Coming Full Circle

Some Protestants have come full circle, in that they are no different from Roman Catholics in their study of Scripture and acceptance of its authority.  What they do is rely too heavily on the leadership or teachers of the church and fail to take the Word of God at face value for what God is telling them--in other words, they should become Bereans (cf. Acts 17:11), and search things out whether they are so.  The whole concept of being a Protestant is to question authority just as Martin Luther uttered:  "I dissent, I disagree, I protest!"  We must question authority, for no one is infallible, not even the Pope who claims to speak ex-cathedra.  Our authority from the Reformation was sola Scriptura, or the Scripture alone and this was one of its slogans during the drive to find its identity.

If you just rely on one person for inspiration or instruction or drink of just one fountain, you will lose the power of discernment and could become vulnerable to the Jim Jones phenomenon, where the whole church decides it doesn't even need the Bible anymore, since they have God's voice on earth to pontificate it. One consequence of not searching things out is that the church tends to become set in its ways and loses balance and perspective of the influence of new ideas and reform:  Semper reformanda was another slogan of the Reformation and we should never become complacent and think we've "arrived" at the perfect church or orthodoxy--we are always in the process of reform--Martin Luther, et al. didn't finish the work and they would be the first to tell you this.

But note that Reformation is not just in doctrine or what is called the dogma of the church, but also in practice, worship, outreach, and missions because we should always be open to new ideas and applications. We are not to change the gospel message though since that would bring Paul's curse (cf. Gal. 1:6-9). But customs and norms of society change and, though we are not exhorted to keep up with the times, we will see that not only fashion but customs and what is acceptable changes through time; for example, in my day as a youth it was unheard of to go to church dressed in blue jeans!

There is no one-size-fits-all for worship nor for church order and government, and there are Roman Catholics who are better Protestants than Protestants, in that they regularly read the Bible, question the Pope and priest or clergy's authority and have more zeal and love for the Lord and His work.   One thing about Catholics that should be commended is their mission work (for they are responsible for bringing the message of Christ to all of Latin America) and all the outreach work they do in hospitals, schools, orphanages, and charities.

A Christian is not saved en masse, in that it's according to what church he attends--God will not ask us what denomination we were affiliated with at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  The problem seems to be the reverse, in that many believers are content just to be theologically correct and rule out the experience with Christ and the joy of serving Him, not to mention worship.  Catholics may seem to be disinterested in theology but what matters most to God is having your heart in the right place, more than doctrine being impeccably correct.

However, we are all theologians and have a slant on the doctrines, whether we realize it or not, and we cannot escape theology!  But knowledge about God must be translated into an acquaintance of God or a true relationship.  Knowledge is not just an end in itself but must lead us to a closer walk--to know Him more clearly, to follow Him more nearly, and to love Him more dearly (as Richard of Chichester said).   We are never to look down on our brother as a poor specimen simply because he's not in the know or doesn't know his way around theologically.  We may be quite conversant on Bible themes and hardly know our Lord at all, because it's all second-hand knowledge.

What God teaches us and what we learn for ourselves has much more impact on our souls.  The danger is intellectual pride in thinking we are a cut above other believers by virtue of knowledge alone.  You can know the Lord with little theological training, and you can be a stranger with much training.  But in the final analysis, we will desire to go on and know the Lord and to search things out and know the scoop when we come into a living relationship with our Lord.   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Catholic Question

"My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name"
--EDWARD MOTE

Many Catholics don't even know why they are that denomination, often because they were born into it or married into it.  Protestants stand united in the gospel message, which Martin Luther had revived, that it was by faith that a man is accepted by God.  Faith alone or sola fide became the rallying cry or the battle cry and the Counter-Reformation at the Council of Trent, 1545-1563 pronounced anathema on anyone who adhered to such "heresy" that wasn't "biblical."

Catholics had distorted the gospel to the max: by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, with Scripture alone as the authority, so that all the glory goes to God alone!  What they did was add merit to grace, works to faith, and the church and clergy to Christ, and even tradition to Scripture. Jesus condemned the tradition of man in Matt. 15 and Mark 7, and tradition is only appropriate when concordant with Scripture.  We are saved by grace through faith, and not by works per Eph. 2:8-9. Christians do works as a "therefore," not an "in order to."  In sum, I say:  "Look for Scriptural warrant or precedent, not for tradition."  Contention arose from the so-called "Counter-Reformation" that gave tradition equal authority as Scripture--Protestants affirm the Bible as the guide and rule of faith.

Religion says "do," while Christianity says "done."  We are not to become rules-obsessed like the Pharisees and know a code or a creed, we are to know a person!  Paul pronounced anathema anyone who preaches another gospel in Gal. 1:6-9 and this is the danger, not in praying the Rosary, or invoking saints, but in spreading a false gospel which is damnable; however, be at ease, Catholics can be saved, if they call upon the name of the Lord in faith in repentance; so put aside all apprehension that I'm trying to condemn them all; at worst, they are ignorant of the Word and are living defeated lives because of it. 

Caveat:  In determining truth, it's paramount to realize that Christianity isn't true because it works (yoga and TM work!), but Christianity works because it's true the converse!  You cannot say, "It works for me," without defeating the purpose of Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that these are absolute, not relative to your experiences or situations.

I don't care if you believe in the Fairy Godmother, Easter bunny, Santa Claus, Prince Charming, mermaids, dragons, the abominable snowman (Sasquatch), leprechauns, aliens, ghosts, haunted houses, Halloween, unicorns, knights in shining armor, the Loch Ness monster, cavemen, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Mother Nature, or the Tooth Fairy; those are not damnable though implausible beliefs.  Many of Catholic traditions, such as believing in the Apocrypha are not damnable per se, but just "extra-biblical," rather than "anti-biblical."  You must get this right to become a Christian (cf. Matt. 16:15; 2 John 9):  Who is Jesus Christ?  He is God in the flesh, or you're not a believer and unsaved. Technically, Catholics are Christians, because they know Jesus, but there is so much baggage that it is hard to get to the meat of the Word in that church, and many who find the Lord do leave it for more evangelical churches.

Praying the Rosary, invoking saints, and other religiosity may not be prohibited in the Word, but there are sins of omission as well and these are often mutually exclusive and when you know the Lord, you pray intimately with him and not by rote or in a perfunctory manner, or even to show religiosity as the Pharisees did.  Our prayer life is to be kept in our prayer closet and not "advertised" or promoted, for then we will have our reward--the approbation of man and his praise.

Unfortunately, many Protestants today have come full circle, in that they no longer read the Bible, but rely on their church to tell them what to believe rather than be like the believing Jews in Berea, who searched the Scriptures out in order to see if the things Paul said were so.  This is what Protestants were objecting to:  the authority of the Pope and clergy.  Martin Luther proclaimed:  I dissent, I disagree, I protest!  Hence we are known as Protestants.  

Here's an example of Protestants coming full circle:  "I don't read the Bible or believe in its authority anymore for the ultimate authority and arbiter of truth!"  Q: "How do you know what God's will is and learn about God?"  "I listen to the preacher!"  Q: "How do you know what to believe?"  "He agrees with me!"  Q: "And whom do you agree with?"  "I agree with him--we both believe the same thing!"  Soli Deo Gloria!

Critique Of The Catholic Tradition

Back in 1517 the professor and Augustinian monk Martin Luther said in effect, "I dissent, I disagree, I protest" to the church of Rome and nailed the famous 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church All Souls in Wittenberg, Saxony, on Halloween night.  Since then there have been irreconcilable differences between the faiths and this started the Reformation, which brought about the Counter-Reformation of the Catholics at the Council of Trent, 1545-63.  In effect, they condemned the Protestants and anyone who believed in their formula of salvation dogma (church accepted doctrine) which is salvation by faith alone (they pronounced them "anathema" or cursed). Justification by faith alone became the battle cry of the Reformation.  Note that the Catholics condemn Protestants, and not the reverse as they said in Vatican Council II that one cannot be saved apart from the Church or that "it is necessary for salvation." What Protestants rejected was that Roman Catholicism is mainly a religion because it adds merit to grace and works to faith and doesn't rely solely upon Christ alone in faith, but faith also in the Church or Pope.  Catholicism is primarily a tradition that adherents follow without questioning authority.

The point of disagreement lies not in the deity of Christ or the infallibility of Scripture but in the doctrine of soteriology or of the study of salvation.  We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and the authority is in Scripture alone.  Catholics take issue at all these points:  They add merit to grace; works to faith; faith in the Church or Pope to Christ; and tradition and the Church to Scripture. Catholics believe that the instrumental means of salvation are the sacraments and as the Church administers them in baptism Holy Communion.  Protestants believe the instrumental means is faith and this is a gift of God so that we cannot boast.  Protestants see Christ as our Mediator (see 1 Tim. 2:5) while Catholics have declared Mary as Co-Redeemer or and Co-Mediator or Mediatrix. Protestants see all believers as priests unto God and we don't need a priesthood.  All believers have the authority to interpret Scripture, however, the responsibility and obligation to do it correctly, and not just the priest, for no prophecy of Scripture is of a "private interpretation" according to  2 Pet. 1:20.

Protestants have nothing against tradition as long as it complies with Scripture or doesn't contradict it. For example, where Catholics have unbiblical traditions or are out of sync or harmony with Scripture are traditions such as:  Believing the Church is built on Peter, the first Pope; there is a purgatory to purge of sin; prayers can be said to Mary and the dead saints (invocation of saints); images are made to kneel and pray before; the mass and sacraments are needed for salvation; salvation is through the Roman Catholic Church; in communion, the elements become the actual body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation); penance is for the restoration of fellowship; the notion that indulgences are made for the dead in purgatory; veneration and worship of Mary; holy water; canonization of saints; the celibacy of priests; and the repetition of the Rosary.  None of these are based on Scripture and in fact contradict sound doctrine.

Other traditions include the addition of nuns, monks, monasteries, convents, Lent, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, All Saints Day, declaring the Pope to be the Vicar of Christ and Head of the Church (per Col. 1:18 Jesus is Head), the infallibility of the Pope, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the immaculate conception of Mary, the assumption of Mary, the crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Mother of God. Basically, the problem lies in the fact that they attribute tradition as having equal authority as Scripture.  Whereas, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees:  "... [T]heir teachings are but rules taught by men."

Vatican II said in the 1960's on the Ecumenism:  "For it is through the Catholic Church alone, which is the all-embracing means of salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained."


This is where contention arose:  Their spirit of exclusion and condemnation which is not based on Scriptural support but only edict and tradition of Rome [declared at the Council of Trent] and the Papists.  Read the blasphemy of Pope Pius the Ninth, the first "infallible" Pope in 1870:  "I alone, despite my unworthiness, am the successor to the apostles and Vicar to Christ.  I alone have the mission to guide and direct the ship of Peter.  I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  They who are with me are with the Church.  They who are not with me are out of the Church."   The Bible says that Christ is the Rock and there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5). Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:4 that "that Rock" was Christ.  They see Peter as the "rock" but Christ only called him "Petros" or rock in Greek, and the truth he expressed as "Petra" or foundation rock" in Greek that would be the Rock of His church.  This church position is highly sectarian (Paul condemns sectarianism in 1 Cor. 1) and is exclusive.

Their veneration of the Virgin Mary as the tradition was declared at the Vatican in 1994 as follows:  "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship.  The church rightly honors the Blessed Virgin with special devotion.  ... The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an 'epitome of the whole gospel,' express this devotion to the Virgin Mary."  [Mat. 1:25 says that Joseph had "no union" with Mary until "she gave birth" implying losing her virginity, while Mark 6 and Mat. 13 list Jesus' brothers.] Praying to Mary contravenes the example of the Apostles and seeing her as sinless contradicts her addressing God as her Savior in the Magnificat. The obeisance to Mary was exemplified by Pope John Paul II in May of 1991 when he went to Fatima in Portugal and placed a crown of diamonds on a statue of Mary for saving his life from an assassination attempt. This is no less than the so-called hyper-elevation of Mary and seeing her as without sin through the immaculate conception and crowned as Queen of Heaven.  Pope Leo the Twelfth said, "No one can approach Christ except through the Mother."  He also said, "... [Nothing] according to the will of God comes to us except through Mary."  None of these dogmas are warranted in Scripture and undermine the gospel and the Incarnation.

In short, Rome has declared that there is no higher authority than the Pope, who they see as the direct successor of Peter, who they say was the first Pope [But Paul put him in his place, even accusing him of hypocrisy] and is head of the Church, and in order to be saved one must be subject to his authority, making Protestants heretics.  Relying on Mat. 16:18-19 they say Peter was given "the keys" but Jesus makes it clear in John 20:23 that the right to forgive was given to all the apostles and this was clearly delineated in Scripture--Acts 10:43 says all who believe in Jesus are forgiven!  Roman Catholics always refer to Mat. 16:18-19.  Catholics say Jesus was just talking to Peter when He gave authority, but Peter is the subset of the larger band of disciples and this is reading into the Scripture or eisegesis and to justify their understanding of the church and of the legitimacy of a Pope,  they are taking the verse out of context--the full analogy of Scripture, that is; for Scripture is its own interpreter (see John 20:23) and it never contradicts itself. It isn't wrong to call someone a heretic if you can prove it by Scripture, but they just declare it by church dogma and tradition and cannot base it on any biblical authority. Protestants believe the Bible is sufficient to rule our faith and we don't need tradition, which is acceptable only as it is concordant with Scripture and not in conflict with biblical dogma.  In sum, Roman Catholics believe there is no higher authority than the Pope and it is necessary to be subject to him for salvation [decreed by Pope Boniface the Eighth, in his Bull of 1302].  The reason they accept this is tradition and they believe in tradition as equal validity as the Bible.  Everyone must ultimately ask himself:  What is your rule of faith?

In the final analysis, if you find yourself compromising your faith or not believing sound doctrine is important and worth sticking to, or not sticking to your guns, you are on the way to a falling away. You must be in the know or be privy to what this religion stands for so you will be prepared when God opens the door for you to testify of the truth--He who is of the truth will listen. The adage it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere is fallacious.  Paul spoke of Israel as having a "zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (cf. Rom. 10:2, ESV).   We do not judge Catholic counterparts, but we must be willing to take a stand for the truth when the time is right.

As a quick litmus test of orthodoxy, ask a Catholic friend if he believes in free will.  Augustine said we did with reservations:  We have a free will, but we are not freed.  We are set free upon salvation, not born free--i.e., we don't have liberty, but are voluntary slaves of sin.   Rome has condemned anyone who doesn't affirm the Catholic doctrine of absolute free will--they believe the will is not affected by the fall of Adam, in other words, but remains in a neutral position freely able to choose Christ apart from God's intervention and aid.  Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (cf. John 15:5).  If left to ourselves, none of us would've chosen Christ!

Free will introduces merit and makes some worthy of salvation by their free choice.  A pertinent verse is Romans 9:19 which says, "You will say to me then, 'Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?'"  Another is John 1:13 which says we are not saved by the will of man but of God! If you came to Christ on your own, you probably left Him on your own!  Jesus plainly said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him"  (John 6:44, ESV).  And:  "... [T]his is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father"  (John 6:65, ESV).  This is commonly called the "wooing" or drawing ministry of the Holy Spirit who empowers us unto faith by quickening our spirit and opening our eyes.  We didn't choose our nature and we are only clay in the Potter's hands, but we are free to act according to our God-given nature, disposition, or temperament.  Who said we need free will to be saved--we need our wills made free!  "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure"  (Phil. 2:13, ESV).

The Bible says not to be unequally yoked, and this means you must have a mutual respect and understanding in your faiths, but not necessarily to be of the same denomination.  You must be able to pray together if you want to stay together.  If there is one thing that'll change your theology in a hurry it's falling in love!  Caveat:  The husband is in the role of the spiritual head of the family and must not be derelict or remiss in his duties to take charge and lead.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Protestant In Name Only

Dare to disagree and express your views or interpretations!  Dare to be different and be a Daniel who stood up against the whole government and defied it or like Dietrich Bonhoeffer who attempted an assassination of Adolf Hitler as a double-agent, and was martyred by the Nazis for his faith and dissent.  They were Protestants in spirit who learned to think for themselves and didn't blindly follow the leaders but knew their God personally.

Will the real Protestant stand up, and be counted, please! Protestants are called that because they protest!   Protestants are born to question authority and to check things out for themselves, not taking some one's word for it, no matter who he is; having a personal and not a second-hand knowledge of the Lord.  It's time to show your Christian colors! What then is the essence of being Protestant and why is this an issue in today's evangelical church?

The issue is how can we end up being Catholics in practice while calling ourselves Protestant.  The branch of Christianity known as Protestant includes a lot of denominations, but they tend to all agree that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone (this is known as sola gratia, sola fide, and solus Christus in Latin as 3 of the five so-called "Five Onlys" of the Reformation), without any merit or work on our part to contribute to it--this is essential acquiescence on soteriology or the doctrine of salvation.  But there is more to it that than:  Martin Luther started the movement in 1517 at the Wittenberg Castle Church door where he nailed his 95 Theses on Halloween, and basically announced to the Church and declared, "I dissent, I disagree, I protest!"  He had been awakened from his dogmatic slumber and was ready to reform the Church.

There has to be room for disagreement in an agreeable and civil manner amount church members or it becomes cult-like as the People's Temple (the "cult of death") of Jim Jones that was based on his personality--the people saw no more need for their Bibles since they had him in person!  We need to be ever vigilant and be Bereans who daily search the Scriptures to see whether these things our pastors and teachers tell us are so.  This is the noble thing to do and God expects it of responsible congregants. Having room for disagreement and agreeing to disagree is healthy and show life in a church body, and is not the beginning of the end.  There is a time to go your separate ways, of course, like Paul and Barnabas disagreeing about Mark's worthiness, but we should be able to work out most disagreements.

The typical Protestant attending church today doesn't study or sufficiently read his Bible, but believes everything his church tells him and follows with a blind faith, not knowing why.  One Protestant said he doesn't even believe in the infallibility of Scripture anymore, but insisted Christ was still his Lord. This begged the question: "How does He exercise His Lordship?"  The person in question said, "By following the teachings of the church." This so-called nominal Protestant has come full circle and is really a Catholic who believes only the clergy has the authority to interpret Scripture and one mustn't question authority.

One distinction of Catholics is that they adhere to time-honored traditions as to have equal authority with Scripture (since the decree in the Council of Trent from 1545-63), while a Protestant is open to new ideas and experimental--not religious or slave to traditions such as the Rosary--and has a personal relationship with Christ as a priest and doesn't need one to make confession to on a regular basis.  There is nothing inherently wrong with tradition as long as it complies with tradition but it can get in the way and become a distraction to the real thing.  Catholics defer to tradition, without question!

We don't want a church that is run by control freaks or old fuddy-duddies who are set in their ways and are satisfied in the comfort zones with the status quo.  Old habits die hard and we constantly need the input of new and young blood to keep a church alive and from dying off and becoming irrelevant. We need new ideas and must never stop reforming the church we attend because one of the slogans of the Reformation was semper reformanda in Latin, or always be reforming. We see ourselves as works in progress and like to say that God isn't finished with us yet, but have a hard time saying the same about our church, that it is also a work in progress and in need of sanctification and reform--Martin Luther knew that he had not finished reforming the Church of its Catholic influence of the Popes. And we should never be "at ease in Zion" (cf. Amos 6:1) or settle in complacency and think we have arrived as a church body and need no improvement.  A church without vision will perish spiritually and this means a view into the future and a plan of attack against the devil and his domain.  Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) says, "Without a vision, the people perish...."   If you aim at nothing, you will get nothing!  Aim high, because you cannot aim too high--it is better to aim high and almost make it than to aim too low.

The questions should always be asked as to what is the attitude toward disagreement and our member's ideas and concerns treated properly, fairly, and biblically. Why?  Because the sole authority for a Protestant church is the Bible and one of the slogans of the Reformation (one of the five onlys), was sola Scriptura or the Bible alone is the authority and final arbiter, not some church dogma or constitution; the whole point of being Protestant is not to be at the mercy of church dogma and have the freedom to interpret Scripture on your own--but with this responsibility comes the responsibility to do it correctly--because with every privilege comes the complementary responsibility that goes hand in hand with it as its flip side.  This goes with any right you have, you also have an obligation as the flip side!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Agreeing To Disagree

This is almost a cliché now but it cannot be stressed enough in the body of Christ:  "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"  (Eph. 4:3). We don't want to be contentious, disagreeable, nor divisive, that is to say.   It has been well said by Chuck Swindoll that if you drink of only one fountain, you will lose your discernment.  What that means is to keep an open mind and don't think you or your group have monopolized the truth and get a Bible-club mentality.  We all need each other and are all part of the story, as it were--the Spirit of truth will lead us into all truth.  The church is to be semper reformanda, which means "always reforming" and we never will complete arriving at truth until Christ perfects His Bride.

 In a marriage, it is good to have an agreement, but disagreement can serve a purpose also:  It challenges our wits and brings to light issues that would otherwise go unnoticed.  If they agree all the time, one of them is unnecessary!  In a church body we want to strive for unity in the Spirit, of course, but leave room for disagreement or dissension in the body.  Aurelius Augustine of Hippo said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."  There are certain doctrines that we cannot compromise on like the Trinity and salvation by faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone.   We have to agree to disagree even in the body and not "muzzle the ox that treads out the grain," [hinder or restrain someone from proclaiming the truth] so to speak.  We need healthy dialog and debate in the body to grow in the faith--that's why Jude says to "contend for the faith."

The whole idea behind the Protestant Reformation was what Martin Luther proclaimed:  "I dissent, I disagree, I protest!"  We are not at the mercy of church dogma any longer and realize our God-given right to interpret Scripture on our own and form our own beliefs and convictions; however, we are not free to fabricate our own truths and are responsible for our doctrines.  Roman Catholic churches do not allow this liberty and laypeople are at the mercy of the clergy and the Pope to interpret for them.

We need more healthy dialog in our churches and believers who aren't too timid or intimidated to speak up for the truth as they see it.  Most churches today have come full circle:  "What do you believe, Sir?"  "I believe what my church believes."  "What does your church believe?" "What I believe!" "What do you both believe?"  "We believe the same thing!"  We might as well be Catholics as blindly follow a teacher without question, no matter how good he is.  No one is apostolic today, despite the Pope claiming apostolic succession, and is inerrant or infallible.  To err is human!  Augustine said, that he had learned to hold only the Scriptures as inerrant and infallible.

The condition for arriving at the truth is to realize that you don't know all of it yet and have an open mind, that is willing to admit it could be wrong.  The truth is not arrived at by vote or majority rule, but by the conviction of the Holy Spirit that is called the illuminating ministry and God can convict us of the truth--"If any man will to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine..." (John 7:17).  Soli Deo Gloria!