UNDERSTANDING SOLA SCRIPTURA
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the following excerpt and on the linked blog post are those of Michael Kruger the author of the blog post. My posting of this post does not automatically equal an endorsement the views, thoughts, opinions, theology, denomination, or sect associated with the linked blog post or linked website. If, you have an issue with the following excerpt or linked post you are encouraged to contact the blog administrators yourself at: https://www.ligonier.org/contact/form/. I post the following only for the sake of presenting and recognize some of the differences in views amongst Christians.
like many core Christian convictions, the doctrine of sola Scriptura has often been misunderstood and misapplied. Unfortunately, some have used sola Scriptura as a justification for a “me, God, and the Bible” type of individualism, where the church bears no real authority and the history of the church is not considered when interpreting and applying Scripture. Thus, many churches today are almost ahistorical—cut off entirely from the rich traditions, creeds, and confessions of the church. _They misunderstand sola Scriptura to mean that the Bible is the only authority rather than understanding it to mean that the Bible is the only infallible authority. _Ironically, such an individualistic approach actually undercuts the very doctrine of sola Scriptura it is intended to protect. By emphasizing the autonomy of the individual believer, one is left with only private, subjective conclusions about what Scripture means. It is not so much the authority of Scripture that is prized as the authority of the individual.
Comments
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Thanks for the post. My elementary understanding of Sola Scriptura was a reaction to the Charismatic Movement that I found my way out of. And so it was rather simple. Only the Bible is God's Word. And if anyone says something that does not square with it, don't pay any attention to them. Of course I didn't know what it said most of the time so it was easy to err on the side of rejecting the truth just to be safe.
But over the years I became accustomed to checking in with the Creeds before drawing too many conclusions about what scripture says. I think I learned early on, from eating lots of crow, that I'm the last person I can trust in theological matters. So I carefully frame my interpretations with the safety found in a multitude of counselors.
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@Mitchell said:
I post the following only for the sake of presenting and recognize some of the differences in views amongst Christians.**Excellent article. Thanks.
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Ok, Mitch, you are on to something.
When the veil of ignorance is removed, we must not let the chains of arrogance keep us from embracing the truth. CM
