How do you answer contradictions between solas?

[Guest]

On 8/16/2020 at 5:55 PM, David1701 said:

Sola Scriptura: The Bible is the sole, infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice.

Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Ephesians 2:9 - not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.  [NASB]

We are saved by faith, not by works.  Salvation is a gift of God that cannot be earned thru works of the flesh.  We are created for good works that God has prepared us for, but they do not earn salvation.

[Wesley L]

On 8/16/2020 at 10:32 PM, Markesmith said:

No I don’t spend much time on mere human tradition like the Solas after all the so called reforms of the so called reformation we’re not apostles 

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

The solas is just a human way to make things more clear for people to understand. Some headlines, to describe what is being taught through the bible, His words. You may ignore it, but eventually you will find the same messages in God's words.

Sola scriptura does not contradict Sola fide.

• One is describing the bible is from God.
• The other is describing salvation through faith alone.

If I tell someone :"Jesus is the way the truth and the life". I can tell that person, these are not my words, but God's words. Even though it came through my mouth. If I write it on a piece of paper, I can say, this message originated from God, not me. The same with sola scriptura, the bible teachings came from God.

Salvation through faith alone. Faith in what?

• Faith in Jesus Christ as the Way the Truth and the Life, as Lord and Savior.
• Jesus = the Truth (John 14:6)
• Jesus = the Word became flesh (John 1:14)
• The Word is from God, the Word is God (John 1:1)
• The bible is part of the Truth, part of the Word, which came from God revealed to man.
• When we believe in Jesus, we believe in the Truth, we believe in the Word.
• Sola Scriptura supports Sola Fide.

"How do you solve a problem when there is no problem?"
I see no contradiction.

 

Edited August 31, 2020 by Wesley L
grammar

[Hawkins]

On 8/12/2020 at 10:06 AM, Markesmith said:

Really?

“salvation by faith alone” is the 1st sola

“we believe by the Bible alone” is the 2nd sola

the verses I posted and many more are the Bible alone contradicting faith alone!

 

Faith alone means it is specified in the New Covenant that humans are saved by faith alone but not the work of Law.

Bible alone is that the authority on explaining what the Bible says doesn't belong to a particular physical church such as the RCC. God's Church on earth is composed of many physical churches and denominations under the new era of reformation. These churches with their salvation power can be identified by the statements in the Apostles' Creed. "Bible alone" is rather a denial of the "RCC only" authentication.

Edited September 4, 2020 by Hawkins

[Daniel Marsh]

On 8/4/2020 at 3:50 PM, Markesmith said:

How do you answer contradictions between "solas"

"Salvation by faith alone" 

And

"The bible alone"?

Matt 5:7 blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy

Luke 7:47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: 

 

1 pet 4:8And above all things have fervent charityamong yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

1Co 13:2 - And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. Refering back to deut. 6:5 you shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. Etc.

1Co 13:13 - And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

1Ti 2:15 - Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

2 pet 3:15 that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.

Rom 13:11 - And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Phl 1:29 - For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

thanks

One needs to start with Christ Alone.    The Bible and Apostolic Tradition that Paul Speaks of stems from Christ Alone.

Faith Alone is based on Hebrews 11 which agrees with Eph 2:10, book of James,  Matthew 25:31-46 that true faith is known by good works. 

If one thinks there is a contradiction, I am guessing they were taught an incomplete view of the solas as a whole.   It is best, to restudy the five Solas to gain a correct understanding of the topic.    Unfortunately,  I have seen that both sides in apologetics tends to misrepresent the other side to make a easy case without dealing with problem texts. 

[Guest]

On 8/16/2020 at 11:03 PM, Markesmith said:

Sola Scriptura: The Bible is the sole, infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice.

where does the Bible say that?

where does the Bible say what is and what is not the Bible?

The bible does never use the word bible.  The books of the Bible and Apocrypha were gathered together in 405 AD.  The Solas were an attempt to fend off false teaching in the Church dictating what needs to be believed to be consistent.  These Solas vary over time, but must be backed by the Bible to be valid.

[WilliamL]

On 8/16/2020 at 9:03 PM, Markesmith said:

where does the Bible say what is and what is not the Bible?

Obviously, nowhere. That decision was made by Church councils in the Roman Empire, hundreds of years after the Gospel was first preached, but they had no authority over Christ's Universal Church.

[WilliamL]

On 11/10/2020 at 12:05 PM, Josheb said:

On 11/10/2020 at 11:46 AM, WilliamL said:

...they had no authority over Christ's Universal Church.

Big Fail. 

There is no authority except from God, and those that exist are established by God.

You seemed to miss the import of the word "Universal." In the area of the Roman Empire, they may have had authority, but in places outside of that realm where there were believers -- Ethiopia for example -- they certainly had no Divinely-authorized authority. The Ethiopian Church has its own unique canon of Scriptures, as do other places.

And then you run into the problem of the Catholic versus Orthodox branches of the Church. Which of these had "authority from God" over the other to establish Church doctrine? They have been debating that question for well over a millennium, including issuing anathemas against each other's leaders.

Just because people claim authority from God does not mean that He granted it.

[Guest]

On 8/12/2020 at 1:24 PM, missmuffet said:

1. Sola scriptura: “Scripture alone”
2. Sola fide: “faith alone”
3. Sola gratia: “grace alone”
4. Solo Christo: “Christ alone”
5. Soli Deo gloria: “to the glory of God alone”

This reminds me of my attempt to join another forum.  The forum wanted to know what creed I adhered to.  When I wrote none but the Bible, I was told I didn't meet their standards and wasn't allowed to post there.  I believe the solas are easier to defend using scripture than the creeds.  But this is just my personal opinion.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Josheb said:

Curious and appreciated post. There was a time when every Christian subscribed to a creed. "Creedalism" was the means by which Christians learned precepts and doctrines, especially in the days when few had Bibles. With the rise of John Wesley's "methodism," personal experience began as a means of measuring one's faith or Christianity and when mixed with pietism as was the case with the restoration movements of the 1800s Christians outside the longer established denominations began increasingly measuring their Christianity by experience. The itinerant preaching of the 17-1800 hundreds meant there was little institutional oversight so creeds were not taught. As experientialism replaced creedalism as the means of measure Christianity became more fragmented. This reached pinnacles with Pentecostalism and the Azusa Street Revival and again in the 1980s with the "Charismatic Renewal" movement. 

I'll wager if you read through the old creeds you could find one with which you agreed.  

I have and I do, but I'm not about to give the other forum the satisfaction.  Creeds were developed by the Roman and Orthodox religions, for the most part, as an answer to the false teaching that seemed to come up from all kinds of people.  Once the Bible was in the language of the people and widely distributed because of the printing press, the needs for the creeds no longer existed.  Now we had catechisms and other "church" documents.  We can read the Bible for ourselves and determine the truth.

[Daniel Marsh]

On 8/12/2020 at 10:06 AM, Markesmith said:

Really?

“salvation by faith alone” is the 1st sola

“we believe by the Bible alone” is the 2nd sola

the verses I posted and many more are the Bible alone contradicting faith alone!

Real Faith causes good works  Eph 2:10 there is not a contradiction.   James emphasizes the nature of faith being godly living.    II Peter 1 comes to mind too.