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"Does the Bible Teach 'Sola Scriptura'?" (an article from the
Viewpoint column of the Christian Research Journal, Fall 1989,
page 31) by Kenneth R. Samples.
   The Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Research Journal is
Elliot Miller.

-------------

    When in 1517 Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on
the church door at Wittenberg he was merely disputing abuses in
the Roman Catholic practice of "indulgences." The dispute
intensified and widened, however, until Luther and his followers
found it necessary to break entirely with Rome. So began the
Protestant Reformation, and the doctrinal issues which separated
the Reformers from medieval Catholicism are the _same_ issues
which divide Protestants and Catholics today. While the doctrine
of salvation (i.e., justification) became the central issue under
dispute, the underlying question of religious authority was also
a major concern.

    Luther was convinced that the authority structure of
Catholicism (Scripture/Tradition/Magisterium or Teaching Office)
was illegitimate. He maintained that the church fathers, the
papacy, and church councils were fallible, and had, in fact,
erred. During his debates with Catholic theologians, Luther
formulated the principle of _sola scriptura_ (solely Scripture)
which recognized Scripture alone as the supreme and infallible
authority for the church and individual believer. All
ecclesiastical authorities were to be judged by Holy Writ, and
never the reverse. The principle of _sola scriptura_ rejected
both the idea that the Roman church possessed revelation apart
from Scripture, and that the church was the infallible
interpreter of Scripture.

    Since the Reformation, theologians from a wide variety of
persuasions have appealed to an equally wide variety of sources
as the ultimate religious authority. These include reason,
experience, creeds, church consensus, and the individual
conscience. While recognizing that these have importance,
historic Protestantism has continued to assert that the Bible
alone is the final authority in matters of faith and practice.
On this point, however, some questions are often raised: How
do we arrive at this principle of _sola scriptura?_ How does the
Bible derive its authority? And, where does Scripture teach this
principle?

    To answer these questions it is important to recognize that
Christian theology views authority as a chain. For the Christian,
the absolute authority is God Himself. More specifically, it is
the triune God who reveals Himself, for authority and revelation
are correlates. While God revealed Himself in deed and in word in
the Old Testament, His greatest and clearest self-disclosure is
found in the incarnate _Logos_ -- the Lord Jesus Christ (John
1:1,14; 14:6-10). Jesus Christ, who both _reveals_ God and _is_
God, is the imperial authority for the church and individual
believer (Heb. 1:1-3). However, Christ the _Living_ Word has
delegated His authority to His apostles, who -- through the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- have recorded the _written_
word (John 14:26; 2 Pet. 1:21). Thus, Scripture has become our
authority because as an infallible record of God's
self-revelation it perpetuates Christ's personal authority.
Scripture is objectively the Word of God (1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim.
3:16), and is therefore authoritative!

    Does the Bible teach _sola scriptura?_ The best way to answer
this is to examine how Christ and His apostles viewed Scripture.

    The Gospels reveal that Jesus held Scripture in the highest
regard. His statements speak for themselves: "The Scripture
cannot be broken" (John 10:35, NIV); "Not the smallest letter,
not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from
the Law..." (Matt. 5:18); "It is easier for heaven and earth to
disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the
Law" (Luke 16:17). Jesus asserted that greatness in heaven will
be measured by obedience to Scripture (Matt. 5:19), while
judgment will be measured out by the same standard (John
5:45-47).

    The strongest evidence for the authority of the Bible is the
fact that Jesus used Scripture as the _final_ court of appeal in
every matter under dispute. When disputing the Pharisees on their
high view of tradition, He proclaimed, "Thus you nullify the word
of God by your tradition..." (Mark 7:13). Scripture therefore
determines whether tradition is acceptable. When Jesus was tested
by the Sadducees concerning the resurrection, He retorted, "You
are in error because you do not know the Scriptures..." (Matt.
22:29). When confronted with the devil's temptations, He
responded three times with the phrase, "It is written" (Matt.
4:4-10). Clearly, Jesus accepted Scripture as the supreme
authority and subjected Himself to it (Luke 24:44). And, as
followers of Christ, our view of Scripture cannot be inferior
to His.

    What about the relationship between Scripture and the
early church? While it is true that the church preceded the
apostolic writings, it was the _message_ (the gospel preached)
-- which was later recorded and expounded upon in the apostolic
writings -- that produced the church. The New Testament became
a permanent, infallible record of what was earlier an oral
message. Because Scripture is identified with the gospel, it is
authoritative. The church (made up of gospel-believing
communities) submits to the Word (gospel) which created it.
Scripture derives _none_ of its authority from the church; its
authority is _inherent_ because it is the very words of God:
"All Scripture is God-breathed..." (2 Tim. 3:16).

    The purpose of the Scripture is to bear witness to Christ,
who Himself bears witness to the integrity and authority of
Scripture: "You search the Scriptures...and it is these that bear
witness of Me" (John 5:39).

    Does the Bible teach _sola scriptura?_ Yes! Jesus Christ
speaks to us authoritatively _only_ through the objective Word of
God.


_____________

End of document, CRJ0037A.TXT (original CRI file name),
"Does the Bible Teach 'Sola Scriptura'?"
release A, March 20, 1994
R. Poll, CRI

(A special note of thanks to Bob and Pat Hunter for their help in
the preparation of this ASCII file for BBS circulation.)

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