Sola Scriptura- The Unity of Scripture

Day 10 3/10/17- THE UNITY OF THE SCRIPTURE
Had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he testified of me.”  (John 5:46)

      There is a supernatural character of the Bible.  It is amazing that it has escaped persecution (Greek, Roman, Chinese and more). One of the most expensive books in English ever is the “Cuthbert” printing of the  Gospel of John ($14.3 million).  The Guttenberg Bible sold for $4.9 million in 1987.  It is the most translated book in the world by far (636 languages and 3,233 partial translations as of 2016).          
      One of the amazing things that the eyes of faith see in scripture is its unity.   It is a book written over 1400 years with over 40 authors of 66 books.  Yet the theme of who God is, who human beings are, and the need for grace and forgiveness runs throughout.  There is no book like it.  There are other sacred books written by one author (like the Koran by Mohammed, or the Analects by Confucius) that you would expect have a unified theme.  There are other books that are written over centuries with diverse views of God (like the Hindu Vedas).  The idea that God is one is found in both Old and New Testaments; the idea of holiness and that God cares about our behavior and sets forth His will is in both;  the idea of love and grace are found throughout.  Genesis and Revelation (the first and last books) have similar ideas of God, man, sin, Satan, paradise, and the tree of life.  What is introduced in Genesis is accounted for in Revelation.   (Ramm). 
       The Bible is a handbook of our faith.  It is the constitution of the church.  It is a map to God and to the duty we owe God.  The Bible is more than just a history book or a history of a people’s faith from which we can learn.  It is a Word for us.  God is not silent- but cares and speaks a Word. Jesus said, “You search the scriptures for in them you think you find eternal life.  But the Scripture testifies about me” (John 5:29).  The Scripture is our Covenant Book.  It is a record but also a promise of how God related, relates, and will relate to His people.  The word “diatheke” does not mean “testament” as much as it means “covenant.” It is a promise to relate- “I will be their God and they will be my people.” Both testaments are a covenant to relate in love to God’s people. 
     There have been over 6 billion Bibles printed, with over 100 million sold or given away each year, and the number is growing.  Where is the competitor to the Ten Commandments or to Jesus’ Beatitudes or Lord’s Prayer? 

Prayer: Lord, you have in your providence, provided a Word for me.  Help me to hear it and apply it to my life. 

Sola Scriptura- Scripture Interprets Scripture

DAY 9 3/9/17- SCRIPTURE INTERPRETS SCRIPTURE- Sola Scriptura
“You have heard it said…but I say to you.”  Matthew 5:21,22, 27,28, 31,32, 33,34, 38,39, 43,44
“You search the scriptures… and these are they that testify about me.”  John 5:39

     The obscure parts of scripture are to be seen in the greater context of the clearer parts of scripture.  John Knox said, “The Word of God is plain in itself.  If there appear any obscurity in one place, the Holy Ghost, who is never contrary to himself, explains the same more clearly in other places; so that there can remain no doubt.”
We do not always need some commentary to help us.  The best Christian books can even distract us from THE book of our faith.  Athanasius declared, “The sacred and divinely inspired Scriptures are of themselves sufficient for the exposition of truth.” 
     Other hermeneutical principles (outlined in Bloesch “Holy Scripture” p. 195) are the Gospels must be interpreted by the Epistles. The incidental should be interpreted by the systematic.  For example, just because one person spoke in tongues once does not mean it should be a rule that all have to speak in tongues.  Bloesch also adds that the Reformers began to speak of the “Freedom of the Word of God.”  That is while we are bound by scripture, God Himself, while not contradicting what He has said, has freedom to speak more.  Luther spoke of the Word being living and active. Barth in the 20^th century speaks of God’s Word as being the living Christ.  While the scripture is sufficient and true in what it tell us about God and our duty to God- the words are means of grace and God is broader than this. Thus the Word is interpreted by the Spirit, but the Spirit does more than just interpret the Word.  The Spirit also comforts, consoles, convicts, counsels- sometimes with the Word and sometimes beyond the Word- but never contradicting the truth already given.  God is not static.  But God is faithful yet living; reliable yet active; trustworthy yet still creative. 

Prayer: Living Word, give me grace to read scripture and understand it.  Open my eyes that I may see wonderful truths in your Word.  

Sola Scriptura- The Clarity of Scripture

DAY 8 3/8/17- SOLA SCRIPTURA- THE CLARITY OF SCRIPTURE
“Understanding your word brings light to the minds of ordinary people” (Psalm 119:130 CEV).
“It seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”  (Luke 1:3,4)

      Cannot we make the scriptures mean whatever we want them to mean?  Is the scripture so unclear that we cannot make sense of it?  Do we not need the church (or scholars or experts) to interpret scripture for us? 
       The clarity of scripture is an important part of the Sola Scriptura teaching. While there are always people who call what is red “blue”; or call what is straight “circular;” such interpretations should be seen as misinterpretations by a common idea of truth.  But just as the common man could misinterpret scripture, so could a priest or a scholar.    The scripture is not meant to be concealed in some obscure hidden way like a secret message meant to be unlocked.  The scripture is the Word of God speaking to us, showing us.  It is like a map to God, a compass to Him.  It is a lamp to our feet.  It is the light that is meant to be shone in order to reveal God and His will for us.  Calvin especially sought to see the plain and simple grammatical meaning of scripture.  While Calvin certainly paid attention to scholarly works of his day that illuminated context, he did not concentrate on this but on the clear meaning.  In our day there is a feeling among many that only the scholars can understand and interpret scripture. But no scholar can understand it fully. For almost a century, scholars have been encouraged by stipends, grants, and book royalties to think creatively.  Such creativity adds to the variety but takes away from the simplicity of scripture, and thereby the assurance of a standard interpretation.  The scriptures are deep enough for the best trained scholar, but shallow enough for a child to understand parts truly and clearly.  While some will disagree that two and two equals four, and many are hyper critical, that should not take away from the basic meaning of the inspired scripture, or the limits of honesty and integrity in interpretation. Wayne Grudem says, The clarity of Scripture means that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God's help and being willing to follow it. In other words: faith, belief, a willingness to listen and follow are a basis for the Holy Spirit's making the scriptures clear and real to us.
     Scripture was meant to be put in the language of the people (the vulgar language) so the people can understand it.  It was not meant to be hidden in Latin and Greek.  Scripture was written originally to a people who could understand it, and we should be able to understand it too.  One of the most important things Luther did was translate the Bible into German. The Geneva Bible was one of the first English translations, influenced by Calvin and Knox. 
     Sermons, for the Reformed, were not meant to be classical Greek oratorical exercises.  Sermons were meant to clearly explain the scripture- as it was said of Ezra, “Making the meaning clear” (Neh. 8:8).  The allegorical style, even used by Augustine, that saw a hidden meaning in every word, was downplayed. Sermons were in the language of the people for the people to understand and apply to their lives.

Prayer: Lord, give me the ability to see thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly day by day by listening to the clear message of your Word in scripture. 

Sola Scriptura and the Canon

DAY 7 3/7 SOLA SCRIPTURA- THE MAKING OF THE CANON     
I am astonished You are turning to different gospel- which is no gospel at all…But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned.”  (Galatians 1:6,7)
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described by this book.  And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city.” (Rev. 22:18-19)

Wasn’t the Canon of Scripture affirmed centuries after it was written?  Doesn’t the church (or humans or scholars) therefore give scripture its authority? 
      This was the argument used against Sola Scriptura by the Roman Catholic Church.  The Catholic church claims that it picked and chose which books would be part of the Bible and which books would not.  In about 140 the heretic Marcion came up with a list of what he thought were canonical books.  This spurred the church to affirm what was already attested to by orthodox believers.  The Gnostics (like Valentinian) too were writing new gospels (Nag Hammadi texts) that were not accepted by the orthodox church because of clearly contradictory teachings.  Montanus (c. 160) tried to add new teachings and books.  This encouraged the church to note that the age of the Apostles was over and the canon was closed.  The basic test of the book in the New Testament was being written by an apostle or apostolic witness (like Luke or Mark), the unity (not contradiction) of the basic message, and the broad approval of the church (East and West).  Luther’s test of canonicity was its ability to speak of Christ.  Oscar Cullman said, “among the early Christian writings the books which were to form the future canon forced themselves on the Church by their intrinsic apostolic authority,  as they do still. Because the Kyrios Christ speaks in them.” 
        There have always  been those who wanted to add to the canon.  We have noted the Gnostics.  Modern day Gnostics also want to add Nag Hammadi and other Gospels to the Bible.  Just because a book is ancient does not make it scripture.  Just because we may think we have good teachings to add to scripture does not mean our authority is from God.  Joseph Smith wanted to add the Book of Mormon.  The apostolic test keeps many out, but the clear contradiction to the themes in both Old and New Testaments keep others.  If the book is history but doesn’t add much spirituality (like Maccabees of Thomas) it could be kept out as well. 
       Calvin has a great answer to the idea that the church approves the Bible (Inst. I.7.2). He said that Paul says that the church is “built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles.” (Eph. 2:20).  Thus, the scriptures and teachings were there before the church began.   The Word of God calls forth the church- not the other way around.  The Word gives authority to the Church, not the other way around.  God’s Spirit inspired the Word whose reading/preaching brings people to Himself.  Calvin said, “Thus while the church receives and gives its seal of approval to the Scriptures, it does not thereby render authentic what is otherwise doubtful or controversial.”  Much is made that the Council of Nicea in 325 and later councils approved the canon officially.  It should be remembered the church could not meet together until it was legal and not persecuted.  Church gatherings were illegal until Constantine. At Nicea the church from all corners of the world came together to put in writing what it believed and what it was doing.  The Scriptures, were virtually agreed upon before Nicea ever met, but the Church could not come together to say this as it was being persecuted.   Calvin also notes that it is the Holy Spirit that gives authority to the Scriptures and unsaved people cannot think rightly about heavenly things.  For him the testimony of the Spirit is superior to all rational arguments proving the canonicity or inspiration of Scripture (Inst. I.7.4).
     There has been much study on the ancient manuscripts of scripture.  The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the veracity of the text of the canon we now have with no significant changes. 

Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you that you not only inspired scripture but illumine it to me.  Thank you that you also, in your providence, protect it, unify it, and keep it for us. ******************************

Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix (A General Introduction to the Bible, Moody Press: Chicago, 1986, p. 221), 

Sola Scriptura- the scripture's authority

Day 6- 3/6 SOLA SCRIPTURA- THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE

1 Corinthians 4:6- “Do not go beyond what is written.”
2 Peter 1:21- For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

      What is this idea of Sola Scriptura?  It is the idea that God’s Word Alone is our authority for what we believe and what we do.
       The Bible is the primary way we hear from God today.  It is an ancient book.  Because it is ancient it is proven and tested.  Calvin’s idea of the authority of scripture was found not in the ancient words themselves, but in the Holy Spirit’s illuminating the words to us.  The Holy Spirit inspired the words at the time of their writing- using the author’s language, educational background, writing skills, and context.  But the Holy Spirit makes the ancient words come alive- allowing us to believe them, apply them, live by them.  There is a danger in denying that the scripture is accurate, or denying that we should not pay any attention to it at all.  Such an attitude shows a lack of respect to the Church of the past (both the Biblical church and the church that believed and followed the Bible) and to Jesus who said, "Thy Word is truth."  There is also danger in trying to make the Bible so wooden that it cannot live and breathe into our situation.  The Spirit not only inspires Scripture-- The Spirit also inspires us.  However, words mean something.  The illumination of the Spirit does not contradict the inspiration of the Spirit.  In other words the Spirit is the Spirit of truth (Jn. 4:4), and does not promise one thing and then break the promise.  The Spirit does not make one command then later say the opposite is true.  Just as the Covenants remain, the promises remain, and the words and basic meanings remain.  The words of scripture may have different nuances and emphases as we age, as we face different circumstances, and as the Holy Spirit leads us.  Scripture can speak to us with authority unlike any other book.  It beckons us, convicts us, comforts us, leads us, encourages us, inspires us.  Christians of ages past have affirmed that God speaks to them in scripture.  Calvin says that the scriptures are the spectacles through which we can distinctly and clearly understand God.   

Prayer: Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your Law O Lord.  

Erasmus scribing Greek and Latin Bible from sources.

Making the Greek available was important for Luther to translate it into German
and others to translate it into English, French, and eventually thousands of languages.

Sola Scriptura

Day 5- 3/5 SOLA SCRIPTURA- SCRIPTURE ALONE-

Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God^a may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

(Luther at Worms)

Martin Luther at the Worms: “Since 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."

"a simple layman armed with Scripture is greater than the mightiest pope without it".(Luther)
"The true rule is this: God's Word shall establish articles of faith, and no one else, not even an angel can do so." (Luther Smalcaid Articles II.15)
Scripture alone is the true lord and master of all writings and doctrine on earth.  If that is not granted, what is Scripture good for?  The more we reject it, the more we become satisfied with men’s books and human teachers.(Martin Luther). 

John Calvin- “The difference between us and the papists is that they do not think that the church can be 'the pillar of the truth' unless she presides over the word of God. We, on the other hand, assert that it is because she reverently subjects herself to the word of God that the truth is preserved by her and passed on to others by her hands.” 

“I approve only of those human institutions which are founded upon the authority of God and derived from Scripture.” (Calvin)

The problem of the Reformation is the same problem today.  In the church, people were making up things in the name of scholarship but sometimes with mixed motives and hidden agendas.  One of the breaking points that caused the Reformation was the selling of indulgences in order to build St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.  The cathedral was to be (and still is today) the biggest Roman Catholic church building.  But it costs a tremendous amount (finished in 1626).  The church had no real power to tax. The church taught that the faithful could take part in the cleansing of their own punishment for sin through an indulgence of the church.  The church had the power to absolve or forgive sins and relieve the temporal power of sin. Some carried this a step forward and said that if people gave toward the building of a church that it would ease the punishment of their sin in this life or the next.  Johan Tetzel a Dominican Friar said, “As soon as a coin in the coffer rings a soul from purgatory springs.”  Of course, the problem here is that the rich can be forgiven much while the poor are out of luck. Favoritism and materialism are clear consequences of such thought.   Luther and Melanchthon winced at this idea of paying for forgiveness.  While The Council of Trent of the Counter Reformation held back such abusive practices; and Vatican I of 1967 restricted it more, the idea of indulgences still reside in the Roman Catholic church. 
       I was in a conference on the 500^th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth and the speaker, who was advocating social change above all else, said it was time to abandon sola scriptura.  The audacity on the 500^th anniversary to discard the wisdom of the ages- the scriptures and the Reformers in a quest to be relevant and popular!  The motto of the Reformation was not “Reformed and Ever Reforming” as some would like to say- but “Reformed and ever Reforming According to the Word of God.”  The standard is not the pope, or the scholars, or the social engineers of our day- but the scriptures.  Disobedience is just that- jettisoning scripture and God’s Word to go our own way.  I am afraid the Reformed church has destroyed itself as it has abandoned the ability to listen to God’s Word and to be gracious and loving toward each other.  There are 14 different Presbyterian denominations in the United States alone. The abandonment of scriptures as the only standard means at best it is a watered down (wishy washy) standard, and at worst can be ignored when we disagree with it. 
Prayer: Your Word, O Lord is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path

Pavers of the Reformation Road

Day 4- 3/4 PAVERS OF THE REFORMATION ROAD

“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea saying, “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near…Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Mt. 3:1; Lk. 3:8)

The Reformation did not happen in a vacuum.  Others had sought to reform the church.  Some had sought to reform the church within and others had to leave the church because of threats.  Here is a brief list.

Peter Waldo (1140-1205) was a wealthy businessman in Lyons, France.  He voluntarily gave up all his wealth in an effort to get closer to Christ.  He challenged the church’s wealth believing that giving posts to the wealthy was immoral.  He also decried the superstitions of the church that certain relics (like bones or possessions of the Saints) would bring healing.  He also saw communion and baptism as more commandments (ordinances) than miracles- denying that the cup becomes the physical blood of Christ and the bread becomes the physical body of Christ.  He was charged with heresy in 1215 and his followers fled to the valleys and hills of the Alps.  Many were killed.  But hundreds of years later most joined the Reformed church. 

John Wycliffe (Oxford 1328-1384)
John Wycliffe was an Enlgish Scholar who translated part of the Bible into the native (vulgar) tongue of the people.  Before this the Bible was in Latin and Greek, which most did not know.  Wycliffe attacked the joint holding of lands/rule with the bishops.  He attacked monasticism for being too wealthy; the idea of Simony (appointing clergy regardless of faith/lack of it and living with the people); and was a proponent of the idea of the invisible church. He died of a stroke at the age of 64. Wycliffe’s followers are called Lollards and were condemned as heretics by the Pope. Many Lollards were martyred with the last being Thomas Harding in 1532.  Most were absorbed into the English Reformation movement. 

John Hus (1369-1417 in Bohemia/Czeck) read Wycliffe with interest.  He encouraged us to see that the Church is not just the Roman Catholic church but all those who believe and are predestined.  He encouraged us to see that Christ is the head of the church, not the Pope.  He discouraged the use of indulgences, the paying the church in order to get forgiveness, as wrong.  He said, "One pays for confession, for mass, for the sacrament, for indulgences, for churching a woman, for a blessing, for burials, for funeral services and prayers. The very last penny which an old woman has hidden in her bundle for fear of thieves or robbery will not be saved. The villainous priest will grab it."   He wrote many treatises in Czeck so that the uneducated priests and people (who did not know Latin) could read them.  Hus was lured by a promise of safe conduct by the king to go to Constance to resolve the dissension in the church.  There he was declared a heretic and burned at the stake. His followers, the Hussites fought four crusades against them. The Moravian church, which has ties to the Reformed (Presbyterian) church came from this group. 

Early Scottish Reformers.  Patrick Hamilton was killed in 1528. Hamilton studied at the University in Paris and learned Luther there.  George Wishart, great friend of John Knox, was hung and burned in 1546.  Both violent deaths at the hand of Cardinal David Beaton, laid the ground work for the Scottish Reformation. At the same time, the immorality of Mary Queen of Scots, a Catholic Champion, who had several affairs and was associated with her husband’s murder evoked even more consternation with the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland.

Prayer: Thank you God for people who are both creative yet submissive to you.  Thank you for those who want your heart and want to peel back the layers of varnish to get to the beautiful heart of the good news.