Comparing Erasmus And Sola Scripture

I do not believe that when Erasmus speaks of how to read the Bible that is talking in the same way that Luther promotes sola Scriptura. This is because sola Scriptura means through scripture alone, thus all biblical knowledge comes from the Bible. Erasmus on the other hand promotes dedication to the study of the Bible, but also suggests reading other written works whether from pagans or philosophers. He says, “You should not refuse food advice from anyone, not even a pagan. The pagan authors sharpen your mind, and will help you understand scripture, which takes preparation. The Bible is not very fruitful if you stick only to the simplest literal sense of it, you need to understand the allegorical sense as well, in which the pagan poets will