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Twenty-Four Elders – Twenty-Four Books
People sometimes see what they want in allegory. If a modern Protestant sees the number 66 in an allegory, he naturally thinks of the 66 books of the Bible. If the chapter divisions in Isaiah were original, we would be tempted to place significance on that point. If a modern Protestant sees 27 or 39…
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Flattening Flimsy Flim-Flam
Mr. Mark Shea (link) seems to think that Dr. White’s post (link) is so much “huff-puffery.” Thankfully, the flim-flam from which Mr. Shea’s argument is constructed is so flimsy that it is flattened by even fairly rudimentary analysis. Mr. Shea seems to have forgotten the important lesson of the story of the three little pigs.…
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Easter Eggs and Jesus’ Rebirth?
Mr. Lankford recently directed me to the following statement that betrays a misunderstanding of the connection between Easter and eggs: Easter means nothing to me. Which is why I bought all these eggs. Eggs aren’t religious symbols to me. I’m not a Christian recognising the death and rebirth of Jesus. Not a Jew celebrating the…
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Not Because of Sola Scriptura
This ultra-traditional (not a technical term) sect of Catholicism is effectively its own denomination (link). They would claim, I believe, to be “Catholic” and they claim that the real pope is locked up in a Vatican dungeon, so they cannot really be called Sedavacantists. The folks out there who have been trying to wield the…
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An Inconvenient Conciliar Truth – Part 01
An Inconvenient Conciliar Truth – Part 01 Some folks seem to find relying on councils a comfort. For these folks, there are some inconvenient facts that they must face. This post is the first in what, Lord willing, will be a multi-part series. Council of Elvira (306) This fourth century Spanish council, attended by around…
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2 Thess 2:15 – Comments Answered
Introduction “Reginald de Piperno” has provided a post that appears to be aimed at objecting to my previous post on 2 Thessalonians 2:15, available here. I appreciate that he read my post and took the time to respond. DiscussionAs best I understand, RdP grants 1(a) and seems to grant 1(b) although he wants to define…
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Tradition Distinguished – Abuse of 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Thwarted
Those who wish to oppose the doctrine of Sola Scriptura typically run to 2 Thessalonians 2:15 as one of the first passages to discuss. As will be demonstrated below, this verse does not support such abuse, and – in fact – demonstrates the eisegetical mindset of those who seek to use it to oppose a…
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Christ’s Objection to the Corban Exception
In Jesus days, the leaders of the Jews had developed a tradition whereby a child could refuse to assist his parents. In the following pericope, Jesus addresses that tradition: Mark 7:9-139And he [Jesus] said unto them [the Pharisees and scribes], Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.…
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Steve Makes a Good Point about Oral Tradition
Over at Triablogue, Steve Hays has provided a short and amusing look at the logic behind the flawed argument that goes: 1. Paul says Timothy should keep the things Paul communicated to him orally;2. Paul did not place any time limit on that command;3. Therefore, Timothy had to follow them indefinitely; and3. Therefore, also, we…
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Dining at Dover
Years ago, before the Chunnel, Dover England was known for its white, chalk cliffs. These rocks are very in calcium: in fact they are mostly calcium carbonate. Calcium is an important mineral for human life. Bones have a large calcium composition, and most doctors these days recommend calcium supplements to women, especially as the approach…