Devotion 7.26.17

We watched the movie "Luther" with the HS students one afternoon with Pastor Hiner narrating events as they unfolded in the movie.  Pastor Rohde did the same with the Junior High youth. 

There is a scene in which Luther is having to explain his 95 Theses to a cardinal assigned by the pope to investigate the matter, and Luther provides a painstaking explanation of the evidence in scripture to support his theses.  It is clear in the scene that the cardinal is unfamiliar with the scripture he is citing.  Later, in the same movie but a different scene, Luther suggests he would gladly recant these theses he's presented if someone can show him in scripture where he is incorrect.

Sola Scriptura.  Scripture alone.  Interestingly enough, if you enter Sola Scriptura in a search engine like Google, you'll get a litany of articles refuting that there is nothing scriptural about "Sola Scriptura."  To Luther's point in the movie the kids saw, "If you can show me any fault in my claims from scripture, then I'll reconsider."  Scripture, the place we go to see if what we articulate as faith is correct, from our practice to what we say we believe.  Had Luther seen evidence that his views were incorrect from scripture, then he would have said, "I do recant."  No one was able to produce such evidence.

In addition, I'm not certain Paul would agree with the notion that there is nothing scriptural about Sola Scriptura.  In 2 Timothy 3, Paul writes, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."  Our faith, a gift from God, gives us grace.  As we grow in that faith, scripture and scripture alone is the source of that growth and the saving message of the gospel.  We cannot create a theology that doesn't exist in scripture, and we cannot add to what we know about God that doesn't come from scripture.  If someone teaches something contrary to our faith, scripture alone is the source to be measured against.   The substance of our faith comes from scripture.

God's Word is alive and in us.  God's Word is that which was spoken to create and recorded to teach, reproof, to correct and for training in righteousness.  Everything we take in as Christians needs to be held against scripture for scripture to shed light on it.

Hope Men's Ministry