Lutheran Chemnitz: Errors Re Fathers & Sola Scriptura

Last updated on: October 18, 2018 at 2:39 pm By Dave Armstrong

— including analysis of Jerome, Augustine, Origen, Epiphanius, Ambrose, Lactantius, Athanasius, and Cyprian — This is a reply to this aspect of the prominent 16th century Lutheran theologian Martin Chemnitz’ Examination of the Council of Trent, Part I (St. Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1971; translated by Fred Kramer). It’s basically a follow-up to the previous installment, which dealt primarily with the views of St. Irenaeus and Tertullian. * * * * * Before proceeding, I need to make a very important clarification that always... Read more

Lutheran Chemnitz Wrong Re Fathers & Sola Scriptura

Last updated on: October 18, 2018 at 1:34 pm By Dave Armstrong

— mostly dealing with St. Irenaeus and Tertullian — This is a reply to one aspect of the prominent 16th century Lutheran theologian Martin Chemnitz’ Examination of the Council of Trent, Part I (St. Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1971; translated by Fred Kramer). I’m in possession of a hardcover edition. * * * * * I read the first hundred pages of Chemnitz’ Examen, Volume I. Now I’ve read the entire section on Bible and Tradition (minus the sections on canonicity and vernacular,... Read more

Dialogue w Agnostic Scientist on God’s Logic, Axioms, & Biases

Last updated on: October 17, 2018 at 11:37 am By Dave Armstrong

Compiled from e-mail exchanges between myself and the late Dr. Jan Schreurs. His words will be in blue. * * * * * What we feel God would or would not do is a prejudice (preconceived idea) if it is not based on logic or testing. If we reason it out with solid logic, it remains a bias but it is no longer a prejudice. I agree, except that you leave out revelation, and attesting miracles, for some reason, which the Christian... Read more

Sola Scriptura: Church Fathers (?), & Myself (?), by Analogy

Last updated on: October 17, 2018 at 10:56 am By Dave Armstrong

This idea came to me as I was responding to a claim that St. Gregory of Nyssa was an advocate of sola Scriptura. A bunch of quotes from that great Church Father were produced, where he talked about the authority of Scripture. I remarked on the Lutheran comment board where the original citations were posted (italics added presently): It’s easy to pretend that these Fathers believed as Protestants do when you only cite one aspect of their beliefs and writings and omit equally important portions about... Read more

Dialogue w Agnostic on Common Objections to Christianity

Last updated on: October 15, 2018 at 3:17 pm By Dave Armstrong

The following exchange of amiable private correspondence is reproduced with my opponent, Matt Fahrner’s permission. He has expressed a desire that his letter to me be available in its entirety, for contextual reasons. I have not omitted any part of it below. I thank him for this opportunity to clarify my own beliefs and to present to my website visitors a congenial (and I think constructive and instructive) discussion between a Christian and an agnostic. Matt’s words will be in blue. Indented... Read more

Dialogue: Church Fathers on Perspicuity & Sola Scriptura

Last updated on: October 15, 2018 at 2:46 pm By Dave Armstrong

Perspicuity is a fancy word for “clearness” / ease of understanding of Scripture. Carmen Bryant is a Baptist missionary and Bible scholar (M.A. and Th.M. from Western Seminary). Her words will be in blue. ***** The Views of the Early Church in General A study of the development of the doctrine Perspicuity of Scripture will show that it was not a teaching invented during the Protestant Reformation but a resurrected one. This I deny. I affirm precisely what Carmen denies,... Read more

St. Augustine’s Belief in the Substantial Real Presence

Last updated on: October 11, 2018 at 12:20 pm By Dave Armstrong

The great Church Father makes many statements which have been traditionally seized upon as evidence of his adoption of either a purely symbolic or Calvinistic notion of the Lord’s Supper. This consideration will be dealt with first, before consulting the primary materials: I. Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, translated by Patrick Lynch, edited by James C. Bastible, Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books, 1974 (orig. 1952 in German), 377-378: The Eucharistic doctrine expounded by St. Augustine is interpreted in a purely spiritual... Read more

Homosexual Sex: In-Depth Dialogue with an Atheist

Last updated on: October 11, 2018 at 11:54 am By Dave Armstrong

Words of “drunkentune” will be in blue. Rated “R” for subject matter; not for the faint of heart. Don’t come complaining to me about the paper; those of you who don’t care for the discussion. Just stop reading now if you are in that category. * * * * * How is homosexuality (not homosexual sex) “deficient”? It’s an arbitrary distinction that you make. Mere love between the same gender is fine; nothing wrong with that. But eros (of the four loves: the... Read more

Justification: Classic Catholic & Protestant Reflections

Last updated on: October 10, 2018 at 3:17 pm By Dave Armstrong

[see book and purchase information; only $2.99 for e-book] I. DEFINITIONS 1. Justification: Catholic Definitions A. Ludwig Ott (On Trent) “On the negative side it [justification, according to the Council’s teaching] is a true eradication of sin; on the positive side it is a supernatural sanctifying and renewal of the inner man . . . The Reformers’ teaching of the merely external imputation of Christ’s justice was rejected, by the Council of Trent, as heretical.” (3:250) B. Servant of God... Read more

Distribution of Divine Graces by Mary & Other Human Beings

Last updated on: October 10, 2018 at 2:06 pm By Dave Armstrong

In my paper, Mary Mediatrix vs. Jesus Christ the Sole Mediator?, I wrote: My argument (in the paper, Mary Mediatrix: A Biblical & Theological Primer must not be taken to prove more than it intends to prove. It was basically an exercise in creating what I call a plausibility structure and to show that the notion of Mediatrix is not immediately able to be dismissed as contrary to Scripture in the sense that it blatantly contradicts it. In no way do I claim that Scripture Alone proves Mary... Read more