scriptura sola (Latin: by scripture only) is a theological doctrine held by Christian denominations that Christian scripture is the only rule of absolute faith and practice.
The meaning of the scriptures' is mediated through many types of secondary authority, such as the ordinary teaching office of the church, ecumenical credo, Christian church council, and so on. However, sola scriptura rejects an indispensable original authority other than the Bible. In this view, all secondary authority comes from the authority of the scriptures and is therefore subject to reform when compared to the teaching of the Bible. Church councils, preachers, biblical commentators, personal revelations, or even messages supposedly of angels or apostles are not genuine authority besides the Bible in the sola scriptura approach.
Sola scriptura is the formal principle of many Protestant Christian denominations, and one of the five solae . This is the fundamental doctrinal principle of the Protestant Reformation held by many Reformers, who teach that scriptural authentication is governed by the superiority of the clear text and personal witness of the Holy Spirit to the hearts of everyone. Some Evangelical and Baptist denominations proclaim the doctrine of sola scriptura more strongly: the scriptures are self-authenticity, clear to rational readers, self-interpreters ("Scripture interprets Scripture"), and self-sufficiently authorized last of the Christian doctrine.
In contrast, Anglicanism and Methodism, also regarded as a form of Protestantism, upholds the doctrine of prima scriptura, with scriptures illuminated by tradition, reason, and in Methodism, experience as well, thus completing the four sides of the Quadrilateral Wesleyan. The Eastern Orthodox Church argues that to "receive the canon books also to accept the ongoing Spirit-Spiritual authority of the church tradition, which recognizes, interprets, worships, and self-corrects by witnesses of Scripture." The Catholic Church considers the sermons and sermons (each referred to as tradition and scripture) alike because they are from the Apostles. The Catholic Church describes this as "a common source... with two different modes of transmission", while some Protestant authors call it "a double source of revelation".
Video Sola scriptura
Overview
Sola scriptura is one of five solae, considered by some Protestant groups as the theological pillars of the Reformation. A key implication of this principle is that the interpretation and application of the scriptures does not have the same authority as the scriptures themselves; therefore, ecclesiastical authority is seen as the subject of correction by the scriptures, even by an individual member of the church.
Martin Luther said, "the simple layman armed with the Bible is bigger than the strongest whale without him". The aim of the Reformation is to correct what he claims to be the fault of the Catholic Church by drawing on the uniqueness of the textual authority of the Bible. The Catholic doctrine is based on the sacred tradition, as well as the scriptures. Sola scriptura refers to the absolute authority given to the magisterium to interpret both scriptures and traditions.
Sola scriptura , however, does not disregard Christian history, tradition, or the church while trying to understand the Bible. Instead, he saw the church as the biblical interpreter, regula fidei (embodied in ecumenical creeds) as the context of interpretation, and the scriptures as the sole final authority on matters of faith and practice. As Luther says, "The true rule is this: God's Word will establish the chapters of faith, and no one else, not even the angels can do it."
Characteristics in Lutheranism
Lutheranism teaches that the Old and New Testaments are the only divinely inspired books and the only source of divinely revealed knowledge. The Bible itself is the formal principle of faith in Lutheranism, the ultimate authority for all matters of faith and morals because of its inspiration, authority, clarity, efficacy, and sufficiency.
Inspiration
Lutheranism teaches that the Bible not only contains the Word of God, but every word of it, because of verbal inspiration, the word of God. Most Lutheran traditions recognize that understanding the scriptures is complicated given that the Bible contains a collection of manuscripts and fragments of manuscripts written and collected over thousands of years. For example, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America teaches that "Lutheran Christians believe that God's firm love and compassion in Jesus is the heart and center of what the Bible says."
As the Lutheran recognition in the Nicene Creed, the Holy Spirit "speaks through the prophets". Apology for the Augsburg Confession identified the "Scriptures" with the Word of God and called the Holy Spirit the biblical author. Therefore, the Lutherans acknowledge in the Formula Concord, "we receive and embrace with our whole heart the apostolic and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the pure and clean source of water of Israel." Apocryphal books are not written by prophets, with inspiration; they are erroneous, never included in the Palestinian Canon used by Jesus, and are therefore not part of the scriptures. Prophetic and apostolic texts are said by the Lutheran church as authentic as written by prophets and apostles, and that the true translation of their writings is the Word of God because it has the same meaning as the original Hebrew and Koine Greek original. The error of translation is not the word of God, and no human authority can invest it with divine authority.
The Scriptures, regarded as God's words, carry God's full authority in Lutheranism: every single statement of the Bible demands an instant, unqualified and unlimited acceptance. Every biblical doctrine is the teaching of God and therefore requires full consent. Every promise from Scripture requires unshakable trust in its fulfillment; every command of the Bible is a guide from God himself and therefore demands a willing obedience.
What is said here about "every statement in the Bible" does not represent the faith of all Lutherans: a 2001 survey showed that 72 percent of the members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America do not accept that everything in the Bible is literal, but that it may contain mistakes scientific or historical or symbolically describe events.
Clarity
Lutheranism teaches that the Bible presents all of the doctrines and commandments of the Christian faith clearly; that the word of God is freely accessible to every reader or hearer of ordinary intelligence, without the need for special education. It also teaches that the reader must understand the language spoken by the words of God, and not so preoccupied with conflicting thoughts to prevent understanding. It teaches that, consequently, there is nothing to wait for the pastor, and the pope, the intellectual, or the ecumenical council to explain the true meaning of every part of the Bible.
Benefits
Lutheranism teaches that the scriptures are united with the power of the Holy Spirit and with it, not only demands, but also create acceptance of its teaching. This teaching produces faith and obedience. The Bible is not a dead letter, but the power of the Holy Spirit is embedded in it. The Bible does not impose a mere intellectual consent to its doctrine, based on logical argument, but instead creates a living faith deal. Smalcald's articles assert, "In matters relating to the spoken word, outwardly, we must strongly hold that God gives His Spirit or grace to no one, except through or with the outer Word of God."
Adequacy
Lutheranism teaches that the Bible contains everything one needs to know to earn salvation and live a Christian life. There is no shortage in scripture that needs to be filled by tradition, papal statements, new revelations, or the development of current doctrine.
Characteristics in Reformed faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith talks about the use of "ordinary means" (such as turning to pastors and teachers) to achieve an understanding of what the scriptures contain and need to know:
Chapter 1, Section VII. Everything in the Bible is not the same in them, or utterly obscure to all; but the things that need to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly expressed and opened in some places of Scripture or otherwise, which are not only learned, but not learned, in the fair use of ordinary means, that is enough about them.
Maps Sola scriptura
Prima scriptura
Sola scriptura can be contrasted with prima scriptura , which states that, in addition to the canonical scriptures, there are other guidelines for what a believer should believe, and how he or she should live. Examples include general revelation in creation, tradition, charismatic gifts, mystical insights, angel visits, conscience, common sense, the views of experts, the spirit of the times or something else. Prima scriptura states that the way of knowing or understanding of God and his will, which is not derived from the canonized scriptures, is in second place, may be helpful in interpreting the scriptures, but can be tested by the canon and can be corrected by that is, if they appear to be in conflict with the scriptures.
Two Christian denominations that uphold prima scriptura are Anglicanism and Methodism. In the Anglican tradition, scripture, tradition, and reason form the "Anglican triad" or "three-foot bench", formulated by Anglican theologian Richard Hooker. In connection with the Methodist tradition, Dictionary for United Methodists states:
Based on the tradition of Anglican theology, Wesley added the fourth emphasis, experience. The result of the four components or "sides" of the quadrilateral [Wesleyan] are (1) Scripture, (2) tradition, (3) reason, and (4) experience. For United Methodists, the Bible is considered the primary source and standard for Christian doctrine. Tradition is the experience and witness to the development and growth of faith over the past centuries and in many countries and cultures. Experience is an individual's understanding and devotion to faith in the light of his own life. Through reason, individual Christians assume intelligent Christian faith and convincing thought. These four elements are taken together to bring individual Christians into a mature and satisfying understanding of Christian faith and the response of worship and service required.
Sola scriptura rejects the perfect original authority, apart from the Bible. In this view, all secondary authority comes from the authority of the scriptures and is therefore subject to reform when compared to the teaching of the Bible. Church councils, preachers, biblical commentators, personal revelations, or even messages supposedly of angels or apostles are not genuine authorities besides the Bible in the sola scriptura approach.
The idea of ​​a single biblical authority is the motivation behind most Protestant efforts to translate the Bible into everyday language and distribute it extensively. Protestants generally believe that every Christian should read the Bible for themselves and evaluate what has been taught them on that basis. In the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church both teach that an authoritative doctrine can also come from tradition, has been more active in translating it and the Bible into everyday language. Contrary to the general polemic of the Reformation, many German Bible translations existed before Martin Luther. The traditions of these non-Protestant churches include biblical, patristic, conciliar, and liturgical texts. Prior to the Protestant movement, hundreds of translations of the Bible and liturgical material were translated throughout the world over the previous sixteen centuries. Some Bible translations such as the Geneva Bible include annotations and anti-Roman Catholic commentaries. Prior to the Protestant Reformation, Latin was almost exclusively used in the Latin Rite Catholic Church, but understood only by the most learned.
According to sola scriptura , the church does not speak perfectly in its tradition, but only in the scriptures. John Wesley declared in the eighteenth century, "In all cases, the Church must be judged by Scripture, not Scripture by the Church." For this reason, sola scriptura is called a formal cause or principle of Reform.
Protestants argue that scriptures are guaranteed to remain faithful to their divine source - and thus, only to the extent that the church maintains the biblical faith convincing God's goodness. They further affirm that, if the church falls from faith through scripture (possibly Roman Catholic refuse but Protestant affirms), its authority will be negated. Therefore, early Protestants argued for the abolition of traditions and doctrines which they believed were based on scriptural distortions, or against the Bible - but that the Roman Catholic Church considers aspects of the scriptural Christian faith, such as the transubstantiation of John 6:51, the doctrine of fire the sanctification of 1 Corinthians 3:15, the worship of images or icons of Numbers 21: 8, and especially the doctrine that the Pope in Rome is the head of the church on earth (Papal Supremacy) John 21:17.
Sola scriptura is a doctrine that is not, in the words of Westminster Confession of Faith 1.6 "clearly set forth in Scripture." However, Confession claims that he passed the second test to be part of "all the counsel of God" for "inferred from Scripture" "with good and necessary consequences", quoting passages like Isaiah 8:20: "law and testimony: if they speak inconsistent with this word, it is because there is no light in it. "Jesus is also usually understood by the Protestants for explicitly negating unwritten traditions in the church (Jew), when he says, for example in Mark 7:13: "thereby canceling the word of God by your tradition which has been handed down, and many things like that which you do."
Holy scriptures and traditions
The Catholic Church, from which the Protestants broke away, and against what they directed this argument, did not see the sacred scriptures and sacred traditions of faith as different sources of authority, but the scriptures were revealed as part of the sacred tradition (see 2 Thessalonians 2:15 , 2 Timothy 2: 2). The accepted tradition is also felt by the church as cohesive in nature. The precise interpretation of the scriptures is seen as part of the faith of the church and is seen as the way in which biblical authority is established (see Acts 15: 28-29). The meaning of the scriptures is seen as evident from the faith universally held in churches (see Philippians 2: 1, Acts 4:32), and the truth of the universal faith is seen as evident from the sacred scriptures and the apostolic tradition (see 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Thess. 3: 6, 1 Corinthians 11: 2). The canon of the Bible itself is seen by the church as part of the church tradition, as defined by its leadership and recognized by the laity.
The Catholic Dei verbum and the papal encyclical Providentissimus Deus by Pope Leo XIII and Divino afflante Spiritu by Pope Pius XII put forward the Catholic teaching on tradition versus individual interpretation.
The Catholic Church teaches that Christ entrusted the preaching of the gospel to the apostles, who submitted it verbally and in writing, and according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "apostolic sermons, expressed in a special way in inspired books, must be preserved in a continuous line of succession to the end This life transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition, is therefore distinct from Scripture, although it is closely connected to it. "" Sacred traditions and scriptures form a sacred deposit of the Word of God in which, as in mirrors, the Church of pilgrims contemplating God, the source of all his wealth. " To the Eastern Orthodox as well, "Scripture forms part of the Holy Tradition, but it does not lie outside." One would be mistaken to assume that the Scriptures and Traditions are two separate and distinct sources of the Christian Faith, as some people, because in reality, there is one source, and the Bible exists and finds its formulation in Tradition ".
Catholics apply to many apostolic traditions of the qualities that evangelicals and other Protestants apply to scripture only. For example, the 1979 Evangelical Declaration of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy states:
We affirm that inspiration is the work in which God by His Spirit, through the human author, gives us His Word. The origin of Scripture is divine. The mode of divine inspiration is largely still a mystery to us. We deny that inspiration can be reduced to human insight, or to an increased state of consciousness of any kind.
Since the Catholic Church recognizes that the traditions and scriptures of the apostles are the word of God, Catholics can affirm that many of these propositions apply equally well to tradition: This is the work of the Holy Spirit, which can not be reduced to human insight or high consciousness..
This is related to the question of what constitutes the apostolic tradition. The Catechism of the Catholic Church declares that this tradition is given "by the apostles who submit, with the words spoken of their preaching, by the example they give, by the institution they founded, what they have received - whether from the lips of Christ, his life and his work, or whether they have studied it with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit ". This description, while leaving room for debate and refinement, offers sufficient guidance to evaluate which Catholic doctrine is part of the apostolic tradition and which teachings come from centuries later.
Apart from these guidelines, there is much confusion in matters among Catholics and non-Catholics. This confusion can be seen in those who quote the work of Catholic James Keenan researchers to claim that the doctrine given by the apostolic tradition has changed. What Keenan is saying is that not only are there "claims of inconsistency, contradiction and even insincerity" in the tradition of church moral teaching but that "continuity with tradition itself is not a guarantor of the truth of a particular doctrine." He explains this by stating that Bernard Hoose "found that the claim of continuous teaching" by the Catholic Church "on the subject of life and death, sexuality, and even crime and punishment is completely untrue." Keenan states that not all traditions come from the Apostles; does not mean there is no tradition derived from the Apostles. He also added that Mark Jordan "examined seven medieval texts on homosexuality", found them disconnected and inconsistent, and concluded that "the doctrine of tradition [on the subject] is incoherent". This refers to medieval tradition and not the apostolic tradition. Keenan, however, says that the study of "manualists" such as John T. Noonan Jr. has pointed out that, "despite claims to the contrary, manual users are co-operators in the necessary historical developments of the moral tradition". Noonan, according to Keenan, has given a new worldview in "an area where the Church is not just changing, but not shameful".
Criticism
After the separation of the Protestant churches from the Roman Catholic Church, a relatively new idea of ​​sola scriptura received serious criticism from Catholic and Orthodox Christians. In his book Sola Scriptura Form (2001), Christian Reformed author Keith A. Mathison mentions some recent examples of such criticism. In response, Mathison distinguishes what he considers to be the true doctrine of sola scriptura from the "subjective and individualistic versions" of the doctrines that have been largely adopted by Protestants.
Catholic writer and American television presenter Patrick Madrid writes that sola scriptura is very incoherent, since the Bible itself does not teach sola scriptura, and therefore the belief that the scriptures are the only ones the only source of Christian belief in self-contradiction given that it can not be supported without extra-scripture doctrine.
In the 2008 book Catholic and Science , writers Peter M.Ã, J. Hess and Paul Allen wrote that sola scriptura "are inherently divisive", quotes Marburg Colloquy where Martin Luther and Huldrych Zwingli debates the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist on the basis of the scriptures but can not reach agreement on the Sacramental Unity. Hess and Allen argue that, when scripture is regarded as the only source of perfect teaching, its interpretation is subject to false interpretations, and without a perfect translator, the certainty of Christian belief is impossible.
Roman Catholic Theological Encyclopedia noted that, since the 27 books that make up the New Testament canon of the scriptures are not based on a list of scriptures that authenticate them for inspiration, their legitimacy would not be possible. with certainty without attracting another unmistakable source, such as the magisterium of the Catholic Church, which some suggest to collect and validate this list at the Synod of Rome in 382 (though there is much debate surrounding this claim). Prior to this, the compiled and authenticated bible as it is now known does not exist yet.
The Roman Catholic writer of America, Dave Armstrong writes that there are examples of Jesus and his apostles accepting the oral and extrabiblical traditions in the New Testament:
- The reference to "He will be called the Nazarene" can not be found in the Old Testament, but "spoken by the prophets" (Matthew 2:23). This prophecy, regarded as "the word of God", is inherited verbally rather than through scripture.
- In Matthew 23: 2-3, Jesus taught that the scribes and Pharisees had a legitimate and binding authority based on "the position of Moses," but these phrases or ideas can not be found anywhere in the Old Testament. It is found in the Mishnah (originally oral), which teaches a kind of "teaching succession" from Moses.
- In 1 Corinthians 10: 4, the Apostle Paul refers to a rock that "follows" the Jews through the Sinai desert. The Old Testament does not say anything about such a miracle movement. But, this critic wrote, the rabbin tradition does it.
- "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses" (2 Timothy 3: 8). These two men can not be found in the relevant Old Testament passages (see Exodus 7: 8ff.) Or elsewhere in the Old Testament. In the Epistle of Jude 9, a dispute is mentioned between the Archangel Michael and Satan above the body of Moses, which is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, and taken from the oral Jewish tradition.
- In Surah James 5:17, when reciting Elijah's prayers described in 1 Kings 17, the lack of rain for three years is mentioned, which is absent from the interior of 1 Kings.
Armstrong argues that since Jesus and the Apostles recognized the authoritarian oral tradition of Judaism, Christians could therefore not deny the legitimacy and authority of the oral tradition. However, according to the scriptures, Jesus also challenged some Jewish oral traditions. Therefore, Christians, on that basis, can refute some of the authority's authority, because they argue that Jesus' authority is greater.
Legacy
Sola scriptura continues as a doctrinal commitment from conservative branches and branches of Lutheran churches, Reformed churches, and other Baptist and Protestant churches, especially those who portray themselves with the slogan "believing the Bible ".
See also
- Biblical criticism
- Bibliolatry
- Cessationism versus Continuationism, where sola scriptura is discussed with regard to the issue of a charismatic gift
- Christian Fundamentalism
- Ex cathedra
- Ijtihad , the Islamic concept of religious and legal interpretation is not limited by tradition
- Karaite Judaism
- Nichiren Buddhism
- Quranism, the Islamic movement is influenced in its theory by sola scriptura
Note
References
Bibliography
External links
- WELS Q & amp; Topic Topic: A: Sola Scriptura in the Bible? (Confessional Lutheran perspective)
- WELS Q & amp; Topic Topic: A: Sola Scriptura? (Confessional Lutheran perspective)
- Articles on sola scriptura from the Reformed perspective
- Biblical passages on sola scriptura from a Catholic perspective
- The scriptures & amp; Tradition from a Catholic perspective
- Proving Inspiration refers to "sola scriptura"
- Scripture and Tradition and "What is Your Authority?" against "sola scriptura"
- A written debate on sola scriptura between Douglas Jones and Gerald Matatics from Antithesis Magazine
- Official written debate on sola scriptura between Julie Staples and Apolonio Background
- A Catholic assessment of sola scriptura
- Orthodox Christian Assessment of sola scriptura
- The Orthodox Christian Response to Protestant Apologies on Sola Scriptura
- "Paradosis: Submission of Divine Revelation" from a Catholic perspective
- "A Disputation on Holy Scripture" by Puritan William Whitaker (1588)
- Quotes from the Early Church Fathers on "Sola Scriptura"
- Sola Scriptura - The Quite and Last Authority of the Free Brethren House Churches Christ, a group within the Anabaptist tradition
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments