Pyatcast

Category: Justification

  • Hart Documents Vatican II Watershed

    Darryl Hart has posted an interesting item on the effect of Vatican II (link to post).  It is a point others have observed, but his documentation on the question of justification in Roman Catholic encyclopedias is especially eye-opening.  Hat’s off to DGH for this good post. -TurretinFa To God be the Glory!

  • Trent, Augustine, Scripture, and Justification

    Trent makes a number of explicit claims about justification. Of this Justification the causes are these:the final cause indeed is the glory of God and of Jesus Christ, and life everlasting;while the efficient cause is a merciful God who washes and sanctifies gratuitously, signing, and anointing with the holy Spirit of promise, who is the…

  • Clement of Rome and Bryan Cross – Justification by Faith Alone or Faith and Works?

    I’m glad that my friend Lane Keister recently highlighted the point that 1 Clement teaches justification by faith alone. The author of 1 Clement (whether Clement is the author or the scribe is an open question) does clearly indicate that justification is by faith alone, and by faith to the exclusion of works of holiness.…

  • Trent’s Anathemas Removed?

    The White Horse Inn posted a program in which Michael Horton interviewed Christian Smith regarding, among other things, his conversion to the Roman communion.  Mr. Smith alleged that the Roman church moved toward the Lutheran position on justification and removed the anathemas that had been placed on the Lutherans in the Joint Declaration on Justification.…

  • Justification as Declaration of Righteousness

    Here are some thoughts on Justification from the early church father John Chrysostom, courtesy of the great Reformer Thomas Cranmer and my friend (and fellow heir to the legacy of Chrysostom and Cranmer) David King: Chrysostom (349-407): What does he mean when he says: “I have declared your justice?” He did not simply say: “I…

  • Justification by Faith Alone – An Affirmative Constructive

    The topic of today’s debate is Justification by Faith Alone. Martin Luther viewed this as one of the most critical doctrines of the Reformation – and that was even before Trent! Now that Trent has made Rome irreformable on the doctrine of justification by faith alone, it is impossible for Reformed and Roman churches to…

  • The Law Justified Christ

    Someone going by “Todd” (profile not available) wrote: Your first counterargument is that “Christ fulfilled the law. The law didn’t condemn Christ, it justified Him.” I’m going to ignore the bizarre phrasing that the Law justified Christ, which hints at all sorts of problems. But more to the point, you seem to completely miss who…

  • Lex Semper Accusat? Does the law always accuse?

    Some folks like to throw around the mantra “lex semper accusat” (the law always accuses). This mantra may have value, and may even serve a didactic purpose in certain contexts. It is, however, theologically inaccurate. A First Exception: ChristChrist fulfilled the law. The law didn’t condemn Christ, it justified Him. Pilate testified to this: Luke…

  • The Alternative to the Gospel of Justification by Faith Alone

    “The Alternative to the Gospel of Justification by Faith Alone,” is the title of a recent post by Pastor Wes White. The answer, of course, is justification by faith plus works. Pastor White suggests that: Now, when most people think of being justified by works, they think of someone staying up late at night saying…

  • Some Early Christian Writings on Justification

    Clement of Rome on Justification: And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men;…