-
Responding to Patrick Madrid’s Claims about Athanasius and Sola Scriptura
Patrick Madrid in “Envoy for Christ” accuses us of selective patristic quotation. He writes: Sometimes Protestant apologists try to bolster their case for sola Scriptura by using highly selective quotes from Church Fathers such as Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Jerusalem, Augustine, and Basil Caesarea. … These quotes, isolated from the rest of what the…
-
Sola Scriptura in Athanasius: "On the Incarnation of the Word"
The sequel to “Contra Gentes,” Athanasius’ “On the Incarnation of the Word” picks up where the prior work left off (link to detailed discussion of Sola Scriptura in Contra Gentes). He already has proven the divinity of the Word, but now he’s going to discuss how the Word became flesh. There are 57 sections to…
-
Sola Scriptura in Athanasius: Contra Gentes
Athanasius’ first major work “Contra Gentes” begins with the line: “The knowledge of our religion and of the truth of things is independently manifest rather than in need of human teachers, for almost day by day it asserts itself by facts, and manifests itself brighter than the sun by the doctrine of Christ.” (source) Notice…
-
Sola Scriptura and Alexander of Alexandria "The Deposition of Arius" (Possibly Athanasius)
Around A.D. 320-324 Alexander of Alexandria sent out a letter regarding “The Deposition of Arius” (available from the CCEL here) As Athanasius was Alexander’s right hand man at the time and because the arguments are similar to Athansius’ own later arguments, it is believed Athanasius may have possibly authored the letter. What does this letter…
-
Did Athanasius Say Tradition Plus Scripture?
One oft-quoted passage of Athanaisus comes from his second festal letter: Festal Letter 2, section 6:For not only in outward form did those wicked men dissemble, putting on as the Lord says sheep’s clothing, and appearing like unto whited sepulchres; but they took those divine words in their mouth, while they inwardly cherished evil intentions.…
-
Formal Sufficiency of Scripture: Fourth Century Fathers (Guest Series)
Formal Sufficiency of ScriptureStated and Examined from Scripture and the Fathers, with scholarly confirmation regarding the Fathers’ views. We began by explaining the nature of formal sufficiency (i.e. the Reformed view) in an introduction section (link). After that we explored Scripture’s own testimony to its sufficiency (link). We could rightly have stopped the series there,…
-
Michuta Contra Athanasius
Athanasius’ canon of Scripture, presented in his 39th Festal letter is famous. It’s not nearly as famous as his “Athanasius Contra Mundum” rejection of the Arian heresy, but it is probably the second most famous aspect of Athanasius’ life today (his excellent letter to Marcellinus on the Psalms was famous in ancient times and perhaps…
-
Athanasius to Marcellinus: How Sufficient are the Psalms?
Athanasius wrote a letter to Marcellinus regarding the Psalms (full text). Athanasius wouldn’t have fit into post-Vatican II Roman Catholicism very well for a lot of reasons, but one reason is his comment in this letter: “the knowledge of God is not with [the heathen and the heretics] at all, but only in the Church.”…
-
Athanasian Denial of Scripture’s Formal Sufficiency?
Sean Patrick of the Called to Communion blog has been providing some responses in the comment box in an earlier post (SP was primarily using the nick “Blogahon”). SP has suggested that the following quotation from Athanasius negates the idea that Athanasius held to the formal sufficiency of Scripture. SP provides the quotation in this…
-
Magisterium More Sufficient than Scripture? (Part 4)
[Cont’d from previous section] Is the Roman Catholic Magisterium More Sufficient than Sacred Scripture?Bryan Cross answered on the subject of the ability of the Scripture to interpret Scripture sufficiently, from Scripture, reason, and tradition. (Part 4) Caesarius of Arles (about A.D. 470-543) commenting on Rev. 22:10: Just as the divine Scriptures are sealed for those…