "Sacred Tradition and (second but not least) Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same goal."

Simply blasphemy attributing the works God not seen to men seen

Yes, God sees the hearts. If we say something out loud, then those around us, witnesses, can hear what we have said

Perfect example, change the subject, avoid the interpretation .Well of course people around us can hear us .But as Christians we are given a desire to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us the churches. usurping that authority in a giving it over to what the eyes see. . . . speaks volumes.

If every time Christ was faced with a oral tradition of the fathers as lies of men and had to correct it. The whole world would not be able to hold the books that would be written . Again we can use our brother in the Lord Peter the serial denier as a example of what not to do.

The Catholic fathers like the Jewish father that followed a law of men .And in doing so simply turn it as it is written (sola scriptura) upside down and make it into a tool to take away the understanding of faith that does come from hearing the eternal.

Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen .John 21;21-25

 

[Heyjude]

Hi Heyjude,

Thank you for the nice response! my sense from reading it is that you would rather not talk about these subjects. If that's the case, that's completely fine, and peace be with you.

But if you want to keep talking about these things, then please keep reading below



*************************************




My impression from what I think was your first post on this thread was that you had grown up Catholic, but at this point did not want anything to do with tradition, you just wanted to focus on the Bible.

Well, a place where tradition and the Bible overlap is in the question of which documents should be in the Bible.

When I brought up the Gospel of Thomas, I believe you responded by saying that it lacked apostolic authority. I then asked if apostolic authority was something that all the other books in the New testament had. A further and similar question would be are there any documents not currently included in the New testament which have apostolic authority?

Now if I'm correctly following what you are saying in your post above, and I may very well not be, the idea of apostolic authority is that a document has it if it is in line with the teaching of The twelve apostles. But if that's the case, it would seem to lead to a situation of circular reasoning, because we would have to know first what documents have apostolic authority so that we would know what the teaching of the apostles was.

Are you saying that you do not know what the teaching of the Apostles was?

Well obviously I am referring to the Gospels and the NT but we could go all day about what other documents contain but in "context" these "documents" shouldn't differ should they? That was my point which is why I asked you why you mentioned the Gospel of Thomas. Otherwise its really over exhausting it a bit isn't it Dan. I have been quite clear over and over.

Sorry brother, I haven't lost interest but if you are now saying " to know first what documents have apostolic authority so that we would know what the teaching of the apostles was" well, what would any Christian answer to that? What the Apostles say! What Jesus told them! If you mention the Gospel of Thomas - that contradicts all of it. Okay?

 

[Dan_473]

They can do what they like, but where does it say for Catholics to ask their Christian brothers and sisters in heaven to pray with them and for them?

This word “Mediator” is used in the New Testament and is one who acts as a medium of communication between two contracting parties. In this sense Moses is called a mediator in Galatians 3:19 .

Christ is the one and only mediator between God and man.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2;5)

Yes, there is just one mediator. But, it is extremely common in Protestant churches as well for people to say something like
Please pray for me, I have a cancer test coming up tomorrow.

As for where it says, I think the general Catholic idea is that scripture is only properly interpreted by the church as a whole. That's very different from the Protestant idea of the Bible being interpreted by each individual separately, by themselves.

I'm not saying one way is right or wrong, I'm just talking about different assumptions each group makes.

Jesus talked about having more things to say to his disciples, but they couldn't handle it at that time. When did Jesus finally get out what he wanted to say? Again, I think most Protestants would say when the Bible was finished, and I think, though I'm not completely sure, that Catholics would say that Jesus continues speaking to his church up to today.

Great discussion, by the way!

 

[Dan_473]

I have replied to this in post #790

Yes, you did answer it post 790.

I believe I only posted it once, here
https://christianchat.com/threads/if-perchance-catholicism-is-mistaken.186642/post-4035727

If you saw it multiple times, perhaps there is some kind of logistical problem.

 

[Dan_473]

Hi thanks for the reply.

Yes it is matter of interpretation. But interpreting who and what?

Has God left us as orphans with out any prescriptions as to how we can hear him and not men seen . After all he does lovingly command us(not just a good suggestion) to study in order to seek His approval .Do we make that to no effect and seek the approval of the fathers?

Bottom line has to do with the unseen (faith) Where and who does it come from? Things of men the temporal seen or eternal God not seen .

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Do we run from it as it is written or embrace it as it is written? Like the below.

I have offered it many times to a Catholic and the subject matter from my experience is avoided like a plague. This is seeing it turns their idea of Peter being the key that the gates of hell could never overcome upside down. The same thing the faithless Jewish fathers performed seeking the things of men seen. In respect to Catholisicim its like the verse is simply not there .They must make it in the phrase as it is written as the source of God's faith to no effect so they can serve the things seen.

Its not a cherry they would pick. The chapter would end with verse 19 assuming Peter is the key.

Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.Mathew16:22-23

What's your interpretation of that verse above? Does it show Peter is the key or God not seen?? Can't serve two masters as one master key.

It is always a matter of interpreting the source of faith as in how we can we hear God not seen and not men seen. We are warned over and over of those who would seduce us to believe we do need a man seen to teach us rather than the Holy Spirit. 1 John 2:26-28

We defend the faith that comes from hearing God as it is written. . . . in effect defends us as the armor of God..

If a person has another source to build on other than all things written in the law and the prophets the conclusion will differ and one of the teaching authorities will be made to no effect. No man can serve two masters in that way . Its men seen the temporal or God not seen the eternal .

According to the Catholic fathers book of their law it is all one in the same. Therefore making the words that came from the mouth of God not seen without effect.

Why they listed the tradition of God second hand says much. Saying it is same divine well-spring tells all.

www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/80.htm
80 "Sacred Tradition and (second but not least) Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same goal."

Simply blasphemy attributing the works God not seen to men seen



Perfect example, change the subject, avoid the interpretation .Well of course people around us can hear us .But as Christians we are given a desire to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us the churches. usurping that authority in a giving it over to what the eyes see. . . . speaks volumes.

If every time Christ was faced with a oral tradition of the fathers as lies of men and had to correct it. The whole world would not be able to hold the books that would be written . Again we can use our brother in the Lord Peter the serial denier as a example of what not to do.

The Catholic fathers like the Jewish father that followed a law of men .And in doing so simply turn it as it is written (sola scriptura) upside down and make it into a tool to take away the understanding of faith that does come from hearing the eternal.

Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen .John 21;21-25

Interpretation of God's revelation through the scriptures is, I believe, the answer to your question of who and what at the beginning of your post.

Is it your view that we should only listen to God, and never to humans? If so, I would disagree

1 Timothy 3: 1. This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer, he desires a good work. 2. The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable,
good at teaching;

 

[Heyjude]

Yes, there is just one mediator. But, it is extremely common in Protestant churches as well for people to say something like
Please pray for me, I have a cancer test coming up tomorrow.

As for where it says, I think the general Catholic idea is that scripture is only properly interpreted by the church as a whole. That's very different from the Protestant idea of the Bible being interpreted by each individual separately, by themselves.

I'm not saying one way is right or wrong, I'm just talking about different assumptions each group makes.

Jesus talked about having more things to say to his disciples, but they couldn't handle it at that time. When did Jesus finally get out what he wanted to say? Again, I think most Protestants would say when the Bible was finished, and I think, though I'm not completely sure, that Catholics would say that Jesus continues speaking to his church up to today.

Great discussion, by the way!

Sure thing Dan.

Jesus probably had many more things written down but we can not read them all! For now we have the Testimony and the Gospels and if we are misled, like sheep, we KNOW HIS VOICE. As how can we read all the books that even the World could not contain!

It says so here! "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen" John 21.25.


I think it comes down to hearing his voice. If the Lord is my Shepherd I know his voice. That way I know if it is from "Him".

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10.17)

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." (John 10.4)

"I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me" (John 10.14)

"I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10.27)

Nice to chat to you Brother - Apples to collect now as Big Harvest here.

 

[Jackson123]

right, bowing down to the statue and worshipping the statue are both prohibited. But is the pope worshipping the statue? Again, I would say we would have to know what was in the Pope's heart.

I agree that the translators of the King James were experts. And Jerome who translated the Bible into Latin was also an expert. How does he translate that passage?

Also, I think Catholics would assume that the church is an expert at interpretation, guided by the holy Spirit. And I think the church's interpretation is that what the pope is doing is a good thing.

Of course, you personally can have a different interpretation.

1. You admit that both bowing down and worship are prohibit. Pope bowing down, mean pope violate the Bible.

2. Is he worshiping,

If not, that what is the reason for him to bowing down? And if just for fund, that it is not funny.

3. Catholic interpreter may expert, but catholic have history of lie, so they may deliberately lie.

Example saling forgiveness certificate. They know it is lie. But they do.

 

[Jackson123]

I believe possible means maybe yes, maybe no.

I think the Catholics would interpret the passage to mean that they are talking to someone who is in heaven.

They may believe they talk to st Peter or Mary, because they leader lie to them. I heard Catholic origins from pagan, they blend with Christianity so Christian accept pagan. Statue of Mary was statue of queen of heaven, pagan goddess. Some catholic pray and bow unto statue of saint and think they are communicate with saint. Some believe saint talk back to them.

Saint is not god, they are not Omni present likeGod.

Show me in the Bible Paul pray to Moses

 

[Jackson123]

Do the women in the church that you go to speak? What kind of a church do you go to?

From what I've seen on YouTube, many of the churches in Indonesia have women worship leaders. Are they sinning, as you understand the Bible?

Again, and of course, you are welcome to that interpretation. The vast majority of Protestants would disagree with you, as well as Catholics and Eastern Orthodox.

Song leader in my church is woman.

To me, there are 2 kind of teaching in the Bible.

1. Revelation, it directly from the Lord, can not wrong.

2. Inspiration,

Like a letter from apostle or apostle preaching.

 

[Jackson123]

From what I understand, Catholics see it as easy to be heard by someone in heaven, but communications coming from heaven are much more rare. Many people believe that they can talk with Jesus. but most people say that Jesus doesn't come and talk at their church every Sunday. Or they say that he speaks through the scriptures, which Catholics would say also.

Also, I think that Catholics believe that the office of apostle didn't end in the first century, but that it continues on to today.

So, as I understand the Catholic thinking, when you listen to the teaching of the church, you are hearing the voice of the apostles throughout the centuries.

We are talking about pray to saint in front of statue.

It is pagan tradition and pagan believe. It is satanic. If saint in heaven able to hear billions people pray in millions different places, than what is the different between saint and god.

Read history, brother, it is pagan tradition.

 

[Jackson123]

I don't think that follows necessarily.

Looking at science, based on the theory of relativity, time applies to physical objects, like our bodies. When we die, does time still apply to us?

Here's an interesting verse, I think
1 Corinthians 5: 3. For I most certainly, as being absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has done this thing.

1 Corinthians 5 King James Version (KJV)
5 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,


1. In this verse Paul talking that he wasn't in corint, but his spirit is

It mean he think and care for people in Corinth.

Not in the sense his spirit able to see what happen in Corinth.

How he know what happen in Corinth?

Verse 1 say it is reported, so he read from reporter like we read news paper than we know what happen in U.K. While we live in the us.

It is not say though his body in Jerusalem or some where than chorinth but his spirit able to see what going on in corinth

 

[Dan_473]

Sure thing Dan.

Jesus probably had many more things written down but we can not read them all! For now we have the Testimony and the Gospels and if we are misled, like sheep, we KNOW HIS VOICE. As how can we read all the books that even the World could not contain!

It says so here! "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen" John 21.25.


I think it comes down to hearing his voice. If the Lord is my Shepherd I know his voice. That way I know if it is from "Him".

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10.17)

"When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." (John 10.4)

"I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me" (John 10.14)

"I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10.27)

Nice to chat to you Brother - Apples to collect now as Big Harvest here.

Nice chatting with you also, and happy apple picking!

And yes, hear the voice of Jesus and respond to that! As I've talked about earlier on this thread, I know several people who grew up Catholic or Eastern Orthodox and felt Jesus calling them into a more personal bible-based Protestant style Church.

And then I also know people who grew up as Protestants, earnestly sought Jesus through that approach and personal Bible reading, and then ended up hearing Jesus call them to Catholicism or Eastern orthodoxy.

Of course, some people will read that and say that Jesus would never do that. But, in my opinion, that is simply using one's personal experience and knowledge as the standard by which to measure everyone else.

this is the part I was thinking of, where Jesus says he has more things to tell his disciples
John 16: 12. "I have yet many things to tell you, but you can't bear them now. 13. However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.

it's right next to the part where he talks about sending the spirit to guide his disciples into all truth. And again, Protestants tend to see that as the spirit guiding each individual person into all truth, Catholics and Eastern Orthodox see it as guiding the disciples as a group into all truth.

 

[Dan_473]

1. You admit that both bowing down and worship are prohibit. Pope bowing down, mean pope violate the Bible.

2. Is he worshiping,

If not, that what is the reason for him to bowing down? And if just for fund, that it is not funny.

3. Catholic interpreter may expert, but catholic have history of lie, so they may deliberately lie.

Example saling forgiveness certificate. They know it is lie. But they do.

Good catch! I'll attempt to reword to make it more clear what I meant. Bowing down in the process of worshiping a statue is prohibited. But I can't say for sure whether the Pope in that picture is worshipping the statue.

Again, it's not clear to me from the picture you posted earlier if he is worshipping the statue, or what the statue symbolizes.

No doubt some Catholic priests and bishops have lied. Was the process of selling forgiveness established by an ecumenical council?

 

[Dan_473]

They may believe they talk to st Peter or Mary, because they leader lie to them. I heard Catholic origins from pagan, they blend with Christianity so Christian accept pagan. Statue of Mary was statue of queen of heaven, pagan goddess. Some catholic pray and bow unto statue of saint and think they are communicate with saint. Some believe saint talk back to them.

Saint is not god, they are not Omni present likeGod.

Show me in the Bible Paul pray to Moses

It's possible the Catholic leaders are lying, it's possible that the Catholic church and Eastern Orthodox are founded heavily on lies.

How would you know that, apart from your own personal interpretation of the scriptures?

Did God tell you to interpret the scriptures by yourself, for yourself? Be honest, you probably feel that he did. Maybe not in a voice you could hear, but deep in your heart you feel that God wants you to read the Bible by yourself.

And if that's the case, it doesn't really make sense to continue going over this or that teaching of the Catholic Church, does it? We will continually come back to
It's a matter of interpretation.

 

[Dan_473]

Song leader in my church is woman.

To me, there are 2 kind of teaching in the Bible.

1. Revelation, it directly from the Lord, can not wrong.

2. Inspiration,

Like a letter from apostle or apostle preaching.

Well, if the song leader is a woman she's not very well keeping quiet is she?

And again, that's fine with me, but it's a matter of interpretation of something that appears to be very simple.

 

[Dan_473]

We are talking about pray to saint in front of statue.

It is pagan tradition and pagan believe. It is satanic. If saint in heaven able to hear billions people pray in millions different places, than what is the different between saint and god.

Read history, brother, it is pagan tradition.

It may well be a pagan tradition, taken over by the church and changed to support Christianity.
The same thing happened with Christmas.

You know, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox groups both do things that seem very strange to Protestants.

I think this is one of the things that grows out of people wanting to read the Bible for them self, by them self, versus reading the Bible as a group.

When you read the Bible by yourself, you are constantly in the position of reinventing the wheel. Coming up with your own solutions to seeming contradictions in the scriptures and things like that.

Are you familiar with that phrase, reinventing the wheel?

But Catholics, as I understand it, tend to build upon what the entire church has decided in the past. and since that process has been going on for almost two thousand years, it's easy to see why they arrived at conclusions that seem very strange and unbiblical to Protestants who are starting from scratch.

Have you heard of Isaac Newton? He said
If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

 

[notuptome]

It is not inane to ask if God told you personally which Bible he wrote. Some people would say yes.

And Yes, the letter we call 2nd Timothy says that all scripture is inspired by God. But that simply brings us around to the question of whether this or that is scripture. Is the writer saying that the books in the lxx are scripture?

Your life has been changed by passages in the Bible? Amen to that! But to use that as validation that the entire 66 book Canon is scripture is quite a leap, in my opinion.

For example, I don't really find the book of Obadiah very moving.
And some people's lives have been changed by the words to the song
Just as I am.

If one wishes to be fair, and one is applying the criterion that you suggest, that if it is life-changing then it is scripture, then I think one would want to read the documents that other Christians have considered to be scripture at different times, to see if they are life-changing also.

Why create doubt? The Romanist church can only survive in an atmosphere of doubt. Doubt is their opportunity to create a reason to allow them to determine what you need to know.

If you life has not been changed by passages of the bible I would be very concerned about your Spiritual condition.

The song "Just as I am" moves the heart because it is presenting scriptural truth.

I only want to be faithful and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth God has for me in His word. Let God be true an devery man a liar.

You may endeavor to create doubt to justify the Romanist church but you are denying the truth to get there.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[Dan_473]

1 Corinthians 5 King James Version (KJV)
5 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,


1. In this verse Paul talking that he wasn't in corint, but his spirit is

It mean he think and care for people in Corinth.

Not in the sense his spirit able to see what happen in Corinth.

How he know what happen in Corinth?

Verse 1 say it is reported, so he read from reporter like we read news paper than we know what happen in U.K. While we live in the us.

It is not say though his body in Jerusalem or some where than chorinth but his spirit able to see what going on in corinth

Yes, that's a good way to interpret it, though, in my opinion, not the only way.

 

[Nehemiah6]

But Catholics, as I understand it, tend to build upon what the entire church has decided in the past. and since that process has been going on for almost two thousand years, it's easy to see why they arrived at conclusions that seem very strange and unbiblical to Protestants who are starting from scratch.

The Catholic Church puts "Tradition" on a par with Scripture. Therefore they have invented a false Christianity.

So you have two options: (1) believe lies promoted for about 2,000 years or (2) believe God. God speaks to men directly through His Word, but the Catholic Church hated the idea of its adherents obtaining truth directly from the Bible.

 

[Dan_473]

Why create doubt? The Romanist church can only survive in an atmosphere of doubt. Doubt is their opportunity to create a reason to allow them to determine what you need to know.

If you life has not been changed by passages of the bible I would be very concerned about your Spiritual condition.

The song "Just as I am" moves the heart because it is presenting scriptural truth.

I only want to be faithful and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth God has for me in His word. Let God be true an devery man a liar.

You may endeavor to create doubt to justify the Romanist church but you are denying the truth to get there.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

1 Thessalonians 5: 19. Don't quench the Spirit. 20. Don't despise prophesies. 21. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.

So I don't think it's creating doubt, it's just being responsible in testing things. I think the ability to think critically is part of the sound mind that God has given us. We don't need to be afraid of what we will find if we are honest and consistent.

As I understand it, it was an accepted practice for a disciple of a person to write a letter in the name of that person. So if we take the book of Revelation as an example, it claims to be written by someone named John and is in a similar style do the gospel and the Epistles. But was it written by John one of the 12 apostles? This is not creating doubt, it is simply thinking critically, using one's sound mind.

Of course we can simply say that Christians throughout the centuries have regarded it as scripture. But that would be an appeal to tradition, in my opinion.

Now, I am not by any means trying to pick apart your words, but I think you put it really well here
"...allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth God has
for me
in His word." (Emphasis added)

If you approach the Bible on your own, looking for truths that God has for you personally, then of course you're going to come up with very different ideas than a group that's looking at the Bible as a group over centuries.