Flight Cancelled

I have come to the end of my road to Rome. I have several problems with the teachings of the Catholic Church that I simply cannot get around.  In this post there will be several statements that are not referenced either because it is based on my general opinion, or because it is based on what I have gathered from multiple sources but can't really remember where specifically.

First, I don't think Peter or Rome were originally regarded as the head of the church.  I think James and Jerusalem were the original head of the church per Acts 15:7-20.  Certainly, within a few centuries Rome was looked to as the head, but I think that has more to do with political and ethnic pressure than apostolic authority.  In general, I think political and ethnic pressures account for a number of traditions, some minor and some not so minor.  For example, the Roman Catholics celebrate Easter based on a European calendar completely divorcing it from the Jewish calendar and Passover.  And they are quite candid about this - in material provided to me in RCIA class it was explained that the resurrection of Christ marked a clear division between celebrating Passover in the past and Easter going forward.  I just don't think that is correct.

Second, I've read forward and backward and upside down to try to get my head around praying to saints, or asking saints to intercede.  Honestly, this is not that big a deal to me - I understand the idea that saints are surrounding the throne and we can ask them to pray to God for us just like we would ask a friend or family member to pray for us.  But I still don't think it's true.  I don't think it's idol worship to ask a saint to pray for you, and I don't think it's necromancy.  I just don't think Christ gave us that example.  It also concerns me that the process to become a saint involves confirming miracles after their death.  So, not only do Catholics pray to saints, but they pray to people before they are saints.  And then the miracle(s) is associated with that person.  That seems very troublesome to me.

Thirdly, Catholic dogma (Lumen gentium paragraph 16 and Nostra Aetate paragraph 3) is that Muslims worship the same god as Catholics and protestants.  I don't hate Muslims, I don't think they are all evil, and I think they have every right to worship as they choose.  However, I cannot believe that we worship the same god.  The basic premise in the Catholic church is that all humans are searching for God in their own way.  You can be most assured of eternal life with God by being a practicing Catholic in good standing.  Your "odds" go down the further away from the Catholic Church you get.  If you are not in the Catholic church your good deeds may eventually get you eternal life with God.  I don't believe that.

Lastly, Mary.  I don't buy into the whole "Biblical Manhood" patriarchal male leadership common among some conservative Christians.  And I don't really have a problem venerating Mary.  So, it's not an anti-feminine bent that dissuades me.  But I cannot accept the 4 dogmas of Mary.  For example, perpetual virginity.  I think Joseph, husband of Mary, died while Jesus was young and since he had no children one of his brothers married Mary, per Mosaic law, and had children (Mark 6:3).  I am aware of the "cousins" interpretation, but I don't think it is correct.  I think James, Jesus' oldest younger sibling, is referenced in John 19:26.  And I think James went on to be the first leader of the Church as referenced in Acts above. 

Unfortunately, I'm afraid that I think I can stand by all my previous posts with a clear conscience.  In brief, what I have posited is that the Protestant church is hopelessly divided.  Secondly, that Sola Scriptura is untenable as a full deposit of "the faith" - that is, there is something about the Christian faith that is transmitted by tradition.  Thirdly, that the Catholic Church has terrific teachings on faith and grace.  And lastly, I have no issue with there being authority in the Church reliably passed down and protected by the Holy Spirit for 2 thousand years.  So, perhaps I'll start a blog with a different name now.

Love,
Paul

P.S.  I leave this particular branch of the road with a better understanding of Catholics.  As a protestant it is so easy to just write them off as crazy and unbiblical, but that is clearly not the case.  I have a much higher regard for the Catholic church now.

Regarding Cowboys

Solus Christus

1 Timothy 2:5 - For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

On this point I’d say I’m still in a “journey” stage – I don’t really have fully formed thoughts.  Protestants use this point to say that priests are not needed, that they come between God and man and are therefore in direct opposition to Scripture.  A full Catholic response requires a bit more development than I am prepared to give, but will that stop me from exploring a couple ideas?  No…

First, immediately preceding this particular passage from 1 Timothy:

1 Timothy1:18-2:1 - This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.  First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

And then

1 Timothy 2:7 - For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

What I get from this passage is a couple things that broaden or deepen the Solus Christus message.  And I think that is what is needed to understand or accept the Catholic teaching on priests and their authority – not a contradictory idea, but a fuller idea.  Because, on one hand, no orthodox Christian would ever claim that salvation or spiritual authority has any source but Christ alone.  On the other hand, it does not necessarily equate that there should remain no authority within the offices of the Church.  So, what does this passage show us?  First, Paul was appointed a preacher and an apostle.  I’m sure this says a lot more, but at a minimum it establishes that some people can be set apart for special service and that humans can actually accomplish God’s purposes in relation to other humans.  Second, Paul entrusted a special charge to Timothy.  The first charge that Paul entrusted to Timothy included interceding for people.  The fact that this intercession charge is in virtually the same thought as the “one mediator” phrase indicates that there is probably some depth and nuance to a full teaching of this topic.  Third, Paul had the authority to hand people over to Satan.  And that is only from the verses immediately before and after the “one mediator” statement.  So clearly, there is more to the “one mediator” teaching than a singular “me and Jesus only” statement. 

Secondly, I think part of the issue among protestants is an ego problem (perhaps I should just speak for myself, but I suspect that many protestants feel this way) - they just don’t like the idea of a priest being in their business and having actual authority.  I agree.  I’d really rather not tell another human exactly when and how I mess up.  I’d really rather keep that private.  Perhaps it’s true of all people in all times, but the independent libertarian in me and my culture is completely repulsed by the idea of another person having authority over me.   

But then, the Gospel is not the same as the Constitution – protecting my individual freedom and my pride are not really what we are talking about.  We are talking about the commands of Christ and how His Church is to operate.  So, really I just have to get over some of that.  The Catholic Church’s teaching on confession and forgiveness of sins is not easy and it’s not simple.  Above all, the Catholic Church is clear that only God forgives sins (1441).  The Catholic Church also takes seriously Christ’s command that the Apostles were Christ’s ambassadors and were given the authority to forgive sins on His behalf (John 20:23).   And that we are not to keep our sins private, but we are to confess them (James 5:16).  

Recently I was talking to an old friend who said that his experience on the local school board had pretty much forced him out the church – too much wrangling, politics, back stabbing, etc.  I related that we had been having a difficult time with church ourselves and were looking at joining the Catholic church.  His response was that he just couldn’t get over the idea of having a priest between him and God.  I didn’t really respond to him because it wasn’t the right time or place.  But here’s my thoughts on that sentiment.  My experience is that priests have no desire, instruction or calling to come between you and God.  5 of the 7 sacraments of the Church require a priest to be valid in the Catholic Church.  Baptism and marriage do not.  Confirmation, anointing, Eucharist, holy orders, and penance do.  A priest is required for these because the authority of Christ is given through apostolic succession.  The Church is entrusted with the duty to protect and preserve the faith which has been handed down by tradition and written letter (2 Thessalonians2:15, 1Timothy 3:15).  I think the present condition of the protestant church is a fine example of what happens when no one has authority to protect and preserve the tradition of faith.  The priest’s office requires them to serve you in carrying out what has been commanded by Christ.  But these 7 sacraments are not the whole of your faith – your conversation with God in prayer, your study of the Word, and your daily walk do not require a priest.

By the way, did you know John Wayne was Catholic?

Love,
Paul  

Roses are Overcoming, Daisies are Sedentary, Tulips are Irresistible

Sola gratia - salvation, regeneration, is by God's grace.  I bring nothing to the table that enables me to be reconciled with God, to have faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

I’d like to start by laying out an airplane level view of the terrain on this topic, at least from my perspective.  Generally speaking, we are looking at the relationship between human free will and God’s election, human choice and God’s sovereignty.  What role, if any, do these forces play in coming to faith in God?  I’m not aware of a theological tenant that is debated more than this one.  The implications resulting from how these questions are answered are huge – what is the scope of the atonement accomplished by Christ, and how should the message of the cross be presented to unbelievers?

 

To a large extent, protestant associations are defined by what approach or stand they take on this issue.  Some protestant denominations are defined by NOT taking a clear stand on this issue.  The Southern Baptist denomination comes to mind.  There are many positions and nuances to differing conclusions on this issue, but primarily we are looking at positions somewhere on a scale between 5-point Calvinism and Arminianism.  While I’d love to lay both those views out in a nutshell, it would have to be a really big nutshell.  For my purposes here, it’s enough to say that both ends of the scale believe God’s grace is the prime factor which enables a person to come to faith.  Arminians believe this grace is available to all – prevenient grace.  5-point Calvinists believe this grace is available to the elect – irresistible grace.

So, is the Catholic Church’s doctrine of faith on this same scale, and, if so, where?  Well, it turns out the Catholic Church only uses the word “grace” in reference to Mary – beyond that, the Church has nothing to say about grace.  I’m sorry, that statement is actually completely false - I just can’t resist typing bad jokes.  In truth, the Church has said a lot about grace.  The Catholic Church condemned both Pelagianism and Semipelagianism in the year 529 at the Council of Orange and effectively laid out a position of sola gratia a thousand years before the Reformation.   Both Calvinist and Arminian positions appeal to the Council or Orange to support their views.  So, clearly, the Catholic Church uses the same “grace scale” as most protestant sources. 

I linked to the Catholic Catechism in my last post on sola fide and pasted the whole “justification” section.  The next section is “grace”.  I’m not going to paste the whole section again, but I will hit the highlights.  First, Mary is not included in this section of the Catechism.  The Catechism defines grace as “…the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life”, and references 4 New Testament passages in support.  It goes on to say that the “…vocation to eternal life is supernatural. It depends entirely on God's gratuitous initiative, for he alone can reveal and give himself. It surpasses the power of human intellect and will…”.  This all seems to put the Catholic Church on the Calvinist side of the scale.  However, it goes on to say “God's free initiative demands man's free response, for God has created man in his image by conferring on him, along with freedom, the power to know him and love him” which sounds much more Arminian.  Beyond this initial grace, the Catechism describes how grace is involved in the ongoing life of the Christian and “includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church.”  So, where does that put the Catholic Church on the “grace scale” – the answer is yes.

This is a very limited view of the topic.  It is very tempting to keep going and look at each letter of TULIP (or DAISY or ROSES) to see what the Catholic Church teaches.  However, I’ve seen enough to satisfy myself for now, and I have plenty of material to come back to.  In the end, it seems almost every doctrine or practice of faith is related to grace.

For myself, I love the doctrines of grace, and I see God’s sovereignty as integral to the Gospel.  But I also see that God created us to participate in faith and engage our will.  So, there’s a mystery in there and I think that’s how God designed it.  I also think that is precisely the position the Catholic Church teaches.

Love,

Paul