Albert T. Condino Dr.

Phil Kamibayashiyama
Reformation and Fundamentalists History December 15, 2020

Five Solas of Reformation

Introduction: When we were still little children, we love to assemble some different kinds of puzzles.
Every piece of a puzzle are needed to complete the whole picture. ‘Five solas’ is just like the individual
parts of a puzzle. If we look carefully, these are all linked to our salvation and even to the ministry that
God entrusted to us.
I. Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) – The Bible alone is our highest authority (Holcomb, 2012).
There was an ongoing debate between protestant reformers and the RCC about many concepts and
one of which is the sola Scriptura. Upon studying, Martin Luther realized that RCC practice was not
Bible-based and that they obtained their authority in humans which was fallible.
Martin Luther said: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures, or by evident reason
(for I put my faith neither in popes nor councils alone, since it is established that they have erred again
and again and contradicted one another), I am bound by the scriptural evidence adduced by me, and my
conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot, I will not recant anything, for it is neither safe nor
right to act against one’s conscience. God help me. Amen.” (Wright, 2018)
Application: As we look to other sects, their authorities were obtained from different sources or
other books like LDS. They have book of Mormons, INC has “pasugo” and JW has watch tower
magazines. Sola Scriptura means the Bible is our final authority and no other authority is needed other
than the Bible. Why is it important to recognize the Sola Scriptura? According to Psalms 11:3 “If the
foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The core foundation of every teaching is the Bible.
The Bible is the core foundation of every doctrine in the church (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Timothy 3:16). In the
view of our salvation, we need the Scripture because God said in 1 John 5:13 These things have I written
unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that
ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. This is one of the pieces of evidence that we have eternal
life. Without sola Scriptura our salvation will have no basis.
II. Sola Fide (faith alone)- We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ (Holcomb, 2012).
In the time of Martin Luther and the reformation, they debated about the sola fide (by faith alone)
because the RCC viewed justification as not by faith. RCC claims that to be justified, you need to follow
all the commands in the Scripture. But, Luther discovered in the Scripture that work has no merit for the
justification of men. It is totally the work of Christ in Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God ;.( Isaiah 53:6) (Kraby, 2018; Mathison, 2020)
Application: Sola fide can definitely be applied in our salvation. We are saved through faith
according to Acts 16: 30-31 (conversion of Philippian jailor). In holding on to this fact, we will not
neglect repentance because faith and repentance always go hand in hand. (Romans 10:9-10).
III. Sola Gratia (grace alone) - We are saved by the grace of God alone. (Holcomb, 2012)
Lutheran Reformation add the sola fide and sola gratia holding on to the doctrinal verse in Ephesians
2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of
works, lest any man should boast. Debating to the belief of RCC because they had been teaching that
works matter in justification. RCC holds to the belief of Agustine of Hippo that humanity were born like
the state of Adam and were capable of choosing whether to obey or to disobey God. According to them,
when a person obeys God, his works matter in salvation and if he disobeys punishment would be given.
This is definitely in contrast to the point of reformers that salvation is totally the work of God according
to Eph. 2:8-9 and uses the term grace (unmerited favor) and gift to show that salvation is an act of pure
grace of God alone. Verse 9 says “not of works” to show that human efforts can never have credit in our
salvation. (Eph. 1:7,Titus 3:5, Galatians 2:16) (Kraby, 2018; Mathison, 2020)
Application: Our salvation have always been only be by the grace of God because we obtained a gift
(eternal life) that we do not deserve. Even our works in the ministry, all of these could only be
accomplished by the grace of God that works in us. Like what the apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:10 “ by
the grace of God I am what I am”.
IV. Solus Christus (Christ alone) – Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Savior and King. (Holcomb, 2012)
During the reformation period, solus Christus was a major topic for debate though they did not reject
the doctrine of the person of Christ. The issue is that RCC connects the person of Christ as mediator
between God and man. They apply it in a sacramental system form. For example, the infallibility of pope
applying that the mediator between God and man was the pope. Luther was implying that only Christ
alone is the mediaor which is again in contrast to the RCC’s teaching that pope and the RCC church can
be the mediators. (Mathison, 2020)
Even Huldrych Zwingi proclaimed “Christ is the only way of salvation of all who were, are now, or
shall be.” In Article 54 of his Sixty-Seven Articles (1523).
Application: When Adam fall into sin, all human race became sinners but God made a solution to
save the humanity. In Philippians 2: 6-11, He became a man and do the will of the father to die for human
race. In John 14: 6 Christ is the only way, showing that no religious rituals, other human mediator and
good works can mediate us in the sight of God (1 Tim. 2:5, Hebrews 4:14-16).
V. Soli Deo Gloria (to the glory of God alone)- We live for the glory of God alone (Holcomb, 2012)
Some say that Soli Deo Gloria is the beginning, other say that it the ending, while some believe that
it is the central. At some point, we should realize that God created Adam to reflect His image or to reflect
the glory of God. The sin entered the world so the second Adam fulfilled what Adam failed to do. Now,
believers can reflect the glory of God because Christ lives in us. As we walk, we should remember that
everything we do is for the glory of God as stated in 1 Corinthians “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” In the end of our journey when we gather to our heavenly
home we will worship God in bring back the glory to Him (Revelation 4:11).
Application: As we study the Soli Deo Gloria, we should remember that For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should
walk in them (Eph 2:10). Every aspect (service, worship, suffering, etc.) of our life as believers should be
for the glory of God.
Conclusion: As we conclude the five sola of the reformation we were able to see that all of these
connect to each other and the salvation of the believers is in one way or another related to these 5 solas.
Sola Scriptura is important because we get the facts only from the Bible especially that Jesus died on the
cross to save us. Sola Fide is about putting our faith in Him while Sola Gratia is the fact that we are saved
by grace. The proper object of our faith is Jesus Christ because the only name that could save men is
Christ. The last one, soli deo Gloria, states that we exist for the glory of God.
Charles Spurgeon said “The Five Solas served as the collective rallying cry of the Protestant
Reformers. These Latin phrases—Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo
Gloria—tell us that Scripture alone is our highest authority and that salvation is by grace alone, through
faith alone, in Christ alone, for God’s glory alone.”
References:

Holcomb, J. (2012, July 13). The Five Solas - Points from the Past that Should Matter to You.
Christianity.Com. https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/the-five-solas-of-the-
protestant-reformation.html

Kraby, C. (2018, November 17). CH Spurgeon and the Five Solas of the Reformation.
ReasonableTheology.Org. https://reasonabletheology.org/ch-spurgeon-and-the-five-solas-
of-the-reformation/

Mathison, K. (2020, October 21). The Five Solas. Reformation Bible College.
https://reformationbiblecollege.org/blog/the-five-solas

Wright, S. (2018, March 29). Luther’s Battle for Sola Scriptura. Southern Equip.
https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/magazine/magazine-issue/fall-2017-vol-85-no-2/luthers-battle-
for-sola-scriptura/

About the authors:

Justin Holcomb is an Episcopal priest and teaches theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and Knox
Theological Seminary. Justin wrote On the Grace of God and co-authored with his wife
Lindsey Rid of My Disgrace and Save Me from Violence. He is also the editor of Christian
Theologies of Scripture.

Clayton Kraby is a Pastor in North Dakota and created a website, ReasonableTheology.org, to help make
theology accessible for the everyday Christian.

Dr. Keith Mathison is professor of systematic theology at Reformation Bible College.

Shawn Wright is professor of church history at Southern Seminary.