Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: 2 Peter 1:19–21
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2 Peter 1:19–21
From the Confessions: The Defense of the Augsburg Confession
Concerning Confession and Satisfaction
This entire matter is fictitious, and recently fabricated without the authority of Scripture or the old writers of the Church. Not even Lombard speaks of satisfactions in this way.
Pulling It Together: We do well to appeal to the highest authority. The academics of scholastic theology turned to Peter Lombard, who wrote the standard medieval texts on theology, as their authority. The Reformers knew his writings and used them to advantage. They recognized that Lombard did not talk about satisfactions in the way their opponents disputed. More importantly, they saw no support for this in Scripture, nor did the Church Fathers write about satisfactions as a general discipline of the Church. When the darkness of the world challenges, we do well to pay closest attention to the light of the Word of God.
Prayer: Rise, O Morning Star, in my heart. Amen.
A Latin phrase meaning “Scripture Alone,” Sola Scriptura is one of the traditional Lutheran slogans used since the time of the Reformation. It expresses our confession that Scripture is “the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and teachers alike must be appraised and judged.” Using the familiar phrase as its title, Sola Scriptura is a new, advanced-level Bible Study in a two-part series, of six chapters each, on the functional authority of Scripture. For those who would like to cover the topic in detail, there is enough material to cover one chapter in two sessions, making each part a 12-week study.
Part 1 • Pt 1 Leader's Guide • Part 2 • Pt 2 Leader's Guide
Author
Rev. Mark E. Ryman serves as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. Previously, Pastor Ryman has served other congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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