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From my perspective, sola scriptura, the doctrine that the Bible is the sole rule of faith, means that the Bible must be read in isolation from and often against the historical records of what Christians actually believed in the first, second and third centuries. To me it does not mean that only the Bible is used for teaching and doctrine, but rather that traditions developed in the 16th century dictate how Scripture is interpreted.

I know of no denomination that actually follows the precept of Sola Scriptura. For example, most Christians who are affiliated with communities that have come into being since the 16th century would say that justification by faith alone is a critical doctrine--perhaps the critical doctrine, and reading of the Bible must start from that proposition. However, Scripture never actually says that we are justified by faith alone. So the hypothesis of justification by faith alone was a theological innovation of the 16th century that is not contained in Scripture, but many who hold to that belief insist that it holds equal standing with Scripture as a point of belief. From my perspective, asserting that one follows the Bible alone is not an accurate description of how one actually operates.

From your perspective, when do you understand when you say, "Scripture alone?"