We return once again today to our relentless (tedious?) series on biblical passages that present problems for the Protestant (especially Reformed) view of justification by faith alone. By way of overview: there are many passages that either flatly contradict or…
We must love God in order to be saved. It is inconceivable that those who are utterly indifferent towards Him or who genuinely hate Him will meet with His favor on Judgment Day. But in order to love God, we…
Martin Luther famously had doubts about the canonicity of the epistle of St. James. This is because St. James rather clearly affirms that faith without works is dead faith, so that Luther’s notion of sola fide can only be maintained…
Yet another Old Testament passage which presents difficulties for the Protestant view of sola fide (for Reformed Protestants, at any rate) comes up at the end of Ecclesiastes: To sum up the whole matter: fear God and keep his commandments,…
Today we have yet another entry in our increasingly long list of Bible passages that just plain do not fit the Protestant idea of sola fide: Once God has spoken, twice have I heard this: Strength belongs to God, to…
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. (John 15:1-2) Whatever…
It is a tad ironic that Luther built essentially the entire edifice of his idea of sola fide on a short bit of Romans 4, but inexplicably seems to have ignored the impact of Romans 2 on any conversation about…
Let us reason together. Does this in any way sound like we are justified by faith alone in the way that Protestants say, with no judgment whatsoever of the things we have actually done? 2 Corinthians 5:10: For at the…
If Hebrews 6 isn’t on the “This Makes Me Uncomfortable” list for most Protestants…well, it ought to be. And this is triply so for those who hold to the Calvinist “TULIP,” for that flower loses a few petals in this…
Reformed Protestants say that Old Testament believers were saved by faith alone, just as (they say) we are. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 is problematic for this point of view. To sum up the whole matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for…
Aquinas, Etc. 