This is only the start of the article, but it should be enough to get you going:
Mar 16 2010
Luther Vs. Zwingli: Faith vs. Reason
For those theologians who do not understand the mystery of the sacraments – baptism and communion – seem to me to be those who would rather accept human reason than the faith once for all delivered to the Apostles and the traditions which they handed down. The sacraments weren’t discarded by Christianity until the time of Christianity’s archfoe, Zwingli, decided that human reasoning was enough to read the biblical texts. Followed by other heretics, Zwingli’s view on the sacraments has permeated Western low-church, Protestantism attempting to rewrite history to fit what is little more than the 16th century’s Todd Bentley (Zwingli) and his human reasoning.
Mar 16 2010
Zwingli’s New Revelation on Baptism – Everyone was wrong but him
Rob has series of posts on baptism, which is over all interesting. This point in particular, however, is one which must be drawn and then explained by those who hold to the same view point as Zwingli:
The view that baptism relates primarily to justification and essential for the forgiveness of sins was the predominate view that continued far past the early Patristics continued until the Reformers (I’ve researched many hours and I’m yet to find an opposing viewpoint before Zwingli, but I surely welcome corrective data if its out there). With the implications of the Reformation period in mind, however, it makes logical sense that such a shift of focus would occur since this period began thinking of salvation by faith alone.
via The Function of Baptism Throughout Church History: Part 3 « Tolle Lege!.
How is it that only Zwingli, 1500 or so years removed from the Apostles, suddenly understood baptism?
For more information, check out this article.
Mar 15 2010
Church Fathers on John 3.5
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8 NLT)
Mar 11 2010
Difficult Verses: 1st Timothy 4:10
This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers. (1Ti 4:10 NLT)
I want to follow the same method which I used with John 12.32.
Mar 11 2010
Cliff Notes on Universalism
Not saying I agree or disagree, but Church History does help to speak to the issue – at least in the allowance of the two views to dwell together. From here.
Mar 11 2010
Tertullian – The Universalist?
It is therefore quite in keeping with this order of things, that that part of our nature should be the first to have the recompense and reward to which they are due on account of its priority. In short, inasmuch as we understand “the prison” pointed out in the Gospel to be Hades, and as we also interpret “the uttermost farthing” to mean the very smallest offence which has to be recompensed there before the resurrection,10 no one will hesitate to believe that the soul undergoes in Hades some compensatory discipline, without prejudice to the full process of the resurrection, when the recompense will be administered through the flesh besides.- Treatise of the Soul LVIII
Mar 10 2010
Augustine – Confession to Ignorance
“What is needed is a loving confession of ignorance rather than a rash profession of knowledge. To reach out a little toward God with the mind is a great blessedness; yet to understand [fully] is wholly impossible.” – Augustine, Sermons 117
In reading (this quote was sent to me) Augustine, Calvin, and others, the one thing I note is that they leave room in many areas that they might not know everything that there is to know. I wonder when theologians lost this?
Mar 06 2010
Calvin and the relationship between pulpit, font and table
Jesus Christ is the only food by which our souls are nourished; but as it is distributed to us by the word of the Lord, which he has appointed an instrument for that purpose, that word is also called bread and water. Now what is said of the word applies as well to the sacrament of the Supper, by means of which the Lord leads us to communion with Jesus Christ. For seeing we are so weak that we cannot receive him with true heartfelt trust, when he is presented to us by simple doctrine and preaching, the Father of mercy, disdaining not to condescend in this matter to our infirmity, has been pleased to add to his word a visible sign, by which he might represent the substance of his promises, to confirm and fortify us by delivering us from all doubt and uncertainty.
Read some thoughts here:
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