What is the principle of sola scriptura and its effect on ministerial authority?

• A. Tradition is the final authority; Scripture is consulted only if needed.
• B. Personal experience overrides Scripture in decision-making.
• C. Scripture alone is the rule of faith and practice; ministers subordinate tradition and preference to biblical teaching, using Scripture as final authority.
• D. The church's edicts are the final authority.

Answer: (C)

Sola scriptura means Scripture alone is the rule of faith and practice. Ministers are called to teach and shepherd the church, but their authority comes from what Scripture teaches, not from tradition, personal preference, or church decrees that go beyond or contradict the Bible. Traditions and opinions may illuminate the text, but they do not bind the church independently; they must be evaluated against Scripture. When a teaching or decision is grounded in Scripture, it carries binding authority; when a tradition or preference conflicts with Scripture, Scripture takes precedence. In this view, the final authority rests with the biblical text, and ministers serve as faithful stewards who interpret and apply it, rather than making authoritative rules apart from what God has revealed.