Posted on 10/31/2012 11:55:17 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Below is a set of theses from the late Dr. Marquart, posted here in honor of the Reformation. Originally written for class and perhaps a conference, they speak of what exactly Sola Scriptura means and what it means for the church. Blessed Festival of the Reformation! Verbum domini manet in aeternum.
The distinction between law and Gospel is an especially brilliant light which serves the purpose that the Word of God may be rightly divided and the writings of the holy prophets and apostles may be explained and understood correctly (Formula of Concord, SD, V, 1, Tappert, p. 558).The maxim stands: He who does not have the power to promise and give future and present life, cannot make articles of faith (Luther, propositions against the whole synagogue of Satan, WA, 30, II, 420).
See Luthers Galatians commentary re. Gal. 4:26 ff. (LW, 26, pp.439-461), on the church as our free mother (not like Hagar, the slave), giving birth to children through the Gospel, not the Law.
I beg and really caution every pious Christian not to be offended by the simplicity of the language and stories but fully realise that, however simple they may seem, these are the very words, works, judgments and deeds of the majesty, power, and wisdom of the most high God Simple and lowly are the swaddling clothes, but dear is the treasure, Christ, who lies in them (LW, v. 35, p. 236).
My neighbour and I–in short, all men–may err and deceive, but Gods Word cannot err (nec errare nec fallare potest). Large Catechism, Baptism, par. 57.
K. Marquart
13 April 1986
Sola scriptura means to assert the sole authority of Christ over His church, to the exclusion of all other powers and authorities. Christ rules His Church through His word. This means for the Reformed that Christ rules through the Bible understood as God-given rules and regulationsLaw....The Holy Scriptures supply us today with the only reliable, divinely guaranteed access to the apostolic-prophetic foundation of the church. To bind Christian consciences to other and further authorities, beyond what God himself has given in His written Word, the Scriptures, is insolence and sacrilege.
Sola scriptura opposes not tradition but the wrong use of tradition. Orthodox creeds and confessions do not compete with, but implement the Sola Scriptura, the properly understood Scripture! Sola scriptura demands reason as servant, but rejects reason as judge or master over Scripture. Sola scriptura necessarily presupposes a qualitative distinction between divine and human writings such that Scripture is fully and directly Gods Word (verbal or plenary inspiration).
Without strict inerrancy, rejected by historical criticism, all talk about inspiration is an empty sham.
Thanks for posting.
“Orthodox creeds and confessions do not compete with, but implement the Sola Scriptura, the properly understood Scripture! See Formula of Concord, Rule and Norm, etc.”
+1
Did you not see the Reformed caucus designation, or do you not understand what that means?
This Religion Forum thread is labeled “Reformed Caucus” meaning if you are not currently, actively Reformed then do not post on this thread.
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