25 Reasons Peter Was NOT The First Pope! (REBUTTED)

The Creation of Purgatory - A Place of Atonement and Purification - See ...

Catholic vs Orthodox | What is the Difference?

Most Evil Pope in History - Alexander VI The Devil Pope

Pope Francis to forgive Twitter followers' sins online | Information, Gadgets, Mobile Phones News & Reviews | News.com.au

Okay...just when I thought I had heard all of the craziest things possible, I come across a story like this one! I hope that this is just a rumor, but there is a story that Pope Francis will be giving 'plenary indulgences' to his Twitter followers!? On Biblical grounds, I reject the very idea of indulgences because when Jesus died on the cross he took away the sins of everyone who believes in him - turning away the wrath of God from His people. Jesus is our propitiation. If Jesus is our propitiation then why would the righteous need to suffer for their sins in purgatory? We don't. There is no Biblical basis for purgatory. It just galls me that so many folks may be deceived.

Pope Francis to forgive Twitter followers' sins online | Information, Gadgets, Mobile Phones News & Reviews | News.com.au

No Compromise Episode II

This particular discussion is really interesting.They discuss a lot of thing - important things. Things like whether or not God can talk to us outside of scripture. I used to wonder how do people who are reformed and/or believe that the spiritual gifts are not for today interact and see their relationship with God. Do they see themselves being lead by God? Turns out that they use different terminology thanmy tradition used. It was very useful.

No Compromise Episode II

Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: Why do some Bibles omit portions of Daniel and Esther? Akin Says: Luther

James Swan has posted a really great response to Jimmy Akin who was answering the question of why most Protestant Bibles don't have the longer versions of Daniel and Esther. Swan also explodes the myth that Martin Luther tried to get rid of those parts of Daniel and Esther. This is a great article. The video being responded to is below.





Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: Why do some Bibles omit portions of Daniel and Esther? Akin Says: Luther

Why Loving Jesus Is More Than A Religion

Jefferson Bethke's poem on YouTube, Why I hate Religion But Love Jesus, continues to inspire people - negatively and positively. I think that most of the negative reaction spins from a misunderstanding due to people's own traditions. I want to point to two responses that show case the difference between how Bethke's worldview and Atheism and Roman Catholicism. In case you missed my first post on Bethke's poem, please watch his video below





As for A Roman Catholic version, watch this one:




I see a fundamental difference between this video and Betheke's. This particular YouTuber is arguing that the only way you can have a relationship with Jesus is through guidance from the Roman Catholic Church. This was one of the main points of contention that started the Protestance reformation and after almost 500 years it is still relevant. Did Jesus really give us all we need to get to God or do we need more? The Reformer's answer to that is question was "Yes", so is Betheke's and so is mine. And like Bethke, the Reformers were not saying Church is not necessary or important, but that we don't need the traditions of men or to be self-righteous. We don't need a chorelist of do's and don'ts because God can and will help us to obey his commands but obeying his commands is not what saves us because none of can be sinless and perfect. Jesus is the only way - not Jesus plus your keeping church sacrements and following the Pope. Betheke is simply learned that what Jesus said is true and unfortunately many church-going people, let-alone non-Christians, miss this point.

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” - John 4:23-24

As for an Atheistic comment, you can watch the following video. Be forewarned it contains profane language and is most definitely not safe for work (NSFW).




Like every atheist that I've ever encountered, this man is unable to see a difference between having a relationship with Christ and with Religion. I think Jefferson Bethke gets the difference.  Bethke is advocating not ritually attending church or working for others as a to-do-list to please other people or to earn your way into God. He's talking about surrendering your life to Jesus and putting yourself at His disposal because you love Him. I totally agree with Bethke. The closer you get to Jesus, the more you see what you are - and it's not pretty. When TheAmazingAtheist hears Christians talk of a relationship with Christ he reveals that he thinks that means Jesus is like some Pal, or Buddy, you can sit down with and "play XBox" or have brewskies with. I think a lot of people make that mistake. What the Bible teaches is that "relationship" means "Lord" and "servant". We obey and worship Him.  I don't know the last time you worshiped the dude you play XBox with, but I doubt you would. What does the Bible says that relationship should look like and on which it is based? I'd argue that all 66 books of the canonical Bible answers this question but I will offer two of those passages.

.¹⁸ “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
   says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
   they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
   they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18

¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:1-10

The Bible very clearly tells us that Jesus is our only way to turn away the wrath of a holy God. Who deserves eternal damnation and punishment for their sins?  ALL OF US.

 ²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.  - Romans 3:212-25

That is why we need a savior. Someone to take the punishment we deserve,. No one in your Church can do that. It's either going to be you atoning for your sins or it's gonna be Jesus. You wouldn't survive paying such a debt. It takes the grace and mercy of God to see this, understand this, let alone accept it. It goes against every fiber of human ego and self-centeredness. Was there something special about you or good in you that caused Jesus to die for you in your place? Nope (Back to Ephesians 2). God chose to do it for us even when we didn't know we need it and didn't ask Him to do it. Should you love Jesus more than anyone or anything else? Yup. But what else did Jesus say? He tells us to love our parents  and families and treat them well. I wonder if TheAmazingAtheist has read all of the Gospels? I ask because if he had, wouldn't he know that he misunderstood Matthew 10:32-29. Jesus was not saying that you should ignore or mistreat your family because you love him. How do I know?

³ Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ ⁶ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
   ⁸ “‘These people honor me with their lips,
   but their hearts are far from me.
⁹ They worship me in vain;
   their teachings are merely human rules.’” - Matthew 15:3-9

How could Jesus, a scant 5 Chapters later chastise the religious leaders of his day for teaching people ditching their obligations to their families to perform religious ritual if that is what he had taught in Matthew 10? Let me help you: He didn't. Even the most skeptical person wouldn't really be crazy enough to try to argue that Matthew 10 and Matthew15 are contradictory and mutually exclusive and no one noticed for 2000 years - given that it was is written by the same author - regardless if you reject that it was the Apostle Matthew. Please, let's try to stay consistent. 

Michael Voris, Diaa Mohamed, and Bart Ehrman on Thursday's DL

Since some readers of this blog seem to be clueless about what scholarly critiques look like, take a lesson from Dr James White and notice how an expert deftly handles not just the Word of God but also a variety of different subjects.




Michael Voris, Diaa Mohamed, and Bart Ehrman on Thursday's DL

OK, How Many Lies Can You Pack into One Video? Ask Michael Voris!

Dr. James White posted the following video and comments today on his blog.




You can read his comments on the video at the following link

OK, How Many Lies Can You Pack into One Video? Ask Michael Voris!

He responded to this video on today's Dividing Line. You can hear that at the following link.

Today on the Dividing Line: Michael Voris and 40,000 Denominations, Ehrman, Diaa Mohamed

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Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: Sproul: "The Bible is a fallible collection of infallible books"

Here is a really good article about thinking through the following statement by Dr. R.C. Sproul:

“Roman Catholics view the canon as an infallible collection of infallible books. Protestants view it as a fallible collection of infallible books. Rome believes the church was infallible when it determined which books belong in the New Testament. Protestants believe the church acted rightly and accurately in this process, but not infallibly.”[Source: R.C. Sproul, Grace Unknown: The Heart of Reformed Theology, 58].

I think that Sproul brings a very important point and James Swan does a great job unpacking the statement and explaining it.

Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: Sproul: "The Bible is a fallible collection of infallible books"

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Chance or Purpose

Lecture by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn on Chance and purpose.


Chance or Purpose

Asking the Wrong Marian Questions ...

 TurretinFan posted a great article discussing if there are really is an exaltation of Jesus' mother Mary to rival God. I think he explains very well how this is done and that we should not do it!

Asking the Wrong Marian Questions ...

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Iron Sharpens Iron: Andrew Mayfield: Marian Apparitions

Anderw Mayfield was recently interviewed on Iron Sharpens Iron. It was great. He talked about the Marian apparitions that so many people are hanging their hopes on. He points out that the things that are being spoken through these apparitions directly contradict the Bible. This is a great interview and worth listening to.

Iron Sharpens Iron: Andrew Mayfield: Marian Apparitions

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Roman Catholic Maryology: Mary in Roman Catholicism, part 2 - Everything the Bible Says About Mary | True Freethinker

Mariano has continued his great series on how Mary - the mother of Jesus Christ - is viewed in Christianity. In this article he covers just what the Bible has to say about Mary.

At a glance:
Reading everything that the Bible has to say about Mary it is very clear why the Roman Catholic Church must combine Scripture, plus tradition, plus apparition messages. Because taking into consideration everything that the Bible does say about Mary it is utterly impossible to even imagine a Mary who is immaculately conceived, sinless, co-redeemer, assumed into heaven and crowned queen of heaven, intercessor, our mother, etc., etc.

Follow the link to learn more!

Roman Catholic Maryology: Mary in Roman Catholicism, part 2 - Everything the Bible Says About Mary | True Freethinker

Roman Catholic Maryology: Mary in Roman Catholicism, part 1 - Introduction | True Freethinker

Mariano has begun a great series examining Mary - the mother of Jesus and her place in Roman Catholic Theology. This is a must read!

Roman Catholic Maryology: Mary in Roman Catholicism, part 1 - Introduction | True Freethinker