So I’ll be running a course on the four solas starting next week, and am wondering which order to present them in. I like the order Sandy suggesting on the Sola Panel, as it seems that scripture alone is really the basis for the others. Dominic has a different order in his video series which I’ll be using.

What advantages does each of the possible orderings have? Which would you use yourself?

I thought there were 5 solas ;-)

Sola Scriptura
Soli Deo Gloria
Solo Christo
Sola Gratia
Sola Fide

There are many many solas… but Soli Deo Gloria is often left out. Whether it should be or not is another question for another day, as I won’t be doing it, at least not now.

I think peter Garrett would say there are more solas than the government can cope with, or afford ...

Serious question guys!

Hi Dannii,

There was an earlier thread on the origins of the “five solas” here .

In the Reformation period they were used as phrases in longer writings and I have found no evidence that they were used as a series of slogans at that time.

Yes, there are other solas that could be quoted from the Reformers besides those five.

Soli deo gloria is probably dropped sometimes as it is considered the least “disputed” of the five, because in the Latin Vulgate translation it is a straight summary phrase from 1 Tim 1:17.

There is no “canonical” order for the Solas, but personally I would start with the focus on God. I think this works as a logical sequence in English:

God rescues us by His grace alone,
through faith alone,
in Christ alone
and our final authority in understanding this (and God’s ways overall) is Scripture alone.

I think it is important to present the solas as what they are:
summary phrases not a theological treatise;
so the solas should be explained in the context of what they intend to include and what they mean to exclude.

Grace & peace,
Terry

Ordering the five solas?

Yes, please!

Thanks Terry.