Free Republic

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.( 2 John 9)The Apostle John’s ministry is a ministry of restoration. There were (and are) many whose faith in Jesus, understanding of God, prayer life, interpretation of scripture, ministry and ethics, have been corrupted and distorted by false christian teachers who have redefined what it means to know God. This is still the case today, and the need for John’s epistles is yet vital to the church. To John, the Lord’s...

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.(I John 5:18-21)The Apostle John wrote his...

During the homily, Francis asked the bishops to guard and confirm the faithful in the faith, to defend them from "the wolves", which are none other than " the orthodox of the true doctrine."

Several months back Father Hugh Somerville-Knapman, OSB wrote a must read article over at his blog, Dominus mihi adjutor. For those not familiar with Fr. Hugh, a Benedictine monk and priest of Douai Abbey in Berkshire, U.K., he is no liturgical bomb thrower. His arguments are always well reasoned and thoughtful, which is why it’s worth revisiting. “Vale Vatican II: Moving On” verbalizes what a growing number of the faithful are finally coming to grips with. In the words of Fr. Hugh: “it is time now to let go of the Council.” While I encourage everyone to read the full article, there are...

It has been 500 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. And with that simple act on October 31, 1517, the Protestant Reformation was off and running.Luther's righteous act led to the birth of Lutheranism and Calvinism as two major branches on the tree of Christianity. The good news of the Gospel once again became front and center, just as it had been when Jesus got the ball rolling 1500 years earlier. And this Gospel renewal was sorely needed. But as with every period of spiritual awakening, it was...

This is a subject I have very much wanted to address of late seeing as there continues to be so much division, even in the watching community.  It shouldn't be this way.  Those of us who have a genuine saving faith in Christ should be unified even if we disagree on the details.  Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for godly division, but I see many Believers dividing for the wrong reasons. Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants...

1. The rapture is plainly taught in Scripture.  Believers will be physically removed from the earth according to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.  As soon as I hear someone say, "the rapture is not in the Bible," I know they've already lost the argument.  If you think 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is just allegory then there is nothing further to discuss.  If we can't agree on the basic meaning of words then we are not going to agree on anything.  The passage says Believers will be "caught up" from the earth and will meet the Lord in the sky.  Some even go...

Pope Francis condemns Catholics who hold true to doctrine, calls them, "fanatics" The previous post reports on Cardinal Maradiaga's inflammatory comments about Cardinal Burke. Below is the homily given by Francis, Bishop of Rome last Friday, May 19, at the chapel in the Casa Santa Marta. Note the similarity between the two. Note also that this homily was given whilst the Rome Life Forum organised by Voice of the Family was continuing. Is it possible that this rebuke was meant for these and the speakers, including Cardinals Caffara and Burke, Bishop Schneider and such luminous laymen as Prof. Roberto de...

Below are excerpts from Pope Francis' Homily at Casa Santa Marta on Friday, May 19, 2017, on the same day as the speeches of the dubia signatories, Cardinal Burke and Cardinal Caffarra, at the Rome Life Forum. Is this Pope Francis' answer to the 'dubia' of the four cardinals?:  “So we are faced with two groups of people. The group of the apostles who want to discuss the problem, and the others who go and create problems. They divide, they divide the Church, they say that what the Apostles preached is not what Jesus said, that it is not the truth.” "There were...

It is “the big mistake” that is likely to be made at all levels of the Church. Pope Francis reiterated today, May 19, 2017, in the homily at Casa Santa Marta: true doctrine unites, but if instead it becomes ideology, it divides.   The Pontiff – as reported by Vatican Radio - meditates on the First Reading of the Acts of the Apostles, in which the so-called Jerusalem Council , around the year 49, establishes that pagans converted to Christianity should not circumcise according to what the Mosaic Law requires. The Pope notes that even in the first Christian community there...

What is repentance?  Is it turning from sin?  Is it not sinning?   Is it reforming one's life?  Is it getting cleaned up first, before coming to Christ? No word causes greater trepidation and uncertainty among those considering a decision of faith and no word causes greater fear and confusion among those already in the Church. This word has caused me some of the greatest angst in my life, largely because of how I've understood it: turning from sin, reforming my ways, being perfect.  Yet I continue to fail.  Daily.  This incredible dichotomy exists in my mind between the biblical...

Disclaimer: this should not be read as not wanting more Rogue One-type movies; we need more Star Wars films like this. Also: SPOILERS. There’s a common phrase that you’re apt to hear in discussions on Army readiness: “No more Task Force Smiths.” For reference, Task Force Smith was a rapidly cobbled together unit of infantry and artillery that was shipped to Korea in the opening phase of the Korean War. Intended to show the North Koreans that America wasn’t messing around, TF Smith instead demonstrated that the U.S. Army had completely misread the resolve of the North Koreans. TF Smith...

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. ( I John 5:13)The apostle John’s ministry is one of restoration. The true knowledge of God had been supplanted in the minds of many believers by mystics and gnostics, whose visions, dreams and exotic spiritual experiences undermined confidence , in their own simple faith in Jesus Christ. The issue is the knowledge of God; Who truly knows God? Who is truly...

I hold to a doctrine that many would probably consider to be unorthodox, some would even dare call it heresy (though notable ministries such as GotQuestions say it is a valid scriptural interpretation, though they reject it).  It's called Conditionalism, sometimes Annihilationism, and in a nutshell it is the belief that the unsaved (those who die apart from Christ) do not possess immortality and after a period of punishment proportional to their sins will be utterly destroyed - body and soul.  A chief proof-text is Matthew 10:28: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot...

Evangelicals Didn’t Even Study for This Test ...this year, LifeWay used more stringent criteria for evangelical faith, as defined by some group called the National Association of Evangelicals. Only participants who called the Bible their highest authority, said personal evangelism is important, and indicated that trusting in Jesus’ death on the cross is the only way of salvation, were labeled “evangelical.” They totaled 586 survey-takers. Everyone expected them to perform better than most Americans. No one expected them to perform worse. Seven in ten evangelicals—more than the population at large—said that Jesus was the first being God created. Fifty-six percent...

Can the Church change its doctrines? Full QuestionI was amazed to read recently where a Catholic priest theologian said that the Church is not infallible and that it has changed its doctrines. Apparently he felt Jesus' words in Matthew 18:18-19 ("Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted them by my heavenly Father") mean that the Church can change its doctrines as times...

Full title - "[Catholic Caucus] World Over - 2016-04-14 – Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation on the Family with Raymond Arroyo" FR GERALD MURRAY and ROBERT ROYAL...the Papal Posse...join us to discuss Pope Francis' recently released Apostolic Exhortation, AMORIS LAETITIA (The Joy of Love). Excerpt - see video of this EWTN program segment at "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Avd7bCiV0".

[UPDATE 10/19/2015 2:30 AM GMT]: For the record: Edward Pentin has posted a complete "working translation" of Francis' watershed speech on his desire to see a more decentralized and "Synodal" Church that "begin(s) with the people and their everyday problems" and for which the "conversion of the papacy" is central. We will not dedicate more time to commenting on the theme of decentralization. It is enough to say that so long as the good bishops and cardinals who have been attacking the proposals for "decentralization" shy away from naming the true patron of the proposal -- the Pope himself --...

Stanisław Gądecki, Archbishop of Posen and President of the Polish Bishops' Conference has spoken of an attack against Catholic teaching on marriage and sexuality on October 17, 2015 in the Synod Hall. Some said that they do not wish to change doctrine, but that is indeed exactly what they are trying to do. The proposal for a change in the order of the sacraments is in reality an attempt to change the doctrine by the back door. The intervention of the Archbishop is of great significance, because these attacks had been carefully planned afore time. Additionally the polish delegates can...

Please excuse the provocative title, and do not misunderstand. Obviously, neither the Pope nor anyone else can change Church doctrine normatively. That is, Church doctrine remains true and unchangeable whatever people--without or within the Church--believe or say. In the same way the teachings of Christ or the Commandments themselves remain true and unchanging. What the Pope can do, however, is to say that Church doctrine has changed or, more to the point, imply by his words or actions that it has. Or he can say or imply that Church doctrine wasn't what most people--including most people in the Church itself...