St. Paul’s treatise on the Eucharist in the middle of First Corinthians (specifically, Chapters 10 and 11) is masterful. I decided to walk through much of chapters 10 and 11 today, with interspersed passages from the Book of Hebrews touching on the same point. I. Paul Shows the Sacraments From Israel’s History (1 Cor. 10:1-4)… Continue reading Eucharistic Theology in St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians
Tag: ECFs
St. Patrick’s Confession
This is a perfect reflection for both St. Patrick’s Day and for Lent, particularly if you’re someone who’s grown up in a religious household without ever having a strong faith of your own. It’s the beginning of St. Patrick’s Confessio, his autobiography: 1. I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all… Continue reading St. Patrick’s Confession
Can You Establish the Canon of Scripture from New Testament Citations?
I raised, to a Protestant seminarian friend of mine, the two basic problems with sola Scriptura (“Scripture Alone”): namely, that you can’t rely upon Scripture alone to prove the doctrine of “Scripture alone,” meaning that it’s self-refuting; and that you can’t even rely upon Scripture alone to determine which Books properly form the canon of… Continue reading Can You Establish the Canon of Scripture from New Testament Citations?
Genesis and Baptism Regeneration
The ancient term for the sacraments (and the name still popular in the East) is the “Mysteries.” It’s also the term St. Paul uses for one of the sacraments, marriage, in Ephesians 5:31-32. So when St. Ambrose (c. 337-397 A.D.) writes On the Mysteries, it means the same thing as On the Sacraments. And that’s… Continue reading Genesis and Baptism Regeneration
Why “Scripture Alone” is Wrong In All Its Formulations
I know I’ve written on the sola Scriptura debate many times before, but I think there might be a simpler way of explaining the Catholic view than I’ve done in the past. The difference between the Evangelical formulation of sola Scriptura, the classic Reformed formulation of sola Scriptura, and the Wesleyan notion of prima Scriptura… Continue reading Why “Scripture Alone” is Wrong In All Its Formulations
Aquinas of All Trades
Today, the Church celebrates one of Her greatest theologians, Saint Thomas Aquinas. Christopher has some good quotes of his up. The thing that I always find remarkable about St. Thomas Aquinas is that he was one of the most amazing Christians in virtually every field imaginable. There are some Saints who have particularly beautiful writings on… Continue reading Aquinas of All Trades
Was Peter Ever in Rome?
Lorraine Boettner’s 1962 book Roman Catholicism is notorious for its egregious distortions of history and outright falsehoods. Nevertheless, it remains popular amongst some Fundamentalist circles, because hey, it speaks ill of Catholicism, so how could it be wrong? Here’s a sample of the sort of thing I’m talking about: The remarkable thing, however, about Peter’s… Continue reading Was Peter Ever in Rome?
Early Church Fathers on the Eucharist (c. 300 – 400 A.D.)
This is the last in a three-part series on the Church Fathers on the Eucharist. Part I looked at the writings of Church Fathers from the time of the Apostles until 200 A.D. Part II looked at the Fathers from about 200 to 300, and today, we’re looking at the Fathers from 300 to 400.… Continue reading Early Church Fathers on the Eucharist (c. 300 – 400 A.D.)
Why Didn’t Jesus Heal More People During His Ministry?
Today’s Gospel is interesting. It’s Luke 5:12-16, and there’s a fascinating contrast: It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him,… Continue reading Why Didn’t Jesus Heal More People During His Ministry?
Early Church Fathers on the Eucharist (c. 200 – c. 300 A.D.)
A few weeks ago, I posted brief snippets of the writings of the earliest Church Fathers, from the time of the Apostles until 200 A.D., showing what they believed on the Eucharist. Long story short, these men believed that the bread and wine became the Body and Blood of Christ, that this happened at the… Continue reading Early Church Fathers on the Eucharist (c. 200 – c. 300 A.D.)