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Alleged Early Testimonies to the Immaculate Conception
Sometimes Roman Catholics attempt to argue that the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was taught in the early church. One of the more radical claims can be found at the “Catholic Basic Training” website (link to example). I’ll go through their list of early fathers: The Ascension of Isaiah “[T]he report concerning the child was…
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The Jews Gave Us the Old Testament
Of course, God gave us the Old Testament by inspiration, but the point is that the apostles did not give us the Old Testament. Instead, it was an existing body of literature that was handed on to them. We see this in Scripture. Romans 3:2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them [that is,…
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Magisterium More Sufficient than Scripture? (Part 2)
[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 2) The fact that obscure Scriptures are obscure and “need” (in some sense) clarification does not imply that the clear…
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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;…
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Justin Martyr’s Source of Apostolic Information – the Memoirs of the Apostles
Justin Martyr’s biography is necessarily a bit uncertain. Nevertheless, according to our best guesses, Justin Martyr was born around the year of our Lord 100, only a few years after the last of the apostles, the Apostle John, died. Thus, one might imagine that Justin Martyr’s knowledge of the Apostles’ teachings would come primarily from…
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Devin Rose on Ignatius, Justin Martyr, and the Eucharist
Over in the over-flowing comment box at the Roman Catholic blog Called to Communion, Devin Rose has provided a comment that veers slightly off the stated topic for that box. I’m providing a response here instead of there both to keep that discussion on topic and because (for the moment) the CTC site is undergoing…
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Perspicuity of Scripture Contra Bellisario – Part 3
I’m responding to a post from Mr. Matthew Bellisario (see my first post for the introduction). In this post, I address Mr. Bellisario’s response to my quotation from Justin Martyr. Mr. Bellisario has put my words in italics, and I have attempted to reproduce them as he provided them, within the quotation box below. His…
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Augustine the Inerrantist (and Justin too)
Nick Norelli at Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth has an interesting post on Justin Martyr and his view of inerrancy (link). I would, however, respectfully disagree that Justin’s is the strongest statement of inerrancy we see in the early church. I find similarly strong statements in other church fathers, such as in Augustine who…