For the second Protestant Confession to examine, it seems sensible to go for the who’s who and what’s what of Reformed Christianity, Mr. John Calvin himself. He wrote the 1559 French Confession of Faith [.DOC], and there’s much in it to admire. To wit: XXV. Now as we enjoy Christ only through the gospel, we… Continue reading Calvin on the “Marks of the Church”
Author: Joe Heschmeyer
The English Reformed on the “Marks of the Church”
In my post on Wednesday, I identified as “one of the classic Reformed beliefs on the nature of the Church” the idea of a primarily-invisible Church which can be visibly identified only by subjectively divining 3 marks. Since this week, we’ve focused on Matthew 13 at Church, which talks at length about the Church as… Continue reading The English Reformed on the “Marks of the Church”
Sam Harris: Playing Fast and Loose With the Facts
For some reason, Sam Harris is sort of a big deal to the “New Atheists,” as the angsty suburban anti-theists like to call themselves. What I can’t get is why. Take, for example, his most famous book, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason. As with all great defenses of reason,… Continue reading Sam Harris: Playing Fast and Loose With the Facts
The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, pt. 2
The other passage from the thirteenth Chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel that we looked at this week was Matthew 13:31-35, which includes two succinct parables: Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of… Continue reading The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, pt. 2
Is There Salvation Outside the Catholic Church?
There’s going to be a lot of discussion on the visible v. invisible Church upcoming, I think. I’d like to look at a number of Protestant (particularly Reformed) Confessions, to see how they understand and identify the Church. But there’s something I need to make clear, which is how Catholics understand the phrase extra ecclesia… Continue reading Is There Salvation Outside the Catholic Church?
The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, Pt. 1
I.Anyone going to daily Mass recently (Friday, Monday, and yesterday) has heard a lot about “the Kingdom of Heaven” from Matthew 13. These Gospel passages are critically important for anyone trying to understand the Church that God Himself set up upon the Earth when He pitched His tent amongst us. Friday’s was this parable from… Continue reading The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, Pt. 1
Grace, Predestination, and the Salvific Will of God
There’s a fundamental tension in any talk about predestination and final judgment. From even a basic reading of the Bible, one realizes that (a) we can’t earn our salvation; and yet (b) we do earn our damnation. This is a hard tension to resolve. Some resolve it by ignoring (b); in doing so, they seem… Continue reading Grace, Predestination, and the Salvific Will of God
Something You May Have Missed From Sunday’s Gospel
John 6:1-15 was Sunday’s Gospel, in case you’re not Catholic or missed it. It’s the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Here’s what you may have missed: an answer to the classic question, “If the Eucharist is so important, why doesn’t John mention Its institution at the Last Supper?” Many Catholics seem to have picked… Continue reading Something You May Have Missed From Sunday’s Gospel
Divorce and Remarriage: The Pastoral Approach
In response to my last post, DJ AMDG has suggested that, while perhaps doctrinally sound, it lacks any pastoral sense. Fair enough. I’m not a pastor, and the last post was more to explain what the appropriate doctrine was, not how to apply it to an individual’s case. But he’s right that that’s important. Specifically,… Continue reading Divorce and Remarriage: The Pastoral Approach
Divorce and Remarriage in Matthew’s Gospel
Looking at Mark 10:1-12 and Matthew 19:1-12, the late Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D., who served as a professor of Theology and Church History at Andrews University, went over all of the possible meanings of porneia and moicheia. (For more on this, click the annulment tag at the bottom of this post — it explains it… Continue reading Divorce and Remarriage in Matthew’s Gospel