Posted on 05/31/2010 6:17:11 AM PDT by Gamecock
In this excerpt from John Gerstner's Primitive Theology, Dr. Gerstner carefully sketches the basic differences between Evangelicalism and Roman Catholicism, focusing on the differing views on justification. Over the coming days we will highlight this unique resource.
*****
Several years ago, a Presbyterian-turned-Romanist wrote a book detailing his journey to “Rome Sweet Home.” I maintain, “Rome is Not Home.” Let me explain.
Rome affirms the Bible and its account of the creation of Adam and Eve, their temptation, and the fall of mankind by the disobedience of Adam. So Rome agrees with most Protestants that this is a fallen world and that it needs redeeming, which can only be done by God through His Son Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the document Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium pretends that agreement on the deity of Christ and His bodily resurrection is an adequate foundation for Christian unity. As a matter of fact, there has never been any disagreement on those doctrines. Rome separated from the true church in the 16th century because she rejected Christ’s way of salvation!
Let me now sketch the basic differences between Evangelicalism and Romanism. Let us begin with the lost person’s becoming acquainted with the way home. He gets information about a way out of his wilderness. Here Rome and Protestantism agree. Both know that a person must hear the gospel of Christ and its divinely appointed way. So Rome is involved in propagating her message, just as all Protestant churches are. Rome has a different road map from the Protestant one. Both agree, however, that unless a person gets on the Christian road he cannot find his way home to God. The views of the road may differ crucially, but there is a concurrence on the fact that the Christian road is the necessary road out of the wilderness and into God’s celestial home.
From that point on, the two descriptions of the one way differ fundamentally. Both these theologies, the Roman and the Reformational, believe that lost man can grasp the meaning of salvation, of Christ, and of the atonement. When lost man does grasp the Christian message, his next step is diversely viewed by Rome and Geneva. Rome thinks that he can be persuaded of the truth of the Christian religion centering on an infallible papacy. Reformed theology believes that the Reformed pastor can prove that is not the true way, but that the Protestant, Reformational way is the biblical way.
To be continued...
Ping
Don’t suggest this is an actual primer on Roman Catholicism. Re-form is not original nor biblical.
Did you actually expect more from him?
My, aren’t you snarky today.
Care to comment on the actual article of did you just drop by to to employ the seagull method of attacking other’s posts?
Sounds like a great resource.
I predict the wailing and dust throwing and assaults with the rubber dictionaries, histories & ‘Bible’s will begin momentarily, if they haven’t already.
Now now, Bro Gamecock.
Please remember that Sacred Snarkiness is a particularly holy and treasured . . . as well as compulsory . . .
RITUALIZED STATION
OF THE STATIONS OF THE WHITE HANKY.
We have to allow our co-religionists their daily oblations, salutations and wailings . . . being the generous, gracious Proddies that we are.
/slight to moderat satire
True Quix, true.
" Rome separated from the true church in the 16th century because she rejected Christ’s way of
salvation!"
Further twisted logic. The Catholic Church has stayed the true course since its foundation by Christ in the first century.
From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. - Luke 12:48
Indeed the Catholic Church is the gold standard against which all other Christian denominations identify and measure themselves. We need to thank those who hold the Catholic Church to this higher standard, whether they be the secular left or the virulent anti-Catholics. They, through their deeds and insults, are acknowledging the greatness God has created in His Church. We Catholics need to recognize and live this higher standard and wear it like a badge of honor.
***The Catholic Church has stayed the true course since its foundation by Christ in the first century. ***
Except for the contradictions between the Councils. I’ll toss Orange and Trent out there for starters.
Rome separated from the true church in the 16th century because she rejected Christ’s way of salvation!
Nothing like throwing a little red meat out there...
NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT
IT DID NOT EVEN EXIST
UNTIL 300-400 YEARS LATER.
You wrote:
“Except for the contradictions between the Councils. I’ll toss Orange and Trent out there for starters.”
There are no such contradictions:
http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/a136.htm
Hardly. Even in their false arrogance the Protestants define themselves by their stance or "Protest" against the Catholic Church.
Not even that . . .
maybe a thin layer of fools gold paint.
Surely this isn't a serious post.
Given that the Catholic Church did not change its doctrine in the 16th C. but merely reiterated it, and that on most points of theology the East and the West remained in agreement both before and after the Great Schism (and the Reformed doctrines differ significantly from both).... it would seem that the best that could be claimed is that the Catholic Church 'checked out' perhaps a millennium or more before Calvin came on the scene.
That your source makes such a laughable claim calls all of the rest into question.
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