Consider the Source

In discussions with Christians regarding matters of faith and practice, many like to trot out the "trump card" -- "Well, I get my view from the Bible." The idea is that they get their view from Scripture while those that disagree with them do not. If Christians agree that the Bible is the sole source of instruction in matters of faith and practice (sola scriptura), then it's a given. End of discussion.

Sometimes this may be the case. The other side may be arguing from culture or experience or "what I heard someone else say" or emotion. "That's not how we do it" or "It doesn't feel right" or "I've seen it work differently in my experience" are too often considered valid arguments for a view that contradicts Scripture. In these cases, it is right to pull out the sola scriptura concept. As Paul writes, "Let God be true though every man a liar" (Rom. 3:4). With deceitful hearts and lives lived too close to the world, it is easy to get misdirected with sources other than the truth of the Word of God.

On the other hand, too often this trump card is wrongly played. Consider a discussion among Christians about the topic of Election, for instance. Someone might refer to the views of Luther or Calvin or Augustine in the discussion. Our fine biblicist pulls it out here. "Well, I get my view from the Bible." That's all well and good, but often when the discussion includes other sources, they are sources commenting on the Bible. In other words, although the comment comes from someone else, it is still a biblical source. Too many times we'll lay out this trump card as if it is impossible for two well-intentioned, rational Christians to disagree on the interpretation of a biblical concept. Too often, in fact, this trump card is wrong.

Take, for instance, the discussion over justification by faith. Is it biblical, or is it man-made? There are no small numbers of writings on the topic from all sorts of sources. Most of them are quotes from and interpretations of Scripture. And it isn't one Scripture; it is many. The general pile of Scriptures on the topic prove that we are justified by faith apart from works. Still, you will find someone who will pull out James 2:24 as proof. "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." Their point: "Well, I get my view from the Bible." Their conclusion: If you believe that we are justified by faith apart from works, you do so without Scripture.

The problem in this use of sola scriptura is that it terminates discussion. There is no place to go. I can pull up all sorts of references (without using other people's writings) to demonstrate that justification is by faith apart from works, but it doesn't matter because their view is "from the Bible". Therefore, mine is not. Nor is the view of all those other people throughout Church history who have all concluded that the Bible teaches justification by faith apart from works.

There are big problems that accompany this kind of termination of discussion. One of the most obvious is that sometimes the argument is "from Scripture" but clearly faulty. There are websites (that I don't feel the need to reference) that use the Bible to try to prove that the Bible (and, consequently, Christianity) is false. Many people have used the Bible as their source of heretical views. Satan himself used the Bible when he tempted Jesus in the desert. Using the Bible as the source of an argument doesn't necessarily prove the argument. (I am using "argument" here in the sense of "presenting a point of view", not "knock down drag out".) Simply dismissing the discussion because "my view comes from Scripture" doesn't help in these cases. Scripture must be discussed. In other cases, the views of Scripture being referenced may need to be evaluated. But simply terminating the dialog based on one's superior source usually doesn't fix anything.

According to the doctrine of sola scriptura, the Bible is the sole source in matters of faith and practice. I happen to agree with that doctrine. Most Christians do. I fear, however, that too often discussions on topics of disagreement can get short-circuited and too easily terminated by incorrectly suggesting that they alone can be right on the topic and disagreement with their view is a clear indication that those who disagree don't follow Scripture. It's just too often not the case. When you think of pulling out that trump card, think first. It could be that those who are disagreeing with you are also using Scripture as their primary source, in which case you should keep that card to yourself.