Sola scriptura short version

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Permalink Reply by Jason Claus on June 10, 2010 at 6:51am

I think the first step in understanding what it is the Church believes is the clear understanding of what they consider to be their source of credence, conviction, or belief system. Also having a working understanding of where and why they believe this is a source of authority. Without going to deep into history and the transmission of scripture and historical church beliefs, which are various. The simplest answer is: The Baptist church believes the Scriptures in their original language is the sole source of church belief and practice commonly called Sola Scriptura. They do not believe that passed down tradition is a reasonable source of church doctrine or that it holds any bearing upon the Christian conscience (seeing as the Bible only gives promises of the written word being preserved). This does not mean that they shun tradition rather that as long as the tradition does not contradict scripture or scriptural teaching, and as long as it is not taught as absolute truth or placed as a burden upon others, it is a freewill act of worship and personal conviction. In formulating church beliefs and practice, the Baptist Church takes the simple approach and famous quote: “Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we are silent.”
Now along with this belief and coupled with it, is the belief of Soul Liberty. This belief in its simplest form teaches that no church, government, or individual has the right to discipline others for their beliefs. That doesn’t mean however, that you don’t have the right to speak out against what you believe to be wrong, but simply that you do not have the right to interfere with prejudice against another man’s conscience or to chastise him in terms of monetary, legislative, or corporeal punishment. It is his God given right to believe in what he believes or perceives to be truth. It also doesn’t mean that the church doesn’t have the right to convert or influence ever avenue of society. The great struggle with a lot of modern practice of this principle is the moderation, patience, and humility it requires to have an influence without violating others rights.
Now part of their claim upon the authority of scripture is in direct proportion to their belief in the reliability of scripture. This has to do with their understanding of Bible inspiration and preservation. The 5 main beliefs of inspiration are:
A. Natural inspiration – There is no supernatural element. The Bible was written by great men, who often erred.
B. Partial inspiration – The Bible contains God’s words but must be sorted out (“demythologized”) to find them. Other parts are purely human and may be in error.
C. Conceptual inspiration – The thoughts of scripture are inspired but the actual words used are not. There is factual and scientific error.
D. Dictation theory of inspiration – The writers passively or robotically recorded God’s words without any participation of their own styles or personalities.
E. Verbal, plenary inspiration – All the actual words of the Bible in their original language are inspired and without error.
Verbal Plenary Inspiration, is the Bible teaches concerning itself. It simply means that God directly the authors of scripture to write divine revelations concerning Christ and heavenly wisdom with their own personality and language while guiding them to write without error the very words of God. 2 verses portray this truth:
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
1 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
1 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost
Also because of various promises of God in the Bible. God has promised to preserve his written revelation down throughout all of time. One verse says, “As fire refined in a furnace of earth. So are your words, you will preserve them from one generation to the next.” This is a short version of what they believe is their source of church beliefs and authority. I hope this helps.

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