Sola Scriptura

     An issue prevalent not only in today’s church but also in every past generation of the church is the nominal Christian. This is the person who claims to be a Christian, goes to church on Sunday, and lives a pretty normal, worldly life Monday through Saturday. These individuals think about God from time to time, but never actually commit to serving God in every area of their lives. There are many reasons for this, but one of the most prevalent is that churches are falling away from teaching Sola Scriptura. If Sola Scriptura was better taught, understood, and applied as a life motto, the church would be much stronger. 

    Sola Scriptura is a mouthful, but it is a vital doctrine in the life of a Christian. This doctrine has been taught throughout the centuries, but was more recently popularized because of the Reformation. Sola Scriptura is a Latin phrase that literally means “scripture alone”.* More specifically, the doctrine according to Gotquestions.org, “means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian.” It is the ideal that Scripture is the final authority, that Scripture is the only means by which Christians can grow and obey God, and that Scripture is the standard that we judge our teachers and pastors with. All of these claims are true of Sola Scriptura, but it must be proven that the Scripture teaches this very doctrine.

     First, the Bible is quite clear that Scripture is the final authority in the life of the Christian. Deuteronomy 4:2** and Proverbs 30:5-6 both state that no one should add or subtract from the words of God. Isaiah 55:11 also states that God’s word will accomplish what He has purposed it to do. And 1 Peter 1:24-25 states that “the grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” Scripture is very clear that God’s words always accomplish what He intends, that His words should not be added to or taken away from, and that they will last forever. These concepts are reiterated throughout the entirety of the Bible. God says time and time again, “thus says the LORD.” 

    Many Christians acknowledge this part of Sola Scriptura, and yet continue to live however they want. This should not be so. If God has stated that Scripture is the Christian’s final authority, then Christians should live that way. They should live desiring to follow what God has said. They should search the Scriptures for answers when dilemmas arise. They should treat it with respect and treasure it. If the Bible teaches that Scripture is the final authority, Christians should live like it is. 

     This first and foundational statement of Sola Scriptura leads right into the next foundational statement. Scripture is the means by which Christians learn, rebuke, and teach one another. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:15 states that Christians should study and rightly handle the word of God. The Bible is consistent in teaching that Scripture is the means by which Christians grow. One cannot say they believe Scripture is the final authority and refuse to read it and do what it says. 

     Some would object to this and state that Christians can learn from each other. This is true; however, it must always be through the lens of Scripture. Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” While Christians should look up to and imitate examples such as Paul, Peter, the early church fathers, and modern pastors and theologians, Christians should imitate them as they are in Christ. If there is any quality in those exemplary men and women which is not consistent with Christ and, thus, not consistent with Scripture, these poor qualities must not be imitated. One’s local pastor might be wonderful at preaching, but he is still susceptible to failure. 

    This leads to the final point of Sola Scriptura. If Scripture is the final authority and if it is the standard and means by which Christians grow, Christians must examine every piece of information through Scripture. There is no pastor or theologian who is exempt from straying away from right interpretation of Scripture. Not even Paul was above this standard. Acts 17:11 says, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” The Bereans did not take Paul’s word for itself. They examined the Scriptures to determine if Paul was preaching a message and doctrine consistent with the Bible. 

     Jesus also examined the teachings of the religious leaders of His time on earth. In Matthew 15:1-3, the Pharisees rebuked Jesus and His disciples for not following a tradition they held on the same level as Scripture. Jesus responded by showing them tradition does not supersede Scripture. Apollos, a strong leader in the early church, used Scripture to show the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah and to rebut any arguments the Jews brought up (Acts 18:28). Time and time again, we see the disciples, the apostles, Old and New Testament leaders, and Jesus himself using Scripture to correct those adding to or subtracting from the Word. 

   In conclusion, the Bible teaches that Scripture is the final authority. This means that the Bible is the foundation of the Christian life. It is the means by which Christians grow in knowledge and in their walk with God. It is the source of all truth by which Christians should filter both their daily living and the teaching they hear. Lastly, the Christian should be filled with joy and long to read, understand, and apply the Word of God. All of these things can be summed up in these two passages: Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” and Psalm 1:1-2 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and his law he meditates day and night.” 

* “What is sola scriptura?” Got Questions, accessed July 18, 2023, GotQuestions.org. “What Is Sola Scriptura?” GotQuestions.Org, 24 Nov. 2006, www.gotquestions.org/sola-scriptura.html. 

** All scripture in this article is referenced from the English Standard Version (ESV) translation.