After Darkness, Light

After Darkness, Light is a Reformation motto (originally Post Tenebras, Lux), but it is also the title of a great book of essays on the Five Points of Calvinism and the Five Solas of the Reformation.

The whole book is worth reading, but I particularly appreciated the discussion on Sola Scriptura (the bible alone). Keith Mathison points out that this teaching does not imply that there is no role for tradition and the Church, but that the bible is our supreme authority. It is the only ongoing source of God's revelation (which he did by speaking to humankind through the ages in many and various ways such as by sending prophets and especially through our Lord Jesus Christ and finally inspiring holy men of God to set down this revelation in writing). The bible is perfect (in its original autographs) and thus completely reliable.

The Church submits to the bible's authority, and does not pronounce it to be God's Word, as if the Church were above the bible, but simply recognises it as from God.

But, sitting under this divine Word, the Church has a role to play in teaching us to understand it, as the Scriptures themselves declare. Her historic creeds help us to understand what the Scriptures say. These creeds are helpful and trustworthy, but not infallible. In this limited sense, there is a role for tradition, but it is inferior to the one supreme authority of Scripture.

I found this articulation challenging, thought-provoking and helpful.

Mathison shows that if we say that there is no role for Christian tradition or for the Church, Sola Scriptura degenerates into my interpretation of the bible alone is authoritative, which leads to chaos.