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The ordinary Christian who has read the whole of scripture according to its simple and plain sense is faced with what appear to be the evident teaching in the Bible that no man nor company of men, no church nor public officers, are to interpret the Scripture of their own heads, according to their own minds, so as to make their private sense be the sense of Scripture, but to seek the understanding of it from God in humble obedience to those who are over them as chief shepherds of the flock ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A17&version=RSVCE Hebrews 13:17]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+5%3A1-5&version=RSVCE 1 Peter 5:1-5]), who through them shows them the fuller meaning of the word in the word itself, resolving doubts and controversies over it, and by his Spirit leads believers, in their searching the Scripture, into the understanding of his mind in it: God himself being the Author of the word. Those who reject authority reject God ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+13%3A1-2&version=RSVCE Romans 13:1-2]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+23%3A1-12&version=RSVCE Matthew 23:1-12]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+4&version=RSVCE 1 Corinthians 4]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+3%3A13-17&version=RSVCE 1 Peter 3:13-17]). On the principle of ''sola scriptura'' the Bible has no text that commands foully insulting disrespect and disobedience toward authority, either pagan or Christian, civil authority or ecclesiastical head ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+2%3A12-23&version=RSVCE 1 Peter 2:12-23]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+3%3A9-17&version=RSVCE 3:9-17]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+2%3A9-11&version=RSVCE 2 Peter 2:9-11]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude+1%3A8-10&version=RSVCE Jude 8-10]).

The ordinary Christian who has read the whole of scripture according to its simple and plain sense is faced with what appear to be the evident teaching in the Bible that no man nor company of men, no church nor public officers, are to interpret the Scripture of their own heads, according to their own minds, so as to make their private sense be the sense of Scripture, but to seek the understanding of it from God in humble obedience to those who are over them as chief shepherds of the flock ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A17&version=RSVCE Hebrews 13:17]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+5%3A1-5&version=RSVCE 1 Peter 5:1-5]), who through them shows them the fuller meaning of the word in the word itself, resolving doubts and controversies over it, and by his Spirit leads believers, in their searching the Scripture, into the understanding of his mind in it: God himself being the Author of the word. Those who reject authority reject God ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+13%3A1-2&version=RSVCE Romans 13:1-2]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+23%3A1-12&version=RSVCE Matthew 23:1-12]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+4&version=RSVCE 1 Corinthians 4]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+3%3A13-17&version=RSVCE 1 Peter 3:13-17]). On the principle of ''sola scriptura'' the Bible has no text that commands foully insulting disrespect and disobedience toward authority, either pagan or Christian, civil authority or ecclesiastical head ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+2%3A12-23&version=RSVCE 1 Peter 2:12-23]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+3%3A9-17&version=RSVCE 3:9-17]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+2%3A9-11&version=RSVCE 2 Peter 2:9-11]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jude+1%3A8-10&version=RSVCE Jude 8-10]).

The following resources are relevant to the issue of [[discernment|discernment of truth]] "''When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth, forever.''" (John 14:15-16; 16:12-14)<br>—'''[[Epistles of Ignatius]]''' ''about A.D. 110, regarding authority in the [[Early Christianity|early church]].''<br>—[https://www.britannica.com/topic/pentarchy '''Pentarchy - Christianity''' - Britannica Encyclopedia (britannica.com)] "''Rule of Five''"—''The historical development of the five primary Patriarchates of the Christian Catholic Church, and the controversial removal of the Primacy of Authority from the Bishop of Rome to the Patriarch of Constantinople by the Emperor as earthly head of the Church.'' <br>—[https://www.britannica.com/topic/caesaropapism '''Caesaropapism''' - Britannica Encyclopedia (britannica.com)]<br>—[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08084c.htm '''Conflict of Investitures''' - Catholic Encyclopedia (newadvent.org)]<br>—[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_movements_declared_heretical_by_the_Catholic_Church '''List of movements declared heretical by the Catholic Church''' - Wikipedia]<br>—[http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Leo10/l10exdom.htm '''''Exsurge Domini'' Condemning the Errors of Martin Luther''' (papalencyclicals.net)]<br>—[http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/luther/againstexecrablebull.html '''Against the Execrable Bull of the Antichrist (exerpt)''' (law2.umke.edu)]<br>—[http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2007/11/luther-sola-scriptura-had-devastating.html '''Luther: Sola Scriptura Had a "Devastating Effect"?''' – Beggars All (beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com)]<br>—[http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/ecumenical/athenagoras_romancatholicism.htm '''Christian Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism''', by Archbishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) of Thyatira (orthodoxresearchinstitute.org)]<br>—[http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/prot_rc_heresy.aspx '''Are Protestantism and Roman Catholicism Heretical?''' (orthodoxinfo.com)]<br>—[https://answersingenesis.org/hermeneutics/how-we-interpret-the-bible-principles-for-understanding/ '''How Should We Interpret the Bible, Part 1: Principles for Understanding God's Word. Apologetics''', by Tim Chaffey (answersingenesis.org)]<br>—[http://www.tyndalesploughboy.org/about/ '''Tyndale's Ploughboy''', Dr. Herbert L. Samworth (tyndalesploughboy.org)] ''Protestant [[Hermeneutics]] on "Rightly dividing the Word of Truth"—Dr. Samworth offers a practical program of informed Biblical interpretation and systematic study from the Protestant perspective and Evangelical Christian tradition.'' (The Holy Spirit leading into all truth.)<br>—[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2009/06/catholic-interpretation-of-scripture-hermeneutics-exegesis-resource-list-links.html '''Biblical Evidence for Catholicism with Dave Armstrong: Catholic Hermeneutics and Exegesis: Resources and Links''', Dave Armstrong (patheos.com)] ''Catholic Hermeneutics on "Holding to the traditions which you were taught" in which "we have the mind of Christ"—Dave Armstrong offers guidelines to an informed understanding of scripture without distortion and a listing of online sites and resources with practical programs of study from the Catholic perspective of 2000 years of orthodox catholic Christian tradition.'' (The Holy Spirit leading into all truth.)<br>—[https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/2008/05/02/an-orthodox-hermeneutic/ '''An Orthodox Hermeneutic''', by Fr. Stephen Freeman (ancientfaith.com)] ''Orthodox Hermeneutics as the legitimate expression of the Christian doctrine that '''the Church''' is "manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart" ([http://biblehub.com/commentaries/2_corinthians/3-3.htm 2&nbsp;Corinthians 3:3])—Fr. Freeman declares that, to a certain extent, to say that the Scriptures are the Church’s book is a [[tautology]], for either the Church as a whole, tradition, scripture and worship, is that epistle, written in the fleshy tables of the heart, or it is not the Church at all. Therefore a legitimately informed understanding of sacred scripture is properly done only according to the whole content of the pure Orthodox Faith of the Apostles apart from the adulterations of illegitimate and heretical distortions of non-Orthodox heterodoxy''. See '''''Orthodox Study Bible''''' [http://store.ancientfaith.com/orthodox-study-bible/] [https://en.orthodoxwiki.org/Orthodox_Study_Bible] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodox_Study_Bible]. (The Holy Spirit leading into all truth.)<br>—[http://www.thecatholictreasurechest.com/apostasy.htm '''The So-called "Great Apostasy" Has Already Come to Pass! But it did not happen when non-Catholics claim it happened.''' And Holy Scripture teaches that it could not be the Church which Jesus Christ founded. Written by Bob Stanley (thecatholictreasurechest.com)]<br>—[http://www.bible.ca/tongues-neo-montanism.htm '''Neo-Montanism: Pentecostalism is the ancient heresy of Montanism revived''' (bible.ca)]<br>—[https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/october/charismatic-renewal-movement.html '''Understanding The Charismatic Movement''', Ed Stetzer (christianitytoday.com)]

The following resources are relevant to the issue of [[discernment|discernment of truth]] "''When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth, forever.''" (John 14:15-16; 16:12-14)<br>—'''[[Epistles of Ignatius]]''' ''about A.D. 110, regarding authority in the [[Early Christianity|early church]].''<br>—[https://www.britannica.com/topic/pentarchy '''Pentarchy - Christianity''' - Britannica Encyclopedia (britannica.com)] "''Rule of Five''"—''The historical development of the five primary Patriarchates of the Christian Catholic Church, and the controversial removal of the Primacy of Authority from the Bishop of Rome to the Patriarch of Constantinople by the Emperor as earthly head of the Church.'' <br>—[https://www.britannica.com/topic/caesaropapism '''Caesaropapism''' - Britannica Encyclopedia (britannica.com)]<br>—[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08084c.htm '''Conflict of Investitures''' - Catholic Encyclopedia (newadvent.org)]<br>—[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_movements_declared_heretical_by_the_Catholic_Church '''List of movements declared heretical by the Catholic Church''' - Wikipedia]<br>—[http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Leo10/l10exdom.htm '''''Exsurge Domini'' Condemning the Errors of Martin Luther''' (papalencyclicals.net)]<br>—[http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/luther/againstexecrablebull.html '''Against the Execrable Bull of the Antichrist (exerpt)''' (law2.umke.edu)]<br>—[http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2007/11/luther-sola-scriptura-had-devastating.html '''Luther: Sola Scriptura Had a "Devastating Effect"?''' – Beggars All (beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com)]<br>—[http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/ecumenical/athenagoras_romancatholicism.htm '''Christian Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism''', by Archbishop Athenagoras (Kokkinakis) of Thyatira (orthodoxresearchinstitute.org)]<br>—[http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/prot_rc_heresy.aspx '''Are Protestantism and Roman Catholicism Heretical?''' (orthodoxinfo.com)]<br>—[https://answersingenesis.org/hermeneutics/how-we-interpret-the-bible-principles-for-understanding/ '''How Should We Interpret the Bible, Part 1: Principles for Understanding God's Word. Apologetics''', by Tim Chaffey (answersingenesis.org)]<br>—[http://www.tyndalesploughboy.org/about/ '''Tyndale's Ploughboy''', Dr. Herbert L. Samworth (tyndalesploughboy.org)] ''Protestant [[Hermeneutics]] on "Rightly dividing the Word of Truth"—Dr. Samworth offers a practical program of informed Biblical interpretation and systematic study from the Protestant perspective and Evangelical Christian tradition.'' (The Holy Spirit leading into all truth.)<br>—[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2009/06/catholic-interpretation-of-scripture-hermeneutics-exegesis-resource-list-links.html '''Biblical Evidence for Catholicism with Dave Armstrong: Catholic Hermeneutics and Exegesis: Resources and Links''', Dave Armstrong (patheos.com)] ''Catholic Hermeneutics on "Holding to the traditions which you were taught" in which "we have the mind of Christ"—Dave Armstrong offers guidelines to an informed understanding of scripture without distortion and a listing of online sites and resources with practical programs of study from the Catholic perspective of 2000 years of orthodox catholic Christian tradition.'' (The Holy Spirit leading into all truth.)<br>—[https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/2008/05/02/an-orthodox-hermeneutic/ '''An Orthodox Hermeneutic''', by Fr. Stephen Freeman (ancientfaith.com)] ''Orthodox Hermeneutics as the legitimate expression of the Christian doctrine that '''the Church''' is "manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart" ([http://biblehub.com/commentaries/2_corinthians/3-3.htm 2&nbsp;Corinthians 3:3])—Fr. Freeman declares that, to a certain extent, to say that the Scriptures are the Church’s book is a [[tautology]], for either the Church as a whole, tradition, scripture and worship, is that epistle, written in the fleshy tables of the heart, or it is not the Church at all. Therefore a legitimately informed understanding of sacred scripture is properly done only according to the whole content of the pure Orthodox Faith of the Apostles apart from the adulterations of illegitimate and heretical distortions of non-Orthodox heterodoxy''. See '''''Orthodox Study Bible''''' [http://store.ancientfaith.com/orthodox-study-bible/] [https://en.orthodoxwiki.org/Orthodox_Study_Bible] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodox_Study_Bible]. (The Holy Spirit leading into all truth.)<br>—[http://www.thecatholictreasurechest.com/apostasy.htm '''The So-called "Great Apostasy" Has Already Come to Pass! But it did not happen when non-Catholics claim it happened.''' And Holy Scripture teaches that it could not be the Church which Jesus Christ founded. Written by Bob Stanley (thecatholictreasurechest.com)]<br>—[http://www.bible.ca/tongues-neo-montanism.htm '''Neo-Montanism: Pentecostalism is the ancient heresy of [[Montanism]] revived''' (bible.ca)]<br>—[https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/october/charismatic-renewal-movement.html '''Understanding The Charismatic Movement''', Ed Stetzer (christianitytoday.com)]

The most important key ''controversial argument'' drawn from the whole context of the above extensive list of Bible texts and others in the Bible is that "the true Church" is  

The most important key ''controversial argument'' drawn from the whole context of the above extensive list of Bible texts and others in the Bible is that "the true Church" is