Sola Scriptura in the Second London Baptist Confession

No statement from the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession has anymore relevance in today’s Christian world than the following paragraph which articulates the Protestant doctrine of sola Scriptura: “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own Glory, Mans Salvation, Faith and Life, is either expressely set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture; unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new Revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men” (Chapter 1, Paragraph 6). This is a clear articulation of one of the great Reformation era solas. In sum: the Scripture alone provides all that is necessary for life and godliness. This great doctrine, sola Scriptura, is considered the formal cause of the Protestant Reformation, while its companion doctrine, sola fide, became the material cause. The affirmation of sola Scriptura cuts across the grain of ancient (and modern) Roman Catholicism and, in more recent days, across the grain of modern Pentecostalism. Both Roman Catholicism and Pentecostalism (broadly defined), while at opposite ends of the theological spectrum, agree in this principle denial—the Scripture alone is insufficient for Christians as a guide to life and godliness. The difference between how Roman Catholics and contemporary Pentecostals handle sola Scriptura is simple: Roman Catholics deny this affirmation in principle while Pentecostalism, which affirms sola Scriptura in principle, denies it in practice.

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