Turretin, 1 Timothy 3:15, Infallibility, & Eisegesis

Last updated on: September 1, 2022 at 10:12 am By Dave Armstrong

François Turretin (1623-1687) was a Genevan-Italian Reformed scholastic theologian, earnest defender of the Calvinistic orthodoxy represented by the Synod of Dort, and one of the authors of the Helvetic Consensus (1675). His Institutes of Elenctic Theology (three parts, Geneva, 1679–1685) used the scholastic method. It was a popular textbook; notably at Princeton Theological Seminary, until it was replaced by Charles Hodge‘s Systematic Theology in the late 19th century. Turretin also greatly influenced the Puritans. ***** I am replying to a portion of a piece from Turretin simply entitled “The Scriptures”:... Read more

C.S. Lewis vs. the Bible & Newman Re “Religion”

Last updated on: August 19, 2022 at 8:20 pm By Dave Armstrong

In his book, Roman but Not Catholic: What Remains at Stake 500 Years after the Reformation (2017), co-written with former Catholic Kenneth J. Collins, Jerry Walls wrote in the Introduction: We have heard from lots of people who have read John Henry Newman’s famous essay on doctrinal development and found his arguments compelling. I thought it might be helpful to hear from persons who have read Newman but found his arguments deeply confused and his conclusions badly overstated. (p. xxii) C.... Read more

Anti-Catholics: Sincere & Ignorant or Malicious?

Last updated on: August 19, 2022 at 9:34 am By Dave Armstrong

[book and purchase information] [originally posted on my blog on 10-7-08, from exchanges with three people on the Coming Home Network board] *** Just recently I began to investigate the beliefs/teachings of John MacArthur. Make no bones about it, this anti-Catholic is one of the most listened to, influential Evangelical Christians out there today. . . . I would say that of those who have a great visibility within “Christendom” today, John MacArthur would definitely be at the top of... Read more

“Reformed Biblicism”: Reply to James White

Last updated on: August 17, 2022 at 7:59 pm By Dave Armstrong

This is a point-by-point response to Bishop “Dr.” [???] James White’s article, “Reformed Biblicism” (7-6-22). His words will be in blue. ***** While going over Calvin’s rebuttal of Sadoleto’s letter from 1539, I read a paragraph where Calvin held Sadoleto’s argument to a biblical standard. Calvin was a scholar of the early church. I wish he had cited which part. I don’t feel like going through the whole book that I have, to find it. He cites from patristic sources... Read more

Odd James White View Re Matthew 16:19 & the “Keys”

Last updated on: August 15, 2022 at 9:49 am By Dave Armstrong

I was looking over some of the more recent (and increasingly rare) writings of Bishop “Dr.” [???] James White (as opposed to his webcast). I found one with the title, “Do You Really Believe and Practice Sola Scriptura?” (4-30-22). In it, he stated: But here is the test: when you encounter a key text that could, in fact, impact your currently favored theological position (especially if that position is the subject of controversy), do you alter your hermeneutical method so as... Read more

“It’s Greek to Me”: Illuminating Exchange w Eric Svendsen

Last updated on: August 13, 2022 at 1:55 pm By Dave Armstrong

[originally posted on 10 January 2005, incorporating material from 5 June 2003] A lamentable incident on a discussion board (one of many) revealed certain shortcomings in Dr. Eric Svendsen’s dialogical tactics. One anti-Catholic slanderer wrote on a large Catholic Discussion Board, in early October 2003: It is true that I have taken Dave to task in the past for attempting, in his self-admitted near-total ignorance of the Greek language, to correct men who have studied Greek professionally for years as... Read more

Dialogue w Protestants: “Full of Grace” / Immaculate Conception

Last updated on: August 13, 2022 at 12:35 pm By Dave Armstrong

This is taken from a lengthy dialogue from the initial version of my website, dated 23 January 2002. Portions of it were utilized in chapter 13: “The Blessed Virgin Mary” from my 2004 book, The Catholic Verses: 95 Bible Passages That Confound Protestants [see: Luke 1:28 (“Full of Grace”) & Immaculate Conception]. Here I preserve the parts of the original dialogue that were not included in my book. My opponents’ words (from the old God Talk public Internet Bulletin Board) will be in... Read more

James White Begged Me to Leave Him Alone (Jan. 2001)

Last updated on: August 12, 2022 at 2:35 pm By Dave Armstrong

+ His Continual Fleeing in Terror from Me (Since 1995) at the Prospect of a Horrifying Sustained Written Debate [portions of the following are dated 4-4-07 and 3-7-17, with additional materials and editing on 8-12-22] ***** I made a resolution on 14 March 2001 that wasn’t even on my site, as I recall, but on Steve Ray’s discussion board, as a result of an anti-Catholic dare (probably calculated, judging by the way the anti-Catholics have tried to throw it in... Read more

Follies of Anti-Catholic Former Apologist Eric Svendsen

Last updated on: August 12, 2022 at 1:17 pm By Dave Armstrong

[originally posted on my blog on 25 April 2010; Eric Svendsen’s words will be in blue] There was a time (the early years of the 21st century) when Eric Svendsen (of “NTRMin” fame), a former Catholic, was (by all appearances) the second most influential anti-Catholic to be found online, after Bishop “Dr.” [???] James White. I first ran across him in 1996 when I participated in an e-mail list discussion group on sola Scriptura, hosted by Bishop James White himself,... Read more

Has Lutheranism Avoided Denominationalism?

Last updated on: August 11, 2022 at 2:52 pm By Dave Armstrong

Widespread Lutheran Compromise & Caving on Abortion & Same-Sex “Marriage” [see book and purchase information] Dr. Victor Andrade is a Brazilian Lutheran (IELB), a medical doctor with a postgraduate in psychiatry, who also has a degree in theology from the Lutheran University of Brazil, and a degree in philosophy from the Atlantic Academy (UNINGÁ). This is a reply to the final portion of his article, Como Lutero e os teólogos evangélicos consideravam as comunidades “calvinistas”? [How did Luther and evangelical theologians... Read more

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the Amalekite king spared by Saul, contrary to God's command?

Select your answer to see how you score.