Our
Reformation Heritage
The Five Solas of the
Reformation
I. Sola Scriptura -- Scripture Alone
Why do you think this phrase became
so important during the Reformation – that Scripture alone is the source of
Christian doctrine?
What do these examples of Jesus tell us about the
purpose of Scripture?
Matt 4:1-11
Luke 4:14-21, esp. v 21
Matt 22:23-32, esp. v 32
Matt 26:23-24
Matt 26:52-54
Luke 24:25-32
How do the examples Jesus gives us compare to the
uses of Scripture Paul mentions as he writes to Timothy? See 2 Tim 3:14-17
What does Peter tell us about the Old Testament
Scriptures? 2 Pet
What does Jesus say about the Old Testament
Scriptures? John 5:39
How was the time of the Reformation similar to the
time when Jesus walked the earth? Mark
7:6-8
How is the philosophy and thinking
in today’s world similar to the thinking in Paul’s day? 1 Cor
If a person says, ‘I believe the Bible is the Word
of God, but not the words of God,’ what is he really saying?
What about a person who says, ‘It is not faith in
the Bible that saves, but faith in Jesus that saves.’
II. Sola Gratia -- By Grace Alone
What
is grace?
The
Catholic church has a phrase that describes their view
of how we are saved – ‘infused grace’.
But to them, grace is more like a substance that God gives us, rather
than an attitude that God has toward us.
They teach that God pours grace into us, which enables us to live the
holy life that deserves salvation. How
is this idea not grace at all?
In
Eph 2:1-10, esp 8-10, Paul
explains the free gift of salvation.
What
does Paul add when he writes to Titus?
(3:4,5)
Isaiah
pictures our receiving salvation from God as similar to receiving a new set of
clothing from him. Is 61:10-11
Paul
adds the picture of a courtroom when he says God declares us righteous Rom 3:20
But
what was one way early Christians were tempted to turn away from God’s
grace? Gal 5:1-6
The
Council at
How
might Christians today despise God’s grace?
Rom 6:1, Jude
4
Does
the teaching of ‘saved by grace alone’ undermine the teaching that Christians
should do good works?
When
disciplining children for wrong things they do, how should we and how should we
not speak to them about doing what is right?
Many
Christian groups hold revival meetings from time to time to get members excited
about serving God. Why don’t Lutherans usually
do this?
Mixing
works with God’s grace is not just a Catholic problem. Can you name some practices of various other Christian
denominations which may downplay God’s saving grace by adding some work done by
people and claiming God is more pleased with those who do this work, than with
those who do not?
III. Sola Fide -- By Faith Alone
What
is faith?
Read
Hebrews chapter 11. What word could be
substituted for the word faith in each of the examples given in this chapter?
How
important is it to have faith? Heb 11:6
What
is the opposite of faith? Matt
What
does Jesus say about the importance of faith?
John 6:28,29; John 5:24; Luke 23:42-43
The
writings of Paul explain most clearly the role of faith in our salvation. What is taught by these passages regarding
faith?
Rom
Gal
3:6-9 & Rom 4:1-12
Phil
2
Peter 1:3-9
If
faith is needed to be saved, how can an infant be saved? Or are they an exception to Hebrews
11:6? Does an infant have saving faith,
or does God let all babies who die go to heaven, and only start condemning
children when they are old enough to understand what believing in Jesus means? (Passages to discuss: Ps 8:2, Jn
How
do we answer the charge that the only place in Scripture where the phrase “by
faith alone” occurs is in James 2:24?
Read James 2:14-26
IV. Solus Christus -- By
Christ Alone
It
could be argued that it was this sola that began the Reformation,
because it was this sola
that Martin Luther argued for in his posting of the 95 theses. What false path to salvation was being
offered by the Roman church at Luther’s time, which totally bypassed the need
for Jesus Christ?
This
sola is
most clearly taught by Paul in his first letter to Timothy, ch
2, vv 5,6.
Which practice of the Roman Catholic church is
different from what this passage teaches?
John
tells us what Jesus does for us as mediator between us and God the Father – 1
John 2:1. What a comfort this is! (see also Rom
In
Old Testament times, the priests stood between God and the ordinary
people. The writer to the Hebrews goes
into great detail showing how the work of Jesus fulfills the work which was done
over and over again by the Old Testament priests. Read Hebrews 9:6-10. What did the priests do over and over again?
Heb
9:11,12, 15 How
has Jesus ended this practice?
In
the Old Testament, the priests served God on behalf of the people,
much like the Catholic priest does during the mass. What does scripture teach about serving God –
Heb 9:14
What
does Peter add to this understanding? 1
Peter 2:4-10
What
do we Lutherans teach about the priesthood which is different from the Roman
Catholic understanding?
The
Roman Catholic church taught (and still teaches) that
God dispenses grace and forgiveness through the Catholic priesthood. There is an unbroken succession of priests
from the beginning of the Church right up to today. In what ways is the priests’ celebration of
a Catholic mass different from a Lutheran worship service?
Which
verse of Hebrews 9:23 – 28 speaks against the idea that the Roman Catholic
priest should offer an unbloody sacrifice of Christ
to God the Father?
How
should we respond to someone who says “I don’t need to go to church, I can
worship God when I am out on the lake fishing, or when I’m in the woods
hunting.”
Solus Christus also
speaks against the idea of universalism, that is, that all paths, all
philosophies lead to God. What does the
Bible clearly teach about Jesus? Acts
4:12; John 14:6
V.
Soli Deo Gloria --
To God alone be the Glory
Johann
Sebastion Bach signed each of his compositions with
this expression, and had it carved into the organ bench at the church in
Read
We
would not exist had God not created us.
Where did the idea of not giving God all the glory originate? Is
How
is the fall into sin by Adam and Eve really an act of not giving God all the
glory?
What
also is a direct result of man’s desire to give glory to himself, and not to
God? Gen 11:1-9
Why
did God create us? Is 43:7, 21
What
additional reason does God have to receive all glory and praise from us? Rev 5:9-14
There
are at least three reasons why this phrase became a saying of the
Reformation. Name these false practices
of the Roman church using these hints:
Pilgrimages
Bishop
of
‘co-redemptrix’
How
did Abraham (and likewise how do we) give glory to GodHo? Rom
How
does Paul say we can honor God? 1 Cor
What
can we do to get others to give glory to God?
1 Peter 2:12
Somehow
during the Middle Ages the Roman church developed the
idea that people who dropped out of society and went off to convents and abbeys
to live were somehow giving more glory to God through their lifestyles than the
common folk were. But what had Paul
taught about the way we live our lives? 1 Cor
One
of the things that historians say made northern Europe and America the powerful
economic forces that they are in this world today, is the “Protestant Work
Ethic.” This way of thinking is a direct
result of our understanding that no matter what our station in life is, we give
glory to God by working faithfully at the tasks before us.
A
modern day heresy regarding giving God all the glory is taught by the Jehovah’s
Witnesses. They teach that only the
Father deserves all the glory, and that because we worship Jesus as God, we are
taking glory away from the Father. They
eagerly point out that Jesus gave glory to his heavenly Father: See John
But
by comparing scriptures, we can easily see that we ought to give Jesus as much
glory as we give to God the Father. One these
passages are to compare Is 42:8 with Mt
Another
scripture is to consider what Jesus himself said about giving honor to him.
John 5:23
The
human heart has been called an “idol factory.”
Can you name some ways our hearts think and feel which takes glory away
from God and gives it to us?
In
what ways does the theory of evolution take glory away from God and give it to us?
Today
in the seminaries of “liberal” churches the Bible is torn apart and criticized
as if it were the writings of men and nothing more. How does liberal theology take glory away
from God and give it to us?
VI. Conclusion
Why
is it important to recognize and remember the Solas of the Reformation?
In
what ways do Protestant denominations today tend to drift back toward