Author: rey

Categories
apologetics history religion salvation

Selective Quoting of Bavinck

I’ve been noticing this Bavinck quote come up on the internet and it’s really annoying since people seem to be using it to support the old argument that at least Catholic works-righteousness is productive whereas the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith falls short. The quote already had me wondering how honest it was since it starts off mid sentence. Turns out, Bavinck is arguing against the position that posters have been using the quote online.

Anyway, here’s the quote that’s appearing on the internet (here are a few places I’ve seen it); after the jump I’ll post the context (Bavinck, The Certainty of Faith-PDF):

‘[W]e must remind ourselves that the Catholic righteousness by good works is vastly preferable to a protestant righteousness by good doctrine. At least righteousness by good works benefits one’s neighbor, whereas righteousness by good doctrine only produces lovelessness and pride. Furthermore, we must not blind ourselves to the tremendous faith, genuine repentance, complete surrender and the fervent love for God and neighbor evident in the lives and work of many Catholic Christians. The Christian life is so rich that it develops its full glory not just in a single form or within the walls of one church.’

But now, for what Bavinck was really saying and then what he continues saying even about paganism.

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pray

Prayer Mondays: Ignatius

Barring my faulty memory (and if I’m not lazy) I want to post prayers on Monday from all over Church History and then throughout the modern day, and then my own. This one comes from Ignatius.

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Categories
blogspotting metas & memes

Christian Carnival: Happy New Year!

FMF presents The Tithe posted at Free Money Finance, saying, “Interesting guest post and discussion on the appropriateness of the tithe.”

michelle presents 12.26.09 posted at Thoughts and Confessions of a Girl Who Loves Jesus….

debergerac78 presents I wish you a “Silent Night” posted at The Business Ethics Blog, saying, “This is about how the famous Chistmas carol “Silent Night” was written–and how something beautiful can be born from pain and adversity.”

Dan Stelter presents The Anxiety Support Network – What the Bible Says About Anxiety posted at Anxiety Support Network Anxiety Recovery Blog, saying, “A brief article that describes how the Bible addresses anxiety, and why Christians with anxiety disorders have every reason to think positive and live a healthy life.”

Minister Mamie L. Pack presents Work out posted at The Life I Now Live.

Dr Matthew Flannagan presents Does Abortion Benefit the Fetus? A Critique of Himma Part 1 posted at MandM, saying, “Kenneth Einar Himma has offered an argument that even if a fetus is a human being, laws permitting feticide are compatible with the harm principle because aborting the fetus causes it to go straight to heaven, which benefits it rather than harms it. I set out an important objection to Himma’s argument, an objection articulated by Mark Murphy, which appeals to the common law doctrine of novus actus interveniens. I go on to address three objections that Himma has made to this line of criticism to his argument and conclude that his position is mistaken.”

Barry Wallace presents Christmas by itself is no gospel posted at who am i?, saying, “This brief Christmas meditation is an excerpt from the writing of James Montgomery Boice.”

Annette presents my thinking… posted at Fish and Cans.

Will Green presents The gospel for people who are really, really nice posted at Weblog of a Christian philosophy student, saying, “How should one think about presenting the gospel to a non-Christian who is an extremely nice, loving, self-sacrificial person who almost always looks out for the interests of others?”

Jeremy Pierce presents Kerry Livgren’s Stroke posted at Parableman, saying, “Christian musician and former member of Kansas had a pretty severe stroke. Read his thoughts four months into his recovery.”

Rey Reynoso presents Approaching Worship and Respect posted at The Bible Archive, saying "I’m just blegging for books on (1) worship, (2) veneration, and (3) the differences (and similarities) between the two."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of christian carnival ii using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Categories
worship

Approaching Worship and Respect

In my response to the Christological Argument and the use of icons I made a statement that Phil James, a guest blogger in the past here at the Archive, took issue with. In my post, I suggested that based on the current activities of many people with icons that the terms worship and veneration are used with a distinction that amounts to no difference; the poster responded by asking a loaded question that illuminates the mind of "our materialistic age” versus the mind of "our ancient faith” (a serious charge, no doubt): "Can stuff be worthy of respect or is it simply nothing but atoms (quoting me), chance and time.” Elsewhere, Phil also made a comment about Evangelicals knowing the difference between the loving their wives and loving God and yet not being able to see the difference between venerating icons and worshipping God.

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Categories
christ

Nativitas

It was during the time when Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken of all those who inhabited the Empire; it was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Everyone had to go back to their own city and register for the census so Joseph, who was from the was living in Galilee in the small city of Nazareth, had to go back to province of Judea to Bethlehem, which is the city of David—who was his family—in order to register along with Mary, his pregnant fiancée.

While they were there she came to term and gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

It was in this same area that some shepherds who were out in the fields and watching their flock by night were surprised and horrendously frightened by the sudden appearance of an angel of the Lord, shining in glory and brightness.

“Don’t be afraid” the angel said to them “For I bring you good news of great joy which will be for everyone; today, in the city of David, there has been born for all of you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Then suddenly there appeared a multitude of heavenly beings praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom God is pleased!”

After the angels had disappeared, the shepherds quickly decided what they had to do: “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has revealed to us.”

So they came in a hurry and found their way to Bethlehem, to a stable outside of an inn, and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger—the very sign they were told to look for. When they saw this they related the story to the parents and all those nearby who were all perplexed and astounded by the story the shepherds told them.

And although Mary kept these things in her heart and thought about them for many years, that evening the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God aloud for all that they had heard and seen, just as they had been told by God.