A Protestant Finds Too Many Popes
The Letter of Clement to the Church of Corinth, which dates to the latter part of the first century, is often appealed to as evidence that the church of Rome, and by way of implication the bishop of Rome, had a posture of leadership relative to the other churches...
Protestants Fight Back on ‘Call No Man Father’
A standard go-to Bible passage for Catholics in rebutting the Protestant argument that Jesus forbids calling religious leaders “father” (Matt. 23:9) is 1 Corinthians 4:15. There, Paul says, “Though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For...
Eternal Security and a Helpless God
ome Christians object to the claim that our good works play a causal role in our salvation. They also reject the idea and that it’s possible to lose our salvation, subscribing instead to a doctrine called eternal security. They’re concerned that on the Catholic view,...
A Protestant Bible Bind
Protestants often criticize Catholics for relying on Sacred Tradition for certain beliefs, like Mary’s bodily assumption. But Protestants rely on Sacred Tradition for some of their beliefs as well, even though they do so unknowingly. Take, for example, the belief that...
When Paul Does Your Homework for you!
Luke 1:43, where Elizabeth proclaims Mary as the “Mother of my Lord,” is usually the go-to biblical text for defending Mary “Mother of God.” But did you know there’s another text that we can appeal to? It’s Galatians 4:4. There, Paul writes, “When the time had fully...
The Problem with ‘God Punished Jesus’
Did God the Father punish Jesus on the cross? Some Christians say, “Yes.” For example, the late Reformed theologian R.C. Sproul, in his 1985 book The Holiness of God, writes, “[Jesus] was the only innocent man ever to be punished by God” (emphasis added). Sproul isn’t...
Why Bother Sending Gabriel?
For many believers in the doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity, the exchange between Gabriel and Mary in Luke 1:28-35 is positive evidence that at least lends credence to the belief that Mary was a perpetual virgin. Most focus on Mary’s response to Gabriel’s...
Protestants Against Mom
The belief that Mary is the mother of God is not unique to Catholicism. The vast majority of Christians (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Lutherans, and Anglicans) accept this dogma, with only a minority in the Protestant community objecting. One text appealed to...
Protestants Reign on the Catholic Parade
Catholics believe we will be judged based on our works. And there’s no better argument for this belief than one that appeals to Jesus’ teaching about judgment in Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the sheep and the goats. The difference between the sheep and the goats...
A Protestant Counter to the Biblical Case for Purgatory
When it comes to biblical evidence for Purgatory, Catholics know to turn to 1 Corinthians 3:11-15. There, Paul writes, For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver,...