In A. A. Hodge’s Outlines of Theology the following explanation is presented:
What is meant by saying that the Scriptures are the only infallible rule of faith and practice?
Whatever God teaches or commands is of sovereign authority. Whatever conveys to us an infallible knowledge of his teachings and commands is an infallible rule. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the only organs through which, during the present dispensation, God conveys to us a knowledge of his will about what we are to believe concerning himself, and what duties he requires of us. [available at http://homepage.mac.com/shanerosenthal/reformationink/aahsolascrp.htm]
There are some big problems that immediately present themselves, even with only this short synopsis of Sola Scriptura. The first and most obvious is that NOWHERE do the Scriptures say or imply this idea of exclusivity that is the bedrock of the theory. So by its own criteria, we are not bound to believe that theory of SS because it isn’t in the Bible.
SS proponents, of course, will quote one passage in a knee-jerk reaction to the above: 2 Timothy 3:14-17:
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (15) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
The problem is there seems to be a word, phrase or idea missing here: that Scripture is the exclusive rule of faith or “the only supernatural revelation that God does now make to man.” (Hodge) When this statement was penned the only Scripture that Timothy has was the Old Testament, so then can we too depend only on the OT to lead us? If the OT was alone sufficient, why did the Spirit even give us a New Testament at all?
In reading Hodge, we also find out that a large part of the Sola Scriptura mantra is the idea that every person can interpret the Scripture by using his/her private judgment. Will that offer and infallible guide? Let’s listen to Hodge’s answer:
We do not pretend that the private judgment of Protestants is infallible, but only that when exercised in a humble, believing spirit, it always leads to a competent knowledge of essential truth.
Thank God, Mr. Hodge does not claim that Protestant private judgment is infallible! What he does claim is, however, equally problematic. Consider the following:
a. How does one know then it is exercised in a “humble, believing spirit”? Doesn’t Jeremiah tell us that the heart is exceedingly deceitful? So how can we know if we are humble and believing or just believing that we are humble and believing?
b. What do we do when two Protestant private judgments lead to two very disparate conclusions? Which one is true? How do we tell? Is there a humble and believing test that we can give to the interpreters to see which one really is?
c. Who has the authority to decide what a competent knowledge is? Who decides what essential truth is?
d. If a person seems to be humble and believing and espouses a doctrine that other humble and believing Protestants deem heretical, is there any way to tell which one is right?
Now consider this from Hodge:
Each Christian must know and believe the truth explicitly for himself; on the direct ground of its own moral and spiritual evidence, and not on the mere ground of blind authority.
So instead of tradition that has been handed down to us over 2000 years of Church history and attested by the Councils and Fathers of the Church, we should depend solely on ourselves on the ground of our own moral and spiritual evidence. If he were not being serious, that statement would be comical. Does one not need to have faith in God’s Word on “blind authority?” Faith, after all, is not build on evidence (Hebrews says “faith is the evidence), but on “hearing the Word.”
I amazed at the very this very ludicrous set of assertions is given any credibility. According to the website, Hodge’s book is “still regarded as a great introduction to classical Protestant theology. “ To me that is really scary. But what is more frightening is that there are millions of Protestant Popettes running around with their own private Scriptural interpretations who are certain that they are correct although no one in all of church history has held the interpretations or opinions that they hold.
