sola scriptura

I seriously doubt my friend Geoff is being led astray by Peter Rollins but he is dancing with some folks that I think I'd try to avoid - at best, I find them confusing. These particular folks seem to be writing a lot lately about the demise of Sola Scriptura. One person, Blake Huggins is celebrating it although I'm not completely sure what he thinks Sola Scriptura means or how his replacement, Prima Scriptura, is different. Interestingly, at one point I thought he was defending Sola Scriptura and thought he was simply on the fade-wagon of attacking things traditional. I don't know. I doubt his heart is motivated that way. So without judging him or others writing in that vein, I'll offer what I understand about the topic. My intent is to not enter into debate. It is only to share what I understand Sola Scriptura is.

Martin Luther, at the Diet of Worms said these great words, "Unless I am convinced by Sacred Scripture or by evi dent reason, I will not recant. My conscience is held captive by the Word of God and to act against conscience is neither right nor safe.”

Sola Scriptura simply means “by Scripture alone” declaring the idea that only the Bible has the authority to bind the consciences of believers. Protestants recognized other forms of authority but they saw these authorities as derived from and subordinate to the authority of God. All other authority is capable of error. God alone is infallible.

The difference between Protestant and the Roman Catholic Church was, “Is the Bible the only infallible source of special revelation?” Roman Catholics taught that there are two sources of infallible special revelation, Scripture and tradition. Since they attributed authority to the tradition of the church, they did not permit interpretation of the Bible in a way that was contrary to tradition. Which is exactly what Luther did.

The Bible is inspired by God. Church creeds and pronouncements are the works of men. These may be accurate and brilliant, overflowing with insight, but they are not the inspired Word of God.

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