Posted on 06/08/2018 8:54:57 AM PDT by Salvation
There are a lot of “solos” sung by our Protestant brethren: sola fide (saved by faith alone), sola Scriptura (Scripture alone is the rule of faith), and sola gratia (grace alone). Generally, one ought to be leery of claims that things work “alone.” Typically, many things work together in harmony; things are interrelated. Very seldom is anyone or anything really “alone.”
The problem with “solos” emerges (it seems to me) in our mind, where it is possible to separate things out; but just because we can separate something out in our mind does not mean that we can do so in reality.
Consider, for a moment, a candle’s flame. In my mind, I can separate the heat of the flame from its light, but I could never put a knife into the flame and put the heat of the flame on one side of it and the light on the other. In reality, the heat and light are inseparable—so together as to be one.
I would like to argue that it is the same with things like faith and works, grace and transformation, Scripture and the Church. We can separate all these things out in our mind, but in reality, they are one. Attempting to separate them from what they belong to leads to grave distortions and to the thing in question no longer being what it is claimed to be. Rather, it becomes an abstraction that exists only on a blackboard or in the mind of a theologian.
Let’s look at the three main “solos” of Protestant theology. I am aware that there are non-Catholic readers of this blog, so please understand that my objections are made with respect. I am also aware that in a short blog I may oversimplify, and thus I welcome additions, clarifications, etc. in the comments section.
Solo 1: Faith alone (sola fide) – For 400 years, Catholics and Protestants have debated the question of faith and works. In this matter, we must each avoid caricaturing the other’s position. Catholics do not and never have taught that we are saved by works. For Heaven’s sake, we baptize infants! We fought off the Pelagians. But neither do Protestants mean by “faith” a purely intellectual acceptance of the existence of God, as many Catholics think that they do.
What concerns us here is the detachment of faith from works that the phrase “faith alone” implies. Let me ask, what is faith without works? Can you point to it? Is it visible? Introduce me to someone who has real faith but no works. I don’t think one can be found. About the only example I can think of is a baptized infant, but that’s a Catholic thing! Most Baptists and Evangelicals who sing the solos reject infant baptism.
Hence it seems that faith alone is something of an abstraction. Faith is something that can only be separated from works in our minds. If faith is a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ, we cannot enter into that relationship while remaining unchanged. This change affects our behavior, our works. Even in the case of infants, it is possible to argue that they are changed and do have “works”; it’s just that they are not easily observed.
Scripture affirms that faith is never alone, that such a concept is an abstraction. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Faith without works is not faith at all because faith does not exist by itself; it is always present with and causes works through love. Galatians 5:6 says, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love. Hence faith works not alone but through love. Further, as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13:2, if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.
Hence faith alone is the null set. True faith is never alone; it bears the fruit of love and the works of holiness. Faith ignites love and works through it. Beware of the solo “faith alone” and ask where faith, all by itself, can be found.
Solo 2: Grace alone (sola gratia) – By its very nature grace changes us. Again, show me grace apart from works. Grace without works is an abstraction. It cannot be found apart from its effects. In our mind it may exist as an idea, but in reality, grace is never alone.
Grace builds on nature and transforms it. It engages the person who responds to its urges and gifts. If grace is real, it will have its effects and cannot be found alone or apart from works. It cannot be found apart from a real flesh-and-blood human who is manifesting its effects.
Solo 3: Scripture alone (sola Scriptura) – Beware those who say, “sola Scriptura!” This is the claim that Scripture alone is the measure of faith and the sole authority for the Christian, that there is no need for a Church and no authority in the Church, that there is only authority in the Scripture.
There are several problems with this.
First, Scripture as we know it (with the full New Testament) was not fully assembled and agreed upon until the 4th century.
It was Catholic bishops, in union with the Pope, who made the decision as to which books belonged in the Bible. The early Christians could not possibly have lived by sola scriptura because the Scriptures were not even fully written in the earliest years. And although collected and largely completed in written form by 100 AD, the set of books and letters that actually made up the New Testament was not agreed upon until the 4th century.
Second, until recently most people could not read.
Given this, it seems strange that God would make, as the sole rule of faith, a book that people had to read on their own. Even today, large numbers of people in the world cannot read well. Hence, Scripture was not necessarily a read text, but rather one that most people heard and experienced in and with the Church through her preaching, liturgy, art, architecture, stained glass, passion plays, and so forth.
Third, and most important, if all you have is a book, then that book needs to be interpreted accurately.
Without a valid and recognized interpreter, the book can serve to divide more than to unite. Is this not the experience of Protestantism, which now has tens of thousands of denominations all claiming to read the same Bible but interpreting it in rather different manners?
The problem is, if no one is Pope then everyone is Pope! Protestant “soloists” claim that anyone, alone with a Bible and the Holy Spirit, can authentically interpret Scripture. Well then, why does the Holy Spirit tell some people that baptism is necessary for salvation and others that it is not necessary? Why does the Holy Spirit tell some that the Eucharist really is Christ’s Body and Blood and others that it is only a symbol? Why does the Holy Spirit say to some Protestants, “Once saved, always saved” and to others, “No”?
So, it seems clear that Scripture is not meant to be alone. Scripture itself says this in 2 Peter 3:16: our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, Our Brother Paul speaking of these things [the Last things] as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures. Hence Scripture itself warns that it is quite possible to misinterpret Scripture.
Where is the truth to be found? The Scriptures once again answer this: you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Tim 3:15).
Hence Scripture is not to be read alone. It is a document of the Lord through the Church and must be read in the context of the Church and with the Church’s authoritative interpretation and Tradition. As this passage from Timothy says, the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth. The Bible is a Church book and thus is not meant to be read apart from the Church that received the authority to publish it from God Himself. Scripture is the most authoritative and precious document of the Church, but it emanates from the Church’s Tradition and must be understood in the light of it.
Thus, the problems of “singing solo” seem to boil down to the fact that if we separate what God has joined we end up with an abstraction, something that exists only in the mind but in reality, cannot be found alone.
Here is a brief video in which Fr. Robert Barron ponders the Protestant point of view that every baptized Christian has the right to authoritatively interpret the Word of God.sss
Yep, so far, so good! Works as advertised.
Satan is ‘the father of lies, a murderer of souls from the start.’ You offered, “In my case, all of that works against Satan, so if Fatima was his idea, it sucked.” Forgive an old man’s impertinence but it appears just the opposite; you are seeking more mysticism, for apparition data, as if feelings and signs and wonders are vital to your finally trusting God and being born from above immediately. Of such an approach Jesus spoke in John 6. Seekers after signs want proofs, yet it is written that Abraham believed God and it was counted for him, righteousness. The trip on up the mountain to offer his son by Sarah came after he believed God. The proof is right there in the Word of God ... if you’re interested.
GOD?
Is there a shine to GOD at the FATIMA location??
sigh...
Is the Catholic Mary on The Holy Ghost’s level to you?
Is the Catholic Mary casting out devils?
Do you believe in the Brown Scapulae for escape from Purgatory?
I was referencing number 14, Elsie.
No liar will point to Truth. That Mary is most certainly a liar. So, she is not the mother of the Way,Truth and Life.
It seems the father of lies has a false Mary. And her only Son,Jesus, referenced and pointed to in promise number 14, is a false Christ.
Proverbs 3:5. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” No mention of honoring anyone there. There are many different issue we can discuss, but I like to cut through all the stuff that is not quite as important, and ask, what is your plan of salvation? How will you get into Heaven? After all, what difference does it make, if you might have one or two other issues right, but then end up in Hell?
So, there are other issues that are important too, but nothing is as important as Heaven or Hell.
I used to, but not anymore. Then I discovered there is only ONE Purgatory. It’s in Colorado, and has great skiing. 😁😇
I disagree.
A liar will USE truth to set up a false pretense later.
We agree on the rest of your reply.
As usual, you have sliced away the drek and found the heart of the deception and exposed it succinctly.
Some say faith and belief in Jesus as Lord and savior wil get it done, but that depends, right?
The demons had belief and faith. They knew who Jesus is, and apparently believed with so much faith that they trembled. That right there is action that proves belief and faith, but they wanted nothing to do with Him and wanted to be far, far away from Him.
Otoh, there are the learnered religious know it alls in the Bible, just like today, who set traps for Jesus because they like to test Him. In His day, they knew He was an imposter. They tested Him with their biased understanding, and sure enough, He worked on the sabbath! Gotcha!!
So blind, so full of themselves and their knowledge of their knowledge, that their hearts made Him look at them in anger, their hearts grieved Him so.
I see that personality in my seeking, aka “observing and data taking”, quite a bit, and I think I sense His frustration. Sometimes I wonder if a few of those I run into are current sources of His Thorns now, here in our times.
Thanks to my seeking, my observing and data taking, I better know now who He is and how He works, and maybe even recognize the things He does slightly better now, too.
Regardless, I thank Him for everything! All the time!! Thank you, Joel Osteen, for another new hobby: I now constantly look for reasons to praise Him, to be amazed and thankful and tell Him about it!
As a result, my thinking and general outlook have improved side by side with my growing faith in Him, side by side with a growing knowledge about His Holy Family, that I hope to be a part of after this physical body dies and returns to the dust of elements from which it was created.
I’ve even looked into what hell and related concepts might be and convinced myself of those realities. The Catholics and others have a fairly decent library of knowledge beyond what’s written in the Bible.
Fwiw, the messages in TLIG have been very helpful to my thinking, both in my conversations with the Holy Family, as well as helping me to understand the religious phrases people use that I’ve never understood until recently.
Beyond that, I’m just doing the best that I can, fearful that I’m probably not doing the Will of the Father, worried that I may have blasphemied the Holy Spirit how ever many times, worried about the score I racked up breaking the Ten Big Ones and on down the don’t do list, and on and on. Plus, from high school on, I’ve wondered and worried that I’m like the servant who buried the talent to keep it safe. No “good and faithful servant” for me, yikes....
And still, I am at peace. Or if not, I know how to find Peace and am getting better at giving Him the stuff that has me upset in the moment.
The devil on one shoulder knows me too well to let me get away easily and is always present and ready with every possible fear, doubt and criticism in every situation.
Like I said, Proverbs 3:5 works as advertised. How cool is that?!?
Fwiw, NEVER stop looking in the mirror for that one! Being a good observer is harder than it sounds and that’s a major reason why.
In my life, whether in my hobbies or academics or work, everything depends upon a scientific method approach and absolute integrity about taking accurate data.
Living by that understanding, and good penmanship, made me more valuable and trustworthy, and even kept me employed through many layoffs.
I think confirmation bias is a major inner programming flaw humans have. It makes us easy targets for all sorts of predators and con artists, even for our selves, and a good observer/data taker MUST self-test for it and overcome the tendency constantly.
Critical thinking is a learned skill. So easily fooled we humans are.
Sorry bro, but after reading your long response, I have to admit I have absolutely no idea what you are trying to say. I wasn’t really interested in what others think of the plan of salvation. I was ONLY wondering what YOU thought about it, but I am afraid if you answer, I still might not have any idea what you are talking about, so, on second thought, I withdraw the question.
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