REVIEW
FLIP CHART: SOM’S KEY VERSE, GOAL, MOTTO
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness ….” (Mt. 6:33a).
The law sends us to Christ for justification; Christ sends us back to the law for sanctification.
FLIP CHART: Show new “Perfect Righteousness” chart explaining steps to coming to Christ (As a worm, mourning, meek, spiritual hunger/thirst with the result of legal righteousness). Explain: moral righteousness, immediate moral change at conversion, gradual change through life’s challenges and speeding up moral change via CCRC (Concentration, Choice, Reflection and Confession/Thanksgiving). Key verse, “By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Heb. 10:14).
FLIP CHART: John Stott’s outline of SOM.
TEACHING GOAL: To help the church spot false teachers, false prophets.
HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say than to you He has said,
To you, who for refuge, to Jesus have fled? (2x)
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am Thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand. (2x)
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee thy trials to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. (2x)
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. (2x)
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake. (2x)
To finish up his sermon, Jesus gives four powerful illustrations, all with a goal of pressing his listeners for a decision. Each of the illustrations contains a dire warning: destruction, fire, rejection, destruction.
INTRODUCTION:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Mt. 7:15-20)
REVIEW: . . . . Some key ”SO WHATS?” From the two previous lesson.
1. False prophets are here with false teaching. We need to be alert and make judgment calls on both in order to protect the church.
2. We can easily spot false teaching on major doctrines; it is much more difficult to spot gaps in teaching and yet we must make sure the whole counsel of God is taught.
3. The Reformation is a key historical event still impacting our lives in that it returned us to Biblical Christianity.
4. Are we Biblical evangelicals or cultural evangelicals. Do the five Solas (Onlies) of the Reformation define us or does the evangelical culture of our generation define us?
OUTLINE:
THE FIVE “SOLAS” OF THE REFORMATION
1. The Reformation
2. The Evangelicals
3. Introduction to the Five Solas
4. Sola # 1 – Scripture Alone
5. Good Works
6. Justification
7. Sola # 2 – Grace Alone
8. Sola # 3 – Faith Alone
9. Sola # 4 – Christ Alone
10. Sola # 5 – God’s Glory Alone
SOLA SCRIPTURA – (E)
IV. SOLA SCRIPTURA – “BY SCRIPTURE ALONE”
MARTIN LUTHER AT WORMS
READING: The question put before Martin Luther at Worms (The Diet of Worms was a regular assembly of leaders of the empire and in this case the emperor was also present): Martin, how can you assume that you are the only one to understand the sense of Scripture? Would you put your judgment above that of so many famous men and claim that you know more than they all? You have no right to call into question the most holy orthodox faith, instituted by Christ the perfect lawgiver, proclaimed throughout the world by the apostles, sealed by the red blood of the martyrs, confirmed by the sacred councils, defined by the Church in which all our fathers believed until death and gave to us as an inheritance, and which now we are forbidden by the pope and the emperor to discuss lest there be no end of debate. I ask you, Martin – answer candidly and without horns – do you or do you not repudiate your books and the errors which they contain?
Luther answered: Since then your Majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason – I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other – my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen. (An Evangelical and Reformed Faith, Terry Johnson)
SOLA SCRIPTURA, THE FORMAL PRINCIPLE
QUESTION: Why would the Reformers call “Sola Scriptura” the “Formal Principle” of the Reformation?
This phrase appears as early as 1526. Sola Scriptura is called the “formal principle” because it is foundational. It rejects church tradition and additional revelations and out of this “formal principle” spring the other four solas.
The Cambridge Declaration (April 20, 1996) re-states the first sola as follows: We reaffirm the inerrant Scripture to be the sole source of written divine revelation, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured.
WHY SOLA SCRIPTURA IS PRE-EMINENT
Authority in the church is not based on creeds, councils, clerics, common sense, logic, intuition, science or new revelation . . . just Scripture. (An Evangelical and Reformed Faith, Terry Johnson)
If teachers can not base their teaching on Scriptures, the law and the testimony, they have no light.
When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. (Isaiah 8:19-20)
Calvin’s Question of all extra biblical practices and beliefs: “by what word or God, by what revelation, by what example, is this done?” For example prayers for the dead were rejected because “the entire law and the gospel do not furnish so much as a single syllable to pray for the dead.”
Luther, in the Large Catechism V, 76 wrote: Scripture will not lie to you.
SOLA SCRIPTURA TODAY
Every corruption of Biblical Christianity starts by ignoring the Scripture as the sole source of Biblical truth for life and doctrine.
Every one of the major sects are similar in this one thing, they either take away or add to the Scriptures: Mormons, Christian Science and Jehovah Witnesses. Some claim Islam is a Christian sect and in their attitude to the Scripture they are like other sects. Seventh Day Adventists have fallen into the same trap with the teaching of Ellen White and the Roman Catholic Church makes the same mistake by adding tradition and Papal pronouncements. Protestant Modernists / Liberals do this by denying the Scriptures are inspired by God.
QUESTION: In what ways has the evangelical church slipped away from ‘Sola Scriptura’?
Is a sociological understanding of those in the pew as important to the success of the church as just preaching the Gospel? The church growth movement says yes.
Evangelical churches have slipped away from Scripture but the tactic of Satan in this case is much cleverer. The Scriptures are slowly being down-graded in importance by focusing on therapeutic technique (touch, silence, perception checking, acknowledging, reflecting, play, group therapy, building self-esteem), marketing strategy, contextualization (music, dress, atmosphere), entertainment (drama, music). Or a new understanding of sin resulting from environment (victim) and salvation as mental health
Even though ours is an image based society Christianity only flourishes through words, ideas, beliefs, announcements, arguments. Paul challenged Timothy to “Preach the Word” (II Tim. 4:2).
THE ROMAN CATHOLICS AND SCRIPTURE
Since the Reformation took place in the context of a society dominated by Roman Catholicism we need to reflect on the RC relationship to Scripture.
The Catholics argued that the sole source of authority for life and belief was not just the Scripture. They argued that oral apostolic instructions that were never recorded had a place of authority (how did the church function in those early years before they had the Scriptures) and also their belief in Papal descent from Peter.
Thus the Roman Catholic Church said the source of instruction in life and doctrine for the believer is: The Scripture, Church Tradition and Papal pronouncements.
PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER AND SOLA SCRIPTURA
Sacerdotalism is the doctrine that sacraments (marriage, communion, baptism etc) are only valid if performed by priests ordained by apostolic succession under the authority of the Pope.
This contradicts the concept of the priesthood of the believer.
In I Peter 2:9 we are referred to as a “Royal Priesthood” and Revelation 1:6 reads that Christ has made us a “Kingdom of Priests.” We all have direct access to God the Father through the atoning work of Christ.
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)
GOD’S CHILDREN CAN UNDERSTAND SCRIPTURE
There was an assumption at the time of the Reformation that only a trained priesthood could understand the Scriptures. Thus a casual reading and study of the Scriptures was discouraged and even at times forbidden by law.
We hold that the Scriptures are transparently clear, easily understood and self-interpreting. This does not mean that believers do not misinterpret the Scriptures from time to time for they do. But then trained and ordained clergy also have misinterpreted the Scriptures, as was evident in the idea of indulgences during the Reformation.
QUESTION: What are some Biblical verses that indicate that God’s children can read and understand the written Word?
Teach the law of God to your children (Deut. 6:4-9)
I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:7-11)
Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? (Mt. 12:5)
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’”? (Mt. 19:4)
“Have you never read the Scriptures?” (Mt. 21:42)
“But about the Resurrection of the dead – have you not read what God said to you . . .?” (Mt. 22:31)
“Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” (Mark 12:24)
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)
For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Heb. 4:12)
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SOLA SCRIPTURA
Luther held that you had to be careful and use certain hermeneutic principles in interpreting Scripture. Thomas Muntzer, a German religious leader and radical, opposed Luther. He eventually was a leader in the Peasant’s War which was put down and he was put to death. Thomas Muntzer at one time complained that Luther is “one of our scribes who wants to send the Holy Ghost off to college.”
Luther said of individualistic approaches to Biblical interpretation: “That would mean that each man would go to hell in his own way.”
“When fanatics boast extravagantly of the Spirit, the tendency is to bury the Word of God so that they may make room for their falsehoods.” (John Calvin).
Sola Scriptura does not mean “Me and my Bible in the woods” interpreting verses as I please. We need to use rules of literary interpretation like we would with any literary work. That is we need to be aware of the dozens of figures of speech in the Scripture, e.g. hyperbole, simile, metaphor etc. when interpreting Scripture.
The Holy Spirit moves according to the Word of God, not beyond it. He may be leading us to take a second look at secondary truths but never away from the primary truths of Scripture. For example the Holy Spirit may be leading us to look more carefully at contextualization in our ministry but never away for proclaiming that Christ is God.
Sola Scriptura does not mean that the Bible is the only place where truth can be found. It doesn’t mean that on primary doctrines the Scripture is equally clear to all people. It doesn’t mean that we don’t need guides to instruct us in interpreting the Scripture.
God gifts people to be teachers to equip His people (Ephesians 4:12). Heb. 13:17 says “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give account. . . .”
Teachers need to teach according to original apostolic instruction.
“See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you . . . . . We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” (I John 2:24, 4:6)
But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us. (II Tim. 3:14-17, The Message)
The Roman Catholics – Scripture + Tradition + Papal Authority.
Ana-Baptists – Scripture + Holy Spirit
Reformers – Scripture + Holy Spirit + Hermeneutics + Gifted Teachers
So the question we need to ask ourselves is, “Am I using the Scripture as my sole guide for doctrine and life?” And secondly, “Is my church basing its life, activity and doctrine solely on Scripture?”
SO WHAT???
1. Every corruption of Biblical Christianity starts by ignoring the Scripture as the sole source of Biblical truth for life and doctrine.
2. Those redeemed by Christ have entered a “Royal Priesthood,” and are members of a “Kingdom of Priests.” Thus evangelical’s hold to the priesthood of the believer and read and understand the Scripture.
3. The Scripture is understood with the enlightenment of Holy Spirit but also by using sound principles of Biblical interpretations and the help of Gifted Teachers.