Sola Scriptura, Bible, Reformation, Martin Luther, Zwingli, Anabaptists, Protestant, Scripture, interpretation,

1. The Early Church for Today
Reformation 501
Sola Scriptura
Part One

2. The Reformers: Martin Luther
A Spiritual Problem

3. The Reformers: Martin Luther
A Spiritual Problem
A Biblical Solution
“a righteousness that is by faith”
Romans 1: 17

4. The Reformers: Martin Luther
A Spiritual Problem
A Biblical Solution
Then Along Came Tetzel

5. The Reformers: Martin Luther
A Spiritual Problem
A Biblical Solution
Then Along Came Tetzel
95 Theses

6. The Reformers: Martin Luther
A Spiritual Problem
A Biblical Solution
Then Along Came Tetzel
95 Theses
Leipzig (1519)
The events at Leipzig turned the debate
from Indulgences to Authority.

7. The Reformers: Martin Luther
The Debate at Leipzig (1519)

8. The Reformers: Martin Luther
The Debate at Leipzig (1519)
George the Bearded,
Duke of Saxony
“What good is a soldier if he is not
allowed to fight, a sheep dog if he may
not bark, and a theologian if he may not
debate?”

9. The Reformers: Martin Luther
The Debate at Leipzig (1519)
John Eck (1486-1543)
German Theologian
Roman Catholic Opponent of Luther
Professor, University of Ingolstadt

10. The Reformers: Martin Luther
The Debate at Leipzig (1519)
“I tell you that you are Peter, and on
this rock I will build my church, and
the gates of Hades will not overcome
it.”
John Eck quoting Matthew 16

11. The Reformers: Martin Luther
The Debate at Leipzig (1519)
“The Holy Roman and Apostolic
Church obtained the primacy not from
the apostles but from our Lord and
Savior himself, and it enjoys pre-
eminence of power above all of the
churches and the whole flock of
Christian people.”
John Eck

12. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Eck accused Luther of being a disciple of John Hus.
John Hus
(1369-1415)
The Debate at Leipzig (1519)

13. The Reformers: Martin Luther
“Unless I am convinced by the testimonies of the Holy Scriptures
or evident reason (for I believe neither in the pope nor councils
alone, since it has been established that they have often erred and
contradicted themselves), I am bound by
the Scriptures adduced by me, and my
conscience has been taken captive by the
Word of God, and I am neither able nor
willing to recant, since it is neither safe
nor right to act against conscience. God
help me. Amen.”
Martin Luther
The Debate at Leipzig (1519)

14. The Reformers: Martin Luther
“A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above
a pope or a council without it. As for the pope’s decretal on
indulgences I say that neither the Church nor the pope can
establish articles of faith. These must come from Scripture.”
The Debate at Leipzig (1519)
“... For the sake of Scripture we should
reject pope and councils.”
Martin Luther

15. The Reformers: Martin Luther
“Martin, there is not one of the heresies
which have torn the bosom of the
church, which has not derived its origin
from the various interpretations of the
Scripture.
The Bible itself is the arsenal whence
each innovator has drawn his deceptive
arguments. It was with biblical texts
that Pelagius and Arius maintained
their doctrines...”
John Eck
The Debate at Leipzig (1519)

16. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Leipzig: The Aftershock
1. Its About Authority
2. Now the Church was splitting
3. Luther felt Liberated
To the Christian Nobility
The Babylonian Captivity
The Freedom of a Christian
4. Sola Scriptura

17. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Luther and Sola Scriptura
“Scripture Alone” is the Ultimate Authority.
1. It is above that of Church Traditions,
Hierarchy, Church Fathers, Elders,
Councils, Commentators, Interpretations...
2. No one (not even the Pope) has the right
to claim to be the Final Interpretive
Authority of the Bible.

18. The Reformers: Martin Luther
“I confess it is right that the sole authority
of Holy Scripture should outweigh all the
votes of all mortal men.
But the authority of Scripture is not here
in dispute. The same Scriptures are
acknowledged and venerated by either
side.
Our battle is about the meaning of
Scripture.”
Erasmus, Freedom of the Will

19. The Reformers: Martin Luther
The Pope is the
Final Authority.
Case closed!
The Pope is
wrong! I heed
Scripture, not the
pope.
There are many
difficult
passages. Don’t
split over these.

20. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Luther and Sola Scriptura
“...in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as
doctrine...”
Matthew 15: 9

21. The Reformers: Martin Luther
1. Luther rejected the claim that church tradition had equal and
independent authority with the Scriptures.
2. He also rejected the claim that only the hierarchical church had the
authority to interpret the Scriptures correctly.

22. The Reformers: Martin Luther
For Luther, the Interpretive Principle is the
good news of Jesus Christ.
“The gospel itself is our guide and
instructor in the Scriptures,” because “all
the scriptures point to Christ alone.”
1. Luther rejected the claim that church tradition had equal and
independent authority with the Scriptures.
2. He also rejected the claim that only the hierarchical church had the
authority to interpret the Scriptures correctly.

23. The Reformers: Martin Luther
“Our dear fathers wanted to lead us to the Scriptures by their writings,
but we use their works to get away from the Scriptures.”
“Nevertheless, the Scripture alone is our vineyard in which we must
all labor and toil.”

24. The Reformers: Martin Luther
“Our dear fathers wanted to lead us to the Scriptures by their writings,
but we use their works to get away from the Scriptures.”
“Nevertheless, the Scripture alone is our vineyard in which we must
all labor and toil.”
Scripture is our Primary Source.
Interpretation is the work of the Entire
Church, not just the Leaders.

25. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Luther and Sola Scriptura
Inspiration
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of
God”.
2 Timothy 3:16
Thus, Scripture is Authoritative like
nothing else!

26. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Luther and Sola Scriptura
Inspiration
Unity
A unified Message.
The whole of Scripture, both Old & New
Testaments, sheds light on Scripture.

27. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Wait! What about that “Epistle of Straw”?

28. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Wait! What about that “Epistle of Straw”?
1. Luther functioned with a “Canon within the Canon”.
There are books that express the Gospel clearer (Matthew, Mark,
Luke, John, Romans) than others (James, Esther, Chronicles).

29. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Wait! What about that “Epistle of Straw”?
1. Luther functioned with a “Canon within the Canon”.
2. So, in comparison to Romans James does not express the Gospel
as clearly.

30. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Wait! What about that “Epistle of Straw”?
1. Luther functioned with a “Canon within the Canon”.
2. So, in comparison to Romans James does not express the Gospel
as clearly.
3. The “Epistle of Straw” statement exists only in the pre-1537
editions of his Preface to the New Testament.

31. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Luther and Sola Scriptura
Inspiration
Unity
Clarity
“A simple layman armed with
Scripture...”
The Central Teachings are
Clear (enough of its purpose).

32. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Luther and Sola Scriptura
Inspiration
Unity
Clarity
“A simple layman armed with
Scripture...”
The Central Teachings are
Clear (enough of its purpose).
Unclear passages are to be
understood by the clear ones.
Church Authorities are not needed to
understand the Central Teachings in
Scripture.

33. The Reformers: Martin Luther
Luther and Sola Scriptura
Inspiration
Unity
Clarity
Sufficiency
The Bible is sufficient for us
to know everything God
wants us to believe regarding
faith and conduct.
We don’t need another Revelation or
Holy Tradition.

34. The Reformers: Martin 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."

35. The Reformers: Ulrich Zwingli
“...to let nothing other than scripture speak.”

36. The Reformers: Ulrich Zwingli
But eventually I came to the point where led
by the Word and Spirit of God I saw the need
to set aside all these things and to learn the
doctrine of God direct from his own Word.
Then I began to ask God for light and the
Scriptures became far clearer to me – even
though I read nothing else – than if I had
studied many commentators and expositors.”
“When I was younger, I gave myself overmuch to human teaching,
like others of my day, and when about seven or eight years ago I
undertook to devote myself entirely to the Scriptures I was always
prevented by philosophy and theology.

37. The Reformers: Ulrich Zwingli
“Before anyone in this area had even heard of
Luther, I began to preach the gospel of
Christ in 1516 so that I never entered the
pulpit without looking up the words which
were to be read in the mass that day and
expounding them on the basis of Scripture.”

38. The Reformers: Ulrich Zwingli
Of the Clarity and Certainty of the Word of God (1522)
“...God’s Word can be understood by a
man without any human direction: not that
this is due to man’s own understanding,
but to the light and Spirit of God,
illuminating and inspiring the words in
such a way that the light of the divine
content is seen in his own light, as it says
in Psalm 36: ‘For with thee, Lord, is the
well of light, and in thy light shall we see
light.’”

39. The Reformers: Ulrich Zwingli
1. Preached from Entire Scripture, not Liturgy.
2. Emphasis on Original Languages.
3. Scripture above Traditions.
4. Scripture is the Basis of Religious Experience.
5. Scripture is God’s Word, it is Powerful.
6. Scripture is Clear & Understandable.
7. The Test of Scripture.

40. The Reformers: The Anabaptists
Scripture is, “the true witness of the Holy
Spirit and criterion of our consciences.”
Menno Simons

41. The Reformers: The Anabaptists
“...the whole Scriptures, both the Old and New Testament, were
written for our instruction, admonition, and correction, and that they
are the true scepter and rule by which the Lord’s kingdom, house,
church, and congregation must be ruled
and governed.
Everything contrary to Scripture,
therefore, whether it be in doctrines,
beliefs, sacraments, worship, or life,
should be measured by this infallible rule
and demolished by this just and divine
scepter, and destroyed without any respect
of persons.”

42. The Reformers: The Anabaptists
“I value the Holy Scripture above all human treasures but not as
high as the Word of God, which is living, powerful and eternal, and
which is free and unencumbered by all the elements of this world.
For insofar as it is God Himself it is spirit and
not letter, written without pen and paper that it
may never be expunged. Therefore also
salvation cannot be tied to the Scriptures,
however important and good they may be with
respect to it.”
Hans Denck, (1527)

43. The Reformers: The Anabaptists
“Since the apostasy first began through human writing and teaching
by means of which the divine Scriptures were darkened, the
Almighty has among us provided that all writings both new and old
which are not biblical should be destroyed, so that we cling only to
the Holy Scriptures….
Bernard Rothman at
Munster, 1534
For he who holds only to the Scriptures
needs no other writings.”

44. The Reformers: The Anabaptists
1. They often had an Individualistic Reading.
2. Not always on the same page.
3. Many accepted the Apocrypha.
4. Some distinguished the Word & the Letter.
5. Suspicious of Scholarship.