VS. 
LECTIO DIVINA SOLA SCRIPTURA
There were two votes for the question regarding the difference between sola scriptura and lectio divina. The first is Latin for “Scripture alone” and the latter is “sacred reading.” SS (now representing sola scriptura) is a theological principle that, as I understand it, teaches that tradition and teachings are not as important as scripture, that with the Bible a person can have all they need to know to develop their own, personal faith and theology (I’m completely open to enlightenment in this!). The problem I forsee is that any church teaching this could potentially suffer a great fracturing amidst its own body of believers. For example, both Calvin and Luther believed in SS. If both were correct, why didn’t they develop the same church and theology? Because with SS, each person is able to come to their own opinion, understanding and belief; complete unity is not possible because few people interpret things the same way.
Lectio divina (LD; surprise!), is not a theology, but a methodology; it is a way of prayer. Those who practice LD use the scripture to pray, taking perhaps a small piece of text, maybe only a single word and really meditating on it, praying with it, to try and come to a deeper knowledge and understanding of what it is that God is trying to communicate to them through His written Word. The reason this is different from SS is because this is not about seeking a belief or theology, this is not reading the Bible to better defend/support your own theology. LD is about seeking the truth and opening oneself to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, using scripture as a gateway into the deeper knowledge and truth of what God is trying to tell you.
I am not trying to say that SS followers are wrong and LD practitioners are correct; both ways have their graces. But I can’t help wondering what SS followers have to say about certain lines of sciptura, especially some of what Paul has to say. When I use LD on passages like the following, I feel that Christ (and subsequently, Paul), is expressing the desire for one church, entrusted to Peter and founded upon him. I can see, though, how someone following SS can see otherwise. Here are a few samples of biblical text I think SS and LD people vary a great deal on:
1 Cor: 10-13, 17 (NRSV)
“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucifed for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?… For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.”
(About tradition)
1 Cor: 23-29
“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgement against themselves.”
(This is the last one, I promise!)
Matthew 16:18-19
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gate of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Being Catholic, I believe what my Church has always believed; that Christ desired one church, the one he entrusted to the care of Peter. I believe that the authority exercised by the Pope is the same authority that Christ gave to Peter, and Peter entrusted that authority to his successor, and so on until it was passed on from John Paul II to Benedict XVI.
Not being anything other than Catholic, I have no idea how other people interpret these passages. I quoted these from the closest Bible I could find to one used by many Protestants, just to try and be as unbiased as I can. What do my good fellow Christians out there think about these passages, and others that you might know of? I am here to learn as much as you are! I also hope that this blog helped answer the whole SS and LD question. I’ll try to get to other questions as I can!
