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.