Hilary of Poitiers (d. 367) vs. Sola Scriptura as the Rule of Faith

Last updated on: February 26, 2021 at 2:32 am By Dave Armstrong

Protestant anti-Catholic polemicists David T. King and William Webster are the editors of a three-volume series, entitled, Holy Scripture: The Ground and Pillar of Our Faith (self-published by Webster’s outfit, Christian Resources Inc. [Battle Ground, Washington] in 2001). I’m most interested in Volume III: subtitled, “The Writings of the Church Fathers Affirming the Reformation Principle of Sola Scriptura” (edited by both Webster and King). In the Introduction to Vol. III (p. 9) they make the fantastically absurd, demonstrably false assertion: [T]he Church fathers . . . universally taught sola Scriptura in the... Read more

Gregory Nazianzen (d. 389) vs. Sola Scriptura as the Rule of Faith

Last updated on: February 26, 2021 at 12:02 am By Dave Armstrong

Dialogue on St. John Chrysostom & Sola Scriptura

Last updated on: February 24, 2021 at 11:17 pm By Dave Armstrong

— Includes a Discussion of the Proper Definition of Sola Scriptura Matt Hedges is a Reformed Protestant apologist. He took issue with my paper, St. John Chrysostom (d. 407) vs. Sola Scriptura as the Rule of Faith (8-1-03), in his counter-reply: St. John Chrysostom and Sola Scriptura (2-22-21). His words will be in blue: ***** He presents for his readers two of my citations of St. John Chrysostom: “So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught, whether... Read more

Why Do Christians Believe in Biblical Inspiration?

Last updated on: February 23, 2021 at 12:13 pm By Dave Armstrong

Archaeological, Prophetic, and Manuscript Evidences The Bible has been abused, criticized and scorned more than any other book in history. Many attack it in order to undermine and destroy the basis of Christianity, the perpetuation of which is so annoying to them. The notion of an ancient collection at writings concerning God and morality exercising influence over “enlightened” 21st century man is absolutely repugnant to many people today, especially intellectuals. Very well then; emotionalism aside, let’s examine some of the... Read more

An Introduction to Bible Interpretation

Last updated on: February 22, 2021 at 2:20 pm By Dave Armstrong

[book and purchase info.] *** I. INTRODUCTION Time and again, in discussing the Bible’s teachings I hear the reply, “But that’s only your interpretation” as if no certainty can be obtained as to what the Bible affirms, especially in particular matters. Diversity of opinion is often presumed to prove that there is no correct interpretation. First of all, in approaching the Bible, one must either accept or reject the Bible’s own claims: that it is the Word of God: God’s... Read more

The Biblical Basis of Apologetics (Defense of Christianity)

Last updated on: February 22, 2021 at 1:41 pm By Dave Armstrong

[book and purchase info.] [Biblical citations: King James Version, unless otherwise specified] *** REFERENCE WORKS ABBREVIATIONS TGL Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Joseph Thayer, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1977, originally 1901; numerically coded to Strong’s Concordance) VED Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (W.E. Vine, Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co., one-volume edition, 1940) MHC Commentary on the Bible (Matthew Henry, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, one-volume edition, 1961, orig. 1710) JFB Commentary on the Whole Bible (Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset,... Read more

Dismantling Whitaker’s Sola Scriptura Arguments

Last updated on: February 21, 2021 at 4:28 pm By Dave Armstrong

William Whitaker (1548-1595) was a Calvinist Anglican apologist and professor at Cambridge University. His masterwork was Disputation on Holy Scripture: Against the Papists, Especially Bellarmine and Stapleton, published in 1588. I have utilized an online copy published in 1849 by the University Press of Cambridge. James R. White, the well-known Reformed Baptist apologist, has sold the book on his website, and wrote about it in an ad in 2007 that “his work should be carefully studied by all concerned shepherds of Christ’s flock.” I... Read more

My “Lost” Cartoon Tracts (with Artist Dan Grajek)

Last updated on: February 20, 2021 at 10:41 pm By Dave Armstrong

Ever seen the notoriously anti-Catholic Jack Chick tracts? My good friend Dan Grajek and I decided to provide an alternative to them both in our evangelical Protestant days and as Catholics in the early 90s. We had discovered that we were kindred spirits and started doing street witnessing: particularly on college campuses and the annual Art Fair at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I was out there every year in the 80s, as a Protestant (sometimes with Dan),... Read more

My Earliest Catholic Apologetics Writings (1990-1995)

Last updated on: February 21, 2021 at 3:18 pm By Dave Armstrong

. . . Including the Original (Much Longer) 1994 Version of A Biblical Defense of Catholicism I became convinced of Catholicism in October 1990 (see several versions of my conversion story on the Conversion and Converts web page). Having been a Protestant apologist for the previous nine years (and a full-time campus missionary in the 1985-1989 period), it was only natural for me to start sharing with friends the reasons for my shocking change of affiliation and belief. Many of... Read more

My Earliest Christian Apologetics Writings (1981-1985)

Last updated on: March 7, 2021 at 5:52 pm By Dave Armstrong

. . . and How I Became Interested in Apologetics This year marks the 40th anniversary of my calling to apologetics and evangelism (at the age of 23), and my first writings along those lines. So I thought it would be good to “take a trip down memory lane.” I was an evangelical Protestant from about April 1977 until October 1990 (having been raised nominal Methodist and later getting into the occult and a “practical atheism”). I write about this... Read more