I am, right now as I type, listening to the broadcast of Dr. Francis Beckwith's move back to the Roman Catholic faith in the Catholic Answers -EWTN. He is being interviewed there, he was asked to summarize the move back...
He said that he still has the historic Church and he still has Jesus!
Now I reflect on that a bit more, what a good idea. Hey, what have you got to loose, you get historicity and Jesus too! What a good deal.
Now how should I answer that now that I am Lutheran? I guess I am because all I want is Jesus---only, alone. Mine is reverse it is the other way around.
I am in a less wise situation than Beckwith, he has more props or support, I only have one. None but Jesus. From a mathematical standpoint my expectation function is lower compared to his, the payoff for him has more chances than mine.
I think I have "historicity too" but that is a side issue. That is not the reason why I became Lutheran, it is because it Jesus alone, not this and this plus Jesus too. If that were my criteria I would stay in Pentecostalism, for after all we have - all these blessings now, health, wealth and wisdom too, then plus Jesus in heaven also! Wow what a better deal.
For me it seems, there is no other way, I ascertain, all other ground is sinking sand. Does that not make me vulnerable, you bet, but there is no other way for me, my options have been made limited by Christ and in Christ alone.
4 comments:
Reminds me of an old illustration:
Christ and works are like two boats. Say you have two boats on a lake and you put one foot in each boat. If one boat sinks, you will get wet. You need both feet in one boat: Christ!
JK,
We got our eggs on one basket and our feet on one boat now.
Like one Baptist quip I wish to modify, if he does not save to the uttermost, he is not saviour at all. ;-)
LPC
I think I, also, have historicity. Leaving the works-based version of Evangelicalism for the Lutheran church gave me an overwhelming sense of joining the ancient church. I didn't join to get that feeling; it was just a nice bonus. I joined because it was the only church I could find that truly taught Christ alone. Actually, I don't think I "found" it, rather I was led there by the Holy Spirit.
I was wondering recently how Catholic theologians view Jesus' statement, in Matthew 28:18, that He was given all authority in heaven and on earth. His statement seems to conflict with the Catholic church's teaching on the authority of the pope. Of course, I think they also think that the pope is Christ on earth or something to that effect.
Hi again TK,
Nice for you to drop by again.
I think Beckwith must have also been longing for some historicity which he saw lacking in evangelia, don't you think? There seems to be a tint of that I suspect.
Now, you see as an ex-RC, I am now called by Catholics as ignorant mis-catechized man btw, I was taught that the Papa, is the Vicar of Christ, I mean THE Vicar of Christ. In fact as far as I remember, except for interpreting again and again Vatican II, anyone who is not in subject to the Vicar of Christ is hell-ward bound.
Now, isn't that an extreme case of throwing one's weight around? ;-)
LPC
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