Sola Scriptura
Objection # 3: Simply put, Scripture is simply never “alone” in the christian life.
Let’s take a very close look and at Martin Luther’s famous quote at the Diet of Worms in 1521
”Unless I am convicted of error by the testimony of Scriptures or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or of councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning I stand convicted by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God’s word. I cannot and will not recant anything,” Martin Luther 1521
there are 3 key points made here that illustrate how one can never, ever ostensibly interpret scripture alone, with only scripture. Martin Luther says.
“unless I am convicted…”
“By manifest reason…”
“my conscience is taken captive…”
Rather than scripture being the root of Martin Luthers belief it is actually Scripture PLUS 3 things:
1. Martin Luther’s person conviction,
2. Martin Luther’s use of reason,
3. Martin Luther’s personal Conscience.
I asked my protestant friend once if he or his tradition was infallible and we both chuckled at how silly that question sounded and his reply was obvious, “no of course not, no one is infallible” he said. So my reply was simply this. “if you are fallible how do you know which of the doctrines you or your tradition holds to as absolutely true are fallible and which are infallible?” You see, it is not scripture that errs, it is our convictions, our reasonings and our conscience that errs. When we distance ourselves from the gift of infallibility given to the Church through the Power of the Holy Spirit you are left using only scripture plus your fallible convictions, your fallible reason, and your fallible conscience to adhere when reading and interpreting God’s word.
“So how do you know for sure that what you hold to be true is true” I said
His reply of course, was “Obviously, It is what scripture teaches”.
In all ecumenical dialogue it is important to recognize, affirm and celebrate the deep convictions we each have that honor, uphold and venerate the scriptures as our highest and supreme rule of Faith. But Catholics and protestants believe this together to be true. The difference is that the Catholic Church claims infallibility. That through the Charism of the Holy Spirit, the Church will be free from error in regards to faith and Morality in its apostolic teachings. As a result, my friend asserts that instead of Scripture being my rule of faith I believed in Sola Ecclesia, that “Tradition” has become my supreme rule of faith. Quite the opposite. Let me quote from one of the great Doctors of the Holy Catholic Church,
St Francis De Salles
“Holy Scripture is in such sort the rule of the Christian faith that we are obliged by every kind of obligation to believe most exactly all that it contains, and not to believe anything which may be ever so little contrary to it: for if Our Lord Himself has sent the Jews to it to strengthen their faith, it must be a most safe standard”
“there must not be added, withdrawn, or altered, one single word under penalty of falsification. Are not the Holy Scriptures the true testament of the eternal God, drawn by the notaries deputed for this purpose, duly sealed and signed with his blood, confirmed by death? Being such, how can we alter even the smallest point without impiety?”
“We know these books to be canonical and a most safe rule of our faith”
in speaking of Scripture St Francis of Desalles says
“For the first rule, which is the Word of God, is a rule infallible in itself, and most sufficient to regulate all the understandings in the world.”
So truly as the great Doctor of the Church teachings, we stand in unity with our protestant brothers in Sisters in upholding, affirming and adhering to God’s word as a supreme rule of faith for the Christian life.
But my fried still asserts, “Sola Ecclesia Kurt, Sola Ecclesia”.
Where does this deeply engrained sentiment come from? It is because we uphold Sacred Tradion as second rule of application. The misconception is that Catholics believe in Sacred Tradion as being Above Sacred Scripture when in Fact it is the means by which Scripture is authentically communicated, preached, interpreted and safeguarded.
St Francis De sales says,
“it is our glosses, our conclusions, understandings, interpretations, conjectures, additions and other such working of man’s brain, which being unable to be quiet, is ever busied about new inventions.” The Catholic Controversies
St Jerome says,
“the Scriptures consist not in reading but in the understanding”
So in conclusion, both Catholics and protestants affirm that Scripture is never alone for the Believer. Both affirm that when we read scripture we bring our conscience, our reason, and our convictions. And in true unity with our protestant friends I posit that it is never scripture that errs, it is we in our sinfulness that fall short, misunderstand and become misguided by following our own feelings and our own ideas about what scripture teaches. Truly Scripture is never alone. It is scripture plus, our brokennes, our sinfulness and our frailty. Thankfully, God our Father, knowing our great need of perfect guidance, has given us the gift of infallibility through the Holy Spirits guidance of the Church. Outside of the church we are left with uncertainty as to what is truth and was is error.