One of our church members was at a laundromat in Reedsburg last week and found some DVDs produced by “Scriptures for America” and Peter J. Peters of the LaPorte Church of Christ in LaPorte, CO.
She wisely called to ask whether these materials would be edifying for her family and I asked her to let me review them before bringing them home. I am so glad I did. (more…)
There are thousands who seem ready to believe anything in religion if they hear it from an ordained minister.
They forget that clergymen may err as much as laymen. They are not infallible. Their teaching must be weighed in the balance of Holy Scripture. They are to be followed and believed, so long as their doctrine agrees with the Bible, but not a minute longer.
Question: What did Jesus mean when he told us not to judge others in Matthew 7:1?
The first portion of these verses is one of those passages of Scripture, which we must be careful not to strain beyond its proper meaning. It is frequently abused and misapplied, by the enemies of true religion. It is possible to press the words of the Bible so far that they yield not medicine, but poison.
Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences
1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, he called for the entire life of believers to be one of penitence.
2. The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.
3. Yet its meaning is not restricted to penitence in one’s heart; for such penitence is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh.
4. As long as hatred of self abides (i.e. true inward penitence) the penalty of sin abides, viz., until we enter the kingdom of heaven.
5. The Pope has neither the will nor the power to remit any penalties beyond those imposed either at his own discretion or by canon law.
The word ‘heresy’ is a transliteration of the Greek word haireses which literally means:
- A choice
- The opinion chosen
- The sect holding the opinion
In its classic usage, the word was not necessarily derogatory. It simply referred to a certain sect within an established system of beliefs (c.f., Acts 5:17, 15:5, 24:5).
However, and as the church began to grow, so also did negative connotations of this word.
Certain men within the church departed from Apostolic teaching and essentially began to press others ‘to choose’ their side (c.f., 1 Corinthians 11:19, Galatians 5:20, 2 Peter 2:1).
This schismatic behavior was denounced by the Apostles as ‘heresy’ and that is why the word continues to this day to be a label for false doctrine, those who promote it, and the sad divisions that are caused by such.
Written by Pastor McShaffrey