Can I Accept Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide?

After handing in the paper to Dr Ewe, I actually felt bored at work! I continued my reading of ‘The Story of Christianity’ to learn more about the history of Christianity. I also began doing my own research on the net regarding what I was reading. I learnt more about how the early Church formed, how their theology and ideas changed through time. I read about how the canon of the Bible was selected and went through a few revisions.

I do wonder if Martin Luther was wrong when he came up with Sola Scriptura (The Bible as the sole authority) and Sola Fide (Salvation by faith alone). I’m starting to have doubts, especially after looking at both sides of the argument. The thing is that the canon was chosen based on the apostolic tradition. The council members looked at the teachings of the apostles that were handed down from generation to generation as authority. It was on the basis of tradition and apostolic succession that the books of the canon were chosen. Teachings that were not in accordance with tradition were discarded as heresy. Groups that taught things that contradicted with apostolic teaching were considered heretical. So, tradition did play a role in the shaping of the Church. In a sense, the Bible is a product of tradition. How can we then say that the Bible is the sole, infallible authority when it comes to the Christian life? The people who decided on the canon were fallible humans. That was why it went through a few revisions. Even Martin Luther wanted to throw out certain books of the Bible just because those books didn’t agree with his Protestant teachings.

Can the letters written by the apostles really be considered God’s Word and Scripture? The apostles were fallible humans too. They weren’t even sure initially if one needed to be circumcised to be a follower of Christ. That’s why they argued about it relentlessly. The early Christians weren’t sure about who Jesus was, the Trinity, or whether people who denied Christ in the midst of persecution should be pardoned. Yet, they were still able to love God and love their neighbors. And Christianity survives till this day.

Maybe it’s not so much about who is right and which doctrines we should believe in. Maybe the Bible is not the infallible Word of God. Neither are traditions and the apostles infallible. Yet, this should not stop us from loving God and loving our neighbors. This should not stop us from following Jesus and trusting that God is in control of history and that He will do what needs to be done. Brian McLaren may be right. Maybe the Bible is just a heritage that tells us our history and our story. It is useful for instruction and teaching, as Paul says, but never intended to be our only and sufficient source of theology and doctrine like what we in evangelical churches have made it to be.

What about salvation by faith alone? There seems to be an equal number of verses in the Bible that support it and contradict it. Jesus didn’t seem to think that we are saved by faith alone. Maybe there is the element of obedience to God as well. I have doubts, and I want to find out more. I do this not with a heavy heart, fearing that God will strike me or disown me or that I am backsliding. I do it with joy and excitement, knowing that I am not alone, I am not there yet, and I am still on the way, just as the Church itself is, just as many other Christians on the journey are. Even as I seek, I know that I am still able to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and love my neighbor as myself. I am still able to lead others to Christ, so that they too can join me on this journey and join Christ in His mission to see God’s kingdom come.