Misconceptions of Sola Scriptura

I am sharing our pastor’s post here on the misconceptions of Sola Scriptura:

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If Sola Scriptura means avoiding books and commentaries altogether, then we might as well totally avoid preaching, since that kind of reasoning clearly suggests that all that we have to do is just read the Scriptures to the congregation. No more, no less!

Ironically, even those who claim that they neither study the books of Calvin nor of Arminius for a supposed “Sola-Scriptura” source of their teachings, also quote from other authors and preachers in their sermons. Oh, the sheer arrogance and dishonesty!

The truth is, we all learn from faithful servants of God before us. No evangelical minister can claim that he only has the Bible as his tool in sermon preparation. The learning principle articulated by the Ethiopian Eunuch stands true in every generation: Acts 8:31 — “And he said, “How can I (understand), unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Only cultic leaders like Manalo and Quiboloy have the audacity to claim that they have the Bible alone as their tool for teaching — to the destruction of the souls of those who blindly follow them.

and a post from R. Scott Clark:

Sola Scriptura ≠ Nuda Scriptura

Calvin believed that holy Scripture as the only infallible rule of faith and practice should serve as the final authority by which to judge Christian doctrine and practice, but it was not his only resource for theology. Consequently, he regularly consulted and appealed to early Christian documents and church authorities—most notably Augustine—to gain theological insight and clarity on contested doctrinal matters. He recognized the strategic importance of demonstrating the continuity of Protestant teaching with the core convictions of the early Church. Thus, his regular refrain: “The ancient church is on our side!”

In a similar fashion, evangelical Protestants should view the riches of the Christian tradition(s) during and before the sixteenth-century Reformation not simply as an “alien world” or as an unfortunate parenthesis. Instead, they should view them as an important resource for biblical interpretation, theological reflection, and ecumenical dialogue while at the same time insisting that everything be tested carefully by the authoritative Word of God.

To God be the glory!