I spent some time on this reply.
Going to God is better than just believing in the Bible alone imho. God is above the Bible, don't you agree? Or do you put the Bible above anything else even God Himself? Do you not pray at all? Do you not spend time with Him in prayer daily? Do you not pray even weekly at least? Not even fasting? If you only read the Bible and do not pray then why ask me for chapter and verse? Do you not trust God to reveal Himself and answer your questions? Even Jesus prayed so why can't you?
You're now accusing my of not praying and not fasting. That is a wild assumption based on nothing. Prayer is incredibly important and the best thing we can do in any and every situation. Scripture tells us to pray constantly. But now we are getting into weird territory of accusations without basis.
But before we go there I want to address a few of the things you’ve said, with clarity and without hostility, because these issues matter for the Gospel itself.
You said over and over this is “the Protestant problem,” that we “always look for chapter and verse.”
But respectfully, that is not a Protestant problem. That is a biblical command.
Isaiah 8:20
“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
Acts 17:11
The Bereans were called noble because they tested all teachings against Scripture.
2 Timothy 3:16–17
All Scripture is God-breathed and equips us for every good work.
If God has already spoken clearly in Scripture(which He did), then it is disobedient to refuse to show from Scripture what we claim to believe.
This is a category mistake.
No one puts the Bible above God.
But the Bible is the very Word of God and the way God Himself chose to reveal His will and character.
To say “God is above the Bible” in a way that means we can bypass Scripture is dangerous. That is exactly how false prophets misled Israel:
Deuteronomy 13:1–3
Anyone who claims a revelation “from God” that contradicts what He already said is not from Him.
We are not free to appeal to private revelation, feelings, or tradition against or without Scripture.
But this misunderstands the issue completely.
I am not rejecting human teachers.
I am rejecting any teacher who cannot show their doctrine from God’s Word. I will not take a mans teaching over the teaching of God in the way He chose to reveal it.
That is exactly what God commands:
Mark 7:7–13
Jesus condemns any teaching that cannot be grounded in Scripture and elevates tradition above God’s Word.
If a doctrine cannot be shown from Scripture, Christians are forbidden from accepting it.
(Deut. 4:2, Prov. 30:6, Rev. 22:18)
You have repeatedly appealed to:
Yet never once have you shown a single biblical text that teaches what you claim.
That is not discipleship.
That is avoiding Scripture.
Prayer does not reveal doctrine.
Scripture does.
Prayer is how we respond to God’s revelation.
Scripture is how God gives His revelation.
If we cannot test doctrine by Scripture, then we are left with:
And then we have no way to discern truth from deception.
Scripture is God's safeguard against human error and spiritual deception.
Without Scripture:
That is why God gave His Word.
At every point in this discussion, I asked one simple, honest question:
“Where does Scripture teach that humans can choose good on their own or contribute to salvation?”
Not one verse has been provided.
Instead, I have been told to:
That is not how Christian doctrine is established.
Doctrine must come from Scripture or not at all.
(2 Tim. 3:16–17; Acts 17:11; Mark 7:7)
I am not rejecting you.
I am simply holding us both to the standard that God Himself gave.
If a belief cannot be shown in the Word of God, then Christians have no authority to teach it.
May God bless you as well, truly.
RE: Are you a father? Protect your family by being steadfast in the Lord. 🙏 ...