Sunday School Review: Basic History of the Protestant Reformation, Part 2 - The Five Solas

The Protestant Reformation was not merely a political or cultural movement; it was, first and foremost, a theological revival. At its heart were five foundational truths, known as the Five Solas—Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria. These were not the inventions of Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, Theodore Beza, John Knox, or any of the Reformers. Rather, they were rediscoveries of biblical truths that had been obscured by centuries of church tradition. Together, they formed the backbone of Reformed theology and continue to shape Protestant belief to this day. They were not mere slogans; they were cries of the heart, born out of a rediscovery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sola Scriptura – Scripture Alone

At the core of the Reformation was a renewed commitment to the authority of Scripture. Sola Scriptura means that Scripture alone is the highest authority for faith and practice, standing above church tradition, councils, and even papal decrees. It was the rallying cry for those who sought to return to the apostolic teachings of the early church. The Reformers argued that all church teaching must be tested against the Word of God, the ultimate standard of truth.

Martin Luther's stand at the Diet of Worms (discussed last week) illustrates this conviction. Under immense pressure to recant his teachings, Luther declared,“My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me God.” This was not a rejection of tradition altogether but a rejection of any tradition that contradicted Scripture. Tradition could be helpful, but it was not infallible.

Scripture Proofs

• Psalm 19:7-8 - “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”
• Psalm 119:105 - “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
• Isaiah 8:20 - “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”
• Matthew 4:4 - “But he answered, ‘It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
• Matthew 15:3-6 - “He answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ... So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.’”
• John 17:17 - “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
• John 20:31 - “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
• Acts 17:11 – The Bereans were commended because they “examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
• Acts 18:28 - “For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.”
• 1 Corinthians 4:6 - “I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written...”
• Galatians 1:8-9 - “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
• 2 Peter 1:19-21 - “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place... no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
• Revelation 22:18-19 - “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

Sola Fide – Faith Alone

Sola Fide—justification by faith alone—was the article upon which, Luther claimed, the church stands or falls. It asserts that we are justified before God not by our works or merits but solely through faith in Jesus Christ. This was a direct challenge to the Catholic doctrine of infused righteousness, which taught that grace was imparted through the sacraments and combined with human cooperation.

The Reformers insisted that faith is not a human achievement but a gift from God. It is the means by which we receive Christ’s righteousness, not something that we contribute. This understanding brought immense freedom and assurance. No longer did believers need to live in fear, wondering if they had done enough good works to merit God’s favor. Salvation was secure because it rested on Christ’s finished work, not on human performance.

Scripture Proofs

• Habakkuk 2:4 – “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”
• Romans 1:17 – “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”
• Romans 3:28 – “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”
• Romans 4:5 – “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”
• Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
• Galatians 2:16 – “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
• Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
• Philippians 3:9 – “And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
• Titus 3:5-7 – “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
• Hebrews 10:38 – “But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Sola Gratia – Grace Alone

The Reformers taught that salvation is entirely by God’s grace. Sola Gratia means that from start to finish, salvation is the work of God. We contribute nothing to our salvation but our sin. This stood in stark contrast to the Catholic view that grace cooperates with human effort. For Luther and Calvin, this doctrine preserved the sovereignty of God and the helplessness of man apart from divine intervention.

This truth is profoundly humbling. It demolishes all pride and boasting. No one can say, “I was saved because I was smarter, holier, or more spiritually sensitive than others.” We are saved because God, in His mercy, chose to save us. Our salvation is not based on our performance but on God’s unmerited favor. This leads to a life of gratitude, worship, and humble obedience.

Scripture Proofs

• John 1:16-17 – “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
• Acts 15:11 – “But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
• Romans 3:24 – “And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
• Romans 11:6 – “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”
• 1 Corinthians 1:4 – “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus.”
• Ephesians 2:4-5 – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”
• Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
• 2 Timothy 1:9 – “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”
• Titus 3:5 – “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
• Revelation 22:21 – “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”

Solus Christus – Christ Alone

Solus Christus emphasizes that Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and man. The Reformers rejected the veneration of saints, indulgences, and the Catholic Mass as unnecessary intermediaries. They pointed to 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” In contrast, the Catholic Church maintained that the priest acted in the place of Christ during the Mass, perpetuating the sacrifice of Christ. Luther vehemently opposed this, asserting that Christ’s atonement was once for all.

This truth provides immense comfort and assurance. Because Christ is the only mediator, we can approach God with boldness and confidence. Our salvation does not depend on a human priest or ritual but on Christ’s finished work. He is our advocate, our righteousness, and our intercessor.

Scripture Proofs

• John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
• Acts 4:12 – “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
• Colossians 1:18 – “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”
• Colossians 2:9-10 – “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
• 1 Timothy 2:5 – “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
• Hebrews 7:25 – “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
• Hebrews 9:12 – “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
• Hebrews 10:10 – “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
• 1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
• 1 John 2:1-2 – “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

The final sola, Soli Deo Gloria, is the purpose of salvation and the Christian life. Everything is for the glory of God alone. This stands in contrast to the medieval Catholic practice of venerating saints, relics, and even the Pope. The Reformers believed that salvation, from beginning to end, was designed to showcase God’s glory. Romans 11:36 declares, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

This principle shapes every area of life. Whether we eat or drink, work or play, suffer or rejoice, all is to be done for God’s glory. This truth frees us from living for the approval of man or the pursuit of our own fame. We exist to make God known, to delight in Him, and to reflect His glory to the world.

Scripture Proofs

• Isaiah 42:8 – “I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.”
• Isaiah 43:7 – “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
• Psalm 115:1 – “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!”
• Matthew 5:16 – “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
• John 17:1 – “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.’”
• Romans 11:36 – “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
• 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
• Ephesians 1:5-6 – “He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”
• Ephesians 3:20-21 – “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
• Revelation 4:11 – “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Conclusion: Rediscovering the Gospel

The Five Solas are not relics of the past; they are vibrant truths that continue to shape the church today. They guard us from error, anchor us in the Gospel, and fuel our worship. They remind us that salvation is God’s work from beginning to end. It is by Scripture Alone that we know the Gospel, by Faith Alone that we receive it, by Grace Alone that it is given, through Christ Alone that it is accomplished, and all To the Glory of God Alone.

In these truths, we find the heart of the Reformation—a heart that still beats today!