Studying Romans (Part 2)

So I got a few responses to the comment that I posted this week on our Facebook Bible Study. The focus this week is Romans 1-4. Among the responses I read, this one stood out as the most coherent:

I beleive Martin Luther was gifted from God not for this principle [Faith Alone] but because he saw the way the roman catholic church of the dark ages was requiring offerings (I can't remember the specific name right now)but you were practically charged a fee because of this practice to go to church. In addition they required confession to a priest. Jesus has been and always will be our high priest. He paid the price through his death on the cross so that we no longer have to go to a rabbi or priest to confess our sins. As for the faith alone doctrine. In the book of hebrews (which I know we aren't reading) it says that "abraham had faith and it was accounted to him as righteousness." It was his faith alone that justified him with God. However we also know from the text in Genesis that Abraham because of his faith believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead. It was his faith that lead him to action. Not his actions that lead him to faith.

She offers here some classic examples of Protestant complaints against the Catholic Church: confession of sins to a priest; and indulgences (the word she couldn't think of). But on indulgences she is off base - "you were practically charged a fee because of this practice to go to church."

Notice that these things are really just an attempt to avoid addressing the real issue - Faith and Works. When backed in a corner, Protestants like to throw out these quick accusations in order to change the subject (notice that she even leads with these attacks, and only then follows up with a halfhearted attempt at defending Faith Alone). So in my reply I was sure to begin with the topic at hand. Let's address "Faith Alone"...then we can clean up some of the side issues:

As for “Faith Alone” - I know that there are other passages (such as the one you mentioned from Hebrews) which are used to support “Faith Alone.” The problem I am having is that none of these actually say that Faith *Alone* is what you need to be saved. Romans, for example (which we are currently studying and which is often cited to support Faith Alone), has many good things to say about Faith. Don’t get me wrong… Faith is EXTREMELY important. I value my faith. I always seek to strengthen and inform my faith. Faith certainly is an important factor in our salvation. The Bible is clear about that. Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness, and God looks likewise on our own Christian faith…but that does not mean that faith *alone* saves us. The Bible does not say, “Faith Alone” saves us.

In other words, the Protestant doctrine of “Faith Alone” goes a step beyond Scripture. Yes it is true that Faith is important and it does affect our salvation. But are we justified by Faith *Alone*? Because that is what the Protestant doctrine claims.

James 2:21-24 says this: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

The Bible is God’s Word. I think we can agree to that. James is speaking God’s Word to us here. And God’s Word tells us that “a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Paul certainly stresses the importance of FAITH. And there are many other passages which tell us that faith is important. But the Bible (God’s Word) never says that Faith ALONE is what saves or justifies us. So the Faith Alone doctrine clearly goes against the Bible. Can you show me how that is not the case? Are you saying that James is wrong? I know you think that Martin Luther was gifted by God with great wisdom…but perhaps Luther was wrong on this point. Luther wanted to remove James from the Bible. Should we trust God’s Word or Luther? Could you explain how the “Faith Alone” Doctrine is true when James so clearly speaks out against it? 


 Now…about confessing our sins: I’m sure you’ll remember that the Jews grumbled against Jesus for forgiving men’s sins because the Jews believed that only God could forgive sins – not men. The idea that we can confess our sins to someone else and then that person can offer forgiveness was a strange idea for the Jews. But Jesus (as he did with many things) turned that idea upside-down. Jesus gave men the power to forgive the sins of others: “…He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” (John 20:22-23)

And Scripture tells us that the practice of confessing sins became a part of the Christian community: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (James 5:16)

So Christians have been given the power to forgive (and retain) sins through the Holy Spirit. And we have been commanded to confess our sins to one another. So the Catholic practice of confessing sins is very Biblical. (Note: I asked about this when we studied James last week, but no one replied.)

Also…the word you were looking for, I think, is “indulgences.” But an indulgence is not “payment to go to church.” The issue is more complicated than what we can discuss here. Martin Luther was right in pointing out the abuses that were going on with indulgences. But indulgences are still a part of Catholic practice. The abuses were corrected. We could discuss this more in depth outside of this Bible Study, if you would like. But [the leader of this Bible Study] would probably prefer that we stick with the topics at hand. It is an interesting issue though, and you are right to point out abuses such as this.

She is right to point out error and abuses in the Church. I think that's fine. So I try to give credit to her for that, and I do accept that some members of the Church have been guilty of grievous sins and bad leadership. But in this context these abuses are way off topic. I mean, really, it's just a distraction.

But this thread died out, she quit responding, and so I posted a new thread which I will cover in my next post...

Studying Romans

And so, now our Facebook Bible study (which I posted about here and here) has moved on to Romans. The perfect answer to James (Faith and Works), which is where we began our study. So here is what I posted...

[Note: we are covering chapters 1 through 4 of Romans. That's a huge and rather arbitrary section, but it wasn't my decision.]

Romans 1-4. That’s a pretty big selection. But it does get us to where Martin Luther made his disastrous mistake in contrasting Paul with James. As I had noted in an earlier comment, Luther called James “an epistle of straw,” and he thought that James should be removed from the Bible entirely. Luther preferred reading Paul exclusively on matters of “Faith and Works.” Where James says that our “works” justify us, Paul says, “…we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” (Romans 3:28)

I would argue that Paul is speaking specifically about the works of the Old “LAW” (that is, the rigorous commands that governed the Jews’ daily life) and not “good deeds” – whereas, James clearly refers to “works” as the acts of Christian charity which we are all called to perform. This distinction is made obvious when we read the full context of both Paul and James. Paul refers to circumcision as his primary example of “works” – but James refers to feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, and caring for those less fortunate. So Paul and James are writing about two different “works.” That is where Luther got confused.

Paul and James do not disagree on “Faith and Works” as Martin Luther would have us believe. We can see this in the example of Abraham.

James says this:
“You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (2:22-24)

James does not deny that faith is an important part of our justification. He only says that faith and works must go together. And that “Faith Alone” is a false notion.

Now look at what Paul says in Romans:
“For we say, ‘Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.’ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them…” (4:9-11)

Paul is obviously focusing on the “ritual law” of the Jews (circumcision is the example he uses) which he calls “works of the Law.” He is telling us that Christians do not have to follow these Old Law rituals. These things do not justify us. But Paul is not saying that we can ignore good deeds (helping those in need). Paul is not preaching “Faith Alone” apart from good works.

The Protestant slogan “Faith Alone” is troublesome to me. It is an unbiblical idea and Martin Luther proved that by suggesting that the Letter of James should be cut out of Scripture. Can anyone here explain how James and Paul together give us the doctrine of “Faith Alone”?

Monday Musings

A few random thoughts and musings to start the week...

Happy Easter!!! Yes it is still Easter. And don't let anyone forget it.

+        +        +

This weekend we had our May Crowning of Mary at our home. It wasn’t anything elaborate. We just made a wreath of silk flowers to go on the concrete statue of Mary in our front yard. We said a Hail Mary and placed the crown on her head. As the month of May continues, we (as a family) will be learning the Hail Holy Queen and the Angelus so that we can use one of these prayer next year for the crowning as well as on important Marian feast days.

I had never participated in a May Crowning until we started doing this brief “ceremony” with the kids a couple of years ago. So I have no idea what the typical celebration should look like. I know I could look up some resources online, but we’ve just been letting it take shape for us as each year goes by. It’s a shame that such celebrations are not as common in the Church these days. I feel like our Catholic heritage has been impoverished since the time of Vatican II… but don’t get me started on that.

+        +        +

Speaking of statues, I plan on purchasing a St. Francis statue soon to place near our garden at home. Our kids play outside a lot, and I’ve noticed that they do pay attention to the religious statues we already have in the yard: they bring flowers to Mary, or they pray before the Sacred Heart. Strategically placing these reminders of the faith in the appropriate place around the home (or in this case, the yard) can be a great teaching tool. As the home is the domestic church (sort of the Church in miniature), the yard is like a mini-world to kids, where shrines and monuments can call our attention and draw us in on pilgrimage.

When my wife and I plan our family vacations we always try to include some shrine or church or religious site to visit along the way. We pause for a spiritual break as we enjoy our time away from home. I see the kids do a similar thing in our yard. They may be fighting dragons or building castles in their minds, but along the way they pass a statue over in the corner near some shrubs and they pause (even if just long enough to tap its head and then move along), and so they are reminded of their faith amid their daily activities. A twenty dollar hunk of concrete and some white paint can go a long way to teach a valuable lesson.

This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like - I'll serve up more next Friday...

Co-Mediatrix!!! What Gives? - "When I was Protestant and studying the Catholic faith, I happened upon the word "co-mediatrix" in Scott Hahn's book Hail Holy Queen. Despite what you may think about my long-term papist leanings, this word sent me into a Zwinglian down-ward spiral."

Jesus Had Laser Beams (Sharks Not Included) - "Italian researchers at the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development say they believe the image was created by an ultraviolet “flash of light."

The Welfare State’s War on Religious Liberty - "The case for limited government is becoming increasingly inseparable from the case for religious liberty."

Paul Ryan and Catholic Social Teaching (Roundup) - [A lot of ink has been spilled lately about Paul Ryan and the budget with regard to Catholic Social Justice. This piece gives a pretty good roundup of some important articles written on this subject.]

Catholic Republicans dominate list of possible Romney running mates - "Having defeated two Catholics (Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich) for the Republican nomination, Romney must now choose his preferred candidate for the vice-presidency."

Forced Abortion Converage; It’s Next - "Oakland’s Bishop Salvatore Cordileone says the federal government could require faith communities to offer abortion as a health benefit if the contraceptive mandate is not stopped."

Why Do We Call It a "Culture of Death"? - "The more I studied the Theology of the Body and took a look at human sexuality through the lens of millenia-old Christian teaching, the more the problems of contraceptive culture came into relief."

Fatherhood in a Fatherless Culture - "What does authentic fatherhood look like? An authentic father is a father of faith, strength, character and courage."

An examination of themes of keynote speeches delivered at LCWR Assemblies - [Considering the recent examination by the Vatican of this women's group, these "themes" are very telling.]

Can We Please Have Our Own Church? - "...there’s probably a church building near the local Catholic church that has everything you may believe in: women priests, gay clergy and homosexual 'marriages,' higher or lower forms of liturgy, structures that allow you to pick and choose among doctrines and practices. It’s called Protestantism, and a widely available option for whoever thinks it’s the right choice."

Closing Up Shop on Marriage? - "Why does government have a stake in this? Because it has a stake in encouraging the parents to provide a stable, loving, committed relationship as the morally best environment for raising children."

Is the Papacy in Need of Structural Reform? - [A book review - A lot to wade through in this piece, but worth the effort.]

The Structure of the Mass - [An interesting diagram (PDF document) that shows a visual diagram of what happens at Mass. May be a good resource for children.]

Pope Warns Doctors of Relativism Impacting Medicine - "Pope Benedict XVI used a May 3 address to doctors and medical students to warn that the spread of relativism is resulting in scientific advances having 'unpredictable consequences.'"

Error Has No Rights: Time to Ditch Liberalism for Theocracy - [Whoa! Now there's a bold title! Can't say that I agree with the author's conclusion, but it is an interesting proposition.]

 CDWDS Confirms Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb - [I've mentioned this here before - This is an update that includes the full text of the blessing.]

Taylor Swift, Adele and American Exceptionalism - "Both write and sing highly personal songs. Both are extremely talented musicians who paid their dues and made it big the hard way: Through persistence and hard work. But they also have very different attitudes toward life, and I wonder what, if anything, that means."

Quote of the Week

"Everyday, Jesus humbles himself just as He did when He came from His heavenly throne into the Virgin’s womb; everyday He comes to us and lets us see Him in abjection, when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar."

- Saint Francis of Assisi

Studying James (Part 2)

The Protestant Facebook Bible study (of which I am a part, and about which I posted here last week) is continuing. As I mentioned last week, we were scheduled to cover two chapters per week (I know! That's way too fast for any kind of serious discussion to be had.), but because the organizer of this Bible study wishes to speed things up (??) we are now covering three chapters this week. So last week was chapters 1 and 2 of James. This week is chapters 3, 4, and 5.

There was very little discussion last week. Of the fifteen or so people who agreed  to participate, there were maybe four or five who posted comments. And the comments were minimal. Mostly people wrote about resisting temptations and trying to live a Christian life. Uuuuum, OK. That's a good start. But it seems more like a spiritual support group for struggling Christians than a Bible study. Shouldn't we dig a little deeper? Shouldn't we look at the more challenging passages and discuss their doctrinal implications? I mean, we all agree that sin is bad and God is good. We agree that we should apply God's commandments to our daily lives. But there are parts of James that are unique and challenging passages that might yield some lively discussion. We are missing a valuable opportunity, especially considering that the coordinator of this study specifically invited Christians of many denominations and even non-Christians to participate. Let's compare notes and see where we stand on some of these issues.


Thankfully there seems to be a little more interest this week, but I thought I would stir things up a little more, and so I posted the following:

Throughout James there is a constant theme of avoiding sin, living in harmony with the Christian community, and choosing God above the world. Obviously, all Christians can embrace these ideas without much disagreement. Talking about these things and encouraging each other is certainly important. But for the purposes of a *Bible study*, this only takes us so far. These general ideas are found throughout the New Testament, they are not unique to James. If all we take away from James is that we should avoid sin and turn away from worldly things, then we haven’t really scratched the surface of what makes James unique. So I’ve looked for passages in James that stand out as distinctive and more difficult to interpret. If I’m going to *study* the Bible I feel like I should put out that extra effort and go beyond the surface.

We all agree that sin is bad and that following God is better than following the world, but what about James chapter 2 and the centuries-long debate about “Faith and Works” – to me THAT is a topic worthy of discussion – that is what would elevate this to a Bible STUDY, and not merely a Christian support group. A Bible study ought to go deeper than just a quick read of the text; it should force us to think.

So in James 3-5 I would point out the following verses:

Verse: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” (3:1-2)

My thoughts: What does this mean for the leadership of the Church? Obviously it states that *few* should be called as teachers, but James also says (here and in later verses) that this small number of teachers should steer the Church as a “bit” in a horse’s mouth and a “rudder” of a ship. How does this apply to our obedience to the Church’s teachers? If I am not the “rudder” then I am a part of the ship and I go where the rudder guides me. Do we give that sort of obedience to the Church? Do our teachers rightly claim such authority over us?

Verse: "Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord..." (5:14)

My thoughts: Do Christians do this? This is a command of Scripture – “he must call the elders…” The Bible is telling us that the “elders” of the Church should anoint the sick with oil, and pray over them. This practice has ancient origins and was practiced by the early Church. Do Christians still do this today? If not, why? Should we abandon a command of Scripture that the ancient Church practiced? Can we pick and choose which parts of James are important to practice and which to abandon? Isn’t it all GOD’s Word?

Verse: "...confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (5:16)

My thoughts: Again, this is God’s Word to us – so we owe Him obedience. Do we confess our sins to others? Or instead, do we only confess internally…to God alone? Certainly we should confess to God in our hearts and minds, but James says we must confess to others, and pray together for healing. How did the early Christians practice this Biblical idea? Should we look to Christian history to see how this concept was practiced?

These are just a few distinctive passages from James that go beyond the general themes of virtue and Christian living. I think if we spend some time on passages like these we can come to a deeper appreciation for God’s Word.

Monday Musings

 A few random thoughts and pondering to start the week...

I know, it's a day late...Not much to say. Weather is improving, time to start putting out a garden and enjoy the longer days. Also time to mow the grass and do some chores that were put off all winter. That doesn't leave much time to sit at a computer and write.

+        +        +

I still have not received my Sunday Missal. I ordered it at the end of October last year. For now I'll wait patiently for it, but if I see one for sale at a retail store I may buy it and cancel my online order. In the meantime, I continue to use the Android iMissal app, but I sure do miss the feel of an actual book. And I still can't get over the awkwardness of using an electronic device at church. I just feel like everyone else is looking at me. Maybe that feeling will pass with time...

+        +        +

I'm continuing with a Bible study that I posted about last week. I'll post some thoughts on that again this week. Maybe that will make up for nothing to say on Monday...err, I mean, Tuesday Musings.

+        +       +

One more quick thought: Today is May 1, which is the Feast of St. Joseph the worker. Also May is a month traditionally devoted to Mary. On this day, when the celebration of these two important Saints neatly coincide, this presents a wonderful opportunity to commemorate both of Jesus' earthly parents.