The Doctrine of Justification in the History of the Fathers
The Doctrine of Justification in the History of the Fathers
~ by ~
Dr. Kenneth Talbot
President
Whitefield Theological Seminary
Lakeland, Florida
Throughout the history of the Christian Church, the amount of interest given to the doctrine of justification by faith varies according to the emphasis given to scripture concerning man’s relation to God. The theological language in the early church is not as refined as it became in the Reformation, but even with the development of doctrine, the seed form of the current emphasis on Justification by Faith is present, especially in the first five to six centuries. However, without understanding the nature of “forensic justification” it is very difficult to understand the elements of that doctrine as presented in its primal form. The doctrine of salvation, and by implication, that the nature of justification and faith, needs to be defined carefully to understand the dogma of the first five centuries of theology, as well as, the apostatizing of the Latin (eventually Western or Roman Catholic) and Greek (eventually Eastern or Greek Orthodox) church, for they hold to the same doctrine of salvation. Theologically we speak of three views concerning salvation.
The 1st Recorded Celebration of Christmas
The 1st Recorded Celebration of Christmas
Dan Graves, MSL
Today is Christmas day (Christ’s mass). But for the first 300 years of Christianity, it wasn’t so. When was Christmas first celebrated? In an old list of Roman bishops, compiled in A. D. 354 these words appear for A.D. 336: “25 Dec.: natus Christus in Betleem Judeae.” December 25th, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea. This day, December 25, 336, is the first recorded celebration of Christmas.
For the first three hundred years of the church’s existence, birthdays were not given much emphasis–not even the birth of Christ. The day on which a saint died was considered more significant than his or her birth, as it ushered him or her into the kingdom of heaven. Christ’s baptism received more attention than his birthday in the January 6th feast of Epiphany.
Read the rest of the article HERE
Justification by Faith (but Not by Faith Alone) at ETS
Justification by Faith (but Not by Faith Alone) at ETS
November 2010
Steven Matthews, author of Imagining a Vain Thing: The Decline and Fall of Knox Seminary , which exposed the Warren Gage controversy, has posted the following at his blog site Lux Lucet about The 62nd Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society which meets in Atlanta on November 17-19, 2010:
I happened to glance at the program for the upcoming 62nd Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) and noticed something interesting. The theme for this year’s meeting is Justification by Faith. Not, mind you, Justification by Faith Alone as you would expect from an evangelical organization, but simply Justification by Faith.
According to the letter from the Program Chairman and President-Elect of ETS, Clinton E. Arnold,
This year’s meeting provides us with the opportunity to give renewed consideration to the meaning and significance of the doctrine of Justification by Faith. Thirty years have now elapsed since “The New Perspective on Paul” emerged and challenged the Lutheran and Reformed understandings of justification and a host of related doctrines. Some have argued that the newer views have compromised the integrity of the gospel. Advocates of the New Perspective, however, claim that their views more accurately reflect the teaching of the Bible and, specifically, Paul’s teaching on justification. The rich variety of papers devoted to this year’s theme will no doubt help us all to better understand the issues and help us think through the richness of this important doctrine.
This is a disgrace. The Apostle Paul refused “to yield submission even for an hour” to false brethren who taught a false gospel of faith and works. He hurled anathemas at them. He said of them they, “want to pervert the gospel of Christ.” But the folks at ETS are too gentlemanly for such language. No, instead they invite wolf, false brother and perverter of the gospel N. T. Wright (he’s one of the plenary speakers at the conference) to spread his heresy at the ETS annual conference, and all this without a hint of rebuke. Even the title of the conference “Justification by Faith” is a concession to Wright’s false teaching. The Reformation was all about justification by faith ALONE, but ETS can’t seem to bring itself to say the word. It seems to me that since the Roman Catholics also believe in justification by faith – it’s the “alone” part they choke on – ETS may as well extend a conference invite to Benedict XVI as well. I’m sure he’d feel right at home.
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Groundwork in Preterist-Realism
Cornelius Van Til by John W Robbins
Over the past forty-five years a myth has evolved about a theologian in Philadelphia who has single handedly defeated the forces of intellectual darkness, a thinker so profound and so orthodox that he is nothing less than a new Copernicus. In this essay I intend to examine this myth and the man behind it, Professor Cornelius Van Til of Westminster Theological Seminary.
Professor Van Til is the object of fierce loyalty and reverence by many of his students. This attitude has both causes and consequences. One of its consequences is an almost total lack of critical discussion of Van Til’s distinctive ideas. Some of Van Til’s followers do not even seem to understand his ideas. They have been enthralled by the myth that surrounds the tall and handsome professor of theology. One of Professor Van Til’s biographers is so misled by the myth that he falsifies a bit of history concerning Van Til. Hero worship is a prominent characteristic of many of Van Til’s followers, and the ordinary Christian is both baffled and embarrassed by the sounds and the spectacle of bowing and scraping that occur in certain circles. We cannot, and do not, blame Dr. Van Til for the behavior of his followers. He is undoubtedly more intelligent than most, if not all, of them.
If Professor Van Til were all his disciples believe him to be, there would be good reason for the reverence, awe, loyalty, and devotion. If Van Til had done all the things he is reputed to have done, to be all the things he is reputed to be, this writer would be among the first to join his entourage of admirers. But there is a discontinuity (to use one of Van Til’s favorite words) between the man and the myth. Such a gulf between the man and the legendary theologian makes all that loyalty and admiration misplaced. After one has penetrated the myth, and that can be done only by reading Van Til’s own words-a task which few people seem to have done or care to do-the contrast between the man and the myth is startling. The theologian of mythic proportions bears little resemblance to Professor Van Til, who taught at Westminster Theological Seminary for forty-five years. In the next few pages I shall examine and explain several aspects of his work, ranging from the style of his writing to his doctrines of God and the Bible. Read more…
Preterist-Realism and Matthew 24-25
That He Should Save Both [PDF]
Trinity Review #296
We have just posted our latest Trinity Review titled “Papacy Set to Recapture England: John Henry Newman’s Work Bears Fruit” written by Richard Bennett of Berean Beacon Ministries. Benedict XVI is scheduled to visit England September 16-19, 2010 for the expressed purpose of performing the second stage of the English Cardinal’s canonization, or path to sainthood, by virtue of which Newman will be pronounced “Blessed.” The pope, however, will be addressing both houses of Parliament. There is no doubt, but that the pope will be promoting the Roman Catholic Church-State’s religious and political control of the Church of England. Please visit our website or click the link to read the newest Trinity Review. Thank you and may the Lord bless you.
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The Greening of Eschatology
The Greening of Eschatology!
or
The Green House on Straw Hill
by Sharon Nichols, January 2010
“House Divided: Bridging the Gap in Reformed Eschatology” was written as a response to the book “When Shall These Things Be?: A Reformed Response to Hyper-Preterism” (WSTTB?) As a Hyper-Preterist (HP), when “House Divided” was first released, I wrote a glowing review of the book and posted it on Amazon.com. I’ve since renounced HP, removed the review from Amazon and have begun reading the two books with the “new” eyes of an Ex-Hyper-Preterist. As I began to compare one of Mr. Dave Green’s chapter’s in “House Divided”, “If Preterism is True”, against Dr. Charles Hill’s chapter in “WSTTB?”, “Eschatology in the Wake of Jerusalem’s Fall”, I did not get far before I discovered some issues in Green’s chapter worthy of comment. Read more…
