Sola Scriptura and tradition of men

Sola Scriptura (The Bible Alone)

Most Evangelical say "Jesus said, GOD's words are the only authority to follow" They general will quote "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48) Most Evangelical non-Catholics do state that he did not say traditions or the commandments of men were his words. They famously will quote (Mark 7:7, 13)

It is true Jesus never did say tradition or the commandments of men were his words. Jesus also did not say "the word that I have spoken" is to be understood as meaning the Bible itself. "His word, that continues to be spoken by a living voice, the Church. Do keep in mind that some of his words were recorded by the Apostles and have been accumulated as inspired word in the form of the Bible but most never did. If we see in John during the opening of his Gospel, John writes that Christ himself is the Word; and then at the end of the Gospel he writes not everything Christ taught or did is recorded. "Christ is not the Bible, and the Bible is not Christ. The Bible records his words but is not a substitute for the Word" (Dr. Karl Keating - The Usual Suspects Ignatius press)

Now let's take a look at "t"radition of men:

If we look at (1 Corinthians 11:2) Paul wrote: "I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you" You must first understand that the most of Christ teaching was done orally, Bible was not handed to us by Jesus. The formation of written word happened centuries later after the resurrection of Christ. There is no contradiction here. It might be confusing for some, that at one point Paul condemned erroneous human traditions; and on the other hand through versus such as (1 Corinthians 11:2) he tells the Church to upheld truths handed down orally and entrusted to the Church. It is these truths Catholics know by the term Traditions (with a capital "T") (Dr. Karl Keating)

To understand the faith in fullness we cannot take into account only selected verses from the Bible, you must read each chapter in its entirety and in full context.

Reference: The Usual Suspects – Dr. Karl Keating ~Ignatius Press Pages 128 - 129

Is the Holy Father the beast (666)?

Is our Holy Father, who, he says, is the beast spoken of in Revelation 13. Fundamentalist (Non-Catholics) claim they can "prove" this because the pope's title, Vicarius Filii Dei (Latin for Vicar of the Son of God), adds up to 666--the "number of the beast" mentioned in Revelation 13. Is this true? How can we respond?

Let's consider this accusation. Latin, Greek, and Hebrew have numerical values assigned to various letters in their alphabets. In Latin the values are: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10; L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1,000. By extension W = 10 (because W = VV, or two Vs together), and U = V (because there was no letter U for the Romans; where you see the letter U in modern writing, use the letter V instead).

As you can work out for yourself, Vicarius Filii Dei does add up to 666 in Latin: Vicarius = 112; Filii = 53; Dei = 501. (Ignore letters which are not assigned a numerical value.) The problem is that Vicarius Filii Dei is not a title of the pope. One of his titles, in fact his chief title, is Vicarius Christi (Vicar of Christ), but, unfortunately for Seventh-Day Adventists and other anti-Catholics who attempt to use this ploy, Vicarius Christi adds up to only a measly 214, not the infernal 666.

Since the average person, Catholic or Protestant, hasn't the foggiest idea what the pope's titles are in Latin or English, anti-Catholics (some of whom know better) can get away with this subterfuge.

But what if one of the pope's titles did add up to 666? Would that coincidence prove the pope is the beast? Hardly. It would prove nothing because lots of names and titles add up to 666. By using a nifty little technique you can force a Seventh-Day Adventist to admit that the addition to 666 proves nothing, even when it's a papal title that's in questions. Here's how.

Fundamentalist need to get their math right, you will be shocked to learn that the name of the woman who started Seventh-Day Adventism, Ellen Gould White, adds up to 666: Ellen = 100, Gould = 555, White = 11. Does that "prove" that the foundress of his religion was the beast? If your answer is "No," then the tallying of the name means nothing. Either way his argument collapses. (Isn't apologetics fun?)

Reference: http://www.catholic.com/

What "Word of GOD" Means

What "Word of God" Means

SOME Christians--this seems to be especially true with respect to Evangelicals and Fundamentalists--think the phrase "word of God" in Scripture always refers to the Bible. Often it does, but often it doesn't. In many places it refers to Jesus, to oral prophecy, or to the oral preaching of the gospel. Here are a few representative examples.

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that [Jesus] goes forth from my mouth; it [Jesus] shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish [dying on the cross] that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it [Jesus]" (Is. 55:10-11)."

[T]he word of God [Jesus] came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness; and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (Luke 3:2-3)."

[Jesus] was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. While the people pressed upon him to hear [Jesus]the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret" (Luke 4:44; 5:1).

"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God [Jesus]. The ones along the path are those who have heard; . . . the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:11-15).

"In the beginning was the Word [Jesus] the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:1, 14).

"And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31).

"[W]hen you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers" (1 Thess. 2:13).

"Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, that no one fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Heb. 4:11-13).

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen. For by it the men of old received divine approval. By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear" (Heb. 11:3).

Reference: Keyword search “Word of GOD” www.Catholic.com

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: www.Catholic.com

Q:“
My Baptist friend says that when Jesus talks in John 6 about "eating his flesh and drinking his blood," he was using a shocking metaphor to shake up people who were not ready for his real point (faith, of course), just as when he said, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will rebuild it" (John 2:19). What do you say?
”
A:
I say, if Jesus’ hearers were not ready for his "real point," and if that "real point" was faith, then why did Jesus go on at such length earlier in the chapter (6:29-47) about having faith in him?In John 2, as your friend rightly says, Jesus didn’t wish to speak openly of his Resurrection to faithless men, so he used a "shocking metaphor" to obscure his real point and to "shake them up" at the same time. But in John 6 Jesus spoke quite openly about having faith in him. He laid those cards right on the table. Why would he then seek to muddle what he already had stated so plainly?Jesus used figurative language for one of two reasons: to illumine, or to obscure. When he sought to illumine, he sometimes appended plain explanations to his metaphors (especially if he had been misunderstood), but nowhere did he do what your friend thinks he did here: follow a clear exposition with puzzling metaphors on the same point. There would be no reason to do so. If he meant to be obscure, he would not have been so plain to start with; if he meant to be clear, he would not have muddied the waters with obscure metaphors.
Steven D. Greydanus Category: Bible Keywords: Eucharist apologetics Gospel Jesus

Q:“
Some of my non-Catholic friends say the Church is satanic. What can I do?
”
A:
If the Catholic Church is accused of being satanic, that is no more than its Founder, Jesus Christ, was accused of. When our Lord was on earth, he had the same problem. He was driving demons out, and some said he was doing this by the power of the devil. How did Jesus respond? He said, "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him" (Mk 3:23-26).The Catholic Church drives out the devil, too. This practice is called exorcism. No one can deny that the Catholic Church has been doing exorcisms on people and driving out Satan for nearly two millennia. Therefore, we must reason like Jesus: If the Catholic Church were from the devil, it could not drive the devil out.We shouldn’t be surprised when such charges are made against the Catholic Church. Jesus told us, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master; it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household" (Mt 10:24–25).Mario Derksen
Mario Derksen Category: Apologetics Keywords: anti-Catholic Satan Gospel apologetics Jesus

Q:“
Jews were prohibited from drinking blood by the Old Testament. So if the Catholic idea about the Eucharist as the "Blood of Christ" is correct, didn’t Jesus break the Law of God?
”
A:
Nope. He fulfilled it. "The blood is the life," as the Torah taught the Jews, and the life of a creature belongs to God. Hence the Jews were to pour the blood out on the earth, not because it was too vile but because it was too sacred. They were to seek their life, not from any creature, but from God himself. How fitting then that when Jesus (Who is the Life [Jn 14:6]) comes we are commanded to drink his blood (Mt 26:27–28). His is the blood we not only may but must drink if we are to have life in us (Jn 6:53). It is the reality of which all other blood is an image (Heb 9).
Mark P. Shea Category: Apologetics Keywords: Eucharist Mosaic law apologetics Jesus New Testament

Q:“
In the Nicene Creed the Catholic Church asserts that the Son of God is eternally begotten, but you also assert that the Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary. Can you explain how the Son can be begotten twice?
”
A:
The question you ask goes directly to the necessity of understanding who Jesus is. Scripture affirms that Jesus is both "the Son of Man" (Mt 12:8) and "the Son of God" (Mt 8:29).As we encounter God in history, through his relation with and revelation to man, we see that God acts in three distinct Persons, though he is one unique and singular whole. This is the mystery of the Trinity. As the Son of God, Jesus takes part fully in this divine and hidden life of God. But we also know that God is not given to change or alteration; he is perfect in his nature. God is as he is throughout and apart from time. He is eternally the Father, eternally the Son, and eternally the Spirit. But we also see something else in God. He is not just one God in three divine Persons. These Persons also exist in relation to one another. In attempting to express this relationship of Father to Son within God we say that the Son is "begotten" of the Father. This is the way that Scripture refers to this divine relationship (see Jn 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18 as examples). When did this take place? Before creation, since, as John notes, the world was made through the Word [the Son]. Such an "action" on the part of God takes place outside of his Creation, outside of time itself. It is not an "event" closed by time, but a way of being within God himself. That is why we say that the Son is "eternally begotten" of the Father.We have to be careful to understand this term. It is often used as synonymous with "to be born" but it really means "to cause to be." Even though the Son is eternally existent, the Father "causes him to be." God is the cause of his own existence. So "begotten" here is not the same as "being born." That is why the Church, in the Nicene Creed, continues this way: "[The Son is] begotten, not made, one in being with the Father."Let’s turn our attention to that other great mystery of our faith, the Incarnation. We already have noted that Jesus was both the "Son of God" and the "Son of Man." John puts it very simply: "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only begotten Son of the Father" (Jn 1:14). To fulfill God’s purpose of salvation for all mankind, the Son freely chose to become human. In doing this he was subject to the same biological limitations that we are subject to. He had to be born, and he had to die. He was born at a specific time, to a specific set of parents, in a certain place. His being born this way was a historical event, able to be examined in the record of time.These dual events are precipitated by who Jesus is: true God and true Man. The events are of a different order. The first took place hidden in God’s own being, apart from time, eternally. It was the act of God alone. The other took place in plain view, as a sign to all of us, at a specific time and place, within God’s creation. And while it was surely the work of God, the act of giving birth to the Son was the act of a woman, a human being.So the Son is not "begotten twice." He is begotten ("caused to be") after the manner of his Father. And he is born, brought forth as a unique human being, after the manner of his mother. They are two different, but complimentary, acts.
Larry Nolte Category: Trinity Keywords: Trinity God Jesus creed Holy Spirit

Q:“
A man in our parish who is pushing for women's ordination says that, because Jesus and the apostles were Jews, they did not ordain women since, because of the taboos about blood and menstruation, they would not have been able to preach in the ritually pure Temple and would have offended the Jews. He says that since such taboos do not hold today, we should ordain women.
”
A:
Inform your friend that, if Jesus and the apostles were afraid of a blood taboo, they had a funny way of showing it: refusing to ordain women to celebrate the sacrament of drinking Christ’s blood. In fact, the Church’s reason for not ordaining women has nothing to do with some supposed impurity of women. Rather, women are not ordained because Christ and the apostles deliberately chose not to do so. The question is not and never has been "Are men purer than women?" In worth, man and woman are absolutely equal in the eyes of God. Rather, the question is: "What sort of symbol is a woman and what sort of symbol is a priest?" As symbols man and woman have different meanings. Women are not the appropriate image of Christ, the husband of the Church, just as men are inadequate symbols of Mary, the God-bearer.
Mark P. Shea Category: Priesthood Keywords: Jesus women ordination of women priest Judaism

Q:“
What's wrong with consubstantiation—the view that the Eucharist is both the body and blood of Christ and bread and wine? Isn't that more consistent with the Incarnation, and isn't transubstantiation almost Gnostic, even Docetist?
”
A:
Superficially, consubstantiation might seem more "incarnational" than transubstantiation, but there’s a catch. For the Eucharist to be both Jesus Christ and bread and wine, as Jesus is both God and man, Jesus would have to unite the nature of bread to himself as he united human nature to himself. It would amount to a new incarnation, a new hypostatic union. We would confess a Lord who is truly God, truly man, and truly pastry. This would demean and trivialize the significance of our Lord’s assuming our human nature.Furthermore, such a reprise of the Incarnation would not accomplish what the Eucharist is all about: It would not make present the human body and blood of Christ. If the Second Person of the Trinity were to acquire a new, confectionery nature, this new nature would have no direct relationship to Jesus’ human nature. He would be present in the Eucharist in his divinity and his breadness, but not his humanity. His human body, born of Mary, crucified on the cross, raised from the dead, and ascended into glory, would be uninvolved.This is not, of course, what consubstantiationists believe. They picture Christ in his divinity and his humanity juxtaposed with bread and wine, not becoming them. But this is not the incarnational principle. It is more like Nestorianism. It makes the Eucharist an amalgam of Jesus and bread, just as Nestorius made Jesus an amalgam of God and man without truly uniting the two natures in one person.The authentic Catholic understanding of the Eucharist, by contrast, is not a repetition of the Incarnation but an extension of it. Christ is not hypostatically united to bread, but the one hypostatic union of divinity and humanity is presented to us under the appearances of bread and wine. It is not a new, independent redemptive act, but the making present of the one redemption accomplished by Christ in his Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension.
Stephen Greydanus Category: Eucharist Keywords: Eucharist Jesus incarnation apologetics

Q:“
Why did Mary Magdalene and the apostles have trouble recognizing Jesus when he appeared to them after the Resurrection? Will we too have trouble recognizing our loved ones after we have been resurrected?
”
A:
Of the four Gospel accounts, only Luke and John mention anyone having difficulty recognizing Jesus after he had risen from the dead. Luke (24:13-35) recounts the episode of two disciples on the road to the village of Emmaus on the day of the Resurrection. It wasn't a case of them not recognizing Jesus because his appearance had somehow changed. We are told "their eyes were kept from recognizing him" until he had explained how the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah were fulfilled by him. In the Gospel of John, the apostles have trouble recognizing Jesus when they are fishing near the Sea of Tiberias and Christ is standing on the shore (Jn 21:1-14). But we're told that the boat is at least 100 yards off shore, so it's not surprising that they didn't recognize him at once. Similarly, Mary Magdalene didn't recognize Jesus immediately outside the tomb until he called her by name (Jn 20:14-16). Perhaps in this instance he was some distance away also. More than likely she was so intent on finding his dead body ("Tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away") that his risen body escaped her recognition. Mourning, she also may have not looked Jesus in the face until he said her name, and her eyes were full of tears in any event (20:13). And she might have been supernaturally prevented from recognizing him, just as the disciples on the road to Emmaus had been. Thomas was able to identify Jesus' body (Jn 20:24-29), and the rich man had no trouble recognizing Lazarus and Abraham even without their bodies (Lk 16:20-24), so we will have no trouble recognizing our loved ones--provided we end up in the same place.
Catholic Answers Staff Category: Bible Keywords: Jesus Gospel Resurrection glorified body heaven

Q:“
I have a New American Bible that has an unsettling footnote to Matthew 16:21-23. Those verses state, "From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." The footnote says, "Neither this nor the two later Passion predictions (17:22-23; 20:27-29) can be taken as sayings that, as they stand, go back to Jesus himself. However, it is probable that he foresaw that his mission would entail suffering and perhaps death, but was confident that he would ultimately be vindicated by God (see 26:29)." Is this true?
”
A:
It's another illustration of the non-infallibility of the foototes in Catholic Bibles. (See the January 1994 "Dragnet" column for an instance in which we nailed another incorrect footnote.) While one might suggest that this prediction is a paraphrase of something Jesus said rather than an exact quotation from him, it must be regarded as the substance of one of his actual historical utterances.This is underscored by the fact the Gospel writer gives a specific time when Jesus began to make this claim ("From that time on . . ."). It was not a bit of embellishment invented by a later writer and inserted to give a literary flourish. It was something Jesus actually said. The only reason anyone ever challenges the idea that Jesus predicted his passion, death, and resurrection is out of an anti-supernatural bias. Jesus could not have predicted these things because, the reasoning goes, that would mean he knew the future, which is impossible. The idea that Jesus never predicted his own death and resurrection became popular over a century ago with liberal Protestant Bible scholars, and they infected many Catholic Bible scholars in turn.This attempt to de-supernaturalize the consciousness of Christ was recently refuted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states,
[The] truly human knowledge of God's Son expressed the divine life of his person. The human nature of God's Son, not by itself but by its union with the Word, knew and showed forth in itself everything that pertains to God. . . . The Son in his human knowledge also showed the divine penetration he had into the secret thoughts of human hearts. By its union to the divine wisdom in the person of the Word incarnate, Christ enjoyed in his human knowledge the fullness of understanding of the eternal plans he had come to reveal. (CCC 473-474)
Thus Christ humanly knew the supernatural mission he had come to perform and what it would involve.The Catechism also deals with the texts where Christ predicts his Passion and Resurrection:
"When the days were near for him to be taken up [Jesus] set his face to go to Jerusalem" [Luke 9:51]. By this decision he indicated that he was going up to Jerusalem prepared to die there. Three times he had announced his Passion and Resurrection; now, heading toward Jerusalem, Jesus says: "It cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem" [Luke 13:33]. (CCC 557)
The footnote in your New American Bible is thus not only completely out of line with the historical teaching of the Catholic Church, but with the Church's contemporary teaching as well.
Catholic Answers Staff Category: Bible Keywords: Jesus Passion Gospel dissent apologetics

Q:“
Was Jesus a liberal?
”
A:
Jesus is God, and, as such, does not involve himself in temporal politics (cf. Jn 18:36). I recommend Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI, in which the pope offers his thoughts that Christianity should not seek to establish a theocracy.

Michelle Arnold Category: Jesus Keywords: God social justice Jesus just war


Q:“
I remember nuns saying that every time someone sins, he puts another nail into Christ. Is it because Jesus suffers every time we sin?
”
A:
The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains these words:

Since our sins made the Lord Christ suffer the torment of the cross, those who plunge themselves into disorders and crimes crucify the Son of God anew in their hearts (for he is in them) and hold him up to contempt. And it can be seen that our crime in this case is greater in us than in the Jews. As for them, according to the witness of the apostle, “None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” We, however, profess to know him. And when we deny him by our deeds, we in some way seem to lay violent hands on him. Nor did demons crucify him; it is you who have crucified him and crucify him still, when you delight in your vices and sins. (CCC 598, quoting St. Francis of Assisi, Admonitio 5.3)

Peggy Frye Category: Jesus Keywords: Passion suffering Jesus sin

Q:“
I have always been led to believe that Jesus thought his Father had given up on him when he said from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Is that really what he thought?
”
A:
Jesus quoted from Psalm 22, which prophesied the Passion. He probably continued the Psalm in silence. Read the Psalm in full and you will see that Jesus did not think that his Father had given up on him but, rather, he showed confidence in the Father despite immense suffering.
Jim Blackburn Category: Jesus Keywords: suffering God Gospel Passion Jesus

Q:“
One of the attributes of God is that he is all-knowing. If Christ is God, why does he not know the end of days, and only the Father knows?
”
A:
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "By its union to the divine wisdom in the person of the Word incarnate, Christ enjoyed in his human knowledge the fullness of understanding of the eternal plans he had come to reveal. What he admitted to not knowing in this area, he elsewhere declared himself not sent to reveal" (CCC 474).
Peggy Frye Category: Jesus Keywords: God eschatology Scripture

Q:“
When Jesus was on earth in human form, did he commit sins like other humans?
”
A:
Jesus never sinned. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states,
Following the holy Fathers, we unanimously teach and confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: the same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man, composed of rational soul and body; consubstantial with the Father as to his divinity and consubstantial with us as to his humanity; "like us in all things but sin." (CCC 467)
So how did he, in his humanity, keep from sinning? He submitted his will completely to the will of his Father.
Christ possesses two wills and two natural operations, divine and human. They are not opposed to each other, but cooperate in such a way that the Word made flesh willed humanly in obedience to his Father all that he had decided divinely with the Father and the Holy Spirit for our salvation. Christ’s human will does not resist or oppose but rather submits to his divine and almighty will. (CCC 475)

Jim Blackburn Category: Jesus Keywords: christology sin

Q:“
How do we know that Jesus descends from David as prophesied? Matthew's Gospel tells us about Joseph's genealogy, but he was not Jesus' biological father. Does the Bible say from where Mary descends?
”
A:
There is no record of Jesus’ genealogy through Mary. So how do we know that Jesus descended from the house of David?Matthew (1:2-16) and Luke (3:23-38) each thought it important to record Joseph’s genealogy. The Navarre Bible commentary on Matthew’s Gospel explains why this is important:
Jewish genealogies followed the male line. Joseph, being Mary’s husband, was the legal father of Jesus. The legal father is on par with the real father as regards rights and duties . . . Since it was quite usual for people to marry within their clan, it can be concluded that Mary belonged to the house of David. Several early Fathers of the Church testify to this—for example, St. Ignatius, St. Irenaeus, St. Justin and Tertullian, who base their testimony on an unbroken tradition. (28-29)
There is also other evidence that Jesus was David’s descendant. For example, Paul tells us that Jesus "was descended from David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1:3).
Jim Blackburn Category: Jesus Keywords: Jesus St. Joseph Mary New Testament

Q:“
If our Lord's last name was "Christ," does that mean that "Christ" was also the last name of St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary?
”
A:
The word Christ is not a personal name but a title in Greek that means "the Anointed One." In Hebrew, the title is Mashiach, or, more commonly, Messiah. The name "Jesus Christ" is a shorthand way of identifying Jesus of Nazareth as "Jesus, the Christ." In ancient Hebrew society, people used patronyms, meaning that they were identified as the child of their father. So, for example, Jesus was known during his earthly life as "Jesus, son of Joseph" (cf. Matt. 13:55). St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin in turn would have been identified as the son and daughter of their respective fathers.
Michelle Arnold Category: Jesus Keywords: Jesus terminology St. Joseph Mary

Q:“
If Jesus Christ is a union of human and divine natures, was his human nature co-eternal with God, or only his divine nature? John 1:14 ("and the Word was made flesh") seems to imply that the Incarnation took place later. That, in turn, suggests that Jesus Christ's human nature "happened" later—it was not present at the beginning, not co-eternal with God (except, perhaps, as a potentiality). If so, then can it be said that the joint human-divine nature of Jesus Christ is the second person of the Holy Trinity? Or is only the divine nature of Jesus Christ (the Logos) the Second Person? How could Jesus Christ's human nature be part of the Trinity if it is not co-eternal with God?
”
A:
Jesus is the Eternal Word, the Eternal Logos, who is eternally begotten of the Father and equal to the Father. When he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit in the womb of his blessed Mother, he took on a human nature and entered time. His human nature had a beginning. We don’t want to create a problem where there is none. The fact that Jesus took on a human nature in no way diminishes the Holy Trinity. One of the Persons of the Holy Trinity, since the Incarnation, simply has a human nature as well as a divine one. If we said that his human nature supplanted his divine nature, we would have a problem. But such is not the case and could never be.
Fr. Vincent Serpa Category: Jesus Keywords: christology Jesus Trinity

Q:“
Was Jesus "forsaken" momentarily by the Father on the cross? If so, then are we saying that the Trinity was momentarily split? If Jesus was not forsaken by the Father, then what really caused Jesus such agony in the garden?
”
A:
Jesus was not forsaken by the Father on the cross. He was reciting Psalm 22 about himself: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" It goes on: "I can count every one of my bones. These people stare at me and gloat; they divide my clothing among them. They cast lots for my robe." It is most important to realize that Jesus has a human and divine nature. It was his human nature that suffered and died, not his divine nature.
Fr. Vincent Serpa Category: Jesus Keywords: christology God Trinity Passion Old Testament Gospel

Q:“
Why wasn't Jesus named "Emmanuel," as the angel told Joseph that he should be named?
”
A:
The word Emmanuel translates to "God is with us." Matthew recalls the messianic prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 and states that its ultimate fulfillment is found in Mary’s Son: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (Matt. 1:23)."Name," in this sense, does not refer to the actual name Joseph and Mary were to give to their Son (cf. Matt. 1:21, Luke 1:31); in this case, the word is used in the sense of "to call" (i.e., "they shall call his name Emmanuel," cf. Is. 7:14). Analogously, one could say of baseball legend, Babe Ruth, "They called him the Sultan of Swat," without intending to mean that "the Sultan of Swat" was George Herman Ruth Jr.’s given name. Just as Babe Ruth’s nickname was meant to indicate that Ruth was a great hitter, so Emmanuel indicates that the expected Messiah would be "God with us."Emmanuel, "God is with us," also calls to mind the last verse in Matthew (28:20): "Behold, I [Jesus] am with you always, until the end of the age."
Michelle Arnold Category: Jesus Keywords: New Testament Gospel

Reference: Key word search "Son of Man" http://www.catholic.com/

RAPTURE

My Dear Brother and Sisters in Christ. Today I wanted to share with you a very critical and crucial aspects that most Non-Catholics, Evangelicals preach of what is about to come during the last days or in other words the tribulation time before the glorious coming of our Lord Jesus. Generally most Non-Catholic Christians have the following school of thought about the end times and they are expressed in the following terms i.e. pre-tribulation (before), mid-tribulation (Mid) and post tribulation (After). If after reading this little snippet or introduction if you still are confused and don't know the meaning of pre, mid and post, then you're probably are a Catholic. Because as Catholics we don't believe in the "Rapture theorem"

These terms refer to when the "Rapture" is suppose to occur as depicted above in the picture and the term commonly used in the Evangelical circles. Majority of their doctrine on the Rapture theory comes from the famous book series "Left Behind" and the "Late Great Planet Earth", which in other term is an avoidance doctrine from the AntiGod and Antichrist. In other words, false hope of avoidance or pre-tribulation has been stemmed by the Rapture theorist, that before the persecution or tribulation begins, GOD's faithful will be scooped up or Raptured and the sinners will be left behind. Please do read my article on "Rapture" as well for further clarification.

If you look at the picture, logically do you think our merciful GOD will allow the chao and destruction "Rapture" will cause in our general lives? Planes falling from the sky; because the pilots were raptured, car getting into accidents because the drivers of the vehicle or bus were raptured. Doctors getting scooped up during surgeries all sort of disasters. Let's be logical about it, yes we will have a few fender benders, as we'll see Jesus coming in his glory on clouds, but not to the extend like what the Rapture theorist believe it would.

In Revelation 20:1-3, 7, 8 we read about the 1000 year bondage of Satan, that ancient serpent in a bottomless pit with great chains. During this time, GOD's word will be preached to all nations, it will flow like waters across the land, without any major set backs or push from the devil. However, when the thousand years end, Satan will be loosed from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth. The period of thousand years is the reign of Christ, where his word will flourish amongst the nations, and this thousand year period is popularly called the millennium. Now Catholic dogma, doctrine and theologians do believe and recognize the millennium period and some theologian have already alluded to our present time as the millennium period. We see all around us, that without much hurdle Christs' word is being preach and understood by the nations.

"The millennium is a harbinger of end of the world, and Revelation 20 is interpreted in three ways by conservative Protestants. The three schools of thought are called postmillennialism, amillennialism and premillennialism" (Catholic.com).

Postmillennialism

"Postmillennialism is view according to nineteenth century Protestants is "that the kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit, that the world eventually is to be Christianized, and that the return of Christ will occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace, commonly called the millennium." The problem with postmillennialism is that Scripture does not depict the world as experiencing a period of complete (or relatively complete) Christianization before the Second Coming. There are numerous passages that speak of the age between the First and Second Comings as a time of great sorrow and strife for Christians. One revealing passage is the parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matt. 13:24–30, 36–43). In this parable, Christ declares that the righteous and the wicked will both be planted and grow alongside each other in God’s field ("the field is the world," Matt. 13:38) until the end of the world, when they will be separated, judged, and either be thrown into the fire of hell or inherit God’s kingdom (Matt. 13:41–43). There is no biblical evidence that the world will eventually become totally (or even almost totally) Christian, but rather that there will always be a parallel development of the righteous and the wicked until the final judgment" (Catholic.com)

Amillennialism

"The amillennial view interprets Revelation 20 symbolically and sees the millennium not as an earthly golden age in which the world will be totally Christianized, but as the present period of Christ’s rule in heaven and on the earth through his Church. This was the view of the Protestant Reformers and is still the most common view among traditional Protestants, though not among most of the newer Evangelical and Fundamentalist groups. Amillennialists also believe in the coexistence of good and evil on earth until the end. The tension that exists on earth between the righteous and the wicked will be resolved only by Christ’s return at the end of time. The golden age of the millennium is instead the heavenly reign of Christ with the saints, in which the Church on earth participates to some degree, though not in the glorious way it will at the Second Coming. They explain that, although the world will never be fully Christianized until the Second Coming, the millennium does have effects on earth in that Satan is bound in such a way that he cannot deceive the nations by hindering the preaching of the gospel (Rev. 20:3). They point out that Jesus spoke of the necessity of "binding the strong man" (Satan) in order to plunder his house by rescuing people from his grip (Matt. 12:29). When the disciples returned from a tour of preaching the gospel, rejoicing at how demons were subject to them, Jesus declared, "I saw Satan fall like lightning" (Luke 10:18). Thus for the gospel to move forward at all in the world, it is necessary for Satan to be bound in one sense, even if he may still be active in attacking individuals (1 Pet. 5:8)." (Catholic.com)

Premillennialism

Third on the list is premillennialism, currently the most popular among Fundamentalists and Evangelicals (though a century ago amillennialism was). Most of the books written about the End Times, such as Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth, are written from a premillennial perspective. Like postmillennialists, premillennialists believe that the thousand years is an earthly golden age during which the world will be thoroughly Christianized. Unlike postmillennialists, they believe that it will occur after the Second Coming rather than before, so that Christ reigns physically on earth during the millennium. They believe that the Final Judgment will occur only after the millennium is over (which many interpret to be an exactly one thousand year period). But Scripture does not support the idea of a thousand year span between the Second Coming and the Final Judgment. Christ declares, "For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done" (Matt. 16:27), and "[w]hen the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. . . . And they [the goats] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt. 25:31–32, 46).

The Rapture

Premillennialists often give much attention to the doctrine of the rapture. According to this doctrine, when Christ returns, all of the elect who have died will be raised and transformed into a glorious state, along with the living elect, and then be caught up to be with Christ. The key text referring to the rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, which states, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord." Premillennialists hold, as do virtually all Christians (except certain postmillennialists), that the Second Coming will be preceded by a time of great trouble and persecution of God’s people (2 Thess. 2:1–4). This period is often called the tribulation.

Until the nineteenth century, all Christians agreed that the rapture—though it was not called that at the time—would occur immediately before the Second Coming, at the close of the period of persecution. This position is today called the "post-tribulational" view because it says the rapture will come after the tribulation. But in the 1800s, some began to claim that the rapture would occur before the period of persecution. This position, now known as the "pre-tribulational" view, also was embraced by John Nelson Darby, an early leader of a Fundamentalist movement that became known as Dispensationalism. Darby’s pre-tribulational view of the rapture was then picked up by a man named C.I. Scofield, who taught the view in the footnotes of his Scofield Reference Bible, which was widely distributed in England and America.

Many Protestants who read the Scofield Reference Bible uncritically accepted what its footnotes said and adopted the pre-tribulational view, even though no Christian had heard of it in the previous 1800 years of Church history. Eventually, a third position developed, known as the "mid-tribulational" view, which claims that the rapture will occur during the middle of the tribulation. Finally, a fourth view developed that claims that there will not be a single rapture where all believers are gathered to Christ, but that there will be a series of mini-raptures that occur at different times with respect to the tribulation. This confusion has caused the movement to split into bitterly opposed camps.

The problem with all of the positions (except the historic, post-tribulational view, which was accepted by all Christians, including non-premillennialists) is that they split the Second Coming into different events. In the case of the pre-trib view, Christ is thought to have three comings—one when he was born in Bethlehem, one when he returns for the rapture at the tribulation’s beginning, and one at tribulation’s end, when he establishes the millennium. This three-comings view is foreign to Scripture. Problems with the pre-tribulational view are highlighted by Baptist (and premillennial) theologian Dale Moody, who wrote: "Belief in a pre-tribulational rapture . . . contradicts all three chapters in the New Testament that mention the tribulation and the rapture together (Mark 13:24–27; Matt. 24:26–31; 2 Thess. 2:1–12). . . . The theory is so biblically bankrupt that the usual defense is made using three passages that do not even mention a tribulation (John 14:3; 1 Thess. 4:17; 1 Cor. 15:52). These are important passages, but they have not had one word to say about a pre-tribulational rapture. The score is 3 to 0, three passages for a post-tribulational rapture and three that say nothing on the subject. . . . Pre-tribulationism is biblically bankrupt and does not know it" (The Word of Truth, 556–7).(Catholic.com)

What’s the Catholic Position?

As far as the millennium goes, we tend to agree with Augustine and, derivatively, with the amillennialists. The Catholic position has thus historically been "amillennial" (as has been the majority Christian position in general, including that of the Protestant Reformers), though Catholics do not typically use this term. The Church has rejected the premillennial position, sometimes called "millenarianism" (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church 676). In the 1940s the Holy Office judged that premillennialism "cannot safely be taught," though the Church has not dogmatically defined this issue. With respect to the rapture, Catholics certainly believe that the event of our gathering together to be with Christ will take place, though they do not generally use the word "rapture" to refer to this event (somewhat ironically, since the term "rapture" is derived from the text of the Latin Vulgate of 1 Thess. 4:17—"we will be caught up," [Latin: rapiemur]). (Catholic.com)

So, dear brother and sisters in Christ. Unfortunately, one cannot avoid the tribulation that ought to come. So, become more steadfast in your faith, grow near to GOD. Ask for strength and grace from the Almighty one that you may not fail the test. I will pray for you, please do pray for me as well. GOD Bless. Whole idea behind this article is that you are not mislead by the this false hope of Rapture. So, pray hard and stay strong in your faith.

Reference: http://www.catholic.com/ - The Rapture

Leap for Joy for the Lord has come

Leap for Joy for the Lord has come:

"Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,where she entered the house of Zechariahand greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,the infant leaped in her womb,and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,cried out in a loud voice and said,“Most blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me,that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believedthat what was spoken to you by the Lordwould be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:39-45)

Leap for Joy for the Lord has come to us. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it will be fulfilled once again on this Christmas as we remember our Lord’s birth, in approximately 3 days. As we look at today’s reading from Luke 1:39-45, we see many parallels that could be made in this divine revelation by GOD to his people. After the annunciation or announcement that was made by the Arch Angel Gabriel one of the seven spirits that stands before the throne of GOD the FATHER. If we look at the Biblical history no person(s) has ever been addressed as being with grace or favor by GOD by an Angel of GOD and the only person who was addressed in that fashion was Mary the Mother of GOD. She was favored and given grace from the beginning of time, she was chosen to deliver this world with the savior.

Let’s look at the first few verses where “the mother of my Lord” travels to the hill country in a haste to visits her cousin Elizabeth, who herself is expecting a child and is six months pregnant. The scripture passage mentioned above; why Mary our Lord’s mother would hasten her visit to be at the side of her cousin Elizabeth, focuses our attention on a mission that Mother Mary accepted. Even though Queen Mother was just told a few days ago by the Angel Gabriel that she would bring the only begotten son of God the King of this world.

Scriptures does not allude to any dyer need for Mary to visit Elizabeth, so why a pregnant woman who is carrying the savior in her womb would jeopardize her safety, her health and journey to the hill country to visit her cousin. Let’s image the journey to the hill country it was not by car, bus or adequate tranporation, but was either by foot or by mule/donkey the transportation of that time. Journey was treacherous, not safe and long. But, it was the mission of Our Lady to bring Jesus to John and his mother Elizabeth, who upon the greeting of Our Lady was filled with the Holy Spirit and the child (John the Baptist) in Elizabeth’s womb leaped with joy and was granted grace immediately by the Holy Spirit to carry his mission.

Point to be noted: Mary’s voice carries peace and joy; she had the Holy Spirit within her as she was over shadowed by the Holy Spirit as announced by the Angel Gabriel.

That tells us that the Holy Spirit never left her side it was within her, so in reality she had GOD the Holy Spirit and GOD the SON and had the grace from GOD the FATHER within her. This text brings light to the matter of our Lord’s mission, which in actuality started immediately while our savior who was only a few days old in the Blessed Mother Mary’s womb. It was important for Jesus to give his grace and blessing to the greatest prophet to be, who would as stated above was to be called John the Baptist, whose mission was to make way for the messiah. To announce his coming to this world, John had to proclaim to the world about the lamb -“behold the lamb of GOD” who takes the sins of the world. "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths" (Matthew 3:3)

Mission to bless John was carried by Mary “the new sacred Ark of Covenant” the “tabernacle” of our Lord; his Mother, the mother of this world. Who in her womb carried the flesh of eternal son. She was the first to have the host reside in her by the power of the God the Holy Spirit and by GOD the FATHER’S divine will. She was graced as first to accept and receive the Eucharist, the body of our Messiah our Lord the savior of this world. Mary our mother gave her flesh to the God man who was fully GOD and fully man. His divinity lives for ever. She was without sin, because she bore Jesus who had no sin. Her womb had to be sacred for the holy one, hence she was chosen from the beginning of time by GOD the FATHER. Jesus’ coming had to be fulfilled even with sin or without sin of this world; it was GOD the FATHER’S master plan of Salvation and Mary the Mother was graced to bring our Lord Jesus her son into this world. Mary was part of the master plan of Salvation. (Ocran)

So, my dear brothers and sisters as we see the prophetic reality of our redeemer Jesus Christ; Emmanuel (GOD is with us) who came to this world by the acceptance of the will of GOD the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT and Mary who worked as a co-redeemer of Salvation for this world. She brought Jesus to this world, which is an attempt from GOD to meet his people from the beginning of creation, as GOD the FATHER came to the garden of Eden every evening to meet Adam and Eve, so did he came through the messianic salvation to meet and save his people. GOD wants us to be joined in him, with him; that was the purpose of his creation. GOD wants to be with us for eternity. GOD the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT selected Mary from the beginning of time to be the bearer of GOD the SON. She brings people to his son, she brought Jesus to John and Elizabeth. May she bring Jesus to you as well during this season. Blessed are you who believe. Amen – Merry Christmas! Leap with joy this season, have a blessed Christmas.

Reference: Guidance by the Holy Spirit

Scholars Need Not Apply – Title from Usual Suspects by Dr. Karl Keating

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. I have been reading a very interesting book that was published by Ignatius press, authored by Dr. Karl Keating with the title "The Usual Suspects", I came across a very interest mini chapters that deals with the imperfect translation of the King James Bible from an imperfect Greek Text. Please do read this whole article it will make more sense as to what the author is trying to allude to. (Ocran)

“Chapter Scholars Need Not Apply – Book title Usual Suspects by Dr. Karl Keating Pg 84 through 89.

Chapter starts off:

From Macon, Missouri (population six thousand and just down to road from the towns of Ethel, Elmer, and Excello), comes a tract called Correcting the King James Bible. It is published by a ministry called The Flaming Torch, which also publishes tracts such a Jehoshaphatelian Fundamentalism, Scholarolatry, and Did Our Inspired Bible Expire? The author is W. Bruce Musselman, Jr. (Dr. Keating)

He begins by saying that the “King James Bible is being attacked daily by the Roman Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Modernists, Evangelicals, and Fundamentalists.” (Apparently he considers himself not just a Fundamentalist but a real Fundamentalist.) (Dr. Keating)

“The average Christian is given a King James Bible and told it is the Word of God. From then on he hears a steady stream of criticism of it through the radio, Christian books, magazines, in church, and in Christian schools. Anyone professing to have an ounce of education and who claims to be Godly and dedicated now assumes the right to correct the Bible any time it doesn’t measure up to this beliefs and standards. The King James Bible is corrected by saying ‘the orginal says’ when no one has the original. It is also corrected by saying ‘the Greek says’ when there are a dozen conflicting Greek texts on the market. Others say ‘this is an unfortunate translation’ or ‘a better reading is’ when they don’t know enough about Greek or manuscript evidence to know what they are talking about.” (Musselman)

Then we get to the meat, which is collected into sixteen propositions. Consider a few of them.

1 “Correcting the Authorized Bible teaches infidelity. The preacher or teacher who professes to believe the Bible then corrects it has just taught his students that the Bible has errors in it and cannot be trusted.” The problem with which Musselman never grapples is the King James Version was an imperfect translation of an imperfect Greek text. It is not surprising, then, that errors occur in it, but he writes as though the English itself is somehow inspired. Indeed, he ends his tract with the statement that “correctors of the Authorized King James Bible deny God has given his people his words in the English language exactly as he wanted them given.” As it stands, this statement is true. Correctors do deny this because translation are not, in themselves, inspired-and Musselman seems to be referring to inspiration when he states the English words turned out ‘exactly as [God] wanted them given”. (Dr. Keating)


2 “Correcting the Authorized King James Bible reinstates the Roman Catholic Bible.” Now we get to this problem. Musselman complains that Catholic Bible rely on this manuscript known as Vaticanus, so named because it reposes in the Vatican. This manuscript is faulty, says Musselman, because it was one of those composed by “the apostate Alexandrian school in the third and fourth centuries”. Somewhat contradictorily, he says that “Catholic translations are taken from [the] corrupt Bible” that was translated by Jerome – that is, from the Vulgate, a translation not based on Vaticanus. In the past most Catholic translations, it is true, were based on the Vulgate, but recent ones, such as the New Jerusalem Bible and the New American Bible, which are the Catholic translations most widely used in this country, have from the Vulgate, such as Msgr. Ronald Knox’s, have made use of the original tongues. So, on the one hand, Musselman warns against anything based on the Vulgate. On the other, he warns against anything based on Vaticanus, which Jerome did not use. Musselman complains that “Vaticanus leaves out most of the Genesis and all of the New Testament after Hebrews 9:14.” Aha! A faulty manuscript and one not to be trusted – one that has been doctored! But does this follow? Why are the beginning and end of Bible missing from Vaticanus? Was it because the copyist disbelieved in what those books taught and so dropped them from his copy? No. they are missing because the manuscript is old and falling apart, and the two ends got lost (or simply crumbed away) over the centuries.

Attacking the Authorized King James Bible repudiates the Protestant Reformation.” That may or may not be so - probably not, since most conservative English – speaking Protestants, people who show no particular love for the Catholic faith and never have entertained an uncharitable though about the Reformation, use English translations other than the King James or alongside the King James. Such use may constitute “attacking the Authorized King James Bible” or Musselman, but none of these people would agree to that. They would just tell you they are trying to use a more accurate translation.

3 “Correctors of King James Bible take the same position as the Roman Catholic priest. The Catholic priest sets himself up as an authority over the Bible and encourages the people to listen to him rather than the Book. The teacher or preacher who corrects the Bible set himself up as the authority for people to listen to, rather then the Bible, just like the priest. No wonder Bible reading is done by so few.” (Keep in mind that this tract is intended mainly for “Bible Christians”, Fundamentalists and conservative Evangelicals who may read nothing but the Bible.) Do priests, teachers, and preachers set themselves “over” the Bible? If he means that they interpret the Bible, the answer is yes. After all, a sermon or homily, whether Catholic or Protestant, usually deals with the meaning of the text for the day. Musselman is of the view, shared by many, that understanding the Bible takes no intellectual efforts. The meaning of a verse is supposed to jump out at you, and the meaning will be perfectly clear. This sounds fine in theory. The only trouble with it is that it breaks down in practice. Brother This and Sister That will repair to their Bibles at the conclusion of the service and will discover two distinct understandings of one verse. What is the sensible thing for them to do? Why, they turn to someone more experienced and, presumably, with a better understanding of Scripture. They turn to their minister.

4 “Correctors of the Authorized King James Bible reject the wisdom of God.” What Musselman means is that the King James Version must be accurate because it “works”. Missionaries have used it to convert millions, so it must be an entirely accurate translation. Of Course, before 1611, when the King James Version appeared, there were other translations, such as the Vulgate, and these, too, resulted in the conversion of millions. Before and after 1611 there have been translations into languages other than English – for instance, Luther’s German version and the German versions that preceded his – and these, too, resulted in millions of conversions. Which translation may claim the most? The King James Version can claim a large chuck of English speaking Protestant, but not all. It can claim almost no Catholics, no Eastern Orthodox, and none of those Protestants who read no English. In other words, it cannot claim to have been the instrument of conversion for the majority of Christians.

5 “Correctors of the Authorized Bible have no final authority. They appeal to the original no one has or can have. They believe, like Einstein’s theory of relativity, that everything is relative and that there is no absolute truth on this earth which a man can get his hands on.” First of all, Musselman has no idea what Einstein’s theory means. It has nothing to do with the notion that “everything is relative” or that “there is no absolute truth.” Second, why set up a particular translation as the “final authority”? One wonders how many Frenchmen, including French Protestants, believe that only the English-language King James Version is the “real” Bible.

6 “Correctors of the Authorized Bible put Christian scholarship above the God-authorized Bible….. While professing to believe the Bible, many schools, including Evangelical and Fundamental, have accepted Christian education as the final authority and believe it has the right to sit in judgment on any Bible, Hebrew, Greek, or English.” What it comes down to – and it is not a pleasant thought – is that in Musselman’s religion one must abdicate the use of the critical faculties.

Conclusion:

Before one picks up a Bible translation we must first ask ourselves before doing anything: “Is this as accurate a copy of the original writings, can I reply on this to be faithful, so far as possible, to the originals?” Unfortunately, majority of us do not ponder this question because most of us are not capable of determining which versions are accurate and which are not. We rely on experts to give us an accurate translation of the original text and ultimately we rely of the Church for the interpretation of the text. However, our friend in Christ Musselman disagrees He is suspicious of the scholarship translation of the text. He has seen it go awry, as it can, and he concludes it always goes awry. He is reduced to what is either bibliolatry or the thing next to it. He suffers from an immoderate devotion to a particular translation, coupled with a rejection of all others, coupled with the idea that it is not even possible to have another translation as good or better. The problem with this is that readers of his tract just might buy his arguments. If they do, they set themselves up for great disappointment. If they ever stumble across good, orthodox biblical scholarship, whether Catholic or Protestant, they will be thrown for a loop. They will discover the King James Version is not specially anointed by God. Their confidence in the Bible may evaporate overnight. Having staked everything on an erroneous position, when they see that position crumble, they may see their faith crumble too. (Dr. Keating)

Reference: The Usual Suspects by Dr. Karl Keating – “Scholars Need Not Apply” Pages 84 through 89 Ignatius Press.

ROSARY

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. I wanted to share with you an exurb that I found very interesting in my reading of “The Usual Suspects” authored by Dr. Karl Keating published by Ignatius press San Francisco. In this passage Kr. Keating gives a really good explanation on the topic of Rosary. I have taken this exurb straight from the book, without changing the text as written by the author. I would think that after reading this passage, it will help our Catholic brothers and sisters to defend this practice of the Church and help non-Catholics to understand “Why Catholic’s pray on the beads”? or pray to our Lady for her intercession.

“The usual complaint about the rosary is that it violates Matthew 6:7, which reads this way in the King James Version: “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do.” “See”, say non-Catholics, “you Catholics repeat prayers, and Jesus told us not to do that!” Did he really? Then how does one account for what happened in the garden of Gethsemane? There Jesus prayed the same prayer three times-that is, he repeated the prayer. Did he violate his own injunction? Was he a hypocrite? No, that is impossible, which means non Catholics are wrong when they claim Jesus condemned repeated prayers. Read Matthew 6:7 again. The operative world is not “repetitions”. It is “vain”. Jesus condemned vain prayers, such as those to nonexistent pagan gods. (Dr. Keating)

The rosary is an intensely biblical prayer. It contains not only the Our Father, which Jesus himself taught us, but also the Hail Mary, which is built of verses lifted from the Bible:
“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Luke 1:28) and “blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42). The meditations associated with each decade-Catholics usually call them “mysteries”-are also straight out of the Bible, but most non Catholics do not realize this. They think Catholics rattle off Hail Marys without giving a thought to what they are doing. Not so, when we pray the rosary we mediate on incidents in salvation history, such as the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection”. (Dr. Keating)

The rosary is an intensely biblical prayer. It contains not only the Our Father, which Jesus himself taught us, but also the Hail Mary, which is built of verses lifted from the Bible:
“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Luke 1:28) and “blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42). The meditations associated with each decade-Catholics usually call them “mysteries”-are also straight out of the Bible, but most non Catholics do not realize this. They think Catholics rattle off Hail Marys without giving a thought to what they are doing. Not so, when we pray the rosary we mediate on incidents in salvation history, such as the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection”.

Also, I would like to add that if we go by the non Catholics notion of prayers should not be repeated then, the prayer that Jesus taught “Our Father” should only be prayed once in the your lifetime. Because no where in the scriptures did Jesus say to only say the Our Father once in your life time and never repeat it again. In the similar manner then the Angels (Seven Spirits) that stand before his throne should stop repeating “Holy of Holy’s” to the might Father. But, in reality Our Father likes repetitiveness. So, pick up your rosary and you will see how much power it possesses, meditate on the mysteries and call out to our Lady for her help, she will come to your rescue. “Guaranteed”

I hope dear friends this article will not only help you to defend this personal devotional practice, but will assist non Catholics to see that praying the rosary is remembering the mysteries, asking for the intercession of our Lady to take our prayers to her son Christ Jesus.

Reference: The Usual Suspects by Dr. Karl Keating; published by Ignatius press

AntiChrist

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Today during my Bible reading, I looked at (1 John Chapter 2); John writes about the Antichrist and the glamour, the glitter of this world. If you read the chapter in its entirety you will see the reference he makes of the close relationship between this world and the AntiChrist. The glittering glamour, its sensual lust, this world’s is very enticing to the eyes as to what it offers. Satan wants you to be of this world, wants to keep you busy with the day to day tasks, wants to divert your attention from the actual purpose of your life and have it focused towards him. He wants you to lose your soul, your conscience in secularism of our society, where GOD is merely a fantasy of the religious fanatics. “Just be good to all and live by the rules of this world and all will be well” Humanistic ideology.

He wants to keep your eyes fixated on him, how much money you can make, how big of a house can you afford, how to acquire an imported luxury car, eat at finest restaurant, get to wear designer outfits, what latest technological gadgets can you acquire, he wants to keep you busy and away from the eternal prize of life i.e. Jesus and Heaven. Now, I don’t condemn the world and its usage we must not run or hide from this world, that would be quite extreme on our part. But, my point is to live in this world. However don’t become of this world. In Jesus' parables of the rich man, Jesus told him to sell his belongings and follow him, he told his Apostles to follow him without any attachment or belongings. Even to the extend he told his Apostles during their mission to take no clothing, money or sandals with them.

Now, let's explore the relationship John is trying to make here with the World, its glamour and the AntiChristic ideology. John in verses 18 through 23 makes ties to the heresies and schisms that were created to deny the Divinity of Christ. The false teaching that came about outside the Church (Mystical Body) that Christ founded. That brings me to the point that “Salvation without the Holy Church (Mystical body of Christ) is not possible” Because when different sects were formed outside the Church teachings, there creation was based on the notion of non compliance of faith or the futility. As it is written that many false prophets will came after him (Jesus) trying to teach his followers false and erroneous dogmas and doctrine.

26. I write you these things about those who would deceive you. (1 John 2:26)

Please do not be deceived by the Glamour of this world, the ideology of socialism. The doctrine of Nestorianism taught by other churches and their incorrect doctrines and lack the fulliness of faith, where they deny Christ in the Eucharist, the virgin birth and divinity of Christ . Follow the one and only creator of this world who resides in the tabernacles of the one true Church (Mystical Body of Christ). Who died on the cross for us, shed his blood for us and for our Salvation.

Verses that Support

Glamour of this World (AntiChrist)

15 Do not love the world or the things of the world. 7 If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.
17 Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Verses that Support Divinity of Christ

22 Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. (1 John 2:22-23)

18 Children, it is the last hour; 9 and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they were not really of our number; 10 if they had been, they would have remained with us. Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number. (1 John 2:18-19)

This clearly shows schisms’ and heresies that have been with the Church from the beginning. You can see in the Holy Scriptures the avoidance of truth and the formation of false teaching; dates back even during the time of Christ, when so many followers left him (Jesus) because they could not understand and weren’t willing to accept his teaching. After Jesus’ resurrection they broke off from the Church that Christ founded and came up with different sects or joined different sects. If you look through the letters of Peter,Paul, John and Jude as well as the first few chapters of Revelation where GOD addressed this issue. Even the Apostles teaching consistently spoke and wrote to the churches advising them to be steadfast in Christ and his teachings. (Ocran) –

26. I write you these things about those who would deceive you. (1 John 2:26)

27. As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; just as it taught you, remain in him. (1 John 2:27)

"As in Christ dwells the fullness of the Godhead so in Antichrist the fullness of all wickedness. Not indeed in the sense that his humanity is to be assumed by the devil into unity of person ..., but that the devil by suggestion infuses his wickedness more copiously into him than into all others." -St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa III:8:8)

"Yet many Christians will remember that this was all foretold of Antichrist for centuries past and perceive the fraud of Satan and refuse to be deceived. They will stand firm and enlighten the faint-hearted and console them." -Bernadine Von Busto

Reference: http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/1john/1john2.htm (New American Bible)

AntiChrist by Yves Dupont (September 1975 AD)

St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa III:8:8)

Christian Themes In The Narnia Chronicles

C S Lewis, the author, wrote the Chronicles of Narnia books. His books were adopted for the cinema screen and have been block buster. With the latest installment The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) which opens tonight (12/10/2010) is hoped to be far more successful story telling than the preceding movies.

Enclosed I have taken an article from decentfilms.com which is authored by Steven D. Greydanus and he talks about as a professional film critic. So, please do go and see the movie.

However, before I have you read Mr. Greydanus’ article, just wanted to give you a brief historical back ground of what The Chronicles of Narina pertain. In the Chronicles we have the lion (direction referrence to the Lion of Judea – Jesus Christ), by the name of Aslan who is the creator of the world of Narnia.A place so dark, one is unable to see any surrounding things. In this dark void, Aslan commences to sing. A sweet sound never heard earlier and not since. This song brings forth light. This light brings a new world.

This new world which Aslan creates is Narnia. Or can we say Earth? Everything is fresh and clean. The animals and people coexist in peace. Aslan gives some animals the ability to talk. He anoints a simple, not rich, human couple as the King and Queen of Narnia.Let’s move onto the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The world of Narnia is in the evil hands of Queen Jardis, the White Witch. She has Narnia, Earth, in a deep freeze. C. S. Lewis takes poetic license.

He portrays the world as freezing cold instead of burning hot.Queen Jardis, the White Witch is a pretender to the throne of Narnia. The number one reason we know is she is not the true leader, is that she leads people by force. During her one hundred-year reign, she does not allow the appearance of Father Christmas. Father Christmas, to loyal Christians, is a reminder of the birth of baby Jesus. If one is so great, why be afraid of people rejoicing in the birth of Christ?

Aslan, the lion, in one of the most moving scenes in the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe gives his life for the sinner, Edmund Pevensie. Here, Aslan portrays Jesus, the savior who gives his life for the sinners of the world. And thankfully, like Christ, he is resurrected.The Chronicles of Narnia books are very well written not only as children stories but as lessons to Christians everywhere. Is it possible that the makers of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader have made the best film in the series to date while charting a course even further from the book? I think it is. Perhaps it’s even because the film diverges from the book to the extent that it does that I’m able to regard the film more for what it is than for what it isn’t. (Greydanus)

Not that incoming director Michael Apted (replacing Andrew Adamson) and his screenwriters have jettisoned the book. There is still a magical painting that transports Edmund, Lucy and their record stinker cousin, Eustace Clarence Scrubb, into the Narnian world. There is still a ship called the Dawn Treader commanded by their friend King Caspian of Narnia, who sails in search of seven missing Narnian lords. The voyage still takes the friends to magical islands where they encounter dragon treasure, invisible Dufflepuds, deadly enchanted pools, mystical feasts, and more. Their journey still takes them to the world’s end, to the threshold of Aslan’s country. (Greydanus)

Thus far the trees; what of the forest? Take the ship’s name, the Dawn Treader: an allusion to its ultimate destination — the utter East, the source of the rising sun, which looms ever larger in the sky until it become blinding. Sun, dawn, east: none of this figures in the film, which depicts the journey to the world’s edge without one shot of the ship sailing toward the dawn, or with the setting sun at its bow. Frequent shots show the sun well to one side, often off the starboard bow. (Greydanus)

That’s one major oversight. I could list others, but this review would quickly become a chapter or even a book (detailed comparison/contrast to come). How does the film stand on its own? Well enough. It’s not the radical departure from the earlier films that fans may have hoped for, but it’s a decent fantasy family film with colorful effects and action, moral themes mixed with Hollywood self-esteem, and sometimes-vague faith with a touch of Providence and grace. (Greydanus)

Reference: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) by Steven D. Greydanus http://www.decentfilms.com/reviews/narnia3