The doctrine of Sola Scriptura—that Scripture alone is the supreme authority in matters of faith and practice—stands as a cornerstone of Protestant belief. It is often challenged by those who hold to ecclesiastical tradition as an equal or greater authority, such as Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. A common argument is that the early Church functioned on the basis of tradition and that the Church Fathers upheld the authority of the institutional Church. However, does history truly support such claims? And more importantly, does Scripture?
Recently, I engaged in a conversation with a friend who is Eastern Orthodox and denies Sola Scriptura. Below is the email I sent in response to his objections, addressing key claims regarding Church authority, tradition, and the biblical foundation for Sola Scriptura.
Email Correspondence:
Hi Anonymous,
I am finally responding to your text message regarding Sola Scriptura and the magisterium of ecclesiastical authority (i.e. the Patristics). As you know, the authority of Scripture in relation to tradition and the Church has been a central point of debate between Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy. In this email, I want to address several key claims that often come up in these discussions—particularly regarding the Church Fathers, the biblical canon, and the nature of authority in the early Church. Below, I’ve provided eight specific counter-points for you to consider (taken from our text message correspondence). I hope these points address your position through the lens of Scripture, historical evidence, and the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers. My goal is to show that the foundation of the Christian Faith is ultimately found in God’s Word, not in ecclesiastical tradition or councils. Notice:
1. "All of the Church Fathers were thoroughly Catholic. None were Protestants."
Refutation: The argument that all Church Fathers were "Catholic" is irrelevant to the truth of doctrine. Heresy crept into the church even during the time of the Apostles. The presence of widespread error does not mean it was/is divinely sanctioned. Consider the following:
Judaizers (Legalism) – Paul refutes them in Galatians (Gal. 1:6-9; 3:1-3), showing that false teaching infiltrated even the early church.
Antinomians (Lawless Christianity) – Paul warns against those who pervert grace into license for sin (Rom. 6:1-2; Jude 4).
False Apostles & Teachers – Paul warns about "another gospel" (2 Cor. 11:4), and Peter speaks of "false teachers" among Believers (2 Pet. 2:1).
The Seven Churches (Revelation 2-3) – Jesus rebukes churches that had fallen into idolatry, immorality, and false doctrine.
Since heresy existed even among those who had been personally taught by the Apostles, an appeal to early Church leaders as though they were infallible is flawed. Their writings must be tested against Scripture.
2. "The evidence that anyone in antiquity approximated anything like Sola Scriptura or Sola Fide is absent."
Refutation: The New Testament itself testifies to Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide:
Sola Scriptura
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – "All scripture is given by inspiration of God... that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Scripture is the sufficient, final authority.
Acts 17:11 – The Bereans were commended for testing even the apostles' words against the Scriptures.
Matthew 15:3, 6 – Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for elevating tradition over Scripture.
Sola Fide
Romans 3:28 – "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Ephesians 2:8-9 – "For by grace are ye saved through faith… not of works."
Galatians 2:16 – "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ."
The Ante-Nicene Fathers affirmed Scripture’s supremacy:
Irenaeus (Against Heresies 3.1.1) – "We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from those through whom the Gospel has come down to us, which they did at one time proclaim in public, and, at a later period, by the will of God, handed down to us in the Scriptures."
Athanasius (Letter 39) – "The sacred and divinely inspired Scriptures are sufficient for the exposition of the truth."
I can provide numerous additional quotes from the Patristics that directly align with Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide, countering the claim that these doctrines were absent in antiquity.
3. "The Church is 'the pillar and ground of the truth,' not the Biblical Canon."
Refutation:
1 Timothy 3:15 calls the Church "the pillar and ground of the truth," but what is truth? Jesus answers: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17).
The Church is only a pillar when it upholds God's Word, not when it contradicts it.
The Ante-Nicene Fathers show disagreements:
Origen – Allegorized Scripture heavily.
Tertullian – Became a Montanist.
Cyprian & Stephen of Rome – Disagreed on the validity of heretic baptisms.
Since early Church Fathers contradicted each other on countless issues, what should we then default to if not to appeal to Scripture as the final authority?
4. "The post-Pentecost Church had no New Testament writings for decades but thrived on oral Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15)."
Refutation:
The New Testament was written within decades, not centuries of Christ’s resurrection:
Paul's epistles (40s-60s AD) were widely circulated among the Churches (Col. 4:16; 2 Pet. 3:15-16).
The Gospels were written before 70 AD (Luke-Acts completed before Paul’s death).
Churches copied and distributed Scripture rapidly (Rev. 1:11).
Yes, the early Church had apostolic teaching before the NT was complete, but once written, these writings became the standard for doctrine. Oral tradition is only reliable if it aligns with Scripture.
5. "Once the New Testament was completed, it took centuries for most local parishes to have copies."
Refutation:
The speed of NT manuscript transmission was unprecedented:
Paul commanded letters to be circulated in his own day (Col. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27).
Early Christians copied manuscripts prolifically and swiftly, as confirmed by history.
The Papyri evidence (e.g., P52, P46, P66) confirms widespread NT circulation by the 2nd century.
Oral tradition alone was insufficient, as heretics (e.g., Gnostics) corrupted it. The written Word ensured preservation of the true Gospel.
6. "The first official Canon was at the Council of Trullo (6th Ecumenical Council) with a different OT."
Refutation:
The biblical canon existed long before Trullo (692 AD):
Athanasius' Festal Letter (367 AD) listed the 66-book Protestant canon.
Jerome (4th century) rejected the Apocrypha as non-canonical.
The Jewish canon (Masoretic Text) excludes the Apocrypha, aligning with Jesus' and the apostles' Scripture.
Orthodox councils did not create the canon; they recognized what had been received.
7. "The Canon relied on Tradition, and even by the 10th century, St. John of Damascus noted disagreements."
Refutation:
Other earlier, more reliable canons existed:
Muratorian Fragment (c. 170 AD) lists almost all NT books.
Council of Carthage (397 AD) recognized the 27 NT books.
The fact that disagreements persisted proves that human tradition is fallible—the Church needed Scripture as the ultimate authority.
8. "Sola Scriptura, especially without a Canon, is self-defeating because it requires Tradition."
Refutation:
Sola Scriptura is not "No Tradition"; it is "Scripture over Tradition."
Jesus rebuked traditions that nullify Scripture (Mark 7:6-9).
The early Church Fathers appealed to Scripture as the final authority, even when citing traditions.
Without a formally recognized canon, the early Church still functioned because the inspired writings were authoritative on their own, not because a council later affirmed them.
Conclusion:
The claims of both Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy rely heavily on Church tradition as an infallible authority, yet historical evidence and Scripture itself demonstrate that divine revelation is found in the Bible alone. The Protestant position holds:
Heresy entered the church early; antiquity does not equal truth.
Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide are biblical and affirmed by early Christians.
The Church is only a "pillar" when it upholds Scripture.
The NT was written and circulated within the apostles' lifetimes.
Oral tradition was subject to corruption; Scripture preserved truth.
The canon was known before the 7th century.
The Bible, not inconsistent traditions, is the final authority.
Note: For a more in-depth exploration of the "Church Fathers" and how their writings are influencing many toward Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, please click here to read a more comprehensive treatment of this issue.
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