Sola Scripture (Scripture Alone)
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Pastoral Prayer
At this time, I’ll be leading a pastoral prayer. The focus of the prayer is on Vietnam.
I want to invite Esther Lee up to the front. As you may already know, she and Angela are heading out to Vietnam for their medical mission trip. Angela is not here as she’s on Vancouver Island.
If you want, I invite you to surround Esther with your support.
On top of that, we will also pray for James and Lois are they are heading back to Vietnam for the next 6 months. So, we’ll pray for them and also the fundraising for the church building.
Overview:
Pray For Medical Mission Trip
Pray for James nad Lois for the next 6 months
Pray for the church building
[SLIDE 1] Introduction
If you have your Bible, then please turn to 2 Timothy 3:14-17.
Today, I’ll be launching a short series for the next several weeks. It’ll be on the 5 Solas of the Protestant Reformation.
Why we are covering this topic is because October 31st is the Christian celebration of Reformation Day, although it’s normally viewed as Halloween.
This message requires me to set up the historical context for the sermon series.
Illustration
[SLIDE 2] By way of illustration, I want you to think of a relay race, like in the Olympics, where runners carefully pass a baton from one person to the next until the runner gets to the finish line.
I want to you to imagine that the relay race is like the history of the church. Each runner stands for a different time in the history of the church, and this baton they're passing represents the Christian faith.
Just as the runners trust each other to finish the race, every generation of Christians relies on the faith and wisdom of those who lived before them.
The relay race is just a picture of the progress of the history of the church.
Until Jesus comes back and concludes human history, the relay race continues on from one generation to the next, ensuring that we do what God’s word tells us to do in Jude 3: “To contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
Biblical Theology
Context
[SLIDE 3] What is the Protestant Reformation?
The Protestant Reformation was probably a critical event in the history of Western Civilization and the Christian church. The movement was sparked on October 31st, 1517.
But one should understand the general background of the church prior to the 16th century.
God has given the church His word, which was written by the Apostles and Prophets and other human authors over the course of 1500 years. And that the last book of the Bible was penned before the end of 1st century.
And the early Apostolic and church fathers from the 1st century to the 4th century aimed to conform themselves to the teachings of the word of God.
However, from around the 5th/6th century all the way to the 15th century, the Roman Catholic Church deformed from the word of God. Instead, it put tradition in equal authority with God’s word. We’ll get to that in a bit.
And the Protestant Reformation that occurred in the 16th century aimed initially at reforming the church back to the word of God.
By definition, to reform means to change or improve what is corrupted or wrong for the better.
In this movement, it means to change from the wrong or the corrupt by going back to the old or the main source, which is God’s word.
Certainly, the man who “started” the Protestant Reformation was Martin Luther.
No, I am not speaking about Martin Luther King Jr in the 1950s who led the civil rights movement in America.
I am speaking about Martin Luther who was born in 1483 and died in 1546.
It’s almost not possible to talk about the Protestant Reformation without talking about Martin Luther.
In a brief summary, Martin Luther was once a promising student who pursued law, but had a life-changing moment when a lightning strike prompted him to become a monk.
So, he dedicated himself to becoming a monk and trying to find peace with God through deeds, works, and prayer.
However, he realized that the Roman Catholic Church's teachings contradicted the Bible, particularly the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
Luther began preaching that salvation was a gift of God's grace received through faith, not by money or indulgences or going through the priest.
He famously posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg Germany. Thus, sparking the Protestant Reformation.
Luther was summoned by the Roman Catholic Council to the Diet of Worms in 1521, where he refused to renounce his beliefs.
As a result, he was declared an outlaw and heretic by the Roman Catholic Church.
During the Protestant Reformation, there arose theological convictions known as the Five Solas.
Historically, the five solas were not packaged together in the 16th century. It’s not like the Reformers, such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli and others, came together and formed a council to develop the five solas.
Insofar as we know about the five solas, they were packaged together in the 20th century as the legacy of Reformed Protestantism.
However, the concepts and the principles of the five solas were present in the teachings and writings of the Reformers.
[SLIDE 4] What are the Five Solas?
The word, “sola,” is a small word, but it is an important word. Sola derives from the Latin word, “alone.”
And it is this single Latin word that has separated, and DO CONTINUE TO separate, Protestantism or Historic Evangelicalism (like us) from Roman Catholicism (and also Eastern Orthodox) because the Roman Catholic Church / system teaches a false gospel and has traditional (yet erroneous and unbiblical) teachings.
These Five Solas are important because they summarize the core of the true gospel and the essential doctrines of the Christian faith:
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Sola Christus (Christ Alone)
Sola Deo Gloria (To The Glory Of God Alone)
(and I have invited the guest preachers to speak on the rest of Solas).
These Five Solas are what makes us different from Roman Catholicism.
The 5 Solas is your spiritual heritage.
They are the baton that’s been passed down to you.
They are the reason why Baptists like us exist.
One of the distinctive features of being a Baptist is that Baptists have always upheld Scripture as the ultimate authority for our faith and practice.
[SLIDE 5] What is Sola Scriptura?
Sola Scriptura is a Latin phrase, and it is translated into English as “Scripture Alone.” Now, what exactly does it mean? How does it make Protestants/Evangelicals distinct from Roman Catholics?
Historically, both Protestants and Roman Catholics held to the same view that the Bible is the word of God. There was no dispute about that.
The dispute, however, was over the word, “alone.”
The question would then be asked was this, “Was there more than ONE source of what we would call special revelation?”
Roman Catholicism confesses in TWO sources of special revelation: Scripture AND Tradition.
The truths that are found in the tradition of the church are just as binding upon the consciences of the believers as the truths of Scriptures.
And in many cases, Rome has placed church traditions more superior in authority to the Bible.
While God has indeed revealed Himself in many ways in the Bible, in this church age, however, Protestants / Evangelicals held to the view that there was only ONE source divine or special revelation that God has revealed Himself, which was the written revelation of God known as Scripture or the Bible in modern terms.
So, for Martin Luther, when he was tried before the council in the Diet of Worms, they called upon Luther to recant of all his teachings and writings that he discovered from his study of the Bible.
And Luther responded with these famous words that were written with the immortal ink (and his words do articulate the concept of Sola Scriptura):
[SLIDE 6] “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand, may God help me, Amen.”
Furthermore, Luther said this in his debate with John Eck:
[SLIDE 7] “A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope or a council without it. As for the pope’s decretal on indulgences I say neither the Church nor the pope can establish articles of faith. These must come from Scripture. For the sake of Scripture we should reject pope and councils.”
[SLIDE 8] So, what this all boils down to is that Sola Scriptura means that “Scripture alone” is the only source of divine (special) revelation from God, and it is the final authority for our lives and for the church. Since God’s Word is inspired and true, it is our final and sufficient authority.
Scripture is the singular, authoritative source from which our theology and doctrine are developed.
Scripture is “the doctrinal foundation upon which we erect the entirety of Christian belief, including our understanding of the gospel itself.”
That is what makes us - evangelical and baptist - different from Roman Catholicism.
[SLIDE 9] What does Sola Scriptura NOT mean?
There is a misconception that many Christians have when it comes to Sola Scriptura.
Instead of applying Sola Scriptura with the historic definition and meaning, they often apply it as “Solo Scriptura.”
In other words, it’s just me and the Bible. I don’t need other sources to help me understand the Bible.
However, Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) does not equal to Solo Scriptura (Scripture Only).
Sola Scriptura does not mean “no tradition.”
It does not mean “no confession.”
It does not mean “no creeds.”
It does not mean a 'radical individualistic' interpretation of the Bible apart from the historic Christian church.
It does not mean it’s just you and your Bible.
The Reformers did not rule out other sources, such as:
Confessions / Statement of Faith. Statements that summarize major doctrinal points with Scriptural reference.
There are Christians in church history who have studied the word of God and summarized in written form the doctrines and teachings of the Bible.
You have 1646 Westminster Confession of Faith that many reformed and historic presbyterians adhere to.
You have the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith that many Reformed Baptists adhere to.
Creeds, such as Apostolic Creed, Nicene Creed, Chalcedonian Creed, help us understand the doctrine of the Trinity.
They’re also important in their historical context because the early church was combating against heretics that denied the Trinity.
So, the creeds were written to carefully articulate the Bible’s teaching on the Trinity.
Historic Protestants have thoughtfully placed church tradition in the right place.
Tradition / Creed is not bad in so far as it does not conflict and contradict with the authoritative teachings of the Bible.
These other standards or sources are less authoritative and are themselves evaluated / judged by the Scriptures.
If there are traditions that are unbiblical, then they must be rejected.
Just like what Jesus did in Matthew 15 when rebuked the Pharisees of making void the word of God for the sake of keeping man’s tradition.
Scripture alone is the only authoritative and divine source of divine revelation from God. And it judges all other standards and serves as our final measuring rod.
Exposition
Having given you the historical background of Sola Scriptura, I think one of the best passages that explains the concept of Sola Scriptura is 2 Timothy 3:14-17
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 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.
2 Timothy was the Apostle Paul’s final letter before he was executed by Rome.
Paul wrote to his protege or spiritual son in the ministry, Timothy.
Timothy was given the responsibility to minister the church in Ephesus.
However, in chapter 1-2 of this letter, Timothy seems to be experiencing a degree of fear, weaknesses, shame, and discouragement in his ministry.
He has seen folks who have abandoned the faith.
He’s dealing with false teachers in the church.
Paul then charged Timothy to stand strong in the gospel and be faithful in the gospel ministry.
Ministry will be difficult and challenging. Timothy would need to be strong not by his own strengthen, but in the strength of the Lord.
Paul explains to Timothy earlier in chapter 3 that sin will be rampant and the church will go through problems. Wicked sinners / false teachers will oppose the truth.
They will live in their sin and be lover of their sin.
However, Paul is confident that Timothy did not fall into heresy taught by the false teachers. Timothy was different from them.
Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:10-11 that Timothy has followed Paul’s example and teaching.
He reminds Timothy to be strong because “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
Timothy, however, continued in the faith as opposed to those who have forsaken the faith. And in verses 14-17, Timothy was to continue in his convictions and remember the foundation of his faith. In summary, we learn five lessons about the Scriptures that Paul explains to Timothy.
[SLIDE 10] 1. Scripture Shapes Convictions (v. 14)
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
Paul instructs Timothy to intentionally continue learning from the Scriptures.
Timothy became convinced of the reliability of Scripture. He has firmly believed in it. His study and learning of Scripture shaped his conviction.
So, Paul exhorts Timothy to remain loyal to the truth of Scripture and his conviction and not move away from the gospel that’s been passed down by the Apostles of Jesus Christ.
Paul also reminds Timothy of whom he learned the Scriptures from. He learned the Scriptures from Paul himself, from his grandmother (Lois) and mother (Eunice), and other godly people in his life.
With Paul, Timothy spent many years following the steps of Paul in his missionary journey (as we have learned from the book of Acts).
No doubt, it was Paul who discipled young Timothy to become a spiritually mature follower of Christ. Paul must have taught Timothy the truths of Scripture and how to study the Scriptures.
Thus, these godly people shaped his theological convictions of Scripture.
And in this day and age, brothers and sisters, you need convictions about what you believe.
If you do not know what you firmly believe, then you may be tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine given by deceiful men and women of this world.
[SLIDE 11] 2. Scripture Guides Salvation for All Ages (v. 15)
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
If you grew up in a Christian household with parents who intentionally taught you the Bible, then I encourage you to be grateful for that.
I did not grow up in a Christian family, but I am grateful for this church family and other godly believers who have shaped and informed my convictions in sound doctrine.
Paul reminds Timothy of the privilege he had to learn (from his grandmother and mother) the sacred writings - which is the Scriptures - during his childhood, which eventually led him to saving faith.
Scripture can lead to the “knowledge of the truth.” The truth of the gospel of salvation.
The word of God has the power to transform lives because it is living and active.
According to James 1:18, it’s God’s own will to cause sinners to be saved (or born-again) by the word of truth.
Through Scripture, we can learn salvation is not by works, but through faith placed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture is clear about God’s offer of forgiveness and redemption from sin for those who trust in Him, and for those who seek His mercy and grace.
When Paul was in Berea in Acts 17:11-12, there were these Jews - Noble Bereans - that studied the Scriptures to make sure if Paul’s message was true.
After their study of the word of God, many of them believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you’re not a Christian, there is nowhere else in this world that can tell you how you can truly be saved and have your sins forgiven.
But Scripture alone tells us that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone. That’s the summary of the core of the true gospel from the 5 Solas.
Now, we will learn about the...
[SLIDE 12] 3. Scripture's Divine Origin (v. 16a)
2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is breathed out by God...”
These few words from Paul is loaded with deep truths. It is the greatest passage that so much of our understanding of the doctrine of Scripture is built upon.
Many years ago, I have spent the entire sermon preaching just these lines.
So, I recommend you to visit our church website to find my sermon on 2 Timothy 3:16 under the sermon series called, “The Greatest Book.”
(Last I checked, I guess I still agree with what I said when I was younger?)
In summary, “all Scripture is breathed out by God” is significant. It should not be glanced over.
This word, “breathed out,” could also be translated as inspired. Hence, it is this verse where we get the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture.
It was God who breathed out the words of sacred Scripture. He did not breath out the tradition as the Roman Catholics would teach.
What that means in a nutshell is that while human authors did write the Scriptures, God is ultimately the author of the Bible as He mysteriously superintended them to pen and record God’s word for us to read.
Notice that Paul says, “ALL Scripture.” He did not say some. He did not say in part.
He said, “All.” Every single word is inspired by God. This implies that none of us can be selective about what we believe about the Bible.
And because God breathed out His word, it logically leads to other characteristics of Scripture:
The authority of Scripture (because God is authoritative)
The inerrancy and infalliability of Scripture (because God does not and cannot make errors)
The clarity of Scripture. (because God is not a God of confusion. He is the God that wants us to know Him).
The sufficiency of Scripture. (because God has given us everything we need to know about Him and the Christian life in this book.)
All the words in Scripture are indeed God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.
If Scripture is fully divinely inspired, then we are to believe that God’s Word is supremely authoritative.
So, brothers and sisters and friends, God has spoken to us.
He has spoken to us in His revealed Word.
So, if you genuinely want to hear from God, then I encourage you to open the Bible and read His word.
If you are spiritually malnourished and experiencing a spiritually dry season, I encourage you to be refreshed by the power of God’s word.
You cannot grow spiritually without the Bible.
You cannot be spiritually effectively without the Bible.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk.
Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
In other words, your spiritual sustenance is the regular reading and studying of the Bible.
Now, not only have we learned about the Scripture’s divine origin, we learn about the:
[SLIDE 13] 4. Scripture's Profitable Role (v. 16b)
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
Thankfully, Paul did not just tell us that the Scripture is inspired by God. AND THEN PERIOD.
No!
He says that ALL SCRIPTURE is breathed out by God AND…ALL SCRIPTURE…is profitable.
In other words, it is useful. Useful for what?
The Scriptures teach us many things, but specifically what to believe. But, it’s not just believe at an intellectual level, but how that faith affects the way we live our Christian lives.
The Scriptures convict and reprove us by correcting our errant beliefs and behaviours.
This correction then trains us in righteousness.
In other words, Scripture has a direct effect on how we live and think.
For Timothy, Paul instructed him that all Scripture is useful when he teaches, reproves, corrects, and instructs others.
Hence, in chapter 4, Paul exhorts and charges Timothy to preach the Word in season and out of season.
So, finally, we learn about the:
[SLIDE 14] 5. Scripture's Equipping Power (v. 17)
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.
Paul will explain that the Scripture has a purpose in its profitability.
The purpose of Scripture is to enable the man of God to attain completeness, which signifies being competent, qualified, and well-suited for a specific purpose.
This purpose is to meet all the requirements set by God for the man of God to serve Him effectively.
When the man of God achieves completeness, he becomes prepared for every virtuous undertaking.
This readiness for service is accomplished through the entirety of Scripture, equipping the man of God for every good work.
Hence, that is why we have the Equip and Entrust discipleship ministry. It is designed to you for every good work, for the service of the Lord.
You don’t have to search to and fro, looking for a mystical experience, some kind of charismatic reception of gifts, or something to make you complete and worthy to minister.
By the Spirit of God, and with the Word of God, men and women of God are equipped and ready to serve God.
However, if you are not studying the word of God, then you’re not equipped for every good work.
If you are not people of the Word, then you will not be effective in doing all that God demands of you.
Along a similar vein, if the church is not teaching and discipling believers in the word of God, then you should not expect believers to be equipped.
[SLIDE 15] Application / Conclusion
So, we have covered a bit on the history of the Protestant Reformation and the 5 Solas. And 2 Timothy 3:14-17 summarizes the power and nature of Scripture:
1. Scripture Shapes Convictions (v. 14)
2. Scripture Guides Salvation for All Ages (v. 15)
3. Scripture's Divine Origin (v. 16a)
4. Scripture's Profitable Role (v. 16b)
5. Scripture's Equipping Power (v. 17)
If this Word is of God, then it must of necessity be true.
And if it is of God and true, it must be authoritative over our lives, over our experiences, over our church, over tradition, creeds, and confessions.
Thus, sola Scriptura, biblically speaking, is the acknowledgement that Scripture enjoys a singular status as God’s Word.
It is the ONLY source of divine revelation.
Not the pope.
Not the church.
Not any council.
[SLIDE 16] Scripture is the believer’s final, ultimate authority.
Even our Lord Jesus Christ submitted Himself to the will of His Father by obeying His word. So, what gives us any reason not to do the same?
Thus, I pray and hope that many of you are submitting your lives to it?
If not, then by the grace of God, will you repent, and turn away from being the authority of your own life, and submit yourself to God and His word?
Pray
Teach us Lord full obedience
Holy reverence true humility
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity