OT Lesson: Isaiah 40:6-8 (NLT)
A voice said, “Shout!”
I asked, “What should I shout?”
“Shout that people are like the grass.
Their beauty fades as quickly
as the flowers in a field.
The grass withers and the flowers fade
beneath the breath of the Lord.
And so it is with people.
The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
NT Lesson: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NRSV)
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
Sermon
Introduction
Good morning. Today is Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day. As you can guess from the sermon title, I am not speaking about Father, to be fair because I did not talk about Mother on Mother’s Day. I hope and pray that all Fathers will have a wonderful and blessed Father’s day today. And being half of the parents, I am also in charge of Samuel’s half of the education. So I do what I can do, that is, teaching him Korean. Samuel learned all the Korean Alphabets in like three months, and he now can read any Korean words though quite slow yet no matter how long that is. For you adults can learn how to read Korean in a day. If you are smart enough, in an hour or two. When I was in Korea, believe it or not, I was a computer programmer. Sometimes we had partnering programmers from other countries like America or Germany visiting our company. Upon their request, sometimes I taught them Korean Alphabets in the airport, and on the way to the hotel in down town, they began to read the signs on the roads and buildings. So it is not amazing that Samuel reads Korean. It is just super easy. Samuel memorised the English Alphabets when he became two. At that time, he only knew the capital letters. That is why he was yelling a lot back then. The sentences in his head were all upper letters. So he’s been knowing English Alphabets for more than two years, and yet cannot read ‘Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.’ Can you believe it? Well it is because English reading is not so easy with tons of exceptions and messy rules. For example, ‘are’ sounds like ‘arr’ but ‘care’ is not ‘carr’ but ‘k-air.’ When we add ‘r’ in ‘county’ (country), it is not ‘count-ree’ but ‘con-tree.’ ‘Laughter’ sounds like ‘lefter’ but an extra ‘s’ in front, ‘slaughter’ is not ‘s-lefter’ but ‘slo-ter.’ How about nature and mature? Dear and bear are another set of examples. I look up the dictionary multiple times everyday, but mostly not for the definitions but for the pronunciations.
Anyway, speaking of reading, let us talk about the Scripture because we can only read what is written. Scripture is a Latin word which means written things or writings. The title today ‘Sola Scriptura’ is also a Latin phrase meaning ‘by Scripture alone.’ Last Sunday we talked about Sola Fide. Out of five Solae we are covering two of them. Possibly I may talk about the other three when I come back from Korea. For your information, those five Solae are Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria.
Historical Context
This protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura declares that the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God, stand as the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church USA many times confirms that everything like the authority of the church, traditions, or hierarchy are subordinate to the Holy Scriptures. One of the constitutional questions during the ordination and/or baptism is “Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you?”. And we answer “I do.” This doctrine emerged during the Protestant Reformation and remains a cornerstone of our faith today. So let us explore the origins, significance, and implications of Sola Scriptura, seeking a deeper understanding of the supremacy and sufficiency of God’s Word.
The sixteenth century was a time of immense corruption and abuse within the Catholic church. Probably and hopefully not now but back then it was. Indulgences were sold, ecclesiastical offices were bought, and biblical truth was often overshadowed by human traditions and papal decrees. The church banned the lay people from reading the Holy Scriptures. Having a personal Bible was illegal and even to clergy, the Bible was available only in Latin. Any scholars translating the Bible from Latin into common people’s languages such as English or German were executed by being burnt alive. Amidst this spiritual turmoil, the reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin emerged with a burning desire for spiritual purity and a return to the teachings of Scripture because they found that tons of things happening at church in the name of God were actually against the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Bible. Many reformers and scholars including Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jan Hus, boldly challenged the prevailing practices and teachings of the Catholic church. Through their study of the Scriptures, they came to a profound realisation that the Scriptures alone held the answers to questions of faith, salvation, and the nature of God. They called for a restoration of the authority of God’s Word, declaring that it should hold supremacy over tradition, church hierarchy, papal authority, and the teachings of fallible humans. The doctrine of Sola Scriptura finds its roots in the teachings of Jesus and the early church. Jesus Himself demonstrated the authority of Scriptures by quoting it in His teachings. He also taught His disciples that it is written in the Scriptures that the Son of Man is to suffer, die, and rise again to the glory of God. The apostles as well affirmed the centrality of Scriptures in their teachings, urging believers to hold fast to the written Word of God. Apostle Paul wrote in his second letter to Timothy that ‘All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.’1
The Scriptures Are Special
The Bible is very special, not just another ancient text. It is God-breathed and inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it is the depiction of Jesus Christ. The gospel of John begins by testifying the Word being with God from the creation, and that Jesus is this Word became flesh. Jesus also testifies it and says, ‘You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.’2 Through human authors, God revealed Himself, His character, and His divine will. And as such, Scriptures have inherent authority and reliability. It stands as the ultimate standard for truth and doctrine, serving as the guiding light for all aspects of our faith and life.
The truth in the Scriptures is universal and timeless. Nonetheless these Scriptures were written from five thousand years ago to two thousand years ago in different languages with completely different cultures by many different writers. The Scriptures needed to be interpreted even for those people living back then in that specific locations and cultures. Now we have little knowledge of the cultures in the Bible and minimum understanding of the geography and situation. So it is needless to say that we need to study the Bible and need to interpret it. But while deep spiritual truths require study and reflection, the central message of salvation is clear and understandable to us and to all humankind. The Holy Spirit, our divine teacher, illuminates the Scriptures, enabling us, the believers, to grasp its truths and apply them to our lives. The Bible sometimes may look contradicting itself. But I believe if and when we have fuller knowledge with complete and comprehensive understanding, we will find it harmonious and that the Old and New Testaments harmoniously present God’s redemptive plan for humanity.
The Sufficiency of the Scriptures
The doctrine of Sola Scriptura emphasises that the gospel message, the good news of salvation, is contained within the Scriptures alone. The Bible does not need any help from other sources and texts because the Bible alone provides all the necessary messages and sufficient inspiration for humans to be saved. It is through the proclamation of God’s Word that hearts are convicted, lives are transformed, and souls are saved. Only God’s Word can open the hearts as hard as stones. It is written in the Scriptures, ‘for the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged word, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit.’3 Salvation is not achieved through human works or rituals but solely through faith in Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Scriptures. And here, the Bible serves as our comprehensive guide for faith and practice, providing spiritual principles for our personal lives, relationships, and interactions with the world. The Scriptures equip us for every good work, offering wisdom, guidance, and direction in this world. It is through the Word of God that we understand and discern God’s will and align our lives with His purposes.
In matter of doctrine and practice, the Scriptures have the final authority over the church. If I say something to you against the Bible, then I am wrong and the Bible is right. If the executive presbyter says something against the Bible, she is wrong and the Bible is right. If our tradition is against the Bible, our tradition is wrong and the Bible is right. Nothing is above the Scriptures. While the church traditions and teachings are almost always good and have their place, they must all the time be evaluated and tested against the unchanging standard of God’s Word. Sola Scriptura guards against the dangers of human fallibility and ensures that the church remains rooted in biblical truth. The Bible provides the firm foundation upon which the church is built.
Conclusion
Sola Scriptura calls each one of us to diligently study and meditate upon the Scriptures. As we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, we allow it to shape our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. The Bible is not merely a book to be read but a divine revelation to be cherished, treasured, and applied to our daily lives. By submitting ourselves to the authority of God’s Word, we experience transformation and growth in our spiritual journey. The church plays a crucial role in upholding the principle of Sola Scriptura. Pastors and the church educators have the responsibility to faithfully preach and teach the Word of God. The church should prioritise the biblical literacy among the members, encouraging them to study the Bible, providing opportunities for communal exploration and understanding of the Scriptures. And my solution to that is the Saturday Bible Study. It is 11:30AM and we will feed you before the Bible Study.
Sola Scriptura empowers us to confidently engage with the world around us. As we embrace the supremacy and sufficiency of God’s Word, we are equipped to share the gospel message rooted in Scriptures. We demonstrate the truth and power of God’s Word by living transformed lives, being salt and light in our community desperately in need of the unchanging truth of Scriptures. Friends, Sola Scriptura calls us back to the foundational truth that God’s Word is supreme and sufficient. It is not merely a historical doctrine but a living principle that should permeate every aspect of our lives. Next time, we will talk about the interpretation of the Bible as the continuation of today’s sermon. So let us diligently study God’s Word, interpret it in the right way, and allow it to guide our faith and practice. Then the Holy Spirit will illuminate our hearts so that we can live out the truth of Sola Scriptura in a world desperate for the unchanging Word of God. Amen.
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