Sola Scriptura
The whole of the Reformation is owing to the power of sacred Scripture—the written Word of God. Something so powerful must be handled with care. For Rome, this meant the clergy had to maintain exclusive control of the Scriptures. They were too mysterious and difficult, so they said, for the commoner to handle. The authority of the Scriptures was then mediated through the authority of the Church.
"He who does not accept the doctrine of the Church of Rome and pontiff of Rome as an infallible rule of faith, from which the Holy Scriptures, too, draw their strength and authority, is a heretic."
These were the words of the Roman Catholic theologian and Master of the Sacred Palace, Sylvester Prierias, in response to Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses.
The first and formal principle of the Reformation is captured in the Latin slogan sola Scriptura, which means “Scripture alone.” This was the Reformation’s nucleus. Whatever theology the Reformation fought to recover, all would be based upon the sacred Scriptures. Apart from a return to the Word of God, there would be no true Reformation. It was not an enlightenment of human ideas, nor a revolution of human authority. It was distinctively a spiritual revival born out of a rediscovery of divine revelation.
The Reformation did not fight for the rights of institutions or individuals, rather it fought for the right of God to be heard. Why is the Reformation such a pivotal point in the history of Christianity? Because it was a theological revolution concerned first with the antecedent of theology itself—namely sacred Scripture. From whence comes doctrine? Christianity points to the Bible.
Rome taught that church tradition was equal to Scripture. The reformers insisted, on the testimony of sacred Scripture itself, that Scripture is over the church and its traditions. Indeed, they maintained that Christ ruled His church through His written Word.
We may summarize the differences as follows.
| Roman Catholic | Evangelical |
|---|---|
| Tradition and Scripture (§80) | Scripture over Tradition (Mark 7:7–13) |
| Scripture proceeds from the Church (§98) | The Church proceeds from Scripture (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 3:16) |
| Salvation is through the church in the administration of the sacraments (§1987-§1995) | Salvation is by faith in the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17) |
| Scripture alone is not sufficient for salvation or life (§181) | Scripture alone is sufficient for salvation by faith (2 Timothy 3:15) and for life in godliness (2 Peter 1:3; 3:16) |
This first principle of the Reformation is illustrated by the fact that virtually every major reformer is portrayed on canvas or by statue to be pointing to sacred Scripture.
Solas Overview Next: Sola Fide
(See also: Sola Scriptura)
