Sola Scriptura's Influence on Understanding God's Character
The doctrine of sola Scriptura asserts that the Bible is the sole infallible rule of faith and practice for Christians, profoundly influencing how God's character is understood. This principle emphasizes that divine revelation, particularly concerning God's nature, is primarily and authoritatively found within the written Word. The Scriptures are considered sufficient for revealing God's will and character, providing knowledge that cannot be obtained through human reason alone [4].
One key aspect of understanding God's character through sola Scriptura is the emphasis on divine self-revelation. The Bible is not merely a human book about God, but God's own communication to humanity. For instance, the apostle Paul states that God has "revealed" spiritual truths through His Spirit, which searches "the deep things of God" [5]. This implies that knowledge of God's character is not something human beings can discover independently, but rather something God actively discloses. The Spirit's role is crucial in making these divine truths comprehensible to believers, enabling them to understand "the things freely given to us by God" [5]. This revelation extends to understanding God's "mind" and "counsels," which are otherwise unknowable to natural human intellect [4].
The character of God as revealed in Scripture includes His righteousness and justice. The "good word of God," often understood as the Scriptures or the Gospel, leads individuals to "understand righteousness and judgment" [3, 6]. This understanding is not merely theoretical but practical, teaching believers "to live soberly, righteously, and godly" [6]. The Bible presents God as inherently just, establishing moral laws and principles that reflect His own character. Through the narratives, laws, and prophetic messages, God's consistent demand for justice and His unwavering commitment to righteousness are made clear.
Furthermore, sola Scriptura highlights God's character as a God who desires to be known and understood by His people. The Scriptures are described as a "good word" that comes from a good God, revealing "good things" and making known "things true, pleasant, and profitable" [3]. This suggests that God's revelation is not obscure or arbitrary, but is designed to benefit humanity by providing essential truths about Himself and His purposes. The Bible serves as a means by which individuals can come to a true knowledge of God, moving beyond the limited understanding available through natural observation or human philosophy [2].
The transformative power of Scripture in revealing God's character is also emphasized. When the "word of God" is proclaimed, it can manifest an individual's "inner character," akin to a "sword of the Spirit" [1]. This process reveals one's true self in light of God's truth, leading to a deeper understanding of both oneself and the God who judges and redeems. This internal conviction, where a hearer feels the preacher's message is aimed specifically at them, is seen as a strong argument for the truth of religion and the power of God's Word [1].
The principle of sola Scriptura also implies a warning against relying on human traditions or teachings that contradict or diminish the authority of Scripture. The instruction to "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction" refers to the counsel of "bad men" or "false teachers" [7]. This includes doctrines that might elevate unwritten traditions to the same level as Scripture, or that make human authorities infallible interpreters of the Bible, thereby obscuring the direct revelation of God's character found in His Word [7]. The emphasis is on discerning truth directly from the inspired text rather than through potentially misleading human intermediaries.
Sources
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 14:25: And thus--omitted in the oldest manuscripts and versions. secrets of his heart made manifest--He sees his own inner character opened out by the sword of the Spirit (Heb 4:12; Jam 1:23), the word of God, in the hand of him who prophesieth. Compare the same effect produced on Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:30 and end of Dan 2:47). No argument is stronger for the truth of religion than its manifestation of men to themselves in their true character. Hence hearers even now often think the preacher must have aimed his sermon particularly at them. and so--”
- Colossians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Colossians 3:10: And have put on the new man - See on Rom 12:1-2 (note). Is renewed in knowledge - Ignorance was the grand characteristic of the heathen state; Knowledge, of the Christian. The utmost to which heathenism could pretend was a certain knowledge of nature. How far this went, and how much it fell short of the truth, may be seen in the writings of Aristotle and Pliny. Christianity reveals God himself, the author of nature; or, rather, God has revealed himself, in the Christian system with which he has blessed mankind. Christianity teaches a man the true knowledge both ”
- Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 6:4: And have tasted the good word of God,.... Not the Lord Jesus Christ, the essential Word of God, who seems to be intended before by the heavenly gift; but rather, either the Scriptures of truth in general, which are the word of God, endited by him, and contain his mind and will; which he makes use of for conviction, conversion, instruction, and comfort; and which are preserved by him: and these are a good word; they come from him who is good; they are a revelation of good things; they make known things true, pleasant, and profitable: or else the Gospel in particular, o”
- 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 2:15: For who hath known the mind of the Lord,.... The deep counsels of his heart, the scheme of salvation by Jesus Christ, as drawn in his eternal mind, the sense of the Spirit of God in the writings of the Old Testament, the things of the Spirit of God, or the doctrines of grace more clearly revealed under the Gospel dispensation; not any natural man, by the light of truth and strength of reason, has known any of these things. The apostle either cites or alludes to Isa 40:13 that he may instruct him? not the Lord, who needs no instruction from any, nor can any tea”
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 2:10: revealed . . . by . . . Spirit--The inspiration of thoughts (so far as truth essential to salvation is concerned) makes the Christian (Co1 3:16; Co1 12:3; Mat 16:17; Joh 16:13; Jo1 2:20, Jo1 2:27); that of words, the PROPHET (Sa2 23:1-2; Kg1 13:1, Kg1 13:5), "by the word of the Lord" (Co1 2:13; Joh 20:30-31; Pe2 1:21). The secrets of revelation are secret to some, not because those who know them will not reveal them (for indeed, the very notion of revelation implies an unveiling of what had been veiled), but because those to whom they are announ”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 2:9: Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment,.... This is another fruit and effect of the Gospel, and of a spiritual understanding of it; that besides the knowledge of God, and how to behave with reverence towards him, Pro 2:5; it leads men into a notion of doing that which is right and just among men; it gives them not only a theoretic but a practical understanding of justice, and a true judgment of what is right and wrong; or gives such an understanding thereof as that they practise it; for it teaches men to live soberly, righteously, and godly, Tit 2:11. ”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 19:27: Cease, my son, to hear the instruction,.... The counsel of bad men, or the doctrine of false teachers. The words are spoken either by Solomon to his son; or by Wisdom, that is, Christ, to everyone of his children, to beware of false prophets, and take heed what they hear; see Mat 7:15; such as the doctrines of the church of Rome; concerning the Scriptures, forbidding the people to read them; setting unwritten traditions upon a level with them, and making the pope an infallible interpreter of them; concerning merit, works of supererogation, indulgences, pardons, pen”