Augustine Didn’t Believe in Sola Scriptura (Here’s Why)

Did St. Augustine of Hippo actually teach Sola Scriptura?

In this episode of FACTS, Stephen Boyce and Pat May examine a common claim popularized in recent Protestant apologetics—especially the assertion that Augustine “actually and clearly affirmed Sola Scriptura.” Rather than relying on selective paraphrases or modern categories read back into the 4th century, we let Augustine speak for himself using his full, unabridged quotations, read in context.

Drawing directly from Augustine’s Against the Fundamental Epistle of Manichaeus, we show that:

• Augustine explicitly grounds his belief in the Gospel on the authority of the Catholic Church

• Scripture is never treated as an autonomous or self-authenticating authority

• Appeals to Augustine in defense of Reformation-era sola Scriptura rest on anachronistic readings

• A high view of Scripture is not the same thing as Scripture alone

This episode also responds directly to a widely shared The Gospel Coalition article that claims, through a video by Gavin Ortlund, that Augustine affirmed Sola Scriptura, demonstrating where the argument fails historically and contextually.

If you care about historical theology, patristic sources, and reading the Church Fathers honestly, this episode is for you.

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