Debate: Matthew 16:18-19 & the Papacy (vs. Steve Hays)

Last updated on: December 5, 2021 at 4:35 pm By Dave Armstrong

The late Steve Hays was a Protestant Reformed, anti-Catholic apologist, very active online, who ran the site, Triablogue. I am critiquing a portion of his article entitled “Catholic prooftexts” (12-17-17). His words will be in blue. ***** i) Caesarea Philippi is situated on a rocky terrace at the base of Mt. Hermon. As such, it’s natural to suppose the rocky metaphor was suggested by the immediate surroundings. Jesus was standing on rocky ground, and standing in the shadow of Mt. Hermon,... Read more

“Nature Miracles”: Natural Hypotheses for God’s Actions

Last updated on: October 30, 2021 at 12:14 pm By Dave Armstrong

For Example: Noah’s Flood, Parting of the Red Sea, Quails, Earth Swallowing up Sinners, Sodom & Gomorrah, & Water from the Rocks Atheist and anti-theist Jonathan MS Pearce recently put up an article about Sodom and Gomorrah possibly having been destroyed by a meteor / meteorite. The following is my response on his blog: ***** I wrote about this three months ago, including a reference to the same article you cite at the end of mine. I viewed it, of course,... Read more

Imitating Paul & Saints: Biblical Argument for Veneration

Last updated on: October 29, 2021 at 1:17 pm By Dave Armstrong

St. Paul made it very clear in many passages that we were to imitate and emulate him, as an example, as he in turn imitated Christ (also that we should imitate God, other holy persons, and be an example, ourselves, to others). This provides a strong biblical rationale for the veneration (strong honoring; not worship!) of saints: Romans 4:12 (RSV) . . . follow the example of the faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 1 Corinthians 4:16 I urge... Read more

God’s “Fellow Workers” Help Spread Salvation & Grace

Last updated on: October 29, 2021 at 12:05 pm By Dave Armstrong

We “Impart Grace”, “Save” Others, Win Souls, Help Them “Obtain Salvation”, Etc., In Our “Work of the Lord” God (rather strikingly) uses us as His conduits or vessels or ambassadors, and refers to us as His fellow workers: Mark 16:20 (RSV) And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them . . . Romans 15:17-19 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. [18] For I will not venture to speak... Read more

Does God Use Even Lowly Apologists to Help Save Folks?

Last updated on: March 18, 2023 at 6:24 pm By Dave Armstrong

Reply to False Caricatures of Apologists Over Against Documented Biblical Views There is a strain of thought floating around today, which has infiltrated the Catholic Church, to the effect that apologetics is something that one ought to be ashamed of, as if it is merely a self-serving, arrogant, know-it-all enterprise (and apologists, pompous pretenders). We apologist-types supposedly get an “I told you so!” charge out of telling people when they are wrong, as if that is the sole factor that... Read more

Karl Keating Botches Cyprian “Infallibility Citation”

Last updated on: November 3, 2021 at 6:43 pm By Dave Armstrong

Elitist (not pop!) apologist Scott Eric Alt-Left has made a good point about Keating apparently botching a citation purported to be stated by the Church father St. Cyprian (c. 210-258), and he complains: [A]n entirely bogus quotation attributed to St. Cyprian of Carthage, . . . gets quoted and requoted across Catholic apologetics cyberspace — apparently without anyone bothering to check out the citation. . . . This fake quotation is meant to prove that St. Cyprian taught papal infallibility: Alt-Left notes... Read more

Hays’ Calvinist Prooftexts #4: Judgment of Assyria

Last updated on: October 27, 2021 at 12:31 pm By Dave Armstrong

The late Steve Hays was a Protestant Reformed, anti-Catholic apologist, very active online, who ran the site, Triablogue. In this series of articles, I will be critiquing many portions of a collection of his entitled “Annotated prooftexts [for Calvinism]” (7-7-14). Hays writes in his introductory section: I’m going to quote a number of Reformed prooftexts, in canonical order, then quote interpretive comments by various scholars. . . . Taken by themselves, Reformed prooftexts might seem to beg the question by presupposing a Reformed... Read more

Hays’ Calvinist Prooftexts #3: Absalom’s Judgment

Last updated on: October 27, 2021 at 9:53 am By Dave Armstrong

Mortal & Venial Sin: Proof from “Unwitting” Passages

Last updated on: October 26, 2021 at 10:56 am By Dave Armstrong

Numbers 15:27-31 (RSV) “If one person sins unwittingly, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. [28] And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who commits an error, when he sins unwittingly, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven. [29] You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native among the people of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns... Read more

Hays’ Calvinist Prooftexts #2: Eli’s Sons (1 Sam 2:25)

Last updated on: October 25, 2021 at 2:43 pm By Dave Armstrong