Why Sola Scriptura Is Not Biblical: An Orthodox Argument
The speaker argues that Sola Scriptura cannot be true because the principle itself is not found in the Bible. He explains that the deduction behind Sola Scriptura rests on the premise that God has more authority than any person, so His speech carries more authority than any other speech. However, this does not mean that every belief must have an explicit proof text.
The speaker notes that the apostles preached the gospel and established churches years before the New Testament was written. During that period, the earliest Christians used icons and learned directly from their priests through apostolic tradition. Paul instructs believers to hold fast to traditions whether received orally or in writing.
The early church followed the traditions taught by their priests and the successors of the apostles before a closed canon existed. The speaker contends that the practice of the early church demonstrates that Scripture was never intended to function as the sole rule of faith apart from the living tradition of the church. He observes that the formation of the New Testament canon occurred within the context of the church that already possessed the fullness of the faith through apostolic succession.
The argument concludes that Sola Scriptura is a later development that does not align with the historical reality of how the Christian faith was transmitted in the first centuries.
Key moments
- Sola Scriptura cannot be true because it is not found in the Bible.
- The deduction for Sola Scriptura is that God has more authority than any person, therefore His speech has more authority than any other speech.
- Sola Scriptura is not the idea that you must have an explicit proof text for everything you believe.
- The apostles preached the gospel and established churches years before the New Testament was written.
- The earliest Christians used icons and learned from their priests directly through apostolic tradition.
- Paul tells believers to hold fast to traditions whether received orally or in writing.
- The early church did not have a closed canon and followed the traditions taught by their priests and the successors of the apostles.