Sola Scriptura

[AdoptedDaughter]

I was asked the other day why Baptist's believe in Sola Scriptura, and since we hold to Sola Scriptura, where in the Bible upholds that claim?


Anyone care to help?

 

[Frogman]

Thus saith the Lord.

Found in several places.

Brother Dallas

Try this link:

Spurgeon's #591

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

Thus saith the Lord?

If I have been trained correctly, doesn't that just mean that in those passages, it is what the Lord says. Refers to what the Lord is saying in those particular places?

Where does it say that we must hold to Sola Scriptura?

 

[Frogman]

Originally posted by AdoptedDaughter:
Thus saith the Lord?

If I have been trained correctly, doesn't that just mean that in those passages, it is what the Lord says. Refers to what the Lord is saying in those particular places?

Where does it say that we must hold to Sola Scriptura?

I edited my first post, check that link, There is another I am looking for I will post if I can find it.

We should accept the word of God and 'sola scriptura' simply because it is the Word of God. Thy word is truth...John 17 the words of Christ.

The whole book is His Word, the whole book is Truth, apart from that there is no truth to be found in the universe because He alone has spread out the heavens and upholds the earth by his power, he has spoken and all this is, I will try to post more links for you so you can present more scripture on the topic to the person questioning.

God Bless
Bro. Dallas

One more that may help:

The Bible

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

Thy word is truth. Ok...let's talk about that.

I don't deny that His word his truth, but one question that comes to mind is this. What word is He referring to? The words that come from Him (that is spoken) or the Bible, which is His revelation to us as believers?

 

[Frogman]

Originally posted by AdoptedDaughter:
Thy word is truth. Ok...let's talk about that.

I don't deny that His word his truth, but one question that comes to mind is this. What word is He referring to? The words that come from Him (that is spoken) or the Bible, which is His revelation to us as believers?

I don't recall ever hearing God speak to me except through the Bible, where the revelation is recorded. I understand you probably mean the leading of what you feel by reading, prayer and study that is the specific will of God for you regarding specific things.

Let me ask you this, will God speak to you in such a way that it will contradict his revelation given to believers and found in the Bible? If so, then it is not the voice of God nor of the Holy Spirit that you are hearing. Stick to that which is revealed in His written word, that is truth. That is the same as his spoken word through those who were divinely inspired to write that revelation of God himself to the world.

Beyond this, we can engage in a word study of John 17.17 if you wish. If you want to I will be willing to do that and hopefully many others who are more knowledgable than myself will join in.

Here is John 17.17 the passage of scripture that comes from (with Strong's numbers taking from the program E-Sword)

Joh 17:17 Sanctify37 them846 through1722 thy4675 truth:225 thy4674 word3056 is2076 truth.225

here is the 'word' found at John 17.17, note Christ's prayer is 'Sanctify them through they truth: thy 'word' is truth.

The 'word'

G3056
λόγος
logos
log'-os
From G3004; something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension a computation; specifically (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (that is, Christ): - account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say (-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.

Note the above 'word' is derived from:

G3004
λέγω
legō
leg'-o
A primary verb; properly to “lay” forth, that is, (figuratively) relate (in words [usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas G2036 and G5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while G4483 is properly to break silence merely, and G2980 means an extended or random harangue]); by implication to mean: - ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say (-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.


I think the 'word' found at John 17.17 can encompass both aspects of your question; but that the 'word' as felt through prayer etc. is never to be taken over and above the revealed word of God in the Bible.

hope that helps. If not, I will keep trying if you wish.

Bro. Dallas Eaton

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

you say that the words spoken of God...the words God spoke.

Well...there are other recordings of what Jesus spoke, and if His words are truth, and we should stick to the truth, then why don't we include those along with the Bible?


Again, I'll ask, and word it differently.

Without twisting words to make it fit, where does it explicitly say in the Bible, that we are only to use the Bible?

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

FYI:

I'm going to bed, so I won't be on again until I get to work...so that could be anywhere from 2:30-5PM...

So...I'm not ignoring posts, I just can't see them or answer them.

 

[Frogman]

hey, I just don't understand, I need to go to bed also, but didn't want you to think I wasn't interested in your posting after having replied. I still just don't understand how or why or what basis your question is from.

Maybe later I can understand better. What other words of Christ are you talking about?

Would you accept something I write as the "word" of God; or as part of these "other" words of Christ?

I also don't understand how I 'twisted' words help me with that one also...please
Bro. Dallas Eaton

 

[Psalm145 3]

Sola Scriptura means that nothing but what is established by the clear authority of Scripture can bind the conscience of a Christian. All matters are to be judged in the light of Scripture and every opinion to be settled by it.

Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Councils could err and had erred. Popes could err and had erred. Only Scripture could not err and therefore it alone could be finally authoritative.

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

"This is the definitive New Testament model for ascertaining truth. The Bereans, we are told in Acts 17:11, compared Paul's oral message with the Word of God to make certain that it conformed to the inspired Scriptures. Only then would they accept it. If this was done with the teaching and preaching of an apostle, it is even more necessary for the teachings of those who are not apostles. Thus, where any teaching or tradition conforms to Scripture, it is to be received; and where it does not conform to Scripture, it is to be rejected." (William Webster, The Church of Rome at the Bar of History, p. 16)

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The written Word of God tells us what's right, what's not right, how to get right, and how to stay right. For the entirety of Christian faith and practice we need nothing more than Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 leaves no place for Tradition or popes as additional sources of authority.

Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

If we are to use only Scripture, then why is it pastors use commentaries? Why do they not stick strictly to scripture and scripture alone?

 

[Frogman]

Originally posted by AdoptedDaughter:
If we are to use only Scripture, then why is it pastors use commentaries? Why do they not stick strictly to scripture and scripture alone?

Wouldn't this be pretensious? I mean like saying that God only speaks through that one pastor?

There is nothing wrong with comparing commentaries to the Word of God; what is wrong is taking the word of the man writing the commentary over the Word of God. Where I write something it may be a blessing to some, but others may not be able to take that as what the Bible teaches, they have to stay with what they receive from the Bible first as truth and all else as an interpretation of that truth.

To refuse to compare anything else would imho, be putting myself in the place of a pope.

Bro. Dallas

 

[Pastor Larry]

2 Tim 3:16-17 is very clear: The word makes us equipped for every good work. If the word equips us for every good work, then we need nothing else. Scripture alone.

Commentaries are subject to the truth of Scripture. They are not placed on an equal level as Scripture. Commentaries are teachers on paper. Anything that they say that is right, is right because it repeats what the text says. Some are wrong. They are wrong because they do not repeat what the text says. Scriptures is the unchanging authority.

That does not mean that we understand everything in Scripture. Even Peter, the apostle, found some things hard to understand (2 Peter 3:15) so that puts us in good company. But our understanding does not change the truth of Scripture, nor does it mean we need more than Scripture.

Sola Scriptura does not refuse the use of things outside of Scripture. It simply recognizes that everything useful has its roots in Scripture. It specifically deals with authority.

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

Let's go a couple verses back and take it in context:

12: In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13: while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14: But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15: and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness, 17: so that the man of God may be thorughly equipped for every good work.

That passage says that it's useful for training and learning, not the only thing to be used for training and learning. It also doesn't say that we should hold to Scripture alone.


Side note:

I have been through this argument plenty of times, and this is what I've received back...so...I want to know why Baptists hold to Sola Scriptura, because I cant' find anything that solidly holds to it in scripture.

 

[Pastor Larry]

AD,

It says we are equipped by Scripture for "every good work." If you want to be equipped for "every good work" what is the only thing you need?? Scripture.

The context is exactly right. You have simply misread it. In the context, Paul is telling Timothy that in the end times when things are bad, all he needs is the Scripture. He doesn't need anything else. That is sola scriptura. Baptists hold to it because it is taught.

 

[Doubting Thomas]

Of course, the Scripture that Timothy had known from his youth was the Old Testament. It would be another 300 years before the NT canon was "finalized".

 

[Bro Tony]

DT,

That may be true from men's perspective. I believe from God's perspective it was Scripture given to men when Paul wrote it and it was Scripture from eternity past in the mind of God. God's Word is eternal and does not just come into being nor does it become His Word because some council says so. So when Timothy received it from Paul it was Scripture.

Remember we are not Roman Catholic; we don't believe it is the church that tells us what is Scripture----It is the Scripture that tells us what is the Church.

God bless you all as you serve Him.

Bro Tony

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

We call the Bible God's word. I find that the only people that do this are Baptists, at least that I know of.

Most non-Baptist's I've talked to call the Bible, the Bible, but Baptist's call it God's word.

If we're supposed to be following God's words, then why don't we take into consideration other documents and literature in which Jesus is recorded speaking. Other historical documents?

After all, God's word is the final word.

 

[Bro Tony]

Adopted Daughter,

I am not sure what other documents or literature that you are speaking of that genuinely contain the recorded speakings of Jesus. Could you elaborate on them, I would be very interested in them. Are they speaking about Jesus? Or do they really have His words in them while those same words are not found in the Bible? The Mormons claim their books have the words of Jesus in them while it is clear that their Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible.

In my studies I read other books including books of history, commentaries, cultural, and geographical. While I will use these as a source it must be said that the only book that can be regarded as Scripture and therefore infalliable is the Bible.

Bro Tony

 

[Pastor Larry]

If we're supposed to be following God's words, then why don't we take into consideration other documents and literature in which Jesus is recorded speaking. Other historical documents?

Because they are not Scripture. There are scant few, if any, of these types of documents and the early church did not recognize them as Scripture because they were not.

Of course, the Scripture that Timothy had known from his youth was the Old Testament. It would be another 300 years before the NT canon was "finalized".

Not entirely true. The NT was in the process of being written, but it was already being recognized as Scripture (2 Peter 3). As Tony points out, the canon of Scripture is not dependent on the church for its validity. Scripture is self-attesting.