''Solus Christus'' or ''In Christo solo'' (
Latin in + ablative, sōlō Christō, meaning "in
Christ alone") is one of the
five solae
The five ''solae'' (from Latin, ', lit. "alone"; occasionally Anglicized to five solas) of the Protestant Reformation are a foundational set of Christian theological principles held by theologians and clergy to be central to the doctrines of ...
that summarize the
Protestant Reformers
Protestant Reformers were those theologians whose careers, works and actions brought about the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.
In the context of the Reformation, Martin Luther was the first reformer (sharing his views publicly in 15 ...
' basic belief that
salvation is by faith ''in Christ alone''.
Doctrine
Through the atoning work of
Jesus Christ alone, apart from individual works, and that Christ is the only mediator between God and man.
It holds that salvation cannot be obtained without Christ.
This is in opposition to Catholic doctrine which
Mary, mother of Jesus
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
is also mediator between God and humanity (''
Mediatrix'').
[Antoine Nachef (Sep 1, 2000) ''Mary's Pope: John Paul II, Mary, and the Church'', ISBN 1-58051077-9, pp. 179–80]
Biblical arguments
As the foundation of the "solus christus" doctrine, various biblical verses can be invoked according to theologians.
*
John 14:6 – "Jesus replied: I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
*
First Epistle to Timothy 2:5 – "Because there is only one God, and only one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
*
Acts
The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message ...
4:10–12 – "May all of you and all the people of Israel know that this happened in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
And there is no salvation in anyone else; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved"
See also
*
Dual covenant theology
*
Salvation in Christianity
*
Soteriology
References
External links
Articles on the five ''sola''sfrom a conservative Protestant perspective
Christian terminology
Five solae
Latin religious words and phrases
{{Christian-theology-stub