With today being Reformation Day, I thought this to be worth posting.
As Martin Luther has said:“Now the article of justification, which is our sole defense, not only against all the force and craft of man, but also against the gates of hell, is this: that by faith only in Christ, and without works, we are pronounced righteous and saved.”
Showing posts with label Protestant Reformation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Protestant Reformation. Show all posts
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Quotes (#16)
“For when man can find no power in himself to do that which is commanded, and does perfectly understand and believe that the curse of God is pronounced against all those that abide not in everything that is commanded in God's law to do them the man, I say, that understands and knows his own corrupt nature and God's severe judgment, most gladly will receive the free redemption offered by Christ Jesus, which is the only victory that overthrows Satan and his power.” -John Knox (c. 1510-1572)
Friday, February 5, 2010
Martin Luther on Roman Catholicism
When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church of Wittenburg in 1517, admittedly, corruption was running rampant. However, that being said, the Roman Catholic Church today still preaches doctrines contrary to orthodox Christianity.
The Reformation View of Roman Catholicism
From the works of Martin Luther (1483-1546)
"What is the whole papacy but a beautiful false front and a deceptively glittering holiness under which the wretched devil lies in hiding? The devil always desires to imitate God in this way. He cannot bear to observe God speaking. If he cannot prevent it or hinder God’s Word by force, he opposes it with a semblance of piety, takes the very words God had spoken and so twist them as to peddle his lies and poison under their name." (What Luther Says, II: 10007)
"Since the papal church not only neglects the command of Christ but even compels the people to ignore it and to act against it, it is certain that it is not Christ’s church but the synagogue of Satan which prescribes sin and prohibits righteousness. It clearly and indisputably follows that it must be the abomination of Antichrist and the furious harlot of the devil." (What Luther Says, II: 1019)
"The negotiation about doctrinal agreement displeases me altogether, for this is utterly impossible unless the pope has his papacy abolished. Therefore avoid and flee those who seek the middle of the road. Think of me after I am dead and such middle-of-the-road men arise, for nothing good will come of it. There can be no compromise." (What Luther Says, II: 1019)
Read the rest here
The Reformation View of Roman Catholicism
From the works of Martin Luther (1483-1546)
"What is the whole papacy but a beautiful false front and a deceptively glittering holiness under which the wretched devil lies in hiding? The devil always desires to imitate God in this way. He cannot bear to observe God speaking. If he cannot prevent it or hinder God’s Word by force, he opposes it with a semblance of piety, takes the very words God had spoken and so twist them as to peddle his lies and poison under their name." (What Luther Says, II: 10007)
"Since the papal church not only neglects the command of Christ but even compels the people to ignore it and to act against it, it is certain that it is not Christ’s church but the synagogue of Satan which prescribes sin and prohibits righteousness. It clearly and indisputably follows that it must be the abomination of Antichrist and the furious harlot of the devil." (What Luther Says, II: 1019)
"The negotiation about doctrinal agreement displeases me altogether, for this is utterly impossible unless the pope has his papacy abolished. Therefore avoid and flee those who seek the middle of the road. Think of me after I am dead and such middle-of-the-road men arise, for nothing good will come of it. There can be no compromise." (What Luther Says, II: 1019)
Read the rest here
Sunday, January 31, 2010
The Eastern Orthodox Church
When I was in Israel and Jordan a few weeks ago on a tour, I wound up visiting several Eastern Orthodox Churches. While the Eastern Orthodox Church doesn’t get as much scrutiny, in regards to doctrine, as the Roman Catholic Church, it is rather interesting that they seem to have similar doctrines.
Today, the Eastern Orthodox Churches are dominant in Eastern Europe in countries like the Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Greece, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria. There are also communities of Eastern Orthodox followers in the Middle East, namely under the Syriac Orthodox Church, including Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. I also remember hearing that, at least in Belarus, the Eastern Orthodox Church has considerable political clout.
Here, at the Defending Contending Blog, we see a contrast & comparison between Eastern Orthodoxy & Protestantism. And, over at Apprising Ministries,a reader tells of his experience in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
And, below, Richard Bennet, a former Roman Catholic priest discusses Eastern Orthodoxy, and it's similarities to Roman Catholicism.
Today, the Eastern Orthodox Churches are dominant in Eastern Europe in countries like the Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Greece, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria. There are also communities of Eastern Orthodox followers in the Middle East, namely under the Syriac Orthodox Church, including Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. I also remember hearing that, at least in Belarus, the Eastern Orthodox Church has considerable political clout.
Here, at the Defending Contending Blog, we see a contrast & comparison between Eastern Orthodoxy & Protestantism. And, over at Apprising Ministries,a reader tells of his experience in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
And, below, Richard Bennet, a former Roman Catholic priest discusses Eastern Orthodoxy, and it's similarities to Roman Catholicism.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Reformation Day: A Lesson for the 21st Century
Today is "Reformation Day," the anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the castle church at Wittenburg Cathedral in Germany, which occured on October 31st, 1517.
Martin Luther (1483-1546) was originally a law student at the University of Erfurt to become a lawyer, in accordance to his father's wishes. However, in 1505, he entered an Augustinian monastery. It was in 1517 that he came to blows with the Roman Catholic Church, after Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar, came to Germany to sell indulgences in order to raise funds for the building of St. Peter's Basillica in Rome. In protest, he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenburg Cathedral, and in 1520, he was excommunicated via a papal bull from Pope Leo X.
He also realized that we, as Christians, are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. This contradicted Roman Catholic teachings on justification, which taught the we are justified by faith plus works.
It was in 1521, that Luther was called before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V at the Diet of Worms, and upon being urged to recant, he made this famous speech, recreated here in this classic film.
After the Diet of Worms, Luther was protected by Duke Frederick the Wise, by being held at Wartburg Castle until 1522, during which time he translated the New Testament into German. In 1525, he married Katharina ("Katie") von Bora and the couple had six children: Johannes (John), Elisabeth, Magdalena, Martin, Paul and Margarete. He penned the Augsburg Confession at the request of Charles V in 1530, in the wake of the seige of Vienna. Luther died in the early mornng hours of February 18th, 1546.
This "Reformation Polka" celebrates the life of Luther.
Looking back, I praise God for His raising up people like Luther who called us to return to the Scriptures. In about a decade it'll the the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, and this summer was the 500th anniversary of the birthday of French theologian Jean Cauvin (John Calvin).
The Roman Catholic Church was an apostate church which had held people in bondage to false hopes and works-righteousness. Luther himself wrote of Catholic Church: "Since the papal church not only neglects the command of Christ but even compels the people to ignore it and to act against it, it is certain that it is not Christ’s church but the synagogue of Satan which prescribes sin and prohibits righteousness. It clearly and indisputably follows that it must be the abomination of Antichrist and the furious harlot of the devil." (What Luther Says, II: 1019)
"What kind of a church is the pope’s church? It is an uncertain, vacillating and tottering church. Indeed, it is a deceitful, lying church, doubting and unbelieving, without God’s Word. For the pope with his wrong keys teaches his church to doubt and to be uncertain. If it is a vacillating church, then it is not the church of faith, for the latter is founded upon a rock, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it (Matt.16:18). If it is not the church of faith, then it is not the Christian church, but it must be an unchristian, anti-Christian, and faithless church which destroys and ruins the real, holy, Christian church." (Luther’s Works, vol. 40, Church and Ministry II, The Keys, p.348)
Now, I say this not to bash Roman Catholics. However, like I said, I praise God for people like Luther who stood up to false teachings in the Roman Catholic Church. Today, I say that we also must confront false teachings that are running rampant. I find Luther's boldness to confront the heresies almost a call for us today, in the 21st century to stand up to false doctrine.
We have a lot of people such as the Emergents, liberal denominations like the United Methodists, the United Church of Christ and the Episcopalians who have clearly denied sound doctrine. Our duty, as Christians, are to procliam the truth found in Scripture and to urge them to repent of their sins. I remember hearing a quote from Charles Spurgeon who basically said that beleiving wrongly is just as sinful as doing wrongly.
We read this in 2 Peter: "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." (2nd Peter 2:1-3)
Now, in American Christianity today, it seems like the most popular "pastors" are the false teachers, be they prosperity preachers like Joel Osteen or T.D. Jakes, Emergent gurus like Brian McLaren Shane Hipps and Rob Bell, or those who don't properly preach God's word, let alone mention sin, like, again, Joel Osteen, and folks like Robert Schuller, Rick Warren, and others.
Our duty, therefore, is to preach the true Gospel, which not only proclaims the wrath of God upon unrepentant sinners, and the fact that we're sinners who cannot be saved by our own works, but also the forgiveness of sins found in Jesus Christ. In fact, we read "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret." (Ephesians 5:11-12)
I leave you with this video.
Martin Luther (1483-1546) was originally a law student at the University of Erfurt to become a lawyer, in accordance to his father's wishes. However, in 1505, he entered an Augustinian monastery. It was in 1517 that he came to blows with the Roman Catholic Church, after Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar, came to Germany to sell indulgences in order to raise funds for the building of St. Peter's Basillica in Rome. In protest, he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenburg Cathedral, and in 1520, he was excommunicated via a papal bull from Pope Leo X.
He also realized that we, as Christians, are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. This contradicted Roman Catholic teachings on justification, which taught the we are justified by faith plus works.
It was in 1521, that Luther was called before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V at the Diet of Worms, and upon being urged to recant, he made this famous speech, recreated here in this classic film.
After the Diet of Worms, Luther was protected by Duke Frederick the Wise, by being held at Wartburg Castle until 1522, during which time he translated the New Testament into German. In 1525, he married Katharina ("Katie") von Bora and the couple had six children: Johannes (John), Elisabeth, Magdalena, Martin, Paul and Margarete. He penned the Augsburg Confession at the request of Charles V in 1530, in the wake of the seige of Vienna. Luther died in the early mornng hours of February 18th, 1546.
This "Reformation Polka" celebrates the life of Luther.
Looking back, I praise God for His raising up people like Luther who called us to return to the Scriptures. In about a decade it'll the the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, and this summer was the 500th anniversary of the birthday of French theologian Jean Cauvin (John Calvin).
The Roman Catholic Church was an apostate church which had held people in bondage to false hopes and works-righteousness. Luther himself wrote of Catholic Church: "Since the papal church not only neglects the command of Christ but even compels the people to ignore it and to act against it, it is certain that it is not Christ’s church but the synagogue of Satan which prescribes sin and prohibits righteousness. It clearly and indisputably follows that it must be the abomination of Antichrist and the furious harlot of the devil." (What Luther Says, II: 1019)
"What kind of a church is the pope’s church? It is an uncertain, vacillating and tottering church. Indeed, it is a deceitful, lying church, doubting and unbelieving, without God’s Word. For the pope with his wrong keys teaches his church to doubt and to be uncertain. If it is a vacillating church, then it is not the church of faith, for the latter is founded upon a rock, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it (Matt.16:18). If it is not the church of faith, then it is not the Christian church, but it must be an unchristian, anti-Christian, and faithless church which destroys and ruins the real, holy, Christian church." (Luther’s Works, vol. 40, Church and Ministry II, The Keys, p.348)
Now, I say this not to bash Roman Catholics. However, like I said, I praise God for people like Luther who stood up to false teachings in the Roman Catholic Church. Today, I say that we also must confront false teachings that are running rampant. I find Luther's boldness to confront the heresies almost a call for us today, in the 21st century to stand up to false doctrine.
We have a lot of people such as the Emergents, liberal denominations like the United Methodists, the United Church of Christ and the Episcopalians who have clearly denied sound doctrine. Our duty, as Christians, are to procliam the truth found in Scripture and to urge them to repent of their sins. I remember hearing a quote from Charles Spurgeon who basically said that beleiving wrongly is just as sinful as doing wrongly.
We read this in 2 Peter: "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." (2nd Peter 2:1-3)
Now, in American Christianity today, it seems like the most popular "pastors" are the false teachers, be they prosperity preachers like Joel Osteen or T.D. Jakes, Emergent gurus like Brian McLaren Shane Hipps and Rob Bell, or those who don't properly preach God's word, let alone mention sin, like, again, Joel Osteen, and folks like Robert Schuller, Rick Warren, and others.
Our duty, therefore, is to preach the true Gospel, which not only proclaims the wrath of God upon unrepentant sinners, and the fact that we're sinners who cannot be saved by our own works, but also the forgiveness of sins found in Jesus Christ. In fact, we read "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret." (Ephesians 5:11-12)
I leave you with this video.
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