Martin Luther’s Mariology: Reply to James Swan

Last updated on: April 6, 2023 at 9:27 am By Dave Armstrong

. . . Particularly the Immaculate Conception / Has Present-Day Protestantism Maintained the Classical “Reformational” Heritage of Mariology? This is a slightly abridged and revised version of the original lengthy reply in three parts (one / two / three) from 26 April 2003; answering the anti-Catholic Reformed Protestant Luther defender James Swan‘s article, “Martin Luther’s Theology of Mary.” His words will be in blue; Martin Luther’s in green. Two sections of the original (one / two) were organized into separate... Read more

Our Mother Mary & “Mother Earth” (Rosemarie Scott)

Last updated on: April 5, 2023 at 12:00 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Guest post by my friend Rosemarie Scott: wife, mother of three and homemaker, living in New York. She is the author of Clean of Heart (2-15) and the webmistress of The Mystical Rose Catholic Page. ***** [Note: In late 2019, I wrote the article “Is ‘Mother Earth’ a Catholic Concept?” At the end, I stated my intention to write a follow-up article exploring “earthy” images of the Virgin Mary. Now, after a pandemic shutdown, the catastrophic failure of my computer (which obliterated my original notes... Read more

Development of Doctrine: Esp. the Canon (vs. Jason Engwer)

Last updated on: April 5, 2023 at 2:18 pm By Dave Armstrong

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This is a minor abridgement of a huge dialogue, originally posted on 19 March 2002. This is from the good old Internet days (now long gone) when Protestants and Catholics actually dialogued with each other at length. Jason Engwer has long ceased doing so with me, following the evasive, cynical tactics of his comrades James White and James Swan (who used to also engage me at the greatest length, for many years), and I am banned from Jason’s Triablogue site... Read more

Book of Job, Archaeology, History, & Geography

Last updated on: April 1, 2023 at 9:20 am By Dave Armstrong

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Where Was Uz? Job 1:1 (RSV) There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; . . . Uz, according to the book, was in close proximity to the Temanites, the Shuhites, the Naamathites (all noted in Job 2:11), and the Buzites (Job 32:2), as well as possibly the Arabian Desert (1:19). Lamentations 4:21 associates Uz with Edom, which was located to the east and west of the Aravah, or Arabah, the Jordan Rift Valley between... Read more

Nehemiah: Archaeological & Historical Corroboration

Last updated on: April 6, 2023 at 9:26 am By Dave Armstrong

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I will be drawing heavily from an article written by the eminent Bible scholar and historian Edwin M. Yamauchi, entitled, “The archaeological background of Nehemiah.” (1) Nehemiah was the “cupbearer” (Neh. 1:1, 11) to the Persian king Artaxerxes I (r. 465-425 B.C.) (2) Nehemiah 2:1 (RSV) In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. . . . Nehemiah 5:14 Moreover from... Read more

Ezra: Archaeological & Historical Corroboration

Last updated on: April 10, 2023 at 5:35 pm By Dave Armstrong

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I will be drawing heavily from an article written by the eminent Bible scholar and historian Edwin M. Yamauchi, entitled, “The Archaeological Background of Ezra,” (1). Cyrus the Great (c. 590 or 580 B.C.- c. 529 B.C.) (2) was the founder of the Persian Empire, and reigned as king from 559-530, according to Yamauchi. Notably, during his reign, Babylon was conquered, in 539 B.C. God referred to him as follows: Isaiah 44:28 (RSV) who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my... Read more

Cana: Archaeological Comparison of “Rival” Sites

Last updated on: March 29, 2023 at 10:22 am By Dave Armstrong

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John 2:1-2, 6, 11 (RSV) On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; [2] Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. . . . [6] Now six stone jars were standing there, . . . [11] This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him. I differ with the standard acceptance of Cana,... Read more

Ziklag (David’s Refuge from Saul) & Archaeology

Last updated on: March 29, 2023 at 10:05 am By Dave Armstrong

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1 Samuel 27:1-3, 5-7 (RSV) And David said in his heart, “I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines; then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the... Read more

Was Jonah in the Belly of a Whale? Yes, But . . .

Last updated on: March 28, 2023 at 5:44 pm By Dave Armstrong

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Jonah 1:15, 17 (RSV) So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. . . . And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 2:1-3, 5-7, 10 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called to the LORD, out of my distress, and he... Read more

Samson’s Death-Scene: Archaeological Confirmation

Last updated on: March 27, 2023 at 11:02 am By Dave Armstrong

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Judges 16:25-26, 29-30 (RSV) And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may make sport for us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them. They made him stand between the pillars; [26] and Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.” . . . [29] And Samson grasped the two... Read more

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