A Perfect Encapsulation

If you read last week’s long post, you know I’ve been debating revelation and knowledge with a Roman Catholic named Tony Fernandez.

He has been mulling over how best to work through that volume I produced, and I have been mulling over my next essay.

Meanwhile, he retweeted this just now:

Isn’t that a perfect encapsulation of the issue? So let’s think about that for a second. If tradition is prior to Scripture, then it is a more authoritative form of revelation. If our knowledge and comprehension of God is more dependent on tradition than it is Scripture, what is the justification for that claim?

It’s funny how when we ask this of Roman Catholics, they appeal to Matthew 18.

It’s also revealing in that Tony had stated to me that he doesn’t believe there is anywhere we can hear Jesus’ voice today, without doubt or hindrance. Of course he is forced into that position, even while his Bible sits on the table beside his keyboard, seeing that the Roman Church has declared that the true and most immediate revelation from God is not Scripture mediated by the Holy Spirit, but rather Scripture mediated by the Church.

My first question, always, is How do I know I am hearing and interpreting the Church rightly, adequately, and without error such that I may be saved?

If only there were somewhere that God is speaking clearly and directly to His people, like a Shepherd who knows His sheep, calls them by name, leads them out, and gives them eternal life such that no one may snatch them out of His omnipotent hand.

But alas, we must hope that we are reading the right parts of tradition (there is no canon of tradition), and that our minds and hearts are sufficiently free of concupiscence so as to interpret that tradition rightly.

Good. Luck.

Confident Evangelism: Roman Catholicism

Here is Week 6: A Confident Answer to Roman Catholicism.

The issue between the Reformation and Roman Catholicism is deeply complex, and easily overwhelming. Many Protestants and Romanists choose to wave away the differences between us as if we’re the same (we’re not), some choose to treat the other as an intractable enemy; but here in the lonely middle, some of us have a desire to find understanding, have evangelistic conversation, and to see them come to a saving knowledge of Christ in His true gospel. What’s your strategy for talking to the Romanist?

Unnecessary Division between Us

I’ve subscribed to Mike Gendron’s “Proclaiming the Gospel” email newsletter for years, until today. Mike is an ex-Roman Catholic with a focus on evangelizing his ex-brethren, and his teachings are pointed, clear, and helpful in preparing to witness to Romanists.

Although I always knew Mike to be a Dispensationalist, I looked past it to learn other things from him, as I do with excellent men like John MacArthur and others. On April 1 of this year, Mike sent out a short article in his newsletter, reposted here:

Receive God’s Sabbath or You will Never Find Rest

A family friend of ours is dying of cancer, and she is a lifelong Roman Catholic. Will she “Rest in Peace” if she dies trusting in the Roman Catholic teachings?

Near to where I live, each July thousands of people stream into Palmyra, New York to see the Hill Cumorah pageant put on by the Mormon church. The festival goers are being drawn into the promise of eternal godhood – the possession of a planet and the peace of the celestial kingdom. Will these fine people find their rest in the doctrines of the prophet Joseph Smith and his scriptures?

Recently my wife and I had a married couple of the Jehovah’s Witnesses to our house for a discussion about the Bible.

They smilingly shared with us of how Jehovah God is creating a paradise earth for all who will obey him and keep fellowship with their religion only. Will these sincere people eternally harvest corn, fruit, and soybeans on the new earth?

I’ve known scads of professing evangelicals who are relying on their own sincerity and obedience to God in hoping they can pull it off – hoping they might be good enough Christians (stay away from bad movies, respect your elders, and don’t drink alcohol) to please God and be found faithful on the last day…

What do Lutherans Think of Roman Catholicism? Saturday Theovideo

Not that I am Lutheran, but I love hearing their perspective on theology (old Martin Luther was sort of the shining star of the Reformation).

Pastor Jonathan Fisk is a zealous young Lutheran pastor who uses his video blog Worldview Everlasting to impart loads of doctrinal wisdom, and to share his theological gold from his deep pockets of learning. Here he answers a Roman Catholic’s question about Romanism, and he sheds fresh light on the history, doctrine, and critical problems of that false religion.

The religion of Rome is the enemy of Christ Jesus and His gospel – and the Pope is an antichrist. Pastor Fisk explains it well:

What do you think? I think he did a great job making clear distinctions here, exposing some of the most heinous heresies of the Roman religion. I hope you’ve been helped by this.

Thanks for watching,

-Adam