Sola Protestants: 5 Differences

ONLY FIVE – 5 Sola’s of the Protestant Reformation

You likely understand something of the history of the Church, especially if you’ve followed my previous Saturday posts on Doctrine or our current series in ACTS. Sola in celebration of ‘Reformation Day’ of the Protestant Church, I’ll ask: ‘Do you know what Protestants were protesting about the ‘Catholic Church?’

Jesus changes how sinners give glory to God.

The Apostles then set out on the sola journey of the faith grounded in Scripture and in Christ.

You may know about The Great Schism and certainly know something about a doctrinal line in the sand which marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, on 31 October, A.D. 1517.

Today, however, I will nail just two doctrinal questions about the teaching of your ‘church’ to the door of your thinking:

Do you know the 5 Sola’s of the Protestant Reformation?

How have these five doctrines defined differences even today between those professing other faiths (including Roman Catholics) and Protestants?

TALKOFJESUS.COM – DOCTRINE – email your question or comment to: Roger@talkofJESUS.com

WHAT IF THE CHURCH IS WRONG?

HERE is a bit of researched HISTORY about October 31, in the year of our Lord 1517 AND events leading up to the PROTEST against the authority of 'The Church' from Rome.

Luther

Luther originally had no intention of breaking from the Catholic church, assuming that his call for theological and ecclesiastical reform would be heard, and ordinarily his theses would have been of interest only to professional theologians. However, various political and religious situations of the time, and the fact that printing had been invented, combined to make the theses known throughout Germany within a few weeks. Luther did not give them to the people, although he did send copies to the archbishop of Mainz and to the bishop of Brandenburg. Others, however, translated them into German and had them printed and circulated. Thus, they became a manifesto that turned a protest about an indulgence scandal into the greatest crisis in the history of the Western Christian church, and ultimately Luther and his followers were excommunicated.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/Ninety-five-Theses

Luther’s 95 complaints to the Church concerned indulgences and other imperfections of a politically-driven Papacy. He was by no means the only cleric who objected to Church corruption, defects in doctrine and cardinal crimes.

The Protestant Reformation

“The Reformers did not see themselves as inventors, discoverers, or creators,” according to historian Stephen Nichols. “Instead, they saw their efforts as rediscovery. They weren’t making something from scratch but were reviving what had become dead. They looked back to the Bible and to the apostolic era, as well as to early church fathers such as Augustine (354–430) for the mold by which they could shape the church and re-form it. The Reformers had a saying, ‘Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda,’ meaning ‘the church reformed, always reforming.’”

Source: Steve Nichols – Ligionier.org

• It is translated by English refugees and published by John Calvin’s brother-in-law, William Whittingham. The Geneva Bible is the first English Bible to add numbered verses to the chapters. It becomes the Bible of the Protestant Reformation, more popular than the 1611 King James Version for decades after its original release.

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• from Latin:– solus, sola, solum – alone, only, unique.. (similar to ‘solo,’ meaning one);
  • plural: solas or solae (similar to soli, i.e. multiple soloists)
    • consequently, each of the five ‘Solas’ has a singular focus.

Sola – a Singular focus

In time, the message of the Reformers became encapsulated in five slogans known as the solas of the Reformation: sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”), solus Christus (“Christ alone”), sola gratia (“grace alone”), sola fide (“faith alone“), and soli Deo gloria (“the glory of God alone”).

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/reformation-and-men-behind-it

5 Sola’s of the Protestant Reformation

• sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”),
• solus Christus (“Christ alone”),
• sola gratia (“grace alone”),
• sola fide (“faith alone”), and
• soli Deo gloria (“the glory of God alone”).

You may encounter the five solas in different orders, but keep in mind the equal importance of EACH singular issue to the reformers of the Church we now call 'Protestants.' - RH

I can only speak briefly to each of these five solas; therefore we will address EACH as part of an ANSWER to my more difficult second question:

How do these five doctrines define differences even today between those professing other faiths and Protestants?

email your answers and questions to Roger@talkofJESUS.com or comment on this post as you share it.

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by Scripture alone

Scripture of the HOLY BIBLE:

All Scripture is [God-breathed] inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for [reprimand or proof] rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness;

2 Timothy 3:16 πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος καὶ ὠφέλιμος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν πρὸς ἐλεγμόν πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ

The short answer of Luther and the reformers is that IF HOLY SCRIPTURE is “God-breathed,” THEN it contains the final and only (sola) Authority of what God says; THEREFORE

NO Pope, Bishop, Priest or Preacher may cling to ANY authority to over-rule the Written Word of God.

sola Scriptura – ONLY Scripture, by the Holy Spirit of Almighty God can interpret Holy Scripture.

ONLY SCRIPTURE: The Highest Authority of GOD!

* NOTE: For each of the 5 Sola's I will provide secure links for your further study to both the Hebrew & Greek roots containing additional Biblical references using the same word, as well as definitions.

Strong’s H3791 – kᵊṯāḇ

כְּתָב γραφή – Strong’s G1124 – graphē

• SCRIPTURE in both the Hebrew and the Greek means WRITTEN.

But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, since you do not [know] understand the Scriptures ^G1124 nor the power of God.

Gospel of Matthew 22:29 NASB20

by Grace Alone

Grace, favor and Thanks giving.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

חֵן H2580 – ḥēn is GRACE in the Hebrew,

• meaning FAVOR, CHARM, ELEGANCE OR ACCEPTANCE.

Psalm 84 attributes the gifts of grace and glory both to the LORD God, that is: Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm.

כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨מֶשׁ וּמָגֵן֮ יְהוָ֪ה אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים חֵ֣ן וְ֭כָבֹוד יִתֵּ֣ן יְהוָ֑ה לֹ֥א יִמְנַע־֝טֹ֗וב לַֽהֹלְכִ֥ים בְּתָמִֽים׃

For the LORD God is a sun and a shield. The LORD will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.

Tehillim 84:12 WLC; Psalm 84:11 HNV

Using this same Hebrew word for favor Zechariah prophesies:

“And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

Zechariah 12:10

Christians, of course, bring the Good News [Gospel] of grace through Jesus Christ to the world primarily from the (Greek) writings of the New Testament.

χάρις – Strong’s G5485 – charis

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace ^G5485 upon grace ^G5485. For the Law was given through Moses; grace ^G5485and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

Gospel of John 1:16-17 NASB20 – His emphasis on grace

The KJV translates Strong’s G5485 in the following manner: GRACE(130x), FAVOR favour (6x), THANKS (4x), THANK (4x), thank (with G2192) (3x)[*quoted below], PLEASURE (2x), miscellaneous (7x).

And I thank [καί echō g2192 – {to have, i.e. to hold} charis G5485 {with grace}] Christ Jesus our Lord [christos iēsous hēmōn kyrios], who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry

1 Timothy 1:12 KJV  Καὶ Χάριν ἔχω τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντί με Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν ὅτι πιστόν με ἡγήσατο θέμενος εἰς διακονίαν – Greek Textus Receptus with Strong’s links from blueletterbible.org

through Faith Alone

Faith is NOT just an unfounded belief, as some would accuse God’s faithful.

אֱמוּנָה Strong’s H530 – ‘ĕmûnâ

• FIRMNESS, FIDELITY, STEADFASTNESS, STEADINESS

Habakkuk 2:3b–4 Greek version reads:

If the vision is delayed, wait patiently,

for it will surely come and not delay.

I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.

But the righteous person will live by my faith.

[or alternately: But the righteous one will live by his faith] ^H530.

Compare Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:37-38.

πίστις – Strong’s G4102 – pistis

• conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
  • relating to God, relating to Christ, the religious beliefs of Christians, belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same
  • fidelity, faithfulness
  • the character of one who can be relied on

Biblical faith was not changed from the Old Testament to the New or by challenges from faithful Protestant Reformers.

Roger@TalkofJESUS.com

Faithful Roman Catholic clerics like Martin Luther struggled with this.

Old Testament Prophet like Habakkuk and New Testament letters to Rome, Galatia and to the Hebrews (throughout the Roman world) ALL pointed through Scripture that the righteous will live by FAITH!

Even though Catholic Bishops with their emphasis on works (to fund their great cathedrals of worship) may have quoted James as Jesus’ brother writes to the church:

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

As a Catholic cleric Luther had a Bible. He recognized that by taking Scripture out of context, FAITH can be discounted to the unread saints of the church in order that ALL will believe the Overseers of Church Authority.

Yet Luther and many more who READ and studied SCRIPTURE understood James’ context and a critical connection between FAITH and works.

For James wrote to saints under persecution, just as the Protestant reformers would soon suffer.

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith ^G4102 produces [steadfastness] endurance. And let endurance have its perfect [Lit work] result, so that you may be [mature] perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4 NASB20 – Jesus’ half-brother & ‘bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,’ leader of the Jerusalem church

to the glory of God Alone

כָּבוֹד – Strong’s H3519 – kāḇôḏ

GLORY (156x), HONOUR (32x), GLORIOUS (10x), GLORIOUSLY (1x), HONOURABLE (1x)

The glory ^H3519 of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. And to the eyes of the sons of Israel, the appearance of the glory ^H3519 of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top.

Shmot (Exodus) 24:16-17 – יְהֹוָה כָּבוֹד

The prophet Jeremiah preaches of glory with contemporary conviction applicable even today:

הַהֵימִיר גּוֹי אֱלֹהִים וְהֵמָּה לֹא אֱלֹהִים וְעַמִּי הֵמִיר כְּבוֹדוֹ בְּלוֹא יוֹעִֽיל׃

“Has a nation changed gods,
When they were not gods?
But My people have exchanged their glory
For that which is of no benefit.
Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) 2:11

Give glory ^H3519 to the LORD your God

Before He brings darkness

And before your feet stumble

On the mountains in the dark,

And while you are hoping for light

He makes it into gloom,

And turns it into thick darkness.

Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) 13:16

תְּנוּ לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כָּבוֹד בְּטֶרֶם יַחְשִׁךְ וּבְטֶרֶם יִֽתְנַגְּפוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם עַל־הָרֵי נָשֶׁף וְקִוִּיתֶם לְאוֹר וְשָׂמָהּ לְצַלְמָוֶת ישית לַעֲרָפֶֽל׃

Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) 13:16

δόξα – doxa – Strong’s G1391

SHALL GLORY be given to a mere man in the pulpit?

To a Bishop over Bishops — a Shepherd of this world — a Saint long gone?

SHALL GLORY be given to a Father confessor —

Or as worship of a mortal mother who served the Son of God?

THESE are the questions of the Protesters and Reformers who asked for Soli Deo gloria – GLORY to GOD ALONE!

Roger@TalkofJESUS.COM

in Christ Alone

Χριστός – Strong’s G5547 – christos

Christ:

.. for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ ^G5547 the Lord.

Gospel of Luke 2:11

– Source: Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

“anointed,” translates, in the Sept., the word “Messiah,” a term applied to the priests who were anointed with the hol for today in the city of David, oil, particularly the High Priest, e.g., Lev 4:3, 5, 16.

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The prophets are called hoi christoi Theou, "the anointed of God," .. 
The title ho Christos, "the Christ," is not used of Christ in the Sept. version of the Inspired Books of the OT. In the NT the word is frequently used with the article, of the Lord Jesus, as an appellative rather than a title, e.g., Mat 2:4; Act 2:31; without the article, Luk 2:11; 23:2; Jhn 1:41. Three times the title was expressly accepted by the Lord Himself, Mat 16:17; Mar 14:61, 62; Jhn 4:26.

It is added as an appellative to the proper name “Jesus,” e.g., Jhn 17:3, the only time when the Lord so spoke of Himself; Act 9:34; 1Cr 3:11; 1Jo 5:6.

• It is distinctly a proper name in many passages, whether with the article, e.g., Mat 1:17; 11:2; Rom 7:4; 9:5; 15:19; 1Cr 1:6, or without the article, Mar 9:41; Rom 6:4; 8:9, 17; 1Cr 1:12; Gal 2:16.
• The single title Christos is sometimes used without the article to signify the One who by His Holy Spirit and power indwells believers and molds their character in conformity to His likeness, Rom 8:10; Gal 2:20; 4:19; Eph 3:17.

As to the use or absence of the article,

• the title with the article specifies the Lord Jesus as “the Christ;”
• the title without the article stresses His character and His relationship with believers.
  • Again, speaking generally, when the title is the subject of a sentence it has the article; when it forms part of the predicate the article is absent. See also JESUS.

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מָשִׁיחַ – Strong’s H4899 – māšîaḥ

• The KJV translates Strong’s H4899 in the following manner: anointed (37x), Messiah (2x).

The High Priestly Prayer

These things Jesus spake, and when he had cast up his eyes into heaven [and the eyes lifted up to heaven], he said, Father, the hour cometh, clarify thy Son, that thy Son clarify thee.

John 17:1 Wycliffe Bible

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to all them that thou hast given him.

John 17:2 + 1599 Geneva Bible

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

John 17:3 King James Version

The Incomparable Christ

Excerpts from Scripture in the letter from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, and Timothy,


Note the small 's' in saints, the faithful worshipers in Christ Jesus who are His Church. - RH

To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who are at Colossae:

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope reserved for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel..

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation:

.. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:15,17 NASB20

• He is also the head of the body, the church;
• and He is the beginning,
• the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

.. I was made a minister of this church according to the commission from God granted to me for your benefit, 
so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, 
but now has been revealed to His saints,

to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27

You Are Built Up in Christ

.. Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority..

Put On the New Self

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Let the peace of Christ, to which you were indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:15-16 NASB20

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Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

from the letter to the saints at Collosae 3:17

sola: + by Scripture alone + by Grace Alone + through Faith Alone + to the glory of God Alone + in Christ Alone

The TEACHING & sola DOCTRINES OF GOD, CHRIST, GRACE, FAITH and SCRIPTURE as taught by JESUS and the APOSTLES remain foundational for THE CHURCH.

Amen.

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