"The Peter Syndrome is a deadly disease rampant amongst modern Roman Catholic apologists. And it is a disease that makes you see every reference to Peter anywhere in an early father as somehow relevant to the bishop in Rome even if that father never makes that connection himself, never shows that he believes the bishop of Rome is the vicar of Christ on earth, never says that Peter's successor sit only on the sit in Rome, it doesn't matter as long as an early father says something nice about Peter, therefore he is in support of the bishop of Rome." ~ James R. White
for a review of the book Jesus, Peter & the Keys, click HERE
I lost my trust in Jackie Alnor's credibility as an apologist and a researcher when she endorsed Jack T. Chick's cartoon propaganda against Roman Catholicism and at the same time discredited the erudite James White because of the Pauline phrase "knowledge puffs up". Even the Protestant battle cries Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide are highfalutin to her.
Yet I have to thank her for uploading something good on Youtube. She labeled it as Walter Martin's Last TBN Appearance. God willing, I will post my review of Dr. Martin's "last appearance" on Trinity Broadcasting Network on the first week of April.
Jackie uploaded it after seeing Calvary Chapel's Skip Heitzig appear on TBN and acted as if "he and his host Phil Munsey were old friends". I am not familiar with the Munseys (Phil & Steve) so i can't really take Jackie's words at face value when she says they are "two of the most infamous extortioners in the field of Christian television". Yet given the track record of TBN, I have a reason to believe Jackie. In contrast to Heitzig's demeanor, Martin pulled no punches when he appeared on TBN.
An Expression of Gratitude to William Alnor
Aside from that, we have to grieve with Jackie for the death of her husband William Alnor. Bill finally went home to the Lord's house on the 20th day this month after a battle with prostate cancer.
I do find Mr. Alnor's works profitable. Unfortunately the old Christian Sentinnel website has long became extinct. One of his finest articles, "Heaven Can't Wait: A Survey of Alleged Trips to the Other Side", is still posted here. With the popularity of such books as Don Piper's 90 Minutes in Heaven and Todd Burpo's Heaven is for Real, Alnor's article is still very relevant. Though that essay good enough, it will be better if we can get a copy ofthe 160-page book of the same title.
The last time I heard of him, he was then building this site: williamalnor.com. He managed to review five books including William Paul Young's The Shack . Since the site has no RSS feeds, I have to visit the site several times but it was rarely updated. Perhaps he was already losing his battle against cancer at those times.
Another Milestone for the Prewrath Rapture View
In the 4th Halo-halo Huwebes, I noted a milestone for the Prewrath position in the scholarly community when Zondervan decided to replace the Mid-Trib Position with the Prewrath view in the new edition of Three Views on the Rapture.
On the popular level,James MacDonald has recently made it public that he is a prewrather. MacDonald is the Senior Pastor of the huge multi-site Harvest Bible Chapel and host of the radio ministry Walk in the Word. He is also a council member of The Gospel Coalition, an organization I highly esteem.
A Song I Learned from my Grade V Adviser, Miss Rose Reyes
"... we should likewise see in those affairs reported in our daily paper the sovereign hand of God just as much as we see it in the Bible. Of course, we don't have the advantage of the divinely revealed explanation of today's events, as we do of those recorded in the Bible, but that does not make God's sovereign rule today any less certain. God recorded in His Word specific instances of his sovereign rule over history in order that we might trust Him in the affairs of history as they unfold before us today. we should remember that, for those experiencing the events recorded in the biblical narratives, God's hand was no more apparent to them in those events than His hand is apparent to us today in ours."
- Jerry Bridges
Trusting God, p.80
The Peter Syndrome
"The Peter Syndrome is a deadly disease rampant amongst modern Roman Catholic apologists. And it is a disease that makes you see every reference to Peter anywhere in an early father as somehow relevant to the bishop in Rome even if that father never makes that connection himself, never shows that he believes the bishop of Rome is the vicar of Christ on earth, never says that Peter's successor sit only on the sit in Rome, it doesn't matter as long as an early father says something nice about Peter, therefore he is in support of the bishop of Rome."
- James R. White
Grace Changes Our Vocabulary
"Filthiness, foolish talk, and crude joking are 'out of place'-- they're forbidden not because they're on some arbitrary "banned words" list, but because they reflect the heart and attitude of those who disregard God and his Word. Living in a way that's distinct from the world means speaking in a way that's distinct from the world. Grace changes us from the inside out, and a changed heart will lead to a changed vocabulary.."
- Craig Cabaniss
God, My Heart, and Media
chapter 5 in "Worldliness"
C.J. Mahaney, editor
What is "Sixpence None the Richer"?
Leigh Nash: A little boy asks his father is he can get a Sixpence which is a very small amount of English currency for the boy to go and get a gift for his father and then the father gladly accepts the gift; he's really happy with it but he also realizes that he is not any richer for the transaction because he gave his son the money in the first place.
David Letterman: He bought his own gift
Leigh Nash: ... C.S. Lewis was comparing that to his belief that God has given him the gift and us the gifts that we posses and to serve him the way we should. We should do it with humble hearts realizing how we get the gifts in the first place.
Nakakatawa ang mga sinabi ni James White bago niya ipangaral ang kanyang sermon. Buti na lang daw at may mahaba-habang break sa pagitan ng pagsasalita niya at ang pagsasalita ng naunang speaker na si Steven Lawson para magkalimutan nang kaunti. Sa husay ni Lawson sa preaching, magmumukha daw siyang kawawa kung paghahambingin sila… hahaha…
Mas kilala nga naman si Dr. White bilang apologists at debatista, hindi niya forte ang preaching. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, maganda ang pagkakahatid ni Dr. White sa kanyang sermon na pinamagatang “Living Out Sola Fide”
As an introduction, Dr. White asked the listeners why were they not afraid of the wrath of God when they woke up in the morning. There are many persons who wake up daily without the fear of the wrath of God because they don’t think about the wrath of God; they don’t know the gravity of their sins. On the other hand, Christians know they are deserving of God’s wrath because of their sins, but why are we not afraid of God’s wrath?
The answer is because someone died on the cross on as a substitute for us, and by his merits, we were declared righteous by God. If we look within ourselves, we are looking at the wrong place.
He used several texts in this sermon. The first one is Romans 5:1. I guess Dr. White uses the 1995 update of the NASB so I will use it in this review.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
He asserts that the gospel of Rome with the introduction of sacramentalism, merits, mediators, etc. offers no peace. Roman Catholics are unsure of their standing because they are not sure if they have fulfilled “all the requirements necessary for justification”.
Contrary to the Roman Catholic system, biblical peace looks back at God’s finished act of justification. Justification is something that God has done in the past. “Having been justified” is past tense.
Dr. White also tackled a textual variant on this verse since some Catholic apologists used it. On same manuscripts, there is a one-letter difference: a. The widely accepted reading is in the indicative mood: “we have peace with God” b. The other reading is in the subjunctive mood: “let us have peace with God”
The first reading is preferred but even if it is in the subjunctive mood, it is simply an exhortation to the effect “let us enjoy peace with God”
He also tackled the meaning of the Greek word eirene translated as “peace” in the verse. It is the counterpart of the Hebrew word Shalom. It is not merely a ceasefire. It is a wellness of relationship. He likens the Roman Catholic system with the situation of Israel and Gaza where there are tanks and other weapons are lined-up along the border. For in the Roman Catholic system, one mortal sin could eradicate justification. He recalls one of his debates with Fr. Mitchell Pacwa, a Jesuit scholar who is very knowledgeable in languages. Even Dr. Pacwa admitted that he doesn’t know how to reconcile the Roman Catholic system with the Hebrew concept of Shalom.
He also laments the inroads of inclusivism and pluralism within evangelicalism. According to the polls, over 50% of evangelicals believe that there is another way of salvation aside from explicit faith in Jesus. We cannot compromise on this issue because if we do, we are saying in effect that God sacrifice his precious Son when there are other ways.
He informs the listeners that in the modern Roman Catholic catechism, there are more sections on indulgences that on justification. They can no longer sell it but they can still obtain it.
There are other texts that he tackled but to make this post shorter, I will go immediately to James 2. This is where a Roman catholic will go to once he learns that you believe in Sola Fide. The Roman Catholic apologists will be quick to point out that the phrase “by faith alone” only appears once in the Bible,
“You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24) He stressed the importance of reading James with its main purpose: “an exhortation for believers to live according to their profession of faith”. The key to understand this is to start at verse 14, “if someone says”. Someone makes a claim that he possessed faith, yet there is no evidence in his life.
Dr. White used an illustration of a man who claims before airport authorities that he has a passport. “ I have it”. Yet he is unable to show it. The claim is not enough. A man who claims to have faith yet have no love for God does not possess faith at all.
He says that the proper translation is found in NASB and ESV, “can that faith save him”. I found that NIV has the same effect with “can such faith save him”. The answer is obviously NO. We cannot be save by a faith that cannot demonstrate its existence because God has a purpose in saving us—that is Christlikeness.
Naturally, upon discussing James 2, he proceeds to address a perverted version of Sola Fide called Easy Believism, those who believe that a mere intellectual assent to the gospel secures salvation for a person. WALANG PAGBABAGO sa BUHAY. He quotes 1 John 2:25, “but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:”
He concludes: “ When we talk about the solas, we talk about the gospel… God has a purpose in building his church and the only way he does it is throught the proclamation of the gospel.”
(James R. White)
(Eric Svendsen)
(William David Webster)
