Editing Sola scriptura (section)

==Overview==
[[File:Lucas Cranach d. J. 014.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A painting of Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, wearing a black gown and white collar, holding a Bible.|{{lang|la|Sola scriptura}} was one of the main theological beliefs that [[Martin Luther]] proclaimed against the Catholic Church during the [[Protestant Reformation]].<ref name="Griffith 2018">{{cite journal |last=Griffith |first=Howard |date=Spring 2018 |title=Luther in 1520: Justification by Faith Alone |url=https://journal.rts.edu/article/luther-in-1520-justification-by-faith-alone |journal=Reformed Faith & Practice: The Journal of Reformed Theological Seminary |publisher=[[Reformed Theological Seminary]] |location=[[Orlando, Florida]] |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=[https://journal.rts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Cumulative-3.1-w-cover.pdf 28–37] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203011553/https://journal.rts.edu/article/luther-in-1520-justification-by-faith-alone |archive-date=3 December 2020 |url-status=live |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>]]

{{lang|la|Sola scriptura}} is one of the five {{lang|la|solae}}, considered by some Protestant groups to be the theological pillars of the Reformation.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Horton |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Horton (theologian) |year=1994 |title=The Crisis of Evangelical Christianity: Reformation Essentials |url=http://www.monergism.com/updates/reformation_essentials_by_mich.php |url-status=dead |journal=Modern Reformation |volume=3 |issue=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731225827/http://www.monergism.com/updates/reformation_essentials_by_mich.php |archive-date=31 July 2008 |access-date=10 July 2008}}</ref> The key implication of the principle is that interpretations and applications of the scriptures don't have the same authority as the scriptures themselves; hence, the [[church authority|authority of the church]] is viewed as subject to correction by the scriptures, even by an individual member of the church.<ref name="Griffith 2018"/>

[[Martin Luther]], 16th-century friar and figurehead of the Protestant Reformation, stated that "a simple layman armed with Scripture is greater than the mightiest pope without it". The intention of the Reformation was thus to correct what he asserted to be the errors of the Catholic Church, by appealing to the uniqueness of the Bible's textual authority. Catholic doctrine is based on [[sacred tradition]], as well as scripture. {{lang|la|Sola scriptura}} rejected the assertion that infallible authority was given to the [[magisterium]] to interpret both Scripture and tradition.{{sfn|Flinn|2007|pp=431–33}}

{{lang|la|Sola scriptura}}, however, does not ignore Christian history, tradition, or the church when seeking to understand the Bible. Rather, it sees the church as the Bible's interpreter, the "rule of faith" ({{lang|la|[[Rule of Faith|regula fidei]]}}) embodied in the ecumenical creeds as the interpretive context, and scripture as the only final authority in matters of faith and practice.{{sfn|Mathison|2001|p=23}} As Luther said, "The true rule is this: God's Word shall establish articles of faith, and no one else, not even an angel can do so."<ref>Martin Luther, [[Smalcald Articles]] II, 15.</ref>

===Characteristics in Lutheranism===
{{lutheranism}}
[[Lutheranism]] teaches that the books of the [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament|New]] Testaments are the only [[Biblical inspiration|divinely inspired]] books and the only source of divinely revealed knowledge.{{efn|For the traditional Lutheran view of the Bible, see {{harvnb|Graebner|1910|pp=3ff}}. For an overview of the doctrine of verbal inspiration in Lutheranism, see {{harvnb|Lueker|Poellot|Jackson|2000b}}.}} Scripture alone is the [[Formal and material principles of theology|formal principle]] of the faith in Lutheranism, the final authority for all matters of faith and morals because of its inspiration, authority, clarity, efficacy, and sufficiency.{{sfnm |1a1=Engelder |1a2=Arndt |1a3=Graebner |1a4=Mayer |1y=1934 |1p=29 |2a1=Graebner |2y=1910 |2pp=7ff}}

====Inspiration====
Lutheranism teaches that the Bible does not merely contain the Word of God, but every word of it is, because of verbal inspiration, the word of God.{{sfn|Engelder|Arndt|Graebner|Mayer|1934|p=26}}<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Timothy|3:16|50}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|2:13|50}}, {{bibleverse|1|Thessalonians|2:13|50}}, {{bibleverse||Romans|3:2|50}}, {{bibleverse|2|Peter|1:21|50}}, {{bibleverse|2|Samuel|23:2|50}}, {{bibleverse||Hebrews|1:1|50}}, {{bibleverse||John|10:35|50}}, {{bibleverse||John|16:13|50}}, {{bibleverse||John|17:17|50}}</ref> Most Lutheran traditions acknowledge that understanding scriptures is complex given that the Bible contains a collection of manuscripts and manuscript fragments that were written and collected over thousands of years. For example, the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] teaches that "Lutheran Christians believe that the story of God's steadfast love and mercy in Jesus is the heart and center of what the Scriptures have to say."<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://elca.org/Faith/ELCA-Teaching/Scripture-Creeds-Confessions | title = Scriptures, Creeds, Confessions | publisher = Evangelical Lutheran Church in America}}</ref>

As Lutherans confess in the [[Nicene Creed]], the Holy Spirit "spoke through the prophets". The [[Apology of the Augsburg Confession]] identifies "Holy Scripture" with the Word of God<ref>"God's Word, or Holy Scripture" from the [http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_2_originalsin.php Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article II, of Original Sin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022004920/https://bookofconcord.org/defense_2_originalsin.php |date=22 October 2020 }}</ref> and calls the Holy Spirit the author of the Bible.<ref>"the Scripture of the Holy Ghost". [http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_greeting.php Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Preface, 9] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031090229/http://bookofconcord.org/defense_greeting.php |date=31 October 2020 }}</ref> Because of this, Lutherans confess in the [[Formula of Concord]], "we receive and embrace with our whole heart the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the pure, clear fountain of Israel".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/sd-ruleandnorm.php|title=The Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord|access-date=13 March 2010|archive-date=28 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228130027/http://www.bookofconcord.org/sd-ruleandnorm.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The prophetic and apostolic Scriptures are said by the Lutheran church to be authentic as written by the prophets and apostles, and that a correct translation of their writings is God's Word because it has the same meaning as the original [[Biblical Hebrew]] and [[Koine Greek]].{{sfn|Engelder|Arndt|Graebner|Mayer|1934|p=27}} A mistranslation is not God's word, and no human authority can invest it with divine authority.{{sfn|Engelder|Arndt|Graebner|Mayer|1934|p=27}}
 
===== Composition and authority=====
For early Lutherans, ''sola scriptura'' did not mean that all books of the Bible are equal: there is an authoritative first-class subset for dogma: this has been called "the canon within the canon."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lane |first1=Jason D. |title=Luther's Criticism of James as a Key to his Biblical Hermeneutic |journal=Auslegung und Hermeneutik der Bibel in der Reformationszeit |date=19 December 2016 |pages=111–124 |doi=10.1515/9783110467925-006|isbn=978-3-11-046792-5 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
[[File:Biblia.svg|thumb|left|"I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach..."<ref>{{bibleverse||Revelation|14:6|9}}</ref> This illustration is from the title page of Luther's Bible.]]
The phrase "prophetic and apostolic" serves to exclude as sources of dogma those (canonical) biblical books which do not directly deal with Christ or the Gospel: this may not only exclude the Old Testament [[Deuterocanonicals]] but the New Testament ''[[antilegomena]]'' such as Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, Jude and Revelation.<ref name=valleskey/> 

Early Lutherans used "apostolic" in what has been called a theological rather than historical sense: Luther wrote "what preaches Christ would be apostolic". At one stage of Luther's developing opinion, he rejected the Epistle of James as a foundation of the faith and held that the Book of Revelation was neither prophetic nor apostolic in his terms.<ref name=birner>"Because James lacked authority, Luther even refused to accept the use of a verse from it during a 1543 disputation."{{cite book |last1=Birner |first1=Benjamin |title=The Proper Distinction Between Antilegomena and Homologoumena: Its History and Application |date=2019 |url=http://essays.wisluthsem.org:8080/handle/123456789/4477 |access-date=25 April 2025}}</ref> 

Luther's followers to an extent restored the historical link between authority and canonicity  by appealing to ideas of New Testament ''[[antilegomena]]'' to favour those books deemed to have initially been accepted by all the early churches.<ref name=valleskey>{{cite book |last1=Valleskey |first1=Stephen |title=The New Testament Canon: Cur Alii Prae Aliis? |url=http://essays.wisluthsem.org:8080/handle/123456789/1378 |access-date=25 April 2025}}</ref> [[Martin Chemnitz]] listed the first-class books of the Old and New Testament: for Chemnitz "no dogma ought therefore to be drawn out of these books'' (the antilegomena) ''which does not have reliable and clear foundations and testimonies in other canonical books. Nothing controversial can be proved out of these books, unless there are other proofs and confirmations in the canonical books,"<ref name=valleskey/> which moderates or contradicts Luther's general hermeneutic principle "scripture interprets scripture." However, Chemnitz himself had to use ''antilegomena'' to justify some anti-Roman positions.<ref name=birner/>{{rp|28}}  

By the early 20th century, Lutheran theologian J.P. Koehler taught that a statement of the ''[[homologoumena]]'' must not be restricted by a statement taken from the ''antilegomena''. However, conventionally many Lutheran theologians hold that there is no statement in the former that actually contradicts the latter, as a matter of logical necessity or actual examination, making the idea of a canon-within-the-canon moot: Catholic theologians have disputed this. Another contemporary theologian [[August Pieper (theologian)|August Pieper ]] wrote that the Lutheran church "wisely failed to determine formally the extent of the New Testament canon"<ref name=birner/>{{rp|43}} in the sense of not explicitly formalizing the canon-within-the-canon.

According to Lutheran scholars, the so-called apocryphal books of the Old Testament were not written by the prophets, nor by inspiration; they contain errors,<ref>(Tobit 6, 71; 2 Macc. 12, 43 f.; 14, 411),</ref> were never included in the Palestinian Canon that Jesus was theorized (before the discovery of the [[Dead Sea scrolls]])<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sundberg |first1=Albert |title="The Old Testament of the Early Church" Revisited |journal=Festschrift in Honor of Charles Speel |date=1997 |url=https://www.tomsienkewicz.com/classics/Speel_Festschrift/sundbergJr.htm |access-date=25 April 2025}}</ref> to use,{{sfn|Lueker|Poellot|Jackson|2000a}} and therefore are not a part of scripture.{{sfn|Engelder|Arndt|Graebner|Mayer|1934|p=27}}

====Divine authority====
Scripture, regarded as the word of God, carries the full authority of God in Lutheranism: every single statement of the Bible calls for instant, unqualified and unrestricted acceptance.{{sfnm |1a1=Engelder |1a2=Arndt |1a3=Graebner |1a4=Mayer |1y=1934 |1p=27 |2a1=Graebner |2y=1910 |2pp=8–9}}<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|4:3|31}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|4:3|31}}, {{bibleverse||Genesis|3:1|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|10:35|31}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|24:25|31}}, {{bibleverse||Psalm|119:140|31}}, {{bibleverse||Psalm|119:167|31}}</ref> Every doctrine of the Bible is the teaching of God and therefore requires full agreement.{{sfn|Graebner|1910|pp=8–10}}<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Thessalonians|2:15|31}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|24:25–27|31}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|16:29–31|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Timothy|3:15–17|31}},
{{bibleverse||Jeremiah|8:9|31}}, {{bibleverse||Jeremiah|23:26|31}}, {{bibleverse||Isaiah|8:19–20|31}}, {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|14:37|31}}, {{bibleverse||Galatians|1:8|31}}, {{bibleverse||Acts|17:11|31}}, {{bibleverse||Acts|15:14–15|31}}</ref> Every promise of the Bible calls for unshakable trust in its fulfillment;{{sfn|Graebner|1910|pp=8–9}}<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Thessalonians|2:13|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|1:20|31}}, {{bibleverse||Titus|1:2–3|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Thessalonians|2:15|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Peter|1:19|31}}</ref> every command of the Bible is the directive of God himself and therefore demands willing observance.{{sfn|Graebner|1910|pp=8–11}}

What is said here of "every statement of the Bible" does not represent the faith of all Lutherans: a 2001 survey showed that 72 percent of members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America do not accept that everything in the Bible is literal, but that it may contain scientific or historical errors or describe events symbolically.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bible: Literal or Inspired|url=http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=1186|publisher=The Lutheran|access-date=13 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104103503/http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=1186|archive-date=4 November 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

====Clarity====
{{main article|Clarity of scripture}}
Lutheranism teaches that the Bible presents all doctrines and commands of the Christian faith clearly;{{sfnm |1a1=Engelder |1a2=Arndt |1a3=Graebner |1a4=Mayer |1y=1934 |1p=29 |2a1=Graebner |2y=1910 |2pp=11–12}}<ref>{{bibleverse||Psalm|19:8|50}}, {{bibleverse||Psalm|119:105|50}}, {{bibleverse||Psalm|119:130|50}}, {{bibleverse|2|Timothy|3:15|50}}, {{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|30:11|50}}, {{bibleverse|2|Peter|1:19|31}}, {{bibleverse||Ephesians|3:3–4|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|8:31–32|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|4:3–4|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|8:43–47|31}}, {{bibleverse|2|Peter|3:15–16|31}}</ref> that God's word is freely accessible to every reader or hearer of ordinary intelligence, without requiring any special education.{{sfn|Graebner|1910|p=11}} It also teaches that readers must understand the language God's word is presented in, and not be so preoccupied by contrary thoughts so as to prevent understanding.{{sfn|Graebner|1910|p=11}} It teaches that, consequently, no one needs to wait for any clergy, and [[pope]], scholar, or [[ecumenical council]] to explain the real meaning of any part of the Bible.{{sfn|Engelder|Arndt|Graebner|Mayer|1934|p=28}}
[[File:Lutherbibel.jpg|thumb|[[Luther Bible|Luther's translation]] of the Bible, from 1534, with four books placed after those Luther, considered, "the true and certain chief books of the New Testament"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bible-researcher.com/antilegomena.html|title=Luther's Antilegomena|website=www.bible-researcher.com}}</ref>]]

====Efficacy====
Lutheranism teaches that scripture is united with the power of the Holy Spirit and with it, not only demands but also creates the acceptance of its teaching.{{sfn|Graebner|1910|p=11}} This teaching produces faith and obedience. Scripture is not a dead letter, but rather, the power of the Holy Spirit is inherent in it.{{sfn|Graebner|1910|pp=11–12}} Scripture does not compel a mere intellectual assent to its doctrine, resting on logical argumentation, but rather it creates the living agreement of faith.{{sfn|Graebner|1910|p=12}} The [[Smalcald Articles]] affirm, "in those things which concern the spoken, outward Word, we must firmly hold that God grants His Spirit or grace to no one, except through or with the preceding outward Word".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/smalcald.php#confession|title=Smalcald Articles – Book of Concord|access-date=15 March 2009|archive-date=31 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731111923/http://www.bookofconcord.org/smalcald.php#confession|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Sufficiency====
Lutheranism teaches that the Bible contains everything that one needs to know in order to obtain [[Salvation (Christianity)|salvation]] and to live a Christian life.{{sfn|Engelder|Arndt|Graebner|Mayer|1934|p=28}}<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Timothy|3:15–17|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|5:39|31}}, {{bibleverse||John|17:20|31}}, {{bibleverse||Psalm|19:7–8|31}}</ref> There are no deficiencies in scripture that need to be filled with by [[Sacred Tradition|tradition]], pronouncements of the Pope, [[Continuous revelation|new revelations]], or present-day [[development of doctrine]].{{sfn|Graebner|1910|p=13}}

===Characteristics in the Reformed faith===
''Sola scriptura'' in the Reformed faith possesses the same characteristics to those of Lutheranism: inspiration, authority, clarity, efficacy, and sufficiency.

Article 3 of the [[Belgic Confession]], a Reformed confessional of faith, teaches the divine inspiration of Scripture, "We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of man, but ''that holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost'', as the apostle Peter saith ({{Bibleref|2 Peter|1:21|KJV}})."<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |title=The Three Forms of Unity |publisher=Canon Press |year=2021 |isbn=9781954887176 |editor-last=Needham |editor-first=Nick |location=Moscow, Idaho |pages=}}</ref>{{RP|page=2}}

Article 7 teaches the sole infallibility or unique authority of Scripture, "Neither do we consider of equal value any writing of men, however holy these men may have been, with those divine Scriptures; nor ought we to consider custom, or the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of times and persons, or councils, decrees or statutes, as of equal value with the truth of God".<ref name=":1" />{{RP|page=4}}

Chapter 1.7 of [[Westminster Confession of Faith]], another authoritative Reformed confession, speaks of the use of "ordinary means" (such as turning to pastors and teachers) for reaching an understanding of what is contained in scripture and what is necessary to know, while still espousing the doctrine of the clarity or perspicuity of Scripture; "All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all, yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them".<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Of the Holy Scripture - Westminster Confession of 1646 - Study Resources |url=https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/ccc/westminster/Of_The_Holy_Scripture.cfm |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=Blue Letter Bible |language=en}}</ref>

In the same chapter, "efficacy" is ascribed to the doctrine of Scripture.<ref name=":4" />

The sufficiency of Scripture is also taught in Article 7 of the Belgic Confession, "We believe that those Holy Scriptures fully contain the will of God, and that whatsoever man ought to believe unto salvation is sufficiently taught therein."<ref name=":1" />{{RP|page=4}}