Scripture alone

October 28, 2021 (Thursday)

 

We are studying the five solas’s that came out of the Reformation. I think “faith alone” is the pin that holds the five solas together. I think this because Luther himself wrote after he came to the place of transformation by faith, “There a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me” [Preface to the complete edition Luther’s Latin writings].

 

Paul stated, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” [1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV] The “natural person” is one who is yet to be regenerated (born again, saved). The things of God are distant and difficult to understand. Part of the problem, I think, may be because our minds are completely grounded in the natural.

 

There are those who think the Protestant movement is based on “Scripture only.” To some extent that is correct. Luther constantly asked, “What sayeth the Scripture?” as an acid test of truth. However, there is confusion between “solo Scriptura” and “sola Scripture.” What Protestants, in general, believe is “sola Scripture,” meaning “all religious knowledge and belief must be filtered, or measured, by the Bible.” [Compass magazine, March 3, 2017] What Protestants errantly are accused of is “solo Scriptura.” Solo “Scriptura says that all religious knowledge and belief can come only from the Bible.” [Ibid.]

 

Definitions aside, let’s think about this for a moment. Why do Protestants have 66 books of the Bible while the Roman church has 72? Simply put, Protestants agree with the Jewish tradition. We place Matthew first in the New Testament because tradition tells us it was written first. I think the book of Hebrews was written by Paul because of tradition (among other reasons). For the most part, the Bible (Scripture) is the “acid test” for spiritually essential truth. If something contradicts the clear teaching of the written word, it is not authoritative for belief or practice… “sola Scriptura.”

 

Let’s see if I can explain this from the Bible, it a way that makes sense. When God was establishing the nation of Israel, He directed, “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.” [Deuteronomy 4:2 ESV] Jesus had a serious problem with substituting tradition for God’s word, “You ignore God’s commandment while holding on to rules created by humans and handed down to you.” [Mark 7:8 CEB] The trouble with their tradition is they were nullifying the written word, “And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.” [Mark 7:13 NLT]

 

If we are honest with ourselves, we all force Scripture though our own theological grid. Which means we bring our own bias, reason, and experience to understanding the Bible. The danger is when we do not recognize the baggage. The thing is we believe the Bible is “inspired” (breathed, animated) by the Holy Spirit (see 2 Timothy 3:15 – 17). We understand the Bible (and by implication theology) through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the power of experience as Luther’s understanding of Scripture was changed when He accepted salvation through faith alone.

 

Let’s follow one line of reasoning for a moment. Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” [John 14:26 ESV] John has already identified Jesus as the “Word” of God (see John 1:1). So I think what this means is that the Holy Spirit will help us understand Jesus (and what is necessary for salvation) through the Bible (written word).

 

Later, John declares, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” [John 16:13 ESV] Notice the Holy Spirit points us to Jesus. Jesus has already identified Himself as “the truth.” (see John 14:6)

 

The only way to arrive at an incorrect understanding of the Bible is to not listen to the Holy Spirit and impose our own baggage or a theological grid on the clear meaning.

 

“And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” [Acts 17:11 NLT]