Tag: Protestant Reformation

  • Some Thoughts on Sola Scriptura

    Background The more I interact with Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, and some non-Reformed Protestants, the greater I see the need and absolute necessity of the Reformed principle of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). Sola Scriptura ensures that our doctrines align with God’s Word. It gives us purity and completeness of doctrine. And it acts as…

  • The Gospel: Defined and Defended

    Background If you ask many people, who espouse Christ and go to church every week, just what is the gospel you will get various responses. Some will say being a “good person” is the gospel. Roman Catholics may say the gospel is that Jesus died for us and is present in a real way in…

  • The Reformers Didn’t Go Far Enough

    The magisterial Reformers of the Protestant Reformation, men like Calvin, Luther, and Knox, were used mightily by God to restore the preeminence of Scripture and to declare every precept and doctrine taken directly from the Word of God which itself stands as the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith, morality, and praxis.…

  • Sola Scriptura: Defined and Defended – A Study in Authority Structures

    Background Sola Scriptura, Latin for Scripture Alone, is part of the 5 Solas of the Protestant Reformation. They are a cornerstone of Reformed theology. Sola Scriptura simply means that Scripture is our highest authority in matters of faith and morals. As this statement implies, there are other lesser authorities, but they are always subordinate to…

  • The Geneva Bible: The Reformers’ Bible

    What exactly is the Geneva Bible and what is its significance? The Geneva Bible was first published in 1560. It was the first translation to use chapter divisions and numbered verses and became the most popular version of its time because of the extensive marginal notes and annotations. Some of those notes were very controversial.…

  • The Glorious Protestant Reformation: Some Thoughts on Reformation Day

    On this day, October 31st, in the year of our Lord, 1517, an Augustinian friar (monk) in the Roman Catholic church, Martin Luther (1483-1546), who was also a theologian, priest, and a professor at the University at Wittenberg, nailed his 95 theses, which were theological problems he saw with Catholic theology as well as practices…

  • French Protestants Massacred by Papists

    On August 24th, in 1572, about 70,000 Huguenots (French Protestants) were butchered in the streets of Paris, and other French cities. The elderly, women, and even children were not spared Rome’s Satanic blood lust!!! Roughly 20 years before, John Calvin wrote to the prisoners held captive in Lyon: “Remember to lift up your eyes to…

  • The One True Church

    I often hear Catholics and Orthodox say they are the oldest churches and can trace through apostolic succession their churches back to 33 AD. I posit that what is most important is having the correct doctrine. Men are fallible and can make mistakes. Once a church is institutionalized correcting those mistakes becomes very difficult, if…