Tag: authority

The Catholic Trilemma

— 1 — It is an odd thing to find yourself within a society as schizophrenic as ours. A society which worships at the altar of science while simultaneously denying the existence of absolute truth. A society with an intense craving for “spirituality” and yet one that dismisses out of hand anything that cannot be materially proven. Truth claims – especially…

God Breathed: The Inspiration of Reconciliation

When considering the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, the most commonly used passage is that of 2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” In the text, the actual word used is theopneustos from the Greek, theós, “God” and pnéō, “breathe out”. It is the only place in all…

Everyone Follows a "Pope"

Everyone Follows a Pope

Everyone Follows a Pope In a previous post I answered the question, “Do you follow the Pope or Jesus?” If you haven’t read it yet, I would suggest taking a moment to do so now so that there is no confusion moving forward; but for those of you who don’t have the time, here’s a brief summary. When asked, “Do you…

What Infallibility Doesn’t Mean

When I was a Protestant, I honestly believed that I understood what Catholics meant when they said that the Pope was infallible. Turns out I didn’t understand at all. Since becoming Catholic, I have probably fielded more questions regarding this dogma of the Church than any other. Having been on both sides of the issue, I can say with confidence, Most people have no idea…

Do You Follow the Pope or Jesus?

— 1 — “Do you follow the pope or Jesus?” I was actually asked this question the other day. It came about in a rather indirect manner with a friend asking my mom what she thought my answer would be. Since I never had the chance to respond directly to the person who had asked the question, I would like to do…

Authority, Scripture, and the Catholic Church

— 1 — Foundational Authority Ask any non-Catholic Christian about authority and you will probably get an answer similar to the following quote from pastor John Piper, “Submission to a pastor or a group of elders does not mean the pastor is infallible or the pastor is the ultimate authority. The Bible is the ultimate authority and infallible, not the…

Sola Scriptura ~ Not Scriptural

— 1 — The Problem with Timothy This is my third time around the block with this particular topic as I examine the doctrine of sola Scriptura from different perspectives. In my previous posts I examined why the doctrine of Sola Scriptura is Anachronistic and why I believe that Sola Scriptura is Logically Flawed. In this one, I would like to examine why, in addition…

Sola Scriptura – Logically Flawed

In a previous post I covered reasons why the doctrine of sola Scriptura was anachronistic – i.e. a belief that couldn’t fit within a chronological history of the Church prior to the time of the Reformation. In this post, I would like to look briefly at why I also feel that the doctrine is logically flawed. There are many orthodox Christian doctrines…

Thoughts on Absolute Truth and Certainty in a Post-Modern Relativistic World

Is there a more perfect foil for amateur philosophers and theologians than Calvin? I grew up in a society and a culture which says, “Question everything and especially all authority. You can’t really know anything. There is no ultimate truth.” We’ve all been led to believe that there are no absolutes – that if you submit to any authority you…