Study Guide | Rooted in Church

Hi friends,

This is week six of our series Rooted: In the Soil of a Vibrant, Growing Faith, which may strike you as odd, since there are only five solas. What, then, are we going to talk about!? Good question!

While I'm no scholar of the Reformation, I'm convinced that there is a sixth sola, one that was constantly implied by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and countless other reformers. In this week's study guide and in our teaching this weekend, we'll examine 1st Peter 2.4-12, where we find not only the previous five solas, but (what I'd like to argue is) the sixth: Church!

16th cenutry theologian John Calvin, one of the initial founders of the Reformed tradition, went so far as to say that, "Away from [the church] one cannot hope for any forgiveness of sins or any salvation"!

3rd century bishop Cyprian likewise stated, "No one has God as his father without the church as his mother."

Oh, and then there's the mysterious thing that happened in the little village of Roseto, Pennsylvania shortly after it was founded by 19th century immigrants from Roseto Valfortore, Italy... But, I suppose I don't have the space to tell you that story here. I'll save it for when we gather together this weekend!

Until then, grace and peace!
Curtis