Covenant Reformed News – August 2017 • Volume XVI, Issue 16
This article examines the historical meaning and theological foundations of Protestantism, tracing the term's etymology back to the 1529 Diet of Speyer and emphasizing that Protestant witness is both positively affirmative of biblical truth and negatively opposed to error. The author introduces the Five Solas as a summary of core Protestant convictions, with particular focus on Sola Scriptura and the Bible's inspiration, inerrancy, authority, sufficiency, and perspicuity as the foundation for Reformed faith and practice.
What Is a Protestant? (2) It is important to note that the word Protestant, both in its first historical use and ever since, is not merely negative (protesting against the false doctrines, etc., of Rome); it is both positive and negative. This is evident from the word itself in terms of its Latin etymology. It comes either from pro (for) and testari (to witness) or from protestatio (a declaration). So a protest was a setting forth of a strong affirmation in defence of a position. Thus the...