Are we willing to sacrifice much to be faithful to the commands of God found in Scripture?

Sam Waldron explains in this video that the Latin phrase “Sola Scriptura” or “by Scripture alone” was something that reformed Protestants closely adhered to and sacrificed greatly for. The Puritans held that Scripture applied to all things and specifically, in matters of worship, allowed them to do only what God commanded them to do.

Their decision to remain faithful to Scripture proved to be costly. Over 2,000 Puritan ministers were ejected from their churches and some, like John Bunyan, were even jailed. Men were forced to make a decision of compromising Scripture to keep their positions in the church or to remain true to the clear commands of Scripture. Despite persecution, they resolutely believed that Scripture governed all matters of life, not just the issues regarding the doctrine of the church.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) – “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The maintenance of the principle of sola scriptura was something that Protestants shed blood for. Reformed Protestantism took that principle of sola scriptura with a thoroughness that even some of the other wings of Protestantism did not. On the continent of Europe in the 1500s, there was a distinction between the Reformed and the Lutheran on this issue. The Lutherans would have said that Sola Scriptura only applies to doctrine, but it doesn't apply to church order and the worship of the church. It doesn't apply to things like the government of the church.

There we can take into account wholesome traditions. Calvin and the Reforms said no, Sola scriptura applies to everything about the Church, not just its doctrine. Similarly, in England, the Puritans said solo scriptura applies to everything, not just the doctrine of the Church. The Anglicans actually taught, this is the doctrine of the Church of England, that the Church has a right to decree rights and ordinances and ceremonies that are not in the Bible. So one of the differences between the Puritans and the Anglicans had to do with what was called the iusta vinum, That is the fact that the Puritans believed there was a divinely appointed government for the church.

And the other difference of the same kind that the Puritans had with the Anglicans is they believed there was a divinely appointed worship of the church. And the Anglicans did not. The Anglicans said, we have to do what's in Scripture, but as long as it doesn't contradict Scripture it's allowed. The Puritans said, no, sola scriptura when it comes to worship. We may only do in worship what God has given us precedent to do in the Word.

It must be taught by the Scriptures. Over 2, 000 period ministers were ejected from their churches. Many of them were jailed like John Bunyan because they wouldn't stop preaching to their churches. And it was primarily this issue of sola scriptura coming to form and shape in the regulative principle of the church and its worship that forced these men out of their pulpits. They could not say with good conscience, As long as they let me teach the right doctrine, I don't need to worry about the ceremonies and rights of the church.

They couldn't say that. They believed that Sola Scriptura governed not only the doctrine of the church, but also its worship and its government.