Ep 13: What Do We Mean By “Scripture Alone”?

March 23, 2023
Reformed Libertarians Podcast

Summary – What Do We Mean By “Scripture Alone”?

A reading of the essay “What Do We Mean By Sola Scriptura?” by W. Robert Godfrey, which focuses on explaining some key features of the Protestant principle or doctrine of Sola Scriptura (that is, Scripture Alone). Godfrey defines the principle, discusses several Bible passages that teach it, and answers 4 basic objections.

https://reformedlibertarians.com/013

Main Points of Discussion

00:00	Introduction
00:32	Episode description Article read, What Do We Mean by Sola Scritpura? by Dr. W. Robert Godrey It appears as the first chapter in the book Sola Scriptura
02:07	Preliminaries Sola Scriptura is one of the two main issues that separates Protestants from non-Protestants, along with Sola Fide (that is, justification by faith alone). Book mentioned Justification By Faith ALONE
04:30	Definition and some passages that teach it “Scripture alone is our ultimate religious authority [ie, infallible rule]… [and] all things necessary for salvation, concerning faith and life, are taught in the Bible clearly enough for the ordinary believer to find it there and understand.”For a more elaborate statement, see the Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 1 20.2 21.1 and 31.2-3
14:44	The sufficiency of the Bible as God’s Word
15:37	Different senses of the term “tradition”
19:16	Tradition vs. the Bible
21:43	Tradition vs. Tradition
24:44	Recognition of the “canon”, or the specific writings that constitute the Bible Book mentioned The Structure of Biblical Authority by Meredith G. Kline
33:03	Unity in the interpretation of the Bible

Additional Resources

WSCal Office Hours Podcast, with Bob Godfrey on Sola Scriptura (26 minutes)
Why God Gave Us A Book, booklet by Gene Edward Veith
What Is The Bible?, booklet by Guy Prentiss Waters
Scripture Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine, by R.C. Sproul
Zondervan 5 Solas Series
Zaspel’s summaries of the 5 Zondervan books are included in this course on the Five Solas from the Gospel Coalition
The Cambridge Declaration
More resources on the Five Solas
Just And Sinner Podcast with Jordan Cooper discussing Martin Chemnitz on Sola Scriptura and Tradition
Part 1; Part 2; Part 3
On the canon, also see
Redemptive History and the New Testament Scriptures by Herman Ridderbos
Canon Revisited by Michael J. Kruger
The Question of Canon by Michael J. Kruger
Also see several videos from Truth Unites with Gavin Ortlund
Sola Scriptura Defended
Response To Critics Of Sola Scriptura
Augustine Affirmed Sola Scriptura
More On Augustine And Sola Scriptura
Review of Sola Scriptura Debate

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