Sola Scriptura Discussion

Very good topic!

The phrase sola scriptura is from the Latin: sola having the idea of “alone,” “ground,” “base,” and the word scriptura meaning “writings”—referring to the Scriptures. Sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible is complete, authoritative, and true. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Sola scriptura was the rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation. For centuries the Roman Catholic Church had made its traditions superior in authority to the Bible. This resulted in many practices that were in fact contradictory to the Bible. Some examples are prayer to saints and/or Mary, the immaculate conception, transubstantiation, indulgences, and papal authority. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church and father of the Protestant Reformation, was publicly rebuking the Catholic Church for its unbiblical teachings. The Catholic Church threatened Martin Luther with excommunication (and death) if he did not recant. Martin Luther’s reply was, “Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the Word of God, I cannot and will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me! Amen!”

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Welcome to the Christian Chat St.Robert.

The term “sola Scriptura” or “the Bible alone” is a short phrase that represents the simple truth that there is only one special revelation from God that man possesses today, the written Scriptures or the Bible. Scripture states this concept repeatedly and emphatically. The very phrase “It is written” means exclusively transcribed, and not hearsay. The command to believe what is written means to believe only the pure word of God. What is at stake before the All Holy God is His incorruptible truth.

In the very last commandment in the Bible God resolutely tells us not to add to nor take away from His Word.

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book”
—Revelation 22:18-19

His Word is absolutely sufficient in itself (Psalm 119:160).

The Biblical message breathed out by God is revelation in written form. (2 Timothy 3:15-16). The Biblical claim is that what God has inspired was His written word (2 Peter 1:20-21). When the Lord Jesus Christ said, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), He was speaking of God’s written word. The events, actions, commandments, and truths from God are given to us in propositional form, i.e. logical, written sentences. God’s declaration in Scripture is that it and it alone, is this final authority in all matters of faith and morals.

Thus, there is only one written source from God, and there is only one basis of truth for the Lord’s people in the Church.

The total sufficiency of Scripture is declared by the Apostle Paul,

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
—2 Timothy 3:16-17
For final truth and authority, all that we need is the Scripture.

What about the claim that sola Scriptura is not possible?

In an attempt to justify traditions as being of equal or higher authority than Scripture, an appeal is often made to the very last verse in John’s gospel,

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”
—John 21:25
Of course, there were many deeds and sayings of the Lord not recorded in Scripture. Nonetheless, Scripture is the authoritative record that Holy God has given His people. We do not have a single sentence that is authoritatively from the Lord, outside of what is in the written word. To appeal to a tradition for authority, when Holy God did not give it, is futile. The idea that somehow sayings and events from the Lord have been recorded in tradition is simply not true.

Another attempt to justify tradition, is the statement that the early church did not have the New Testament. The Apostle Peter speaks about the writings of the Apostle Paul when he states,

“…even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”
—2 Peter 3:15-16
Peter also declares that he was writing so that the believers could remember what he said. So he wrote, “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth” (2 Peter 1:12).

From the earliest days of Christianity, a substantial part of the New Testament was available. Under the inspiration of the Lord, the Apostle Paul commands his letters to be read in other churches besides those to which they were sent. This clearly shows that the written word of God was being circulated even as the Apostles lived. The Lord’s command to believe what is written has always been something that the believers could obey and did obey. In this matter we must have the humility commanded in the Scripture not to think above what is written. “…that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another” (1 Corinthians 4:6).

See more here: “sola Scriptura” or “the Bible alone”

Just a reminder of the rules on our message boards: Rules

This is not a Catholic message board. Don’t promote Roman Catholicism on this board. One needs only to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. He alone can save you and nothing else. We believe in all Ten Commandments here. Especially the second one that the Catholics removed. And it was written in stone, it states: Exodus 20:4 -5 (KJV)

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Sola scriptura was the rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation. For centuries the Roman Catholic Church had made its traditions superior in authority to the Bible. This resulted in many practices that were in fact contradictory to the Bible. Some examples are prayer to saints and/or Mary, the immaculate conception, transubstantiation, indulgences, and papal authority. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church and father of the Protestant Reformation, was publicly rebuking the Catholic Church for its unbiblical teachings. The Catholic Church threatened Martin Luther with excommunication (and death) if he did not recant. Martin Luther’s reply was, “Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the Word of God, I cannot and will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me! Amen!”

The primary Catholic argument against sola scriptura is that the Bible does not explicitly teach sola scriptura. Catholics argue that the Bible nowhere states that it is the only authoritative guide for faith and practice. However, this is only true in the shallowest sense. The principle is strongly indicated by verses such as Acts 17:11, which commends the Bereans for testing doctrine—taught by an apostle, no less—to the written Word. Sola scriptura is all-but-explicitly indicated in 1 Corinthians 4:6, where Paul warns not to “go beyond what is written.” Jesus Himself criticized those who allowed traditions to override the explicit commands of God in Mark 7:6–9.

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
~ Mark 7:6-9

More information can be found here:  Read more

Where in scripture is Sola Scriptura?

You know that there is not one verse that flat-out states Sola Scriptura. It is implied in the Bible. And finally, sola scriptura implies the finality of Scripture, that there is no new revelation to be given to man after the close of the canon of Scripture, and that we have the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.

The best place it states it is in Revelation 22:18-19

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. ~ Revelation 22:18-19

Though this is specifically written in Revelation, the concept is often applied to the Bible as a whole. Other verses speak of how all scripture is God-breathed, and how no man prophesied of his own accord. And, of course, there’s a verse in Proverbs:

Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. ~ Proverbs 30:6

Are you Catholic or a member of the Catholic Church? or maybe identified with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism), The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses) or with David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, Jim Jones and the People’s Temple, or Marshall Applewhite and Heaven’s Gate, etc who wants to add their own versions of what they think the Bible should say to make them happy. In other words, creating and idol (false god).

Therefore, you may continue to debate because you don’t want to understand.

Christians should affirm that the Bible is the Word of God and it will not be debated. We say that the Bible is the absolute authority that must shed its light on every other discipline. The sad thing is when Christians bail on that and try to find some halfway compromise between the authority of the Word of God and the authority of the culture; they’ve abandoned the only hope.

As you should know the first and original temptation was for Satan to say to Eve, “Did God really say that?” And then to flip it and actually say, “You won’t die, God lied. You can’t believe His Word.” That was the original temptation. And that’s at the heart of every other temptation. This for sure is what it seems you are trying to do by questioning the Bible which is the only word of God. The problem these days is people that reject the Bible as true; then you do what it says in Isaiah 5, you substitute good for evil and evil for good. So you turn everything upside-down. So homosexual marriage is good, abortion is good; it’s freedom of choice. So it starts with rejecting biblical authority. That’s already happened in our country widespread.

Knowing and believing God’s word the Bible separates believers from non-believers. We have discernment that comes from the Holy Spirit, granted to us to believe the Word of God, faith to believe it, discernment to understand it, and conviction to hold onto it. The natural man does not. He is blind, he is dead; the preaching then of the Word of God and the gospel and the cross is foolishness to him.

Every denomination that goes astray goes astray at this point.  Every seminary that goes astray, goes astray at this point.  Every church that goes astray goes astray at this point. Every denomination, every seminary, and every church that is strong in the grace of God is strong in being anchored upon sola scriptura.  It is non-negotiable.  We’re not just dogmatic about this, we’ll bulldog-matic about this. The Word of God is not up for debate.

So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”  ~ Matthew 15:6-9

Do not continue to try and convince anyone on our message boards that it is OK to add to the scripture (The Bible).  I have explained what Sola Scriptura means. If you want another version you will have to go to the cults.

If you really want to know more about the truth then below are more links with more true information about the subject:

Sola Scriptura: What It Means and Why It Matters
https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/GTY139/

The Puritan Commitment to Sola Scriptura (Steve Lawson)
https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/TM13-12/the-puritan-commitment-to-sola-scriptura-steve-lawson