Perspicuity of the so-called Bible is a foundational tenet among the Protestants.
This means that the Scriptures are clear to the rational and educated reader so that everyone may interpret and understand the Bible rightly.
However, Protestantism itself denies this very foundation.
There are a myriad of different denominations (a nice word for “sects”), all with varying interpretations of this clear and perspicuous book. They disagree on everything from the mundane to the most sacred of dogmas.
Furthermore, this clear and perspicuous book itself — upon which all protestant dogma is to be based — denies that its contents (assuming one has the right canon) are “clear” for all to read. Saint Peter, in his second catholic epistle, tells us that Saint Paul’s letters are difficult to understand and that many people twist their meanings to their own destruction. Our Lord Jesus Christ even admits that he teaches in such a way so as to make “understanding” his words difficult for the average person.
As a foundation for Sola Scriptura, the perspicuity of the Protestant bible is a fanciful idea at best, and a seriously undermining flaw, refuting the whole of the system at worst.
Indeed,
This is also the same approach liberal scholarship uses. If we can just learn enough factoids about the Bible (or insert ancient near eastern culture), we will all come to the same truth.
Also, saying scripture interprets scripture (presumably the more difficult by the clearer) is useless. Who gets to determine what is clear?
And to say that Scripture is self-attesting is basically Mormon. You cannot with a straightface say that scripture is self-attesting and at the same time deny the Mormon the right to say his scriptures are self-attesting.
Good thoughts, and of course I agree. That’s a large part of the reason we’re where we are today.