There
are “Five
Solas”
(five Latin phrases) that were used to succinctly summarize the Biblical
truths or doctrines of “the faith” of the Protestant Reformers
of the 1500’s.
These
key elements of “the faith” were mainly derived from the
thirteen epistles that Paul, “the Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom
11:13) wrote to the members of the predominantly Gentile “church,
which is His body” (Eph 1:22b-23a, 3:1-5).
Paul laid
“the foundation” of “the
faith” for “the body of
Christ”; that foundation is “Christ
ALONE as ALL” - this is “SOLA
CHRISTUS.”
------------------------------------------------------
Introduction:
The
Apostle Paul received “revelations”
(2Cor 12:7) by the grace of God
directly from the resurrected and ascended Lord Jesus (Gal 1:10-12). These
“revelations” concerned the
full meaning and ALL-SUFFICIENCY
of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and also then of His resurrected “Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus” coming to eternally indwell each of His
believers as His living “temple
(1Cor 3:16).
The
resurrected and ascended Lord Jesus Himself, from heaven, called Paul
(Acts 9:3-16) to save him and give him a unique grace gospel and ministry
for this age of the pure “grace
of God,” which extends to this day (Eph 3:1-5).
Paul
was the first to ever receive the revelation
of God’s eternally planned, but previously “kept
secret,” gospel message for the “body
of Christ,” which concerns “…CHRIST
according to… the REVELATION (unveiling)
OF THE MYSTERY (God’s secret
plan).”
“Now
to him that is of power to
stablish you according to MY
(Paul’s) GOSPEL, and
the preaching of Jesus CHRIST,
according to THE
REVELATION (unveiling) OF
THE MYSTERY (God’s secret plan),
which was (had been) KEPT
SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN” (Romans
16:25)
Paul’s
purpose then was “to
MAKE ALL MEN SEE
what is the FELLOWSHIP
OF THE MYSTERY, which
from the beginning of the world HATH BEEN HID (concealed)
IN GOD, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians
3:9).
The
“fellowship
of the mystery” that had
“BEEN HID” is now REVEALED
to be … “CHRIST
IN YOU”; the “Spirit
of Christ” indwelling each believer as their “hope
(expectation) of glory” (
Col
1:27).
We
today live in the time of “the
dispensation of the grace of God,”
(Eph 3:2), the age of God’s pure “grace,”
under which men may be “SAVED
BY GRACE (alone) THROUGH FAITH (alone)… THE GIFT OF
GOD… NOT OF
WORKS” (Eph 2:8-9). We
cannot earn salvation by our good works or piety.
The
“Five Solas” of the
Reformers of the 16th century helped to re-establish the mostly
lost foundation of Paul’s pure “gospel
of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) unto eternal salvation. This
all-sufficient “grace of God” is
set in contrast to any good works or performance requirements that many
Christian church systems set forth in order for one to be
saved or to be kept saved.
Paul
received his unique “gospel
message” directly from the ascended Lord (Gal 1:12). Yet Paul’s
grace gospel is most opposed by
two factions within the Christian church-at-large today. These factions
are 1) the religious legalists
who perpetuate “the Law”
in place of grace, and 2) the religious
institutionalists who impose a mediatorial
hierarchical clergy system
that is set between
the believers and God. These serve to obstruct the pure grace
gospel for salvation of the believer and the believer’s direct
relationship with God.
·
From
Early On: From the beginning of Paul’s ministry the truths of “the
faith” were opposed by the Messianic Judaizers of the church at
Jerusalem
. “Certain (men) came from
James” (the leader of the
Jerusalem
church, Gal 2:12); they tried to subvert Paul’s message of “the
gospel of the grace of God” that he preached “among
the Gentiles” (Gal 2:2). These Judaizers clung to and maintained the
tradition and ceremonial rites of the Old Testament Law that God gave
Moses for the Nation of Israel
only – the Law is not
for the Gentiles who are “under
grace” (Rom 6:14). These Judaizers tried to undermine Paul’s
Gentile converts, to rob them of the liberty of Paul’s pure grace
message, requiring them to be under “the
Law” of works and to be
“circumcised” for salvation (Act 15:1, 24). In the course of this
conflict, Paul “withstood Peter
to the face” for his “dissimulation”
(hypocrisy, Gal 2:11-14) at
that time.
·
The
1500’s: In 313AD the Roman Emperor Constantine legalized
Christian worship and then proceeded to usurp the church, to make it a
branch of the
Roman Empire
. The “Five Solas” of the Protestant Reformers of the 1500’s were
then in stark contradistinction to the doctrines of the corrupt Roman mediatorial
hierarchical clergy system that had come to power. We will cover this
in more detail later.
·
Today:
Even today Paul’s “grace
gospel” is opposed and/or marginalized by most of the religious
institutions of the Christian church at large – both Roman and
Protestant.
Constantine
’s Roman church continues much the same today. Today’s Protestantism
still has its legalist and its hierarchist;
while the evangelicals have mostly become “neo-evangelicals,” straying
to compromise and embrace the ways and techniques that of the world. Thus
most of Christianity has largely forsaken Paul’s pure grace gospel
message. This has led to the mostly irrelevant and impotent Christian
“church” that we see it today.
Paul
had warned Timothy, his son in the faith, of that apostasy of the “latter
times,” such as we now see.
1
Timothy 1:3 As
I (Paul) besought
thee (Timothy) …that thou mightest charge some that they TEACH
NO OTHER DOCTRINE, 4NEITHER
GIVE HEED TO FABLES (MYTHS)
and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly
edifying (building up) which is in
faith: so do.
1
Timothy 4:1-3, 7 (AMP) BUT
THE [Holy] Spirit distinctly and
expressly declares that IN
LATTER TIMES
SOME
(apostates) WILL TURN AWAY FROM
“THE FAITH,” GIVING ATTENTION TO DELUDING AND
SEDUCING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINES THAT DEMONS TEACH,
2
Through the hypocrisy
and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared
(cauterized), 3 Who forbid
people to marry and [teaching
them] to abstain from [certain kinds of] foods …
7
(Paul to Timothy)
REFUSE AND AVOID IRREVERENT LEGENDS (profane
and impure and godless fictions, mere grandmothers’ tales) and silly
MYTHS, and
express your disapproval of them.
In
the course of our study of the Reformer’s “Five Solas” we will of
necessity explore the history of religion’s opposition to and/or
hindrance of the clear proclamation of Paul’s pure “the gospel of
the grace of God.” It is only by Paul’s God-ordained gospel that
men may be eternally saved
by
grace ALONE, through faith ALONE, in Christ ALONE.