Theology Thursday
Solus Christus — The doctrine that Christ is the only mediator between God and human beings apart from a priestly class or sacraments.
Jeremy Thompson, Lists from Church History, Faithlife Biblical and Theological Lists (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2022).
A reminder that in our Theology Thursday blogs, we are looking at the five Solas of the Protestant Reformation. The Sola’s are something of a summary of the protest made by reformers against the Roman Catholic Church and are helpful for our reflection today.
You might find this a no-brainer. So, let’s start with what this one was against and remember Sola means alone.
By the 15th/16th century, The Roman Catholic Church had decided that God had put in place a mediator between Christ & His People. It was the Pope (literally, the Father of the Church) and his ordained priests.
Think about how this works. In Roman Catholicism, you don’t confess to Christ who forgives your sins but to the Priest who hears your confession and grants you forgiveness on behalf of Christ.
At the Mass, only an ordained priest may administer the Eucharist (Communion) and then only the bread to the common people and again only those people who have been baptised (by priests) in the Roman Church. The blood of Christ is reserved only for the priests.
To this the Protesters said, no, it is Christ alone who mediates between us and God. We do not need a priest to hear our confession. We should confess to Jesus and by faith in repentance trust that our sins are forgiven. We can and should confess to one another, not for salvation but as an act of wisdom.
Similarly, there is no need for the priest to mediate the sacraments to us. The Church should monitor those who are in good standing and encourage people to search their conscience. But Christ’s blood and body is freely given to all who declare their trust in Him.
I declare with all Protestants. Christ alone is the only mediator we need.
For Today:
Pray: Praise the Father that He accepts Christ as mediator between Himself and sinful creatures. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who is the faithful mediator, who died in our place and forever represents us to the Father. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others put your trust in Christ alone.
Jeremy Thompson, Lists from Church History, Faithlife Biblical and Theological Lists (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2022).
A reminder that in our Theology Thursday blogs, we are looking at the five Solas of the Protestant Reformation. The Sola’s are something of a summary of the protest made by reformers against the Roman Catholic Church and are helpful for our reflection today.
You might find this a no-brainer. So, let’s start with what this one was against and remember Sola means alone.
By the 15th/16th century, The Roman Catholic Church had decided that God had put in place a mediator between Christ & His People. It was the Pope (literally, the Father of the Church) and his ordained priests.
Think about how this works. In Roman Catholicism, you don’t confess to Christ who forgives your sins but to the Priest who hears your confession and grants you forgiveness on behalf of Christ.
At the Mass, only an ordained priest may administer the Eucharist (Communion) and then only the bread to the common people and again only those people who have been baptised (by priests) in the Roman Church. The blood of Christ is reserved only for the priests.
To this the Protesters said, no, it is Christ alone who mediates between us and God. We do not need a priest to hear our confession. We should confess to Jesus and by faith in repentance trust that our sins are forgiven. We can and should confess to one another, not for salvation but as an act of wisdom.
Similarly, there is no need for the priest to mediate the sacraments to us. The Church should monitor those who are in good standing and encourage people to search their conscience. But Christ’s blood and body is freely given to all who declare their trust in Him.
I declare with all Protestants. Christ alone is the only mediator we need.
For Today:
- When you take communion is it in faith in the blood and body of Christ?
- Do you confess your sins to Christ?
- Pray for a Roman Catholic person you know.
Pray: Praise the Father that He accepts Christ as mediator between Himself and sinful creatures. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who is the faithful mediator, who died in our place and forever represents us to the Father. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others put your trust in Christ alone.
Posted in Theology Thursday
No Comments