*****<\/div>\n
We are not intrinsically sinners. We were originally created without sin; baptism removes the penalties of original sin, and we will be sinless again if we make it to heaven. Righteousness comes only from God, and He transforms us, and we cooperate with him to become more holy all the time.<\/p>\n
Grace is always primary and initial. As soon as we accept that grace we can then cooperate with it to do good works bathed in grace, and these works (and none other) are meritorious. At every Mass, Catholics examine themselves, confess their sins (venial) and acknowledge their unworthiness to receive Christ in the Eucharist, but for His grace.<\/p>\n
The Law and the Gospel are not opposed to each other. Jesus and Paul taught that the Law by itself never saved anyone \u2014 it was always faith and grace. But that is not the same thing as saying that Law is antithetical to the Gospel. That was Luther\u2019s error (one of many) and it is simply unbiblical. Matthew 5:17-20 is sufficient in itself to nail this point down. Salvation is a lifelong process, free will does cooperate after the initial pure act of grace by God. It can\u2019t be otherwise.<\/p>\n
Works alone (i.e., Pelagianism) is equally as unbiblical as faith alone. We believe in faith + works as two blades of a pair of scissors, or two sides of one coin. They can\u2019t possibly be separated, or you can\u2019t have either one. There is no such thing as a \u201cscissor\u201d with one blade. It can\u2019t function that way.<\/p>\n
Works, alone, in the sense of self-produced works considered as separate from God\u2019s enabling grace, cannot save us The Law cannot save anyone without faith and grace, nor can internally generated works without faith and grace. I will now cite the Fathers, in their commentary on Romans 4.
\n
\nAncient Christian Commentary<\/i>\u00a0(general editor Thomas C. Oden, Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1998 \u2013 ):<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 4:2<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nLet no one think that someone who has faith enough to be justified and to have glory before God can at the same time have unrighteousness dwelling in him as well. For faith cannot coexist with unbelief, nor can righteousness with wickedness, just as light and darkness cannot live together.<\/span> [Origen, Commentary on Romans]<\/p>\nRomans 4:4<\/b><\/span>
\n
\n<\/b>Paul was speaking here of the way wages are given. But God gave by grace, because he gave to sinners so that by faith they might live justly, that is, do good works. Thus the good works which we do after we have received grace are not to be attributed to us but rather to him who has justified us by his grace.<\/span> [St. Augustine, On Romans 21]<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 4:5<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nThe root of righteousness does not spring from works; rather, the fruit of works grows from the root of righteousness, viz., by that root of righteousness by which God brings righteousness to the one whom he has accepted apart from works.<\/span>\u00a0[Origen, Commentary on Romans]<\/p>\nGod makes the ungodly man godly, in order that he might persevere in this godliness and righteousness. For a man is justified in order that he might be just, not so that he might think it is all right to go on sinning.<\/span>\u00a0[St. Augustine, On Romans 22]<\/span><\/p>\nPaul, in Romans 3:28, separates faith from \u201cworks of the law,\u201d which is different from works per se. Paul was saying that the Jews were not saved by the OT Law, but by faith all along. But that does not mean the Law is of no effect, or therefore null and void, as he points out in 3:31 (cf. Jesus\u2019 statement in Matt 5:17-20). Likewise, when he goes on to contrast Abraham\u2019s faith and \u201cworks\u201d in chapter 4, he continues to refer to the Old Testament Law, not works in general (see, e.g., 4: 10, 13-16).<\/p>\n
Now I\u2019ll cite the Fathers in their comments on Romans 2-3 as well:<\/p>\n
Ancient Christian Commentary<\/i>:<\/p>\n
Romans 2:2<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nThe deeds of both a good and an evil man pass away, but they shape and construct the mind of the doer according to their respective quality and leave it either good or bad and accordingly destined to receive either punishment or rewards.<\/span>\u00a0[Origen, Commentary on Romans]<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 2:5<\/b><\/span>
\n
\n<\/b>Now let us consider what is meant by the just judgment of God, in which he will reward each one according to his works. First of all we must reject the heretics who say that souls are good or evil by nature and maintain instead that God will reward each one according to his deeds and not according to his nature. Second, believers are to be instructed not to think that it is enough merely to believe [lacking fruit]; they ought to realize that the just judgment of God will reward each one according to his works.<\/span>\u00a0[Origen, Commentary on Romans]<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 2:7<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nGod has given that which is good, and those who do it will receive glory and honor because they have done good when they had it in their power not to do so. But those who do not do it will receive the just judgment of God, because they did not do good when they had it in their power to do so.<\/span> [St. Irenaeus,\u00a0Against Heresies<\/i>, 4.37.1]<\/p>\nHere Paul stirs up those who had fallen away during the persecutions and shows that it is not right to trust in faith only. For God\u2019s tribunal will demand deeds as well.<\/span> [St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 5]<\/p>\nTherefore, those who seek eternal life are not merely those who believe correctly but those who live correctly as well.<\/span> [Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Paul\u2019s Epistles]<\/p>\nWell-doing is for a time, but the reward is eternal . . . Paul wanted to show that there are many rewards for those who are good.<\/span> [Theodoret, Interpretation of Romans]<\/p>\nRomans 2:10<\/b><\/span>
\n
\n<\/b>Therefore I do not think it can be doubted that someone who deserves to be condemned because of his evil deeds will also be considered worthy of the reward of good works if he does something good<\/span>\u00a0[he then cites 2 Cor 5:10]. [Origen, Commentary on Romans]<\/span><\/p>\nIt is on works that punishment and reward depend, not on circumcision and uncircumcision . . . For in this passage it is the Jews that he is mainly opposing.<\/span>\u00a0[St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 5]<\/p>\nRomans 2:11<\/b><\/span>
\n
\n<\/b>Paul says that Jews differed from Gentiles, not in their actions but in their persons only. But it is not for this reason that one is honored and the other disgraced. It is from their works that honor or disgrace will come.<\/span> [St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 5]<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 2:12<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nBy \u2018law\u2019 he means the law of Moses, to which the Jews are bound although they do not believe. The Gentiles are also under the judgment of the natural law, but only insofar as they have chosen not to attach themselves to it.<\/span> [Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Paul\u2019s Epistles]<\/p>\nRomans 2:13<\/b><\/span>
\n
\n<\/b>What benefit is it if, while listening each day, we neglect to practice what we hear? Hence I beseech you, let us be zealous in practicing those very deeds (by no other way, in fact, is it possible to be saved) so that we may also wash away our sins and be granted the Lord\u2019s lovingkindness at his own hands, thanks to the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.<\/span>\u00a0[St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis 47.18]<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 2:14<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nWhen Paul is challenging the pride of Judaism, he is careful not to appear to be condemning the law as such. On the contrary, by extolling the law and showing its greatness he makes good his whole position.<\/span>\u00a0[St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 5]<\/p>\nRomans 2:25<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nIf the containment of evil which circumcision signifies is not matched by works of faith, it is regarded as a form of wickedness. Even in the church, if someone is \u2018circumcised\u2019 by the grace of baptism and then becomes a transgressor of the law of Christ, the circumcision of baptism is reckoned to him as uncircumcision, because \u2018faith without works is dead\u2019.<\/span>\u00a0[Origen, Commentary on Romans]<\/p>\nRomans 2:29<\/b><\/span>
\n
\n<\/b>Paul sets aside everything which is merely of the body. For the circumcision is external, and so are the sabbaths, the sacrifices and the purifications . . . The Gentile who does right is more praiseworthy than the Jew who breaks the law. When this is agreed upon, the circumcision of the flesh must be set aside, and the need for a good life is everywhere demonstrated.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>[St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 6]<\/span><\/p>\nThis means that the law should be understood according to the Spirit, and not according to what the letter says.<\/span> [St. Augustine, On Romans 11]<\/p>\nRomans 3:10<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nI think that here the apostle is saying that no one has done good in the sense that no one has brought goodness to perfection and completion.\u00a0<\/span>
\n[Origen, Commentary on Romans]<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 3:20<\/b><\/span>
\n
\n<\/b>Once more Paul jumps on the law but this time with restraint, for what he says is an accusation not against the law but against the negligence of the covenant people.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>[St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 7]<\/span><\/p>\nSome think that statements like this are an attack on the law. But they must be read very carefully, so that neither is the law condemned by the apostle nor is free will taken away from man . . .\u00a0The law is good because it forbids what ought to be forbidden and requires what ought to be required. But when anyone thinks he can fulfill the law in his own strength and not through the grace of his Deliverer, this presumption does him no good but rather harms him so much that he is seized by an even stronger desire to sin and by his sins ends up as a transgressor.<\/span>\u00a0[St. Augustine, On Romans 13-18]<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 3:21<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nThe apostle mentions many different kinds of law in this epistle, and only the most attentive reader will be able to detect when he is shifting from one to another . . . Do not be surprised that the word \u2018law\u2019 is used here in two different senses! . . .<\/span>
\n
\nMoreover, there is a way to tell which meaning of the word \u2018law\u2019 is intended. The Greek language uses articles in front of proper names. Thus when the law of Moses is intended, the article is used, but when the natural law is meant, the article is omitted.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[Origen, Commentary on Romans]<\/span><\/p>\nFor when the law held them guilty, the righteousness of God forgave them and did so apart from the law so that until the law was brought to bear God forgave them their sin. And lest someone think that this was done against the law, Paul added that the righteousness of God had a witness in the Law and the Prophets, which means that the law itself had said that in the future someone would come who would save mankind. But it was not allowed for the law to forgive sin.<\/span>\u00a0[Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Paul\u2019s Epistles]<\/span><\/p>\nPaul does not say that the righteousness of God has been \u2018given\u2019 but that it has been \u2018manifested,\u2019 thus destroying the accusation that it is something new. For what is manifested is old but previously concealed. He reinforces this point by going on to mention that the Law and the Prophets had foretold it.<\/span>\u00a0[St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 7]<\/span><\/p>\nThe righteousness of God is not manifested outside the law, since in that case it could not have been witnessed to in the law. It is a righteousness of God apart from the law because God confers it on the believer through the Spirit of grace without the help of the law.<\/span>\u00a0[St. Augustine,\u00a0The Spirit and the Letter<\/i>\u00a015]<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 3:22<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nHow could Paul have promised glory, honor and peace to the good works of the Gentiles apart from the grace of the gospel? Because there otherwise is no acceptance of persons with God. And because it is not the hearers but the doers of the law who are justified, he argues that all, whether Jew or Gentile, shall alike have salvation in the gospel.<\/span>\u00a0[St. Augustine,\u00a0The Spirit and the Letter<\/i>\u00a044]<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 3:28<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nPaul says that a Gentile can be sure that he is justified by faith without doing the works of the law, e.g., circumcision or new moons or the veneration of the sabbath.<\/span>\u00a0[Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Paul\u2019s Epistles]<\/span><\/p>\nPaul did not say \u2018we hold\u2019 because he was himself uncertain. He said it in order to counter those who concluded from this that anyone who wished to could be justified simply by willing faith. Note carefully that Paul does not say simply \u2018without the law,\u2019 as if we could just perform virtue by wanting to, nor do we do the works of the law by force. We do them because we have been led to do them by Christ.\u00a0<\/span>[Theodore of Mopsuestia, Pauline Commentary From the Greek Church]<\/span><\/p>\nPaul says this because we cannot be justified by the works of the law but only by faith.<\/span>\u00a0[Pseudo-Constantius, The Holy Letter of St. Paul to the Romans]<\/span><\/p>\nThis must not be understood in such a way as to say that a man who has received faith and continues to live is righteous, even though he leads a wicked life.\u00a0<\/span>[St. Augustine, Questions 76.1]<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 3:31<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nThe Lord himself said \u2018I have not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.\u2019 None of the saints nor even the Lord himself has destroyed the law. Rather its glory, which is temporal and transient, has been destroyed and replaced by a glory which is eternal and permanent.<\/span>\u00a0[Origen, Commentary on Romans]<\/span><\/p>\nPaul says that the law is not nullified by faith but fulfilled . . . . .\u00a0<\/span>[Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Paul\u2019s Epistles]<\/span><\/p>\n[B]y freedom of choice comes the love of righteousness; by the love of righteousness comes the working of the law. Thus, as the law is not made void but established by faith, since faith obtains the grace whereby the law may be fulfilled, so freedom of choice is not made void but established by grace, since grace heals the will whereby righteousness may freely be loved.<\/span>\u00a0[St. Augustine,\u00a0The Spirit and the Letter<\/i>\u00a052]<\/span><\/p>\nAs for Paul\u2019s usage of \u201cworks of the law\u201d in a technical sense, referring primarily to the Jews (i.e., ones who misunderstood the essence of the Law, not all), I cite\u00a0The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia<\/i>\u00a0(ed. James Orr, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1939\/1956, rep. 1974, vol. 5, \u201cWorks,\u201d p. 3105):<\/p>\n\u2018Works\u2019 is used by Paul and James, in a special sense, as denoting (with Paul) those legal performances by means of which men sought to be accepted by God, in contradistinction to that faith in Christ through which the sinner is justified apart from all legal works (Rom 3:27; 4:2,6, etc.; Gal 2:16; 3:2,5,10) . . . Judgment is according to \u2018works\u2019 (Mt 16:27 . . . Rom 2:6, 1 Pet 1:17, etc.), the new life being therein evidenced. A contrast between \u2018faith\u2019 and \u2018good works\u2019 is never drawn in the NT.\u00a0<\/span>[W.L. Walker \u2013 Congregational Minister]<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nThe determination of when this meaning of the \u201cworks of the law\u201d occurs is fairly easily obtained by consulting context. If we examine the passages mentioned above in this vein, we can readily see the suggested technical sense by looking at surrounding indications of the Mosaic Law (i.e., relied upon over against grace and faith, which was always wrong and improper at any time; see, e.g., Romans 2:28, 10:1-4; Gal 6:13). For instance:<\/span><\/p>\nRomans 3:27-29: \u201ccircumcised\u201d mentioned in v.30; mention of Jews and Gentiles in v.29; \u201cthe law\u201d referred to twice in v.31. Paul states there that \u2013 far from \u201coverthrowing\u201d the law by faith -, we, rather, \u201cuphold\u201d it (cf. 9:30-33)<\/p>\n
Romans 4:2: \u201cthe flesh\u201d mentioned in v.1, in reference to Abraham; circumcision referred to in vss. 9-12. In 4:13 he states that the Abrahamic covenant came not through the law but through \u201cthe righteousness of faith\u201d (cf. 4:14-16; 6:14-15).<\/p>\n
Galatians 2:16: Paul rebukes Peter for his \u201cJudaizing\u201d actions in 2:11-12<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
(originally 2-16-01)<\/p>\n
Photo credit:\u00a0<\/strong> Fresco of St. John Chrysostom, lower register of sanctuary in Church of the Theotokos Peribleptos in Ohrid, Macedonia (13th century)<\/span> [public domain \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a>]<\/p>\n***<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[patristic citations in\u00a0blue] ***** We are not intrinsically sinners. We were originally created without sin; baptism removes the penalties of original sin, and we will be sinless again if we make it to heaven. Righteousness comes only from God, and He transforms us, and we cooperate with him to become more holy all the time. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":23546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[239,50],"tags":[240,4255,1213,2342,973,2344,1210,4260,2341,1118,2343,243,6389],"class_list":["post-6961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fathers-of-the-church","category-salvation-justification","tag-church-fathers","tag-church-fathers-soteriology","tag-faith-works","tag-faith-alone","tag-good-works","tag-justification","tag-merit","tag-patristic-soteriology","tag-salvation","tag-sanctification","tag-sola-fide","tag-soteriology-2","tag-works-of-the-law"],"yoast_head":"\n
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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \\\"This Rock\\\" (now called \\\"Catholic Answers Magazine\\\"), \\\"Envoy Magazine\\\" (Patrick Madrid), \\\"The Catholic Answer,\\\" \\\"The Coming Home Journal,\\\" \\\"Gilbert Magazine\\\" (American Chesterton Society), and \\\"The Latin Mass.\\\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \\\"The Michigan Catholic\\\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \\\"Catholic Answers Live\\\" (twice), \\\"Faith and Family Live\\\" (Steve Wood), \\\"Kresta in the Afternoon,\\\" \\\"Son Rise Morning Show,\\\" \\\"Catholic Connection\\\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \\\"The Catholics Next Door.\\\" His large and popular website, \\\"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\\\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \\\"index\\\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \\\"Surprised by Truth\\\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \\\"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\\\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \\\"The Catholic Verses\\\" (2004), \\\"The One-Minute Apologist\\\" (2007), \\\"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\\\" (2009), \\\"The Quotable Newman\\\" (editor: 2012), and \\\"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\\\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \\\"The New Catholic Answer Bible\\\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \\\"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\\\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \\\"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\\\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \\\"Quotable Wesley\\\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Romans 2-4 & \"Works of the Law\": Patristic Interpretation","description":"Paul (Rom 3:28), separates faith from \"works of the law,\" which is different from works per se. 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Paul teaches that the Jews were not saved by the OT Law, but by faith all along.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2018\/09\/romans-2-4-works-of-the-law-patristic-interpretation.html","og_site_name":"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism","article_published_time":"2018-09-04T05:16:33+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-09-04T19:15:56+00:00","og_image":[{"width":576,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/572\/2016\/04\/Chrysostom.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Dave Armstrong","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dave Armstrong","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2018\/09\/romans-2-4-works-of-the-law-patristic-interpretation.html","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2018\/09\/romans-2-4-works-of-the-law-patristic-interpretation.html","name":"Romans 2-4 & \"Works of the Law\": Patristic Interpretation","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#website"},"datePublished":"2018-09-04T05:16:33+00:00","dateModified":"2018-09-04T19:15:56+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#\/schema\/person\/471eaa20e441eca4bb1ea50393cf632e"},"description":"Paul (Rom 3:28), separates faith from \"works of the law,\" which is different from works per se. 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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \"This Rock\" (now called \"Catholic Answers Magazine\"), \"Envoy Magazine\" (Patrick Madrid), \"The Catholic Answer,\" \"The Coming Home Journal,\" \"Gilbert Magazine\" (American Chesterton Society), and \"The Latin Mass.\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \"The Michigan Catholic\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \"Envoy Magazine.\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \"Catholic Answers Live\" (twice), \"Faith and Family Live\" (Steve Wood), \"Kresta in the Afternoon,\" \"Son Rise Morning Show,\" \"Catholic Connection\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \"The Catholics Next Door.\" His large and popular website, \"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \"Envoy Magazine.\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \"index\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \"Surprised by Truth\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \"The Catholic Verses\" (2004), \"The One-Minute Apologist\" (2007), \"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\" (2009), \"The Quotable Newman\" (editor: 2012), and \"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \"The New Catholic Answer Bible\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \"Quotable Wesley\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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