Dr Paul Allen

1 Corinthians 11:17–34 “Let a person examine himself…. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (vv. 28–29). The mode of Christ ’s presence in the Lord’s Supper is only one aspect of the sacrament that has generated disagreement. Among the other issues related to the Lord’s Supper that have been controversial is Roman Catholicism’s understanding of the Eucharist as a kind of reenactment of the sacrifice of  Jesus . According to the twenty-second session of the Council of Trent (1545–1563), the Roman Catholic church teaches that the death of Jesus for the salvation of His church is repeated in the Mass each time it is celebrated. To be sure,  Rome says, this sacrifice is one that is not bloody; nevertheless, it is real. As with their view of transubstantiation, this understanding of the Lord’s Supper has significant theological problems. Hebrews 10:1–18, the Reformers pointed out, emph...

Martin Luther, author of the text of Christ lag in Todes Banden, and who, with Johann Walter, also wrote the melody (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) This question is not critical only today, but it was in the eye of the storm we call the Protestant Reformation that swept through and divided the Christian church in the sixteenth century. Martin Luther declared his position: Justification is by faith alone , our works add nothing to our justification whatsoever, and we have no merit to offer God that in any way enhances our justification. This created the worst schism in the history of Christendom. In refusing to accept Luther's view, the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated him, then responded to the outbreak of the Protestant movement with a major church council, the Council of Trent , which was part of the so-called Counter-Reformation and took place in the middle of the sixteenth century. The sixth session of Trent, at which the canons and decrees on justification and fait...

With a new pope elected, the eyes of the world are on the  Roman Catholic Church . No doubt many evangelicals find themselves confused as to the critical differences between the biblical gospel and the gospel according to  Rome . Hence today’s post: In  Romans  11:6, Paul says of salvation, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.” By contrast, Roman Catholicism finds itself in the impossible position of advocating a gospel in which salvation is offered by  grace   plus  works . The Catholic church promotes a synergistic sacramental soteriology in which human good works, along with  God ’s grace, contribute to the sinner’s justification. This is in distinct contrast to the evangelical understanding of the gospel, in which salvation is received  by grace through faith  alone . Despite the eccumenical efforts of some, the difference between Roman Catholic...

3rd quarter of 16th century (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Author: RC Sproul 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 “Let a person examine himself…. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” ( vv. 28–29 ). The mode of Christ ’s presence in the Lord’s Supper is only one aspect of the sacrament that has generated disagreement. Among the other issues related to the Lord’s Supper that have been controversial is Roman Catholicism’s understanding of the Eucharist as a kind of reenactment of the sacrifice of Jesus . According to the twenty-second session of the Council of Trent (1545–1563), the Roman Catholic church teaches that the death of Jesus for the salvation of His church is repeated in the Mass each time it is celebrated. To be sure, Rome says, this sacrifice is one that is not bloody; nevertheless, it is real. As with their view of transubstantiation, this understanding of the Lord’s Supper has significant theological problems. Hebrews 10:...

emblem of the Papacy: Triple tiara and keys Français : emblème pontifical Italiano: emblema del Papato Português: Emblema papal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) I think Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) and similar efforts to make common cause with Roman Catholics are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of where the Roman Catholic Church is theologically and what it actually teaches. There is no question that the Roman Catholic Church has changed since the sixteenth century.  But the changes have not closed the gap between Rome and Protestantism . Indeed, the differences are greater now. For instance, the formally defined proclamation of the infallibility of the pope and all of the Mariology statements have come since the Reformation . Neither has Rome backed down from any of the positions it took in the sixteenth-century debate. In the updated Catechism of the Catholic Church, released in the mid-1990s, the treasury of merit, purgatory, indulgences, justification ...

emblem of the Papacy: Triple tiara and keys Français : emblème pontifical Italiano: emblema del Papato Português: Emblema papal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) In Romans 11:6, Paul says of salvation, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.” By contrast, Roman Catholicism finds itself in the impossible position of advocating a gospel in which salvation is offered both  by grace  and also  on the basis of works .  The Catholic church promotes a synergistic sacramental soteriology in which human good works, along with God’s grace , contribute to the sinner’s justification. This is in distinct contrast to the evangelical understanding of the gospel, in which salvation is received  by grace through faith alone . Below is a summary of Roman Catholic teaching with regard to the essence of the gospel. Catholic sources are included under each of the following points. * * * ...