Powerful piece, and never more important than today. On a related note, I cannot resist pointing out that I don't care for the author' formal, terse, tight, and severe style. It forced me to have to re-read several parts to finally understand his point. He could and should have been written for readability and reader comprehension instead of what felt like a lecture. That would have been appreciated by those of us not on his intellectual level. However, the topic is SO important, and his summary of the vital part Calvin played in the Reformation is SO vital, it was worth sweating and straining to get it.
The pope is also a cult leader, friend. The only authority is Scripture, interpreted normally and plainly without preconceived doctrinal assumptions like Calvin's idea of predestination which stray from the normal interpretive approach.
No religious leader, Bible scholar, or lay person is without his own pre-conceptions, Calvin had his. Everyone brings his own personality, church denomination, family history, political views, doctrinal assumptions to his interpretation of scripture. EVERYONE. You obviously also have them (as you criticize popes and Calvin) yet write as if you think you are above the fray.
Yet if one makes Scripture the true authority, it will correct one's preconceptions. Calvin doubled down on his assumptions and used Scripture to give rationale to his biases, arresting and silencing those who challenged him like Servetus and Bolsec.
Your first claim is false, and you yourself are a perfect example of that fact. The sad part is that you don't see your own insconsistency here. You infer that you use Scripture as the final authority, yet it has not sunk deeply enough into your spirit to stop you from posting discriminationatory and doctrinal error on the internet. From falsely claiming that he did not believe the Bible was the true and final authority. You need to re-read the article, JJ.
And that Calvin dealt with heretics sinfully has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with this. Your claim is untrue, and is based on your apparent hatred for a man who disagreed with you on one doctrine. A brother in Christ! A man you will be spending eternity with. You have every right to your position, but ZERO right to slime a man who was better than both of us by a country mile. So if posting mendacious claims, especially in the name of God, was a crime, I'd call for your arrest.
Appreciate this article.
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone according to the Bible alone to the glory of God - alone!
This piece accurately describes the Catholic religion to a "T".
Powerful piece, and never more important than today. On a related note, I cannot resist pointing out that I don't care for the author' formal, terse, tight, and severe style. It forced me to have to re-read several parts to finally understand his point. He could and should have been written for readability and reader comprehension instead of what felt like a lecture. That would have been appreciated by those of us not on his intellectual level. However, the topic is SO important, and his summary of the vital part Calvin played in the Reformation is SO vital, it was worth sweating and straining to get it.
The pope is also a cult leader, friend. The only authority is Scripture, interpreted normally and plainly without preconceived doctrinal assumptions like Calvin's idea of predestination which stray from the normal interpretive approach.
No religious leader, Bible scholar, or lay person is without his own pre-conceptions, Calvin had his. Everyone brings his own personality, church denomination, family history, political views, doctrinal assumptions to his interpretation of scripture. EVERYONE. You obviously also have them (as you criticize popes and Calvin) yet write as if you think you are above the fray.
Yet if one makes Scripture the true authority, it will correct one's preconceptions. Calvin doubled down on his assumptions and used Scripture to give rationale to his biases, arresting and silencing those who challenged him like Servetus and Bolsec.
Your first claim is false, and you yourself are a perfect example of that fact. The sad part is that you don't see your own insconsistency here. You infer that you use Scripture as the final authority, yet it has not sunk deeply enough into your spirit to stop you from posting discriminationatory and doctrinal error on the internet. From falsely claiming that he did not believe the Bible was the true and final authority. You need to re-read the article, JJ.
And that Calvin dealt with heretics sinfully has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with this. Your claim is untrue, and is based on your apparent hatred for a man who disagreed with you on one doctrine. A brother in Christ! A man you will be spending eternity with. You have every right to your position, but ZERO right to slime a man who was better than both of us by a country mile. So if posting mendacious claims, especially in the name of God, was a crime, I'd call for your arrest.
Then what is your pope if not a cult leader.?
The Vicar of Christ. The entire succession of Popes is clearly documented from the first Pope, St. Peter to Pope Leo XIV.
The Catholic Church is still one while there are now over 40,000 different Protestant denominations.