Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgement of the Church which exercises the divinely conferred commission and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God The Baltimore Catechism used the phrase "rule of faith": In Verbum Domini (2010), Pope Benedict XVI wrote: Protestant usage In some Protestant theology, it is a hermeneutical rule of interpreting the Bible that scripture is to interpret scripture (Sacra Scriptura sui interpres: sacred Scripture is its own interpreter). It is an understanding that enforces the Bible as the inspired Word of God, and it is therefore consistent and coherent since God cannot contradict himself. Joseph Fitzmyer notes that the rule of faith () or analogy of faith (analogia fidei) is a phrase rooted in the Apostle Paul's admonition to the Christians in Rome in the Epistle to the Romans , which says, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith." (NIV, 1984) The last phrase, "in proportion to his faith" is in Greek κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς πίστεως ("analogy of faith"). In Romans 12:6 this refers to one of three possible ideas: the body of Christian teachings, the person's belief and response to the grace of God, or to the type of faith that can move mountains. In conservative Protestantism Romans 12:6 is viewed as the biblical reference for the term "analogy of the faith" (i.e., αναλογἰα τῆς πἰστεως). <p>For Protestants, the Bible alone is considered the word of God and the only infallible standard for judging faith and practice; hence, for conservative Protestantism, the analogy of the faith is equivalent to the analogy of scripture – that is, opinions are tested for their consistency with scripture, and scripture is interpreted by the Holy Spirit speaking in scripture (compare sola scriptura). Orthodox usage Analogia entis The analogy of faith, which was advanced by Augustine of Hippo, is sometimes contrasted with the analogy of being (), which, according to Thomas Aquinas, allows one to know God through analogy with his creation. See also Biblical law in Christianity Faith in Christianity References Further reading Sproul, R. C., et al. Knowing Scripture, revised edition, IVP Books, 2009. EBSCO host New Testament theology Christian terminology Philosophy of law Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Nuttall Encyclopedia Analogy Faith in Christianity