2017-04-24T13:09:53-04:00

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:09 pm   By

Romans 4, James 2, and Abraham’s Multiple Justifications Abraham and the Angels (1680-1685), by Aert de Gelder (1645-1727) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * (10-15-11) [the following is a large portion of the longer paper, “Dialogue with Lutheran Nathan Rinne, Regarding My Critiques of Lutheran Theologian Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586), Part Three: Soteriology and Miscellany”; just a little bit of additional material has been added. All Bible passages are from RSV] * * * * * Catholics believe in Jesus... Read more

2017-04-24T13:13:08-04:00

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:13 pm   By

  Pope John XXIII (r. 1958-1963), who commenced the Second Vatican Council [Flickr / CC BY 2.0 license] * * * * * Jesus built His Church upon Peter (Matthew 16:9). Most Christians agree that St. Peter was the leader of the early Church and the disciples: whether they believe he was a “pope” or not. It stands to reason, then, that there would continue to be a leader, just as there was a first President when the laws of... Read more

2018-01-09T12:39:43-04:00

Last updated on: January 9, 2018 at 12:39 pm   By

St. Peter, by Paolo Emilio Besenzi (1608-1656) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] A great deal of biblical data suggests a primacy and leadership role of St. Peter in the apostolic Church. The great Protestant scholar James D. G. Dunn stated, along these lines: [I]t is Peter who becomes the focal point of unity for the whole Church – Peter who was probably the most prominent among Jesus’ disciples, . . . Peter who was the leading figure in the earliest days... Read more

2017-04-24T13:20:01-04:00

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:20 pm   By

. . . (Incl. Assent, Trust, Hope, Works, Obedience, and Sanctification) St. Francis of Assisi (1597-1599), by Cigoli (1559-1613) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] (1-21-10) My Presbyterian friend “Pilgrimsarbour” referred to a past blog post of his where faith was discussed (including discussion also on my blog), and this stimulated me to do my own study. His words will be in blue. All Bible passages are RSV (as almost always in my writings). One can never be completely comprehensive in these treatments, because the subject is... Read more

2017-04-24T13:22:15-04:00

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:22 pm   By

Feast of Booths (Sukkot) at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem [Wikimedia Commons /  Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license] (9-21-09) [all passages RSV] St. Paul gives believers freedom to think one day “better than another”: Romans 14:5-6a One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind. [6] He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. . . . By analogy to the Old... Read more

2017-04-24T13:25:16-04:00

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:25 pm   By

Nativity (1523), by Lorenzo Lotto (1480-1556) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (12-14-08) *** [for the biblical background (that I’ve taken great pains to closely follow), see: Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-20,35] * * * * * I was just a young, poor girl from Nazareth in Galilee; To Joseph betrothed; descended from King David’s line. Obedient to Moses’ and Yahweh’s holy laws were we; Seeking in all our ways and acts to follow the Will Divine. * * * The glorious... Read more

2017-04-24T13:26:52-04:00

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:26 pm   By

Simeon’s Song of Praise (1700-1710), by Aert de Gelder (1645-1727) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] * * * * * [see Luke 2:25-35 for the biblical background] * * Long have I lived; my earthly end now drawing near Waiting for the Messiah, to come deliver our land To fulfill all our hopes and soothe ever-present fears And rescue His chosen people by His mighty hand * * * * * We have suffered for many years, in the utmost... Read more

2017-04-24T13:28:40-04:00

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:28 pm   By

The spot where Jesus was born in Bethlehem. My wife Judy and I had the unspeakable privilege of visiting it in October 2014. Photograph by “momo” (12-9-09) [Flickr / CC BY 2.0 license] (12-23-09) This Christmas poem (my ninth) is the third of a trilogy of biblical “narrative” poems: the first being from Simeon’s perspective and the second from Mary’s. I determined last year that I would try to write a poem from the perspective of Jesus becoming incarnate —... Read more

2017-06-03T12:57:05-04:00

Last updated on: June 3, 2017 at 12:57 pm   By

Angels announcing Christ’s birth to the shepherds (1639), by Govert Flinck (1615-1660) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (12-11-10)  *** In the last four years I have written three Christmas poems of a narrative nature: recounting different persons’ experience on the first Christmas: Simeon (2006), the Blessed Virgin Mary (2008), and our Lord Jesus (2009). I now continue in the same fashion. It has become a literary tradition (narrative, Bible-based poems) within a personal tradition (my own Christmas poems) within... Read more

2017-04-24T13:36:18-04:00

Last updated on: April 24, 2017 at 1:36 pm   By

. . . Explanations of its Plausibility, Necessity, and Factuality [Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license] (12-26-08) The following is a response to a person who is sincerely seeking to understand Catholic teaching on hell. He is “currently completing a PhD on the philosophy of Aristotle”: so one can see that it is quite a challenge to me to answer his inquiring objections. His words will be in blue. * * * * * I believe good, honest, sincere questions deserve a... Read more

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