Questioning the Solas: Sola Scriptura ("by Scripture alone")

[ryanmac]

Preface
I’m putting together a list of questions around the five fundamental beliefs of the Reformation. I’ve started five threads for the each of the five solas.

I’d like to invite the Catholic Answers community to:

1. 
   *] contribute more questions (please be charitable)
   *] edit or critique questions

1. 
   

   I’ve put this list together as a Protestant on my journey of investigating the claims of the Catholic Church. Obviously these questions lead toward the Catholic Church, so I’d also like to invite Protestants to contribute answers, or better yet, series of questions that lead toward the five solas.

   There are five threads for “Questioning the Solas”:
   

   • 
     *] Sola scriptura (“by Scripture alone”)
     *] Sola fide (“by faith alone”)
     *] Sola gratia (“by grace alone”)
     *] Solus Christus (“Christ alone”)
     *] Soli Deo gloria (“glory to God alone”)

   • 
     Questioning the Solas: Sola Scriptura
     

     A.W. Tozer, The Tozer Pulpit
     “I suppose more people would like me to declare that I preach the Bible and nothing but the Bible. I attempt to do that, but honesty compels me to say that the best I can do is to preach the Bible as I understand it.”

     • 
       *] What is meant by the phrase “Bible alone”?
       *] Where did the teaching of relying on the “Bible alone” come from? When did it start?
       *] What historical evidence (Early Church Fathers, creeds, councils, etc.) is there for the early Church operating under the doctrine of “Bible alone”?
       *] What Bible verse(s) claim “Bible alone”?
       *] What Bible verse(s) claim that the Bible is the sole authority?
       *] When the apostle’s refer to Scripture, to what Scripture are do they refer?
       *] Do people have to interpret the Bible to determine what it means?
       *] Does interpretation of the Bible compromise the purity of the Bible’s message?
       *] Do commentaries, pastors, Bible study materials guarantee infallible interpretations?
       *] What criteria do you use to determine correct interpretations?
       *] Do you think that the apostles’ interpretation of Scripture would be reliable?
       *] Is the early Church, the New Testament Church, a model of authentic belief and practice?
       *] What was the early Church’s source of truth?
       *] Is apostolic teaching a valid and reliable source of truth? Is it the “word of God”?
       *] Are the first Christians true believers if they didn’t rely on the “Bible alone” for their source of Truth?
       *] What Bible verse(s) communicate that we should no longer follow the teaching of the apostles and only look to written Scripture?
       *] When was the canon of Scripture settled?
       *] Was the Holy Spirit infallibly guiding the council decisions on the canon of Scripture?
       *] If the Holy Spirit infallibly guides a council toward an infallible decision, are all declarations at the same council treated with the same infallibility?
       *] What authority, or through what logical or scriptural criteria is used to identify infallible council decisions?
       *] Can a fallible council members, guided by the Holy Spirit, ever make an infallible decision?
       *] What Bible verse(s) led to the 66 book collection?
       *] What Bible verse(s) communicate the name of the “beloved disciple”?
       *] What Bible verse(s) claim the Gospel of Matthew is 1) inspired and 2) written by Matthew? (Or any of the other Gospels)
       *] What does the Bible claim as the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Tim 3:15)?
       *] What does Jesus identify as the final authority in Matthew 18:15-17?
       *] According to the Great Commission (Mt 28:19), what are we commissioned to teach all nations to observe?
       *] How much of what Jesus taught was not recorded in the Scriptures? (Jn 21:25, Acts 20:35)
       *] Is there a difference in the “traditions” spoken about in 2 Thess 2:15; 2 Thess 3:6; 2 Tim 2:2; 1 Cor 11:2 and the “traditions” spoken about in Mk 7:8; Mt 15:3; Col 2:8?
       *] When did Jesus establish His Church?
       *] What did Jesus ask the disciples to write down?
       *] How were theological disagreements handled in the early Church? Did they use the “Bible alone” to come to their conclusions?
       *] Today there are 30,000 denominations, most of which believe in the “Bible alone”. How does this seemingly mass confusion reflect the fruit of a God of unity (Ps 133:1; Jn 10:16; Jn 17:11; Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 10:17), led by the Holy Spirit, the teacher and guide to all truth (Jn 14:26; Jn 16:13)?
       *] Why is it that holy men and women differ so widely on the interpretation of Scripture (even on the essentials for salvation)?
       *] Would you consider a doctrine not based in Scripture and possibly even contra-scriptural to be an essential doctrine of faith?
       *] Is belief in “Bible alone” essential for salvation?
       *] Does denying the doctrine of “Bible alone” disqualify one from God’s saving grace?

 

[Belloc_Fan]

For an excellent defense of sola Scriptura, I would check out C. Michael Patton. Here is the first in his 8 or 9 part series on SS: reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2008/06/defense-of-sola-scriptura-part-on/#
It’s well-written, extremely charitable, but in my opinion, still wrong.

 

[cthulhubryan]

Questioning the Solas: Sola Scriptura

• 
  *] What is meant by the phrase “Bible alone”?
  *] Where did the teaching of relying on the “Bible alone” come from? When did it start?

• 
  Generally speaking Bible Alone means either taking no account of tradition or of placing below the Bible instead of as co equal.
  
  I believe that the teaching of this comes from shortly after the reformation as a reaction to Church authority.
  

  • 
    *] What historical evidence (Early Church Fathers, creeds, councils, etc.) is there for the early Church operating under the doctrine of “Bible alone”?
    *] What Bible verse(s) claim “Bible alone”?
    *] What Bible verse(s) claim that the Bible is the sole authority?

  • 
    None, None and None.
    Early creeds refer to the universal (little c catholic) church and core believes regarding the divinity of Christ. The Bible teaches that “scripture is useful” 2 Tim 3:16
    

    • 
      *] When the apostle’s refer to Scripture, to what Scripture are do they refer?
      *] Do people have to interpret the Bible to determine what it means?

    • 
      They are generally referring to what we now refer to as the old testament. The “New Testament” was canonized using Tradition and the councils of the RCC. Plus the sniff test.
      
      Certainly we cannot go about using the fundamentalist approach of taking every verse on it’s own regardless of context but we need to be careful when we talk about interpreting the bible. I can interpret what it means for myself within certain guidelines(z.b. personal prayer, daily devotion) , but I do not have the authority to interpret it for mass usage. Such can only be done in council or ex cathedra.
      
      Great thought provoking questions this morning.

 

[thistle]

Questioning the Solas: Sola Scriptura

• 
  *] What is meant by the phrase “Bible alone”?
  *] Where did the teaching of relying on the “Bible alone” come from? When did it start?
  *] What historical evidence (Early Church Fathers, creeds, councils, etc.) is there for the early Church operating under the doctrine of “Bible alone”?
  *] What Bible verse(s) claim “Bible alone”?
  *] What Bible verse(s) claim that the Bible is the sole authority?
  *] When the apostle’s refer to Scripture, to what Scripture are do they refer?
  *] Do people have to interpret the Bible to determine what it means?
  *] Does interpretation of the Bible compromise the purity of the Bible’s message?
  *] Do commentaries, pastors, Bible study materials guarantee infallible interpretations?
  *] What criteria do you use to determine correct interpretations?
  *] Do you think that the apostles’ interpretation of Scripture would be reliable?
  *] Is the early Church, the New Testament Church, a model of authentic belief and practice?
  *] What was the early Church’s source of truth?
  *] Is apostolic teaching a valid and reliable source of truth? Is it the “word of God”?
  *] Are the first Christians true believers if they didn’t rely on the “Bible alone” for their source of Truth?
  *] What Bible verse(s) communicate that we should no longer follow the teaching of the apostles and only look to written Scripture?
  *] When was the canon of Scripture settled?
  *] Was the Holy Spirit infallibly guiding the council decisions on the canon of Scripture?
  *] If the Holy Spirit infallibly guides a council toward an infallible decision, are all declarations at the same council treated with the same infallibility?
  *] What authority, or through what logical or scriptural criteria is used to identify infallible council decisions?
  *] Can a fallible council members, guided by the Holy Spirit, ever make an infallible decision?
  *] What Bible verse(s) led to the 66 book collection?
  *] What Bible verse(s) communicate the name of the “beloved disciple”?
  *] What Bible verse(s) claim the Gospel of Matthew is 1) inspired and 2) written by Matthew? (Or any of the other Gospels)
  *] What does the Bible claim as the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Tim 3:15)?
  *] What does Jesus identify as the final authority in Matthew 18:15-17?
  *] According to the Great Commission (Mt 28:19), what are we commissioned to teach all nations to observe?
  *] How much of what Jesus taught was not recorded in the Scriptures? (Jn 21:25, Acts 20:35)
  *] Is there a difference in the “traditions” spoken about in 2 Thess 2:15; 2 Thess 3:6; 2 Tim 2:2; 1 Cor 11:2 and the “traditions” spoken about in Mk 7:8; Mt 15:3; Col 2:8?
  *] When did Jesus establish His Church?
  *] What did Jesus ask the disciples to write down?
  *] How were theological disagreements handled in the early Church? Did they use the “Bible alone” to come to their conclusions?
  *] Today there are 30,000 denominations, most of which believe in the “Bible alone”. How does this seemingly mass confusion reflect the fruit of a God of unity (Ps 133:1; Jn 10:16; Jn 17:11; Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 10:17), led by the Holy Spirit, the teacher and guide to all truth (Jn 14:26; Jn 16:13)?
  *] Why is it that holy men and women differ so widely on the interpretation of Scripture (even on the essentials for salvation)?
  *] Would you consider a doctrine not based in Scripture and possibly even contra-scriptural to be an essential doctrine of faith?
  *] Is belief in “Bible alone” essential for salvation?
  *] Does denying the doctrine of “Bible alone” disqualify one from God’s saving grace?

• 
  catholic.com/thisrock/1992/9208chap.asp
  catholic.com/thisrock/1993/9310fea2sb2.asp
  catholic.com/thisrock/1999/9904fea4.asp
  catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0507bt.asp
  catholic.com/thisrock/2007/0701btb.asp