Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Five Pillars of the Reformation • Sermon • Submitted
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This morning we began studying the Protestant Reformation. I tried to give a brief historical background and also look at one of the pillars of the reformation - “sola fide”
Many religions of the world include the Bible as one of their “holy” books. But is the Bible simple one among many?
Christianity has the Bible as it’s sole source are we being narrow minded?
This morning we began studying the Protestant Reformation. I tried to give a brief historical background and also look at one of the pillars of the reformation - “sola fide”
Tonight I want to begin our evening series where we will look at “sola scriptura” (by scripture alone). It was through the careful study of God’s word that the reformers saw the corruption and abuse of the Catholic Church. It was also through their study of the Scriptures they saw their own need of salvation and the hope of the Gospel found in Jesus Christ.
The Bible had been pushed aside in the church of the middle ages. The question was not what does the Bible say or what does God say but what does the church say or more specifically what does the pope say. Papal authority was what mattered, not the Bible.
This resulted in the preaching of God’s word taking a back seat to things like the sacraments and mass. It was more important to belong to the church than to Christ.
What the reformers preached and lived was that it was more important to follow God’s word than the church or the pope. It was this belief and the proclamation of this belief that so threatened Rome. If the Bible was the authority then it meant they no longer were. The pope and church cared far more about human power, financial riches, and political influence than it did about the souls of man. Thus any threat to this power, riches and influence would have to be stamped out even if it meant God and His word.
Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone")
The reformers all started by wanting to reform the church not leave it. They wanted to bring the Church once again under God’s authority, the Bible. It was only once it became clear the church would not be reformed that they broke.
Sola fide ("by faith alone")
One of the reformers greatest accomplishments if not the greatest was the translation of God’s word into the common language of the people. To this point the Bible was only available in Latin, which no one but the clergy spoke. The common people were defendant on their Priests to tell them what God said. To translate the Bible into the language of the common people meant that the church was no longer the gate keeper for God’s word. The common man could read the Bible for himself.
Sola gratia ("by grace alone")
This was the greatest threat to Rome because now people could see for themselves the corruption and abuse the church had foisted upon them. The reformation fires began to spread quickly once people could read the Bible for themselves.
Sola Christus or Solo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone")
Luther translated the Bible in German, Calvin assisted in translating into French, Tyndale into English. These translations become the standards of their respective languages.
What drove these men to place such weight on the Bible? What was their reasoning for asserting the Bible’s authority over Rome’s authority? What fueled their desire to study and preach the Bible? - These are some of the questions we want to answer in our evening services.
Sola Deo gloria ("glory to God alone")
I am going to begin tonight with one of the foundation doctrines of the word of God.
The Inspiration of Scripture!
The Inspiration of Scripture!
Inspired is used in many ways in our culture - musicians, artists, poets, chefs...
The inspiration of the scriptures means that we believe the Bible is God’s word.
Because it is God’s word it is infallible, sufficient, necessary and the absolute authority.
There are many passages in the Bible that teach this foundation doctrine.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
All scripture is inspired by God or God-breathed. The Greek word here is “theopneutos”
“Theo” - God and “Pneutos” - to breathes - All scripture is literally the breath of God or from God’s mouth.
Rightly do we call the Bible God’s word for it is not man’s word but God’s. When we read the Bible we are reading what God has said.
When theologians talk about the inspiration of the Bible they talk about it in two ways - verbal and plenary
Verbal Inspiration
Verbal Inspiration
This means every word of scripture was inspired. God did not just communicate the ideas or themes but the very words of scripture.
18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Jesus quoting
4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
The words of the text are very important for we believe they are given to us by God Himself.
Plenary Inspiration
Plenary Inspiration
This means that all the words of scripture are God’s words. All of scripture is equally and fully inspired by God ().
20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
God used men to record His words. There are approx. 40 human authors God used but it is all still God’s word.
These men lived at different times, on different continents and spoke different languages and yet the scriptures are unified in what they say. How is that possible? It is the same God who spoke through them.
God did this while at the same time allowing for the different styles of the authors to be seen. Linguists can study the Bible text and see commonalities in letters written by the same human author.
The picture in 2 Pet. is that of a ship being carried by the wind. The men were merely the sails and the Spirit of God was the wind that moved and directed them.
Every word of scripture is inspired
Every part of the Bible is equally inspired – all 66 books - It’s all God’s word
o God communicated exactly what He wanted to be written – “thus says the Lord”
· Yet the Bible still bears the stylistic marks of each individual author
o The Spirit of God spoke through the human scribes or authors
· Every part of the Bible is equally inspired – all 66 books
o It’s all God’s word
Can we trust that what we possess is God’s Word?
Can we trust that what we possess is God’s Word?
God inspired these authors some 3500 - 200 years ago. Can we trust that the Bible we have today is the Bible that God gave to the original authors?
The Bible was written in Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT) and Aramaic (Daniel) - We do not possess the originals
We do not possess the original manuscripts
The copying was done by hand for the first 1500 years after the Bible was completed
Can we trust that what we possess is God’s Word?
When determining the reliability of an ancient document there are a couple of important factors
How close is the date of the manuscript to the writing of the original - the greater the time period the greater the likelihood for mistakes
Number of manuscripts - the more you have the more you can compare and cross reference
Annuals of Imperial Rome - by Tacitus
Annuals of Imperial Rome - by Tacitus
Originally written - 116 AD
by Tacitus
Earliest manuscript - 850 AD (Difference of 700+ years)
Manuscripts in existence - 1
The Jewish War - by Josephus
The Jewish War
Originally written - 1st Century
Earliest manuscript - 10th Century (Difference of 1000 years)
by Josephus
Manuscripts in existence - 9
Iliad - by Homer
Iliad
Originally written - 800 BC
Earliest manuscript - 10th Century (Difference of 1000 years)
by Homer
Manuscripts in existence - 650
The New Testament
The New Testament
Originally written - 1st Century
Original written
Earliest manuscript - 2nd Century (Difference is less than 100 years)
Manuscripts in existence - 5000+ - (that’s only Greek, there are thousands more in other languages) There are also thousands of quotations of the New Testament in other writings (Erasmus)
116 AD
1st Century
800 BC
1st Century
Manuscripts in existence
1
9
650
5000+
(that’s only Greek, there are thousands more in other languages)
There are also thousands of quotations of the New Testament in other writings
The New Testament is the most historically reliable ancient document in existence!!
Earliest manuscript
850 AD
10th Century
2nd Century
2nd Century
Difference
700+ years
1000 years
1000 years
Less than 100 years
· The New Testament is the most historically reliable ancient document in existence
We can with great confidence say that what we hold in our hands is the word of God.
The men of the reformation were absolutely convinced of this. They held God’s word in their hands. Because they believed the Bible was inspired by God they placed a greater value on it than church councils or the pope.
Church councils and the pope could be wrong, but God’s word was never wrong.
Consequently their view and belief in the inspiration of the Bible greatly impacted their ministry. If we truly believe the Bible we hold in our hands has been given to us by God and is the very word of God then our lives and ministry should be greatly affected by it to.
Practical outworking of Inspiration
Practical outworking of Inspiration
Preaching and Teaching
Preaching and Teaching
“The doctrine of divine inspiration of Scripture elevated Luther’s view of preaching to a lofty height that had been lost. He believed that biblical inspiration mandated biblical preaching.” (Steven Lawson, The Heroic Boldness of Martin Luther, Pg. 29)
The preaching of God’s word had been replaced by the sacraments and mass and the reformers restored the preaching of God’s word to a central place in the church.
Preaching is a calling of God’s people to submit to God’s authority in their lives. Preaching places the focus on God and man’s response to Him.
Believe Him, obey Him, hope in Him, love Him...
Preaching God’s word is communicating God’s word with the full authority of God behind it. It is calling people to be transformed by the truths they hear.
All of the reformers were first and foremost preachers
1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
1 tim 3:
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Titus 1:
One of the chief roles of a Pastor is that of preaching and teaching God’s word. - It is the role of the shepherd to feed the sheep.
Specifically to feed the sheep God's word. If we truly believe that God’s word is inspired then there should be nothing more important for us than to hear from God. The preeminent job of the preacher is to declare “thus says the Lord...”
Pray for your Pastor’s
Pray for Pastor Rob and I that we would study hard and be fully committed to the inspired word of God. There is always temptation to deviate, to be relevant or sound more sophisticated.
The only way to know God is through His revealed word. One cannot be saved apart from God’s word nor can one grow in the walk wit God.
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
2. Come to church expecting and desiring to hear from God.
Get a good night sleep
Try and structure your Sunday morning so you are not rushed
Spend time in God’s word and prayer leading up to Sunday
Personal Devotions
Personal Devotions
Personal Devotions
Personal Devotions
Preaching and teaching is important but there is also our own personal study of God’s word.
The reformation made this possible as Bibles were printed in languages people could read and the printing press made the cost of Bibles affordable to the common man.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
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Look at all God’s word will do in your life IF you read and study it.
God’s word is necessary for our growth as believers, if we are not in it regularly our growth will be stunted
1. Pray for God to give you a desire for His word
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Ps 19:
2. Fight to spend time each day with Him
That may mean getting up early or straying up a little later. Maybe using your lunch hour.
As best as you can find a time that will work each day. Get your spouse or parents to help you be consistent and faithful
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Preaching is the public ministry of the word and devotions are the private ministry of the word. Both are important and both work together.
Preaching should motive and stir us to be in Gods’ word, one who is in God’s word will desire the preaching of God’s word
One who is not spending time with God will not reap the full benefit of the preaching of God’s word