Posted on 03/19/2014 1:32:10 PM PDT by rwa265
If a Protestant looking into the claims of Catholicism were to ask me, “What one book should I read, where I can find a quick answer to any question I have?” I would tell him to read Devin Rose’s new book The Protestant’s Dilemma. I would also recommend this book to Protestant apologists, even those of many years, well-skilled in polemics. It will remind them of the heavy burden of proof they face, and the weakness of their position on point after point. The truth may set them free and bring them home too. (It has happened.)
All this may seem like overstatement — the obligatory praise from one Catholic blogger to another. But it is not.
Consider first the range of issues this book takes up. There are thirty-six chapters, each one on a different topic, from the papacy to sola scriptura, from the canon of the Bible to Purgatory, from confession to Eucharist to infant baptism. If something about the Catholic Church troubles you, this book has the answer. If you think you have found the point on which Catholicism fails, this book will show you why it is one more point upon which Protestantism fails.
Consider also the brevity. The book is just over 200 pages long, which means that Mr. Rose’s answers get to the root of the question without a knot of academic detail. It is harder to do than it might seem. This is the book of a man who has spent a long time studying the questions that divide Protestants and Catholics, and who knows how to present his case in a way that is easy for anyone to understand. At the same time, the book is useful for the professional apologist, for it recalls his mind to the basics.
(Excerpt) Read more at scottericalt.com ...
But too stupid to include the Traditions. We'd not be having these 'discussions'.
Have to wonder how they made such a blunder...The God inspired oral traditions and they never included them in the bible...
I'd have to say that those who neglected to put the traditions in the scripture were real morons, or someone is telling a very big lie, such as there were no oral traditions...
I didn't say it came from Scripture, did I? Mr. Scofield was a righteous and Biblically oriented follower of Christ, but he never claimed to be writing Scripture. Rather, he puts forth a principle which IS taught in Scripture and which refutes those false religions that say a person must do good works in order to be saved. Instead, we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ by the grace of God who grants salvation to us through faith and NOT by our works. It is why Scofield could say that those who are born of God through faith:
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:14,15)
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12,13)
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26)
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" (Galatians 4:4-6)
When we are born again into the family of God, we are "adopted" and become heirs and joint-heirs with Christ. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit as the earnest of our inheritance and, though we may sometimes not act like children of the Most High God, we still are...we were BORN as His children and He will never cast us out or lose us. It is an assurance that comes when true faith is allowed to take root and flourish in our hearts.
would that be the Catholic version or the readers digest edited KJV??
Doesn't matter...They both condemn your religion in numerous places which makes your claim quite hilarious...
What is it with some who are so quick to take offense at any and every chance as if it is their calling in life to defend Mary? Is there some kind of indulgence for doing that? I have NEVER read one post from anyone that calls Mary a "loathsome animal" nor has anyone said anything that disparages her in any way. We can and should trust what God has revealed in Scripture and take our cues from Him.
Show me an example of Verga adding to the conversation rather than just making insulting and judgmental comments about Elsie and others.
Because God said don't do it...It a sign of an apostate religion...
1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
What do you need, a flashing, neon billboard???
It is because the Mary of Scripture is not the Mary of Rome, which is an idealized goddess mother created to fulfill a psychological need, as they find Christ insufficient.
Question:
So if you don’t have time to think to ask for forgiveness, cause car wrecks happen fairly quickly and usually without warning, you would not be saved???
Response:
It is not for us to say who would or would not be saved. Only God can look into our hearts and make that judgement.
Question:
I do agree with your last line....only God can forgive my sin. so if that is the case, why go to the priest?
Response:
There is a human element in going to confession. While it is God who forgives our sins, there is comfort in hearing that our sins are forgiven. It can be a source of great joy and consolation. I also find it to be an opportunity to ask the priest questions and seek guidance on how to become a better Christian.
Question:
I’d really be curious as to your answers on the other questions. As I understood the post, and Catholic teaching, we have to do good works as part of salvation or else we aren’t saved.
Response:
I kind of think that the love that Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 13 is the key. While James says that faith without works is dead, Paul says that without love, we are nothing and we gain nothing. I believe that works is a manifestation of our love for God and one another, and that without love, faith is nothing and works is nothing. As Paul says, faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love.
Yes AND not. Jesus said He was "building His church upon the rock" - not Peter, but the rock which is Christ and faith in Him. As this body of believers grew, groups formed in various cities across the region and the Apostles and disciples evangelized and discipled others to become leaders and pastors and elders and they led others to Christ. So various cities all over the place had established LOCAL churches/assemblies and they were based upon the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ - taught to them by Christ at first and then by the Apostles and those the Apostles discipled. Not long after, these "holy men of God wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" and their God-breathed epistles were collected, copied, dispersed, read, studied and obeyed as from the Lord. What "authority" elders and other leaders within these local churches had was based upon their upholding the rule of faith that was "once delivered unto the saints". They had no intrinsic human authority, only what they preached and taught as it followed what was preached and taught to them. Apostles laid hands of ordination on those they discipled and the process carried on down. The "Apostolic Succession" was one of the message, the authority of the truth and upholding and supporting that truth, and not one of being able to anoint NEW Apostles.
Now, just because there were established and visible churches didn't mean they were ALL faithful to the truth they were given. Some went off into heresy, some dissolved when persecution or troubles scattered them from their places of worship. There were tares among the wheat and wolves would try to sneak in and scatter the flock of God. What tied together the ancient Christian faithful was their love for each other and Christ and their faith and obedience in and to Christ. Each believer was given the Holy Spirit and He led them into all truth just as He had those who first followed Jesus. There was a fellowship and community of brothers and sisters in Christ who helped each other to grow in faith and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. They helped each other financially as they could and there are STILL churches to this day that operate much the same as those in that first century.
SO, YES, Jesus established a visible and authoritative church (body of believers) and, NO, there was not one church which was given HIGHER authority over all the others. You may label this as more "misdirection", but it IS my honest answer. Some questions are loaded, like yours, and they have to first be unloaded in order to get to the heart of the question.
Speak for yourself! I appreciate the reminder that many of the so-called Vicars of Christ - those men Roman Catholics INSIST are chosen by the Holy Spirit to lead and guide all Christians - have been some of the most depraved, wicked and debauched group of men ANY religion could ever claim. Frankly...I'm surprised how many of y'all just brush it off as if "everybody's a sinner...la, la, la...". Do YOU actually believe these men were hand picked by God to lead you? If someone was named Pope today and did the kind of things these guys did, would YOU still want to remain a Catholic? Wouldn't SOMETHING tell you there's something wrong going on? It's no accident that many of these Popes times culminated in the Reformation. God WAS trying to tell someone something!
LOL oops you did it again.
Praying that you come to Jesus.
Apparently.
Catholics would rather yell, "Look over there!!" and say something nasty about Luther.
Your flippant attitude to MAJOR sin is noted.
When an 'organization' of folks try to IMPOSE their chosen traditions on others, it might get those others just a bit feeling that SOMEONE is being BOSSY.
Your attitude toward MAJOR sin is noted.
Do you realize how silly this sounds?
Ah...
The old 'hand in the cookie jar' conundrum.
Now now...
One can only use the information that they are privy to.
NOW you've upset our Mormon FRiends; who must be DREADING the onset of WARM weather!
D&C 89:12-13
12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;
13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
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