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Why You Shouldn't Read Anyone Else's Blog
(except mine of course) If you were expecting a defense of the title of this post (or the sub-title above), you are in for a let-down. It’s not serious. It’s a tongue-in-cheek facetious remark aimed at scolding Mr. Nick Norelli who (in this recent post) just doesn’t get it. Mr. Norelli makes the claim that…
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Joseph and Mary's Marriage
On a recent Dividing Line there was a clip played taken from, if I recall correctly, the “Catholic Answers” show, regarding Joseph and Mary’s “marriage.” The caller asked (and I may be slightly paraphrasing) two questions: 1) Where in the Bible does it say that marriage is only valid when it is consummated? 2) Did…
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Two Kingdoms, Yes – But Don't Go Beyond the Bible
Mr. James Swan, for a very different purpose, brought the following two quotations to my attention (link to source). Both are from Martin Luther and help to demonstrate the danger of taking the two kingdoms distinction beyond the Bible: It is pure invention that pope, bishops, priests and monks are called the spiritual estate, while…
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What does "Sola Scriptura" mean?
I enjoyed reading an article at The Neglected Word Theology and Life by Dr. W. Robert Godfrey (link) on the topic of Sola Scriptura. I got the sense from the article that it is actually an introductory chapter to a book, but the book is not identified. If Sola Scriptura is a topic that interests…
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Rick Warren's Prayer
At Obama’s inauguration, Rick Warren gave a prayer. I’ve heard a few Christians up in arms about the prayer, and they generally focus on three things: 1) It was pretty empty. This is a legitimate criticism. There wasn’t much substance to the prayer, and some of the time was spent on “preaching to the choir.”…
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Pharisees and Jesus – A Study in "Arminian" Logic
First Caveat: I’m using “Arminian” here to refer to a broad range of non-Calvinists – and specifically to refer to those representative of the population of non-Calvinists that regularly criticize Calvinism. I realize that there are Arminians out there who take a very different approach. This is not directed to them. Spurred on by Triablogue’s…
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Catholicism's Double Standard
Officially, Rome is opposed to abortion. Unofficially, prominent pro-abortion politicians are permitted to continue to commune with Rome. Case in point, America’s first papist vice-president, who not only takes communion but receives a standing ovation (link). Nota Bene: he is now the VP, but the communion-taking and standing-ovation-receiving were 2 days before, when he was…
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Paul's Conversion Chronology
One reader of this blog has recently provided some comments asking why it is that I believe Paul to be an apostle, and questioning the accounts of Paul’s conversion as being inconsistent. Let me first address Paul’s status as an apostle, and why I accept that. Afterward, I will provide a harmony of the Biblical…
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John Gill on God's Love
John Gill, sometimes falsely accused (particularly by Amyraldians, and quasi-Amyraldians) of being a hyper-Calvinist, had this to say about God’s love: 2. As to the objects of God’s love, it is special and discriminating. He loves some, and not others. It is true, he has a general love and regard to all his creatures. He…
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Calvin on the "Free Offer"?
I found R. Scott Clark’s very brief post (link) puzzling. He asserts, “Yes, that’s right, Calvin said “offer” (not demand) as in “free” or “well-meant” offer of the gospel.” That’s a rather odd way of putting it. a) Calvin obviously didn’t use English. b) Calvin did use the Latin cognate word to our English word…