Category Archives: Five Solas

Sola Scriptura – By the Scriptures Alone (2)

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Continued from Part 1 “is God’s authority invested in a book or in an Institution (the Church)?”

The Protestant Reformers believed in Sola Scriptura (the Scriptures Alone), and would declare the Roman Church to believe and practice Sola Ecclesia (by the Church Alone), for quite simply, what the Roman Catholic Church says to be true, is true because the Church speaks with infallibility and cannot possibly be wrong.

The response of the Roman Catholic Church was to remind the Reformers that the Church would not even have had the Bible except that Church councils actually defined what the Bible actually was. The reasoning went like this: if the Church is the Institution that declares the Bible to be the Bible, does not that indicate that the Church would have at least the same authority as the Bible, or even more?

RECIPIMUS

Both Martin Luther and John Calvin responded to this by reminding Rome that the key word the Church used, when it did define the Bible, was the Latin word “Recipimus,” which means “we receive.” The Church declared “we receive these books as sacred Scripture.”
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Sola Scriptura – By the Scriptures Alone (1)

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“Let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth.” – Basil of Caesarea (c. 330 – 379 A.D.)

“We affirm that a confession of the full authority, infallibility, and inerrancy of Scripture is vital to a sound understanding of the whole of the Christian faith. We further affirm that such confession should lead to increasing conformity to the image of Christ. We deny that such a confession is necessary for salvation. However, we further deny that inerrancy can be rejected without grave consequences, both to the individual and the church.” – Chicago Statement of the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy

“In the empire of the church, the ruler is God’s Word.” – Martin Luther – Works, Vol. 41, p. 134.

“I have learned to ascribe the honor of infallibility only to those books that are accepted as canonical. I am profoundly convinced that none of these writers has erred. All other writers, however they may have distinguished themselves in holiness or in doctrine, I read in this way. I evaluate what they say, not on the basis that they themselves believe that a thing is true, but only insofar as they are able to convince me by the authority of the canonical books or by clear reason.” – Martin Luther

“Since the church is Christ’s Kingdom, and he reigns by his Word alone, will it not be clear to any man that those are lying words by which the Kingdom of Christ is imagined to exist apart from his scepter (that is, his most holy Word)?” – John Calvin, Institutes

“Let the pastors boldly dare all things by the word of God. . . Let them constrain all the power, glory, and excellence of the world to give place to and to obey the divine majesty of this word. Let them enjoin everyone by it, from the highest to the lowest. Let them edify the body of Christ. Let them devastate Satan’s reign. Let them pasture the sheep, kill the wolves, instruct and exhort the rebellious. Let them bind and loose thunder and lightning, if necessary, but let them do all according to the word of God.” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Epistle to the Ephesians, p. xii

“…have you not read what was spoken to you by God…” – Jesus Christ (Matt. 22:31)

There has been an unprecedented crisis in the Church in the last two hundred years as to the question “Can we trust the Scriptures?” There has been a wholesale loss of the sense of authority.

To understand the issues involved in our day, I am convinced that we need to know something about the 16th Century Protestant Reformation. The central issue was Justification by faith alone (Latin: sola fide). Yet often overlooked is another controversy which was equally as serious for the life of the Church.

The material issue of the Reformation was the debate over justification by faith alone. The formal issue (the structure in which the whole debate ensued) was the issue of final authority – who or what speaks for God?
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Luther on the “Five Solas”

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THE NECESSITY v. THE SUFFICIENCY OF GRACE

Martin Luther and his Reformers had 5 main slogans, all using the word “Sola,” which is the Latin word for “alone.” It was this word “alone” that designated the true biblical Gospel and set it apart from all other pretenders.

Rome believed (then as it does now) that justification is by grace, through faith and because of Christ. What Rome does not believe is that justification is by faith alone, or by grace alone, or by Christ alone. For Rome, justification is by grace plus merit, through faith plus works; by Christ plus the sinner’s contribution of inherent righteousness. In contrast, the Reformers called the Church back to the one true Biblical Gospel: based on the assured foundation of Scripture alone, God declares a person “just” or right in His sight, by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, to the Glory of God alone.

I would like to recommend some resources regarding the Five Solas. I do not believe I am over-stating the situation when I say that nothing is more vital to the health of today’s Church than a widespread return to these biblical doctrines.

(1) This excellent short article here discusses Luther’s own embracing and proclamation of the solas.

(2) I cannot speak more highly of Dr. James Montgomery Boice’s book “Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace?” It continues to have a profound effect on my life and ministry. If you do not have it yet, I would encourage you to do all you can to get it. You can do so here.

(3) Dr. Sproul’s series “God Alone” is an outstanding historical and biblical study of the five solas. For the next few days, Ligonier Ministries is making the entire 10 message series on CD available for any size gift here.

(4) I personally love to preach and teach on this theme. It is central in all I seek to communicate. You can hear my sermon on “The Five Solas of the Gospel” here.

(5) You can also read a short series of articles I wrote on this theme here, and about how it is entirely possible for five things to stand together alone here.