Throughout the entirety of the New Testament evangelism is imperative for all believers to practice. In order for a believer to properly share his faith with the unbelieving masses, it is crucial that he be prepared to properly articulate and defend his faith to a both skeptical and hostile crowd if he hopes to attain any progress in conversion. It is in satisfying this requirement does the practice of apologetics find its purpose. It is the author’s intention in this paper to present the nature and purpose of this indispensable element of evangelism and personal discipleship.

This is a paper that was presented by Joshua Shirey on April 14, 2008.

 

Sola Scriptura

 An essay concerning the inerrancy of Scripture

By Joshua Shirey

 

 

Originally presented to the Francis A. Shafer Philosophy Society of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on April 4^th, 2008

 

Introduction

In an attempt to expound on the correlation of the Protestant Reformation proposition known as “sola Scripture” or “Scripture alone” with religious beliefs in general, it became apparent that this must be done primarily outside the context of Reformation literature and dogma. When I began to research Sola Scriptura, I found there to be a lack of documentation concerning the specific origin of this proposition and the other “Cries” or “Solas” of the Reformation. As a result of this deficiency of historical analysis, the principle of “Sola Scriptura” will be analyzed in this brief essay primarily in it essential (as opposed to historical) relation to religious beliefs.

It must be noted however, that even though one is hard pressed to find a fullness of historical data concerning the proposition of “sola Scriptura” in and of itself, it is widely accepted that this proposition was central to the Protestant Reformation. For example, R. C. Sproul, in his book Scripture Alone, states that Phillip Manlanchthon, Martin Luther’s partner in the Reformation, gave “sola Scriptura” the status of the “formal cause of the Reformation.” Although the chief theological issue of the Reformation was justification, the question of authority was at the bottom of almost every controversy raised by the Reformation.[i] In addition to understanding that “sola Scriptura” preceded the Reformation in cause, it must be noted that this principal was and is at the heart of almost every Protestant confession of faith, dating all the way back to The Theses of Berne, a Reformed confession written in 1528.[ii] Near five centuries later, the Baptist Faith and Message (2000) has contained in its first article the statement that “all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy…and (is) the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.” [iii]

Therefore, since the origin of this proposition of “Scripture alone” is somewhat ambiguous[iv] and it nevertheless, has deep roots in all of Protestantism, the proposition of “sola Scriptura” or “Scripture alone” will be analyzed in this essay not strictly relating to any one person, work, or creed, but as the proposition itself relates to religious epistemology in general. This task will be done under the guiding statement that pure scripture is unique in that it is the only inerrant source of information, particularly concerning divine revelation.

 

This is a paper by Keith Starks. It is currently unfinished so this essay will be updated when he has made all needed changes.

Philosophy/Theology Argument

            For anyone who has taken the time to understand this issue realizes it is not an easy task. To answer questions like: if philosophy and theology deal with some of the same concepts, why are they considered two different concepts? Have they ever been considered as one? If so, when and why did they split? There are different views and way to many explanations made to be fully explained. Although an attempt will be made by looking at histories events and ideas to see how they affect today.

            “What has Jerusalem to do with Athens, the church with Plato’s Academy, the Christian with the heretic?” Tertullian asked this question many years ago when Greco-Roman learning began to infiltrated most societies. There were some who urged the abandoning of Greco-Roman learning among the Christians because they felt such knowledge would corrupt the morality of the young and would lead Christians to doubt Scripture. Tertullian, in his book Prescriptions Against Heretics, argues that it is philosophy that supplies the heresies. He uses Colossians 2:8, “be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world and not based on Christ,” to support his argument. He also argues that, once we come to believe in Christ we have no desire to believe in anything else. Clement of Alexandria responded to this in his book, In Defense of Greek Learning. Clement argues that philosophy is a clear meaning of truth and how a person is truly learned when they are able to take what is useful (geometry, music, grammar, philosophy, etc.) and guard the faith. Saint Augustine also responded saying “believing all the branches of the pagan learning contain not only false and superstitious fantasies and burdensome studies that involve unnecessary effort, which each one of us must loathe and avoid as under Christ’s guidance we abandon the company of pagans, but also studies for liberated minds which are more appropriate to the service of the truth.” Greek learning eventually won out the day.

This is cross-posted from my own website. I am posting this here to promote discussion over members – though the essay does have some grammatical errors, I want people to focus in on if it is factually correct. If you think so, please state why. If you think it has possible logical or factual errors, please point them out and make your case.

I)              The problem of philosophy

a.     Can lead to anti-Christian beliefs

                                        i.     Colossians 2:8

                                      ii.     Do not be deceived by worldly philosophies

b.     Synthesis can lead to heretical or dead beliefs

                                        i.     Heresies within the church caused by synthesis

1.     Gnostics attempted to synthesize Platonic thought with Christianity

2.     Neo-Orthodoxy attempted to synthesize Existentialism and Romanticism with Christianity

c.      Can supplant living spirituality

                                        i.     The philosophy can be true, but lack in any form of love