Riječi »Sola Scriptura« dolaze iz latinskoga jezika: »Sola« prenosi ideju »jedino«, »osnovno«, »temeljno« a riječ »Scriptura« znači »spisi« i odnosi se na Sveta pisma. Sola Scriptura znači da je Sveto pismo jedino autoritativno za vjeru i praksu kršćanina. Biblija je potpuna, autoritativna i istinita. »Svako je Pismo od Boga nadahnuto i korisno za pouku, za karanje, za popravljanje i odgajanje u pravednosti...« (2. Timoteju 3,16).
Sola Scriptura bila je »borbeni uzvik« protestantske reformacije. Tijekom stoljećâ, Rimokatolička crkva je svojim predajama ustupila veći autoritet od Biblije. Zbog toga, mnoge stvari koje je činila bile su suprotne Bibliji. Neki primjeri toga su: molitve svecima i / ili Mariji, bezgrješno začeće, transupstancijacija, krštenje male djece, indulgencije i autoritet pape. Martin Luther, utemeljitelj luteranske crkve i otac protestantske reformacije, javno je ukorio Katoličku crkvu za svoja nebiblijska učenja. Katolička crkva zaprijetila je Martinu Lutheru izopćenjem (i smrću) ukoliko ne zaniječe. Martin Luther im je odgovorio: »Ukoliko me ne uvjerite svjedočanstvom Svetoga pisma, ili najjasnijim zaključivanjem, - ukoliko me ne uvjerite pomoću odlomaka koje sam citirao, tako da učine moju savjest sužnjem Božje riječi, ne mogu i neću zanijekati, jer kršćaninu nije dobro da ide protiv vlastite savjesti. Na tome stojim, ne mogu učiniti ništa drugo; neka mi Bog pomogne! Amen!«
Glavni katolički argument protiv Sola Scripture tvrdi kako Biblija izričito ne naučava Sola Scripturu. Katolici kažu: »Biblija nigdje ne kaže da je to JEDINI autoritativni vodič za vjeru i praksu«. Premda je to istina, ipak njihova tvrdnja ne uspijeva prepoznati jedno ključno pitanje. Mi znamo da je Biblija Božja riječ. Biblija za sebe kaže da je Bogom nadahnuta, nepogrešiva i autoritativna. Isto tako znamo da Bog ne mijenja mišljenje niti proturječi samom sebi. Dakle, premda Biblija sama nigdje izričito ne zagovara »Sola Scripturu«, svakako ne dopušta predaje koje protuslove njezinoj poruci. Sola Scriptura nije toliko argument protiv predaje, koliko je zapravo argument protiv nebiblijskih i/ili protubiblijskih nauka. Jedini način na koji sa sigurnošću možemo znati što Bog očekuje od nas jest da ostanemo vjerni onome što znamo da nam je On objavio - Bibliji. Možemo znati, bez ikakve sumnje, da je Sveto pismo istinito, autoritativno i pouzdano. Za Predaju se to ne može reći.
Božja riječ jedini je autoritet za kršćansku vjeru. Predaje su osnovane samo kada se temelje na Bibliji i ako se u cjelosti slažu s Biblijom. Predaje koje nisu u skladu sa Svetim pismom nisu od Boga te ne predstavljaju valjani aspekt kršćanskog vjerovanja. Sola Scriptura jedini je način na koji možemo izbjeći da subjektivnost i osobno mišljenje dobiju veći prioritet od biblijskog nauka. Suština Sola Scripture jest zasnivati svoj duhovni život isključivo na Bibliji, a odbaciti svaku predaju ili učenje koje se u cjelosti ne slaže s Biblijom. 2. Timoteju 2,15 kaže: »Marljivo nastoj da se pokažeš pred Bogom kao prokušan, kao radnik koji se nema čega stidjeti, koji valjano propovijeda istinu!«
Sola Scriptura ne dokida pojam crkvenih predaja. Štoviše, Sola Scriptura pruža čvrst temelj na kojemu možemo zasnivati crkvene predaje. Postoji mnogo toga što se čini, kako u katoličkim tako i u protestantskim crkvama, što je posljedica predaje, a ne izričitog učenja Svetoga pisma. Dobro je, pa čak i nužno, da crkva ima predaje. Predaje imaju važnu ulogu u pojašnjavaju nauka crkve i organizaciji kršćanskog djelovanja. U isto vrijeme, kako bi predaje bile valjane, ne smiju proturječiti Božjoj riječi. Trebaju se temeljiti na čvrstom temelju biblijskoga nauka. Problem s Rimokatoličkom crkvom (i mnogim drugim kršćanskim crkvama) u tome je što predaje temelji na predajama koje se temelje na predajama koje se temelje na predajama, s time da često početna predaja nije u potpunosti u skladu sa Svetim pismom. Upravo to je razlog zašto se kršćani uvijek moraju vraćati na Sola Scripturu, autoritativnoj Božjoj riječi, kao jedinom čvrstom temelju za vjeru i praksu.
S praktične strane, čest prigovor Sola Scripturi je činjenica da se kršćani oko kanona Biblije nisu jasno izjasnili barem 250 godina nakon nastanka crkve. Štoviše, Sveto pismo nije bilo dostupno širem krugu ljudi oko 1500 i više godina nakon nastanka crkve. Kako su onda rani kršćani trebali koristiti Sola Scripturu, kada nisu imali potpuno Pismo? Kako su onda kršćani koji su živjeli prije izuma tiskarskog stroja mogli zasnivati svoju vjeru i djelovanje isključivo na Svetom pismu ako nije postojao način da imaju potpun prijepis Biblije? Ovo pitanje nadalje komplicira jako visok stupanj nepismenosti tijekom povijesti. Kako pojam Sola Scripture odgovara na ta pitanja?
Problem s ovim arumentom leži u tome što tvrdi da autoritet Svetoga pisma ovisi o njegovoj dostupnosti. To nije slučaj. Autoritet Svetoga pisma je sveopći. Ono ima Božji autoritet zato što je ono Božja riječ. Činjenica da Sveto pismo nije bilo veoma dostupno, pa čak ni činjenica da ga ljudi nisu mogli čitati, ne mijenja to da je Sveto pismo Božja riječ. Štoviše, umjesto da ovo bude argument protiv Sola Scripture, zapravo je argument u prilog tome što je crkva trebala činiti za razliku od onoga što je činila. Rana crkva trebala je proizvodnju prijepisa Svetoga pisma učiniti velikim prioritetom. Premda nije bilo realistično da će svaki kršćanin imati potpun prijepis Biblije, bilo je moguće da svaka crkva ima dio, većinu ili cijelo Sveto pismo spremno za korištenje. Rani crkveni vođe trebali su proučavanje Svetoga pisma učiniti svojim najvećim prioritetom, kako bi ga mogli točno poučavati. Ako Sveto pismo i nije moglo biti dostupno širem krugu ljudi, barem su crkveni vođe trebali biti dobro poučeni u Božjoj riječi. Umjesto da grade predaju na predaji i prenose ih iz naraštaja u naraštaj, crkva je trebala prepisivati i poučavati Sveto pismo (2. Timoteju 4,2).
Ponovno želimo istaknuti kako problem ne predstavljaju predaje. Problem predstavljaju nebiblijske predaje. Dostupnost Svetoga pisma tijekom stoljećâ nije odlučujući čimbenik. Samo Pismo je odlučujući čimbenik. Sada nam je Sveto pismo dostupno. Kada proučavamo Božju riječ, jasno je da su mnoge crkvene predaje koje su se razvile tijekom stoljeća zapravo proturječne Božjoj riječi. Upravo tome služi Sola Scriptura. Predaje koje se ne temelje i ne slažu s Božjom riječi, moraju se odbaciti. Sola Scriptura usmjerava nas natrag na ono što nam je Bog objavio u svojoj Riječi. Sola Scriptura nas, u konačnici, vraća k Bogu koji uvijek govori istinu, nikada ne proturječi samom sebi i uvijek dokazuje da je pouzdan.
What is sola scriptura?
The phrase sola scriptura is from the Latin: sola having the idea of “alone,” “ground,” “base,” and the word scriptura meaning “writings”—referring to the Scriptures. Sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible is complete, authoritative, and true. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
Sola scriptura was the rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation. For centuries the Roman Catholic Church had made its traditions superior in authority to the Bible. This resulted in many practices that were in fact contradictory to the Bible. Some examples are prayer to saints and/or Mary, the immaculate conception, transubstantiation, infant baptism, indulgences, and papal authority. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church and father of the Protestant Reformation, was publicly rebuking the Catholic Church for its unbiblical teachings. The Catholic Church threatened Martin Luther with excommunication (and death) if he did not recant. Martin Luther’s reply was, “Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the Word of God, I cannot and will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me! Amen!”
The primary Catholic argument against sola scriptura is that the Bible does not explicitly teach sola scriptura. Catholics argue that the Bible nowhere states that it is the only authoritative guide for faith and practice. However, this is only true in the shallowest sense. The principle is strongly indicated by verses such as Acts 17:11, which commends the Bereans for testing doctrine—taught by an apostle, no less—to the written Word. Sola scriptura is all-but-explicitly indicated in 1 Corinthians 4:6, where Paul warns not to “go beyond what is written.” Jesus Himself criticized those who allowed traditions to override the explicit commands of God in Mark 7:6–9.
Whether sola scriptura is overtly mentioned in the Bible or not, Catholicism fails to recognize a crucially important issue. We know that the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible declares itself to be God-breathed, inerrant, and authoritative. We also know that God does not change His mind or contradict Himself. So, while the Bible itself may not explicitly argue for sola scriptura, it most definitely does not allow for traditions that contradict its message. Sola scriptura is not as much of an argument against tradition as it is an argument against unbiblical, extra-biblical and/or anti-biblical doctrines. The only way to know for sure what God expects of us is to stay true to what we know He has revealed—the Bible. We can know, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that Scripture is true, authoritative, and reliable. The same cannot be said of tradition.
The Word of God is the only authority for the Christian faith. Traditions are valid only when they are based on Scripture and are in full agreement with Scripture. Traditions that contradict the Bible are not of God and are not a valid aspect of the Christian faith. Sola scriptura is the only way to avoid subjectivity and keep personal opinion from taking priority over the teachings of the Bible. The essence of sola scriptura is basing your spiritual life on the Bible alone and rejecting any tradition or teaching that is not in full agreement with the Bible. Second Timothy 2:15 declares, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
Sola scriptura does not nullify the concept of church traditions. Rather, sola scriptura gives us a solid foundation on which to base church traditions. There are many practices, in both Catholic and Protestant churches, that are the result of traditions, not the explicit teaching of Scripture. It is good, and even necessary, for the church to have traditions. Traditions play an important role in clarifying and organizing Christian practice. At the same time, in order for these traditions to be valid, they must not be in disagreement with God’s Word. They must be based on the solid foundation of the teaching of Scripture. The problem with the Roman Catholic Church, and many other churches, is that they base traditions on traditions which are based on traditions which are based on traditions, often with the initial tradition not being in full harmony with the Scriptures. That is why Christians must always go back to sola scriptura, the authoritative Word of God, as the only solid basis for faith and practice.
On a practical matter, a frequent objection to the concept of sola scriptura is the fact that the canon of the Bible was not officially agreed upon for at least 250 years after the church was founded. Further, the Scriptures were not available to the masses for over 1500 years after the church was founded. How, then, were early Christians to use sola scriptura, when they did not even have the full Scriptures? And how were Christians who lived before the invention of the printing press supposed to base their faith and practice on Scripture alone if there was no way for them to have a complete copy of the Scriptures? This issue is further compounded by the very high rates of illiteracy throughout history. How does the concept of sola scriptura handle these issues?
The problem with this argument is that it essentially says that Scripture’s authority is based on its availability. This is not the case. Scripture’s authority is universal; because it is God’s Word, it is His authority. The fact that Scripture was not readily available, or that people could not read it, does not change the fact that Scripture is God’s Word. Further, rather than this being an argument against sola scriptura, it is actually an argument for what the church should have done, instead of what it did. The early church should have made producing copies of the Scriptures a high priority. While it was unrealistic for every Christian to possess a complete copy of the Bible, it was possible that every church could have some, most, or all of the Scriptures available to it. Early church leaders should have made studying the Scriptures their highest priority so they could accurately teach it. Even if the Scriptures could not be made available to the masses, at least church leaders could be well-trained in the Word of God. Instead of building traditions upon traditions and passing them on from generation to generation, the church should have copied the Scriptures and taught the Scriptures (2 Timothy 4:2).
Again, traditions are not the problem. Unbiblical traditions are the problem. The availability of the Scriptures throughout the centuries is not the determining factor. The Scriptures themselves are the determining factor. We now have the Scriptures readily available to us. Through the careful study of God’s Word, it is clear that many church traditions which have developed over the centuries are in fact contradictory to the Word of God. This is where sola scriptura applies. Traditions that are based on, and in agreement with, God’s Word can be maintained. Traditions that are not based on, and/or disagree with, God’s Word must be rejected. Sola scriptura points us back to what God has revealed to us in His Word. Sola scriptura ultimately points us back to the God who always speaks the truth, never contradicts Himself, and always proves Himself to be dependable.