Tweaking the Def

I just spent over an hour stewing over the right way to word the definition of solus Christus posted on Monday. I wasn’t satisfied with any of the definitions I came across in my preparations for that post so I made up my own, but I wasn’t quite satisfied with that one either. Tonight I worked on my definition to close up a couple of possible loopholes left with the previous wording. This the result of the fine-tuning:

solus Christus
Literally, “Christ alone.” The reformation slogan meaning that salvation is based exclusively in the mediatorial work of Christ; that his sinless life and substitutionary death are the sufficient and sole grounds on which those who are being saved receive every benefit included in the process of salvation.

I think I’m satisfied with that, but who knows? Tomorrow I may look at it and think it needs more work.   

Theological Term of the Week

 

Moving on to another of the five solas. The previous sola was sola scriptura.

 

solus Christus
Literally, “Christ alone.” The reformation slogan meaning that salvation is based exclusively in the mediatorial work of Christ; that his sinless life and substitutionary death are the sufficient and sole grounds on which those who are being saved receive every benefit included in the process of salvation. 

• From 1 Timothy 1:5-6:

  For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
  

• From The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 8:
  

  Of Christ the Mediator
  
  I. It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man, the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Savior of His Church, the Heir of all things, and Judge of the world: unto whom He did from all eternity give a people, to be His seed,and to be by Him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.
  
  V. The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience, and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, has fully satisfied the justice of His Father; and purchased, not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for those whom the Father has given unto Him.
  
  VIII. To all those for whom Christ has purchased redemption, He does certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same; making intercession for them, and revealing unto them, in and by the word, the mysteries of salvation; effectually persuading them by His Spirit to believe and obey, and governing their hearts by His word and Spirit; overcoming all their enemies by His almighty power and wisdom, in such manner, and ways, as are most consonant to His wonderful and unsearchable dispensation.
  

• From J. I. Packer in What Did the Cross Achieve, from In My Place Condemned He Stood, listing the achievements of Christ in his work on the cross.
  

  3) The penalty due to me for my sins, whatever it was, was paid for me by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in his death on the cross.
  4) Because this is so, I through faith in him am made “the righteousness of God in him,” i.e., I am justified; pardon, acceptance and sonship become mine.
  5) Christ’s death for me is my sole ground of hope before God. “If he fulfilled not justice, I must; if he underwent not wrath, I must to eternity.”¹
  6) My faith in Christ is God’s own gift to me, given in virtue of Christ’s death for me; i.e., the cross procured it.
  7) Christ’s death for me guarantees my preservation to glory.
  8) Christ’s death for me is the measure and pledge of the love of the Father and the Son to me.
  9) Christ’s death for me calls and constrains me to trust, to worship, to love, and to serve.

Learn more:

1. R. C. Sproul: Christ Alone
2. Rod Rosenbladt: Solus Christus in the Scriptures
3. Philip Ryken: Christ Alone
4. Sam Hughey: Solus Christus
5. John Piper: Is Jesus Christ Man’s Only Hope for Salvation?
6. All of the audio sermons from the 2008 Sola Conference: In Christ Alone, including speakers John MacArthur, Al Mohler, Phil Johnson, Tom Pennington, Rocky Wyatt, and Mike Gendron.

Related terms:

• substitutionary atonement
  
• definite atonement

Filed under Reformed Theology

Have you come across a theological term that you don’t understand and that you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

 

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.

Theological Term of the Week

For the next five week, I’ll be defining each of the five solas.

sola scriptura
Literally, “scripture alone.”  The reformation slogan meaning that scripture is the only infallible rule of faith,  the absolute authority in all things, revealing all knowledge necessary for salvation and all knowledge necessary for the church.

• From Acts 17:11:

  These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
  

• From The Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 3:

  Q3: What is the word of God?
  A3: The holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God,[1] the only rule of faith and obedience.[2]
  
  1. II Tim. 3:16; II Peter 1:19-21
  2. Eph. 2:20; Rev. 22:18-19; Isa. 8:20; Luke 16:29, 31; Gal. 1:8-9; II Tim. 3:15-16

• From Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures:

  This seal have thou ever on thy mind; which now by way of summary has been touched on in its heads, and if the Lord grant, shall hereafter be set forth according to our power, with Scripture proofs. For concerning the divine and sacred Mysteries of the Faith, we ought not to deliver even the most casual remark without the Holy Scriptures: nor be drawn aside by mere probabilities and the artifices of argument. Do not then believe me because I tell thee these things, unless thou receive from the Holy Scriptures the proof of what is set forth: for this salvation, which is of our faith, is not by ingenious reasonings, but by proof from the Holy Scriptures. (Source: What Did the Early Church Believe about the Authority of Scripture?)
  

Learn more:

1. Sola Scriptura by A.A. Hodge
2. Grover Gunn: Sola Scripture (pdf)
3. Irish Calvinist: What sola scriptura is…and what it is not…
4. ChristianAnswers.Net: What Did the Early Church Believe About the Authority of Scripture?
5. Update: From Mark Dever, The Authority of Scripture (mp3 from New Attitude Liveblog)

Related theological terms:

• Authority of scripture
• Sufficiency of scripture

Have you come across a theological term that you don’t understand and that you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

 

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.