“A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,” Prov. 1:5
2017 is the year we celebrate a turning point in the history of the church. This year, five hundred years ago is narrowed to October 31, 1517, when an angry converted catholic priest, Martin Luther, nailed a sheet of paper with Ninety -Five Theses on the chapel door of the University of Wittenberg, in Germany.
Though he intended these to be discussion points, the Ninety-Five Theses laid out a devastating critique on the Roman Catholic Church and its corruption of biblical fundamentals. Out of this courageous stand the reformation of biblical Christianity was borne and it spread across the world.
The rallying cry of the “Five Solas” from those early ‘reformers’ was ‘statement of faith’ that designated five great foundational truths that were set against the perversions taught by the Roman Catholic Church.
I wish to briefly over the next few weeks, put forward the basics of these ‘Five Solas.’
The Roman Catholic Church taught that the foundation and practice of Christianity was a combination of the scriptures, sacred tradition, and the teachings of the magisterium and the pope; but the Reformers said, “No, our foundation is sola scriptura”. (Monergism .com)
The first of the five solas was Sola Scriptura.
1. Scripture Alone. When the Reformers used the words sola Scriptura they were expressing their concern for the Bible's authority, and what they meant is that the Bible alone is our ultimate authority not the pope, not the church, not the traditions of the church or church councils, still less personal intimations or subjective feelings, but Scripture only. Other sources of authority may have an important role to play. Some are even established by God such as the authority of church elders, the authority of the state, or the authority of parents over children. But Scripture alone is truly ultimate. Therefore, if any of these other authorities depart from Bible teaching, they are to be judged by the Bible and rejected. (Monergism.com: James M. Boice)