SOLA SCRIPTURA

As Popularly Understood and Commonly Applied

Allow me to share my thoughts on why I believe that Martin Luthers doctrine of Sola Scriptura,as popularly understood and commonly applied, contradicts the Bible. First, Sola Scriptura presupposes that the Bible is written in plain language whose meaning is clear, obvious, unmistakable and easy to understand. Second, as a result of the first, the Bible does not need to be interpreted and does not need an interpreter. The Church, therefore as the official interpreter of the Bible is unnecessary. Is the Bible written in plain language whose meaning is easy to understand? What does the Bible say? 1. In 2Peter 3:16, St. Peter says that in the letters of St. Paul, there are some things that are hard to understand: 16 speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, beware lest you be carried away with the error of lawless men and lose your own stability. 2. In John 12:14-16, St. John says that the disciples did not understand what was written in Zechariah 9:9 14 And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written, 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on an ass's colt!" 16 His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. 3. In Mark 9:31, Mark reports that Jesus was teaching his disciples but they did not understand him. 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise." 32 But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him. 4. In Psalm 23 it says, The Lord is my shepherd It would seem from here that a sheep is talking because only sheep have shepherds. But sheep dont talk. What do we make of this then? This is not plain language. This is figurative language.

5. In Genesis, we are told that God created everything in six days. Science, however, tells us that the Earth took billions of years to form and as a result, so did everything found in it. Did the Genesis writer speak in plain language or in some figurative language? Does the Bible have no need of an interpreter or a teacher? What does the Bible say? 1. In Acts 8:28, it is reported that a Eunuch was reading the prophet of Isaiah. And when Philip asked him if he understood, he answered, How can I if no one guides me? 2. In Luke 24:27, St. Luke reports that Jesus interpreted the scriptures for Cleopas and his companion on their way to Emmaus. Why interpret if it is not needed? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
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3. In 2Peter 1:20, St. Peter says that the prophecy of scripture is not a matter of ones own interpretation. Then whose interpretation? First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation,
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