Throughout Luther’s attacks on Roman doctrine, he makes his primary appeals to Scripture, enlisting the Father’s support only to show his ideas were not novel. In stark contrast, as exemplified by the Papal Bulls, his opponents considered the Fathers and Councils to be additional sources for doctrine alongside the authoritative Scriptures. Of the errors condemned … Continue reading Luther’s Sola Scriptura Part 3: Sufficiency
Tag: anniversary of the Reformation
In Luther’s eyes, his opponents believed Scripture to be obscure and unclear (Luther 1997b, 255): the Papists, writes Luther, “adhere to [the interpretation of the Fathers] and believe that in these interpretations they possess something that no one could reject, and claim again and again in order to keep us away from the pure Word … Continue reading Luther’s Sola Scriptura Part 2: Clarity
Many modern interpreters debate Luther’s doctrine of inerrancy: they argue that Luther held a position later associated with Neo-orthodoxy (e.g., Karl Barth). Luther, it is said, did not hold to a view of verbal-plenary inspiration nor of an inerrant text. For Luther, it is claimed, the form of Scripture was not inerrant and authoritative: inerrancy … Continue reading Luther Against the Neo-Orthodox on Inerrancy
Central to Luther's doctrine of Scripture was the claim that Scripture was clear; from this doctrine of the clarity (or perspicuity) of Scripture came Luther's method of interpretation (or hermeneutic). Because the clarity of Scripture is a property of the text itself on account of God’s authorship, Luther’s primary hermeneutical approach is prayerful mediation upon … Continue reading Luther’s Hermeneutic