What are the Five Solae?

[EugeneCharles]

Hi! I was a little bit curious and confused with the Five Solas:
-Sola Scriptura
-Sola Fide
-Sola Gratia
-Solus Christi
-Soli Deo Gloria
Can anyone explain them and their origin more simply? Does the Catholic Church oppose them? Or do they contradict the Church’s teachings? Thank you and God bless everyone!

 

[fhansen]

The last three aren’t problematic at all. The Church certainly agrees that we cannot be saved without grace, apart from Christ, and that all glory goes to God.

The other two, Sola Fide and Sola Scriptura, are the problems. We are not saved by faith alone, unless one wishes to qualify the term in such a broad way as to essentially change the meaning intended by the Reformers, and Scripture is not the sole source of revelation nor the sole “rule of faith” as they call it.

The purpose of the doctrine of Sola Scriptura was to wrest the authority to know and understand the Christian faith away from the Church and place it in the hands of the individual reader since the primary purpose of the Reformation was to deny the need for the Catholic Church, maintainIng that she had gone astray at some point in her teachings. This has caused tons of confusion and disagreement in the Christian world since Scripture can often be vague or even seemingly contradictory on many points. Many different interpretations occur regarding significant truths of the faith. And, ironically, Scripture actually reports that we’re not saved by faith alone.

 

[Montrose]

• Sola Scriptura
• Sola Fide

These two are false. Inventions by Protestants.

 

[JonNC]

Hi! I was a little bit curious and confused with the Five Solas:
-Sola Scriptura
-Sola Fide
-Sola Gratia
-Solus Christi
-Soli Deo Gloria
Can anyone explain them and their origin more simply? Does the Catholic Church oppose them? Or do they contradict the Church’s teachings? Thank you and God bless everyone!

It depends on who you talk to. There is no such thing as a Protestant Church, or Protestant doctrine or practice.

From a Lutheran perspective:

Sola scriptura- is the hermeneutical principle that applies scripture as the final norm for doctrine. It doesn’t remove or ignore other norms. It doesn’t exclude the teaching role of the Church Proclaimed by scripture. It also is not permission for private interpretation, since doctrine is determined by the Church.

Sola Fide is the scriptural teaching that justification is a gift of grace. We access justification by faith, not by our own efforts. This sola does not exclude the necessity of good works, nor is it in conflict with the means of grace, the sacraments.

Sola Garcia is simply the understanding that salvation is only by grace. Grace, unearned favor of God, is how salvation is possible.

Solus Christus. Christ alone saves us. Lutherans often refer to their theology as a Theology of the Cross”. Our salvation is entirely due to the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.

So, in short, we are justification by grace alone, through faith in Christ.

 

[JonNC]

EugeneCharles:

• Sola Scriptura
• Sola Fide

These two are false. Inventions by Protestants.

Specifically, why are they false?

 

[Montrose]

Specifically, why are they false?

A Quick Ten-Step Refutation of Sola Scriptura | Catholic Answers Magazine

Did Jesus Teach Salvation by Faith Alone? | Catholic Answers Magazine

 

[TULIPed]

and that all glory goes to God.

I would perhaps suggest looking into this a bit more. “Soli Deo Gloria” says that all glory for everything - including our salvation - goes to God, and him alone. Human beings get no credit whatsoever for anything - including any cooperation in our own salvation.

Don’t get me wrong - I hope I’m incorrect here, but if I remember my days from catechism correctly (and that was a LONG time ago), I think that you have a theological bone to pick with this Soli as well (unfortunately). I stand ready to be proved wrong (hopefully!)

 

[TULIPed]

It depends on who you talk to. There is no such thing as a Protestant Church, or Protestant doctrine or practice.

(Getting up off chair and heading to the JonNC Counter and turning another one over…)

 

[fhansen]

That was the only sola that may’ve given me pause-and yet sola gratia effectively means that God, alone, saves. Catholics believe that man cannot possibly be saved apart from God, but that man can nevertheless refuse to be saved by Him; grace is not irresistible in other words. We aren’t forced to hold onto the life preserver. Man’s own justice or righteousness grows to the extent that he willingly cooperates and participates in a work and a plan that is not his own.

And God wants that righteousness, that justice, that perfection, to take root and grow in us, for our own good. That’s simply what love endeavors to do. God’s love seeks to beget love in us, and love involves choice. And love is the greatest gift He can give: love is our righteousness. God’s glory is exalted as it’s embraced by and reflected in His creation.

 

[JonNC]

JonNC:

Specifically, why are they false?

A Quick Ten-Step Refutation of Sola Scriptura | Catholic Answers
Did Jesus Teach Salvation by Faith Alone? | Catholic Answers

Catholics agree with Protestants that Scripture is a “standard of truth”—even the preeminent one—but not in a sense that rules out the binding authority of authentic apostolic Tradition and the Church. The Bible doesn’t teach that.

And neither does a proper understanding of sola scriptura.
This is why I asked the question. There are some communions/ traditions/ denominations that do teach what Armstrong is refuting. I refute it, too.

On sola Fide, the Horn article addresses Calvin, Piper, MacArthur, etc. they’re not part of the Lutheran tradition, so I’ll just link to a couple of things.

First, the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

14.The Lutheran churches and the Roman Catholic Church have together listened to the good news proclaimed in Holy Scripture. This common listening, together with the theological conversations of recent years, has led to a shared understanding of justification. This encompasses a consensus in the basic truths; the differing explications in particular statements are compatible with it.

15.In faith we together hold the conviction that justification is the work of the triune God. The Father sent his Son into the world to save sinners. The foundation and presupposition of justification is the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ. Justification thus means that Christ himself is our righteousness, in which we share through the Holy Spirit in accord with the will of the Father. Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.[11]

And this from Jimmy Akin

.

 

[JonNC]

That was the only sola that may’ve given me pause-and yet sola gratia effectively means that God, alone, saves. Catholics believe that man cannot possibly be saved part from God, but that man can nevertheless refuse to be saved by Him; grace is not irresistible in other words.

No Lutheran would disagree with this.