Sola Scriptura. This is one of the pillars of the Reformation and of the Protestant movement that grew out of it. Sadly, I suspect the average Christian knows very little about the Reformation, much less this phrase. Sola Scriptura means Scripture Alone. This the cornerstone of the Protestant Church: The Scriptures are the only authority for doctrine and practice. The Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches maintain that our authority is Scripture AND tradition.
I never attended a church that used the phrase or made an issue of it. I learned about it in Bible College and subsequent reading, and it wasn’t even a part of my ordination exam. I suppose it was just assumed. And I don’t know that I fully understand it in its’ original context. But, I have come to the place where I believe in a modified version of Scripture and tradition. And by tradition I mean Apostolic Tradition. Let me explain.
I believe the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, are the Word of God. But I also believe that Jesus gave to the Apostles and the Apostles then gave to the churches a body of teaching which are the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. These teachings are described in the Bible as “the faith.” This is the Apostolic Tradition. Consider:
† The Apostles make references to teaching and commands that were never written down (1 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 2:5), even using the very word “tradition.”
† the Gospel was preached and churches planted with full “operating instructions” without the New Testament. There was obviously a body of teaching on what to believe and how to live as well as instruction on how to read the Old Testament.
† There is no apostolic document outlining the faith. All the epistles were written in response to a problem, except Romans, which was written to introduce Paul and his gospel to the church in Rome. Yet the epistles make references to “the faith” which is to be held, taught, defended etc.
Then there are the Ante-Nicene fathers. They maintained that the apostles handed over a body of teaching which their writings (epistles) supported. Origen said, “Now it ought to be known that the holy apostles, in preaching the faith of Christ, delivered themselves with the utmost clearness on certain points which they believed to be necessary…” Tertullian describes their doctrine as “that which the churches received from the apostles, the apostles from Christ, Christ from God.” And, “this doctrine of ours, of which we have now given the rule, has its origin in the tradition of the apostles.” Clement says that the apostles also gave instructions on how to replace the bishops installed by the apostles. They had the voices of the apostles ringing in their ears! And they said the apostles handed over a body of teaching to be held, kept and preached. The Ante-Nicene fathers refer to this body of teaching as “the rule of faith.” And the testimony is unanimous, The Apostles gave it and all the churches believe this.
I believe this Rule of Faith is the Apostolic Tradition. I believe this is our template for reading and understanding Scripture. They go hand in hand, side by side. We actually start with the Rule of Faith: “This is what we believe and the Scriptures support it.” We don’t have to start from scratch, we have The Faith. And, all of our interpretation of the Scriptures must conform to this rule of faith.
What is the difference between what I am saying and the Catholic and Orthodox position? They believe the Church can continue to add to the tradition. This is why their tradition has grown or increased. As opposed to this, I believe in the Apostolic Tradition, the Faith handed down by them. This does not grow and increase. We hold, keep, defend what they gave us.
Do we preach the Rule of Faith or the Scriptures? Yes! There is no contradiction. We should be teaching the rule of faith and of course these truths are found in Scripture.
So, I believe in Scripture and Apostolic Tradition.
The Rule of Faith:
"Now, with regard to this rule of faith-that we may from this point acknowledge what it is which we defend-it is, you must know, that which prescribes the belief that there is one only God, and that He is none other than the Creator of the world, who produced all things out of nothing through His own Word, first of all sent forth; that this Word is called His Son, and, under the name of God, was seen "in diverse manners" by the patriarchs, heard at all times in the prophets, at last brought down by the Spirit and Power of the Father into the Virgin Mary, was made flesh in her womb, and, being born of her, went forth as Jesus Christ; thenceforth He preached the new law and the new promise of the kingdom of heaven, worked miracles; having been crucified, He rose again the third day; (then) having ascended into the heavens, He sat at the right hand of the Father; sent instead of Himself the Power of the Holy Ghost to lead such as believe; will come with glory to take the saints to the enjoyment of everlasting life and of the heavenly promises, and to condemn the wicked to everlasting fire, after the resurrection of both these classes shall have happened, together with the restoration of their flesh. This rule, as it will be proved, was taught by Christ, and raises amongst ourselves no other questions than those which heresies introduce, and which make men heretics." Tertullian
“The Church, though dispersed through our the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith:
[She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them.
And in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation
And in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord.
And His manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father "to gather all things in one," and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, "every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess" to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all.
That He may send "spiritual wickednesses," and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning, and others from their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory.” Irenaeus
Amen!
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