John H Armstrong

A Catholic and Evangelical Conversation

You are cordially invited by the Chicago area Fuller Seminary Board of Trustees to join fellow alumni and friends in the Chicago area on Monday, November 14, for a conversation between the president of Fuller Seminary and the president of the Catholic Theological Union.

Dr. Richard J. Mouw
President, Fuller Theological Seminary
Professor of Christian Philosophy

Fr. Donald Senior, C.P.
President, Catholic Theological Union
Professor of New Testament Studies

Catholics and Evangelicals: How Much Common Ground?

When:
Monday, November 14, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.

Where:
The Arts Club of Chicago
201 East Ontario Street
Chicago, IL 60611

Space is limited, so RSVP now to reserve your spot!

Questions? Email [email protected] or call 1-800-617-3209

Exploring Catholicism

My good friend Chris Castaldo, author of Holy Ground, is hosting a special event at Wheaton College next Tuesday evening, October 25th. The subject is “Exploring Catholicism.” If you are in the Chicago area I encourage you to consider attending. It will be well worth your time I am quite sure. Chris is a former Catholic who does not represent the far too common anti-Catholic spirit of many evangelicals. You may disagree with him, especially if you are a devout Catholic, but you will still love him as a brother filled with Christ’s Spirit. I hope you will check this out and/or follow Chris on his blogs and teaching. Few evangelicals can express their differences with Rome as well as Chris and in the spirit of genuine love and respect.

The Power of the Word

Several weeks ago I wrote a blog about the authority of Scripture and how the church has disagreed about the role that tradition and the Catholic Magisterium have in forming the doctrine of the church. I made particular reference to the teaching of the Catholic Magisterium and they differed with the magisterial Protestant Reformers. The main reason I wrote that particular piece was to show one of the reasons why I was not a Catholic. Another reason I wrote was to show that one could hold to the final authority of Scripture without holding to  the typically fundamentalist views of the Bible many conservative Catholic apologists accuse Protestants of holding to even when they clearly deny these views. My blog was not meant to be a polemic against Catholics, or even Catholicism, even though I am not persuaded by the Catholic argument at all. It was meant to be more of a confession about my own journey and understanding than anything else. It was a type of statement that very simply stated why I remain where I am in terms of the church. Most readers understood that point and responded accordingly. But some wanted to show me why I was wrong and convince me that only the Catholic Church understood this  matter of authority correctly. (I am fully aware of the logic involved—two contradictory views cannot both be right. One is wrong or both are wrong but both cannot be right at the same time! It could be, however, that neither has the whole truth thus neither is quite right, at least not yet. This should lead toward a different way of doing doctrinal disagreements, one that I do intend to foster by my writing.)

Today, I want to comment on the Scripture again. This time, however, I want to show how much we have in common as Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians when it comes to actually using the Scriptures in our lives. I have in mind today the power of the Word. All Christians, from antiquity to the present, have agreed (or should agree) that the Scripture has an inherent Spirit-given power that can be acknowledged and celebrated by everyone who loves the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is a way of seeing this simple point from a Catholic perspective, that of the famous Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard was a French monk and the founder of the Cistercians. He wrote:

When you see a soul which, having left all, cleaves unto the Word with every thought and desire; lives only for the Word, rules itself according to the Word and becomes fruitful by the Word—which is able to say with St. Paul, “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain”—then you may have assurance that this soul is a bride wedded to the Word.

St. Bernard wrote this in a sermon he preached on The Song of Songs. 

Think about this quote for a moment. This respected Catholic monk is urging every believer to conform every thought and desire to Scripture. He adds that real assurance comes from being wedded to the Word of God as a bride to her husband. In case you protest, he is using Word here not as simply a synonym for Jesus, the true  and eternal Word, but for the Word revealed in the written apostolic Scripture.

The most famous of all Catholic theologians, and perhaps the most brilliant theologian in the history of the Christian Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, said: “I am a man of one book!”

And one of my favorite modern Catholic writers, Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988), wrote about Scripture:

Anyone entering the sphere of radiance of the divine word is held fast by it; he knows from experience that this word not only communicates knowledge about God, but—hidden within the God of the letter—actually has divine qualities; in itself it is an overpowering manifestation of God’s infinity and truth, his majesty and love.

French Cistercian abbott Andre Louf, a Catholic writer on prayer that I value very highly, wrote in Teach Us to Pray (1992): “The heart of man was made to receive the Word, and the Word adapts itself to the dimensions of the human heart.”

And St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), a holy teacher of the Catholic faith, wrote: “But it is especially the Gospels which sustain me during my hours of prayer, for in them I find what is necessary for my poor little soul. I am constantly discovering in them new lights, hidden and mysterious meanings.”

This has been my experience as well, especially in the last two decades of my life.

A recently discovered Catholic teacher who has helped me a great deal is David Steindl-Rast. Steindl-Rast, an Austrian Benedictine monk and profound spiritual writer, says, “Responsive reading is the form the Bible gives to our basic religious quest as human beings.”

Let me ask you, Protestant or Catholic reader both: Do you value the Scripture in this way? Have you tasted of the power of Holy Scripture and do you meditate upon these writings day-by-day and read them to gain the knowledge of the true love of Jesus? While you debate and read apologetics about Scripture and Magisterium do you treasure the writings? Do they take you to Jesus?

You know what—we may disagree (and we will likely continue to disagree) about the exact way we understand the role Scripture plays in defining the authority of the church on earth but we plainly can and do agree that the role Scripture should have in changing our lives is direct and powerful. This is why a real ecumenist says, “We can do these two things together: pray and read the Scripture and we must do them both more and more.”

This is why missional-ecumenism can celebrate this reality—when we read and study Scripture privately, but especially together, we open a door to amazing insights and truths that can transform us—Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox—without leading any of us to compromise our basic convictions about the church.

William Johnston, the author of one of my favorite books on mysticism rightly concludes:

For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power of the word of God is so great that it remains the support and energy of the Church, the strength and faith of her children, the food of the soul, the pure and perennial source of spiritual life.

My Visit with Fr. Joseph Girzone on Joshua Mountain

The famous author and well-known spiritual teacher, Fr. Richard Rohr, wrote an endorsement for Barbara Benjamin’s engaging biography of Fr. Joseph F. Girzone, The Joshua Priest: A Biography of Faith. The endorsement noted: “It has been said that ideas do not change people, but people change people. In this book you will have two beautiful ‘people’ encounters – with a great man and with the great woman who writes about him. Be prepared to be changed, enlightened, and readied for an even greater Encounter.”

That sums up well my experience with the life and writing of Joseph Girzone, a man that I now have the joy of calling my dear friend.

Barbara Benjamin shows how faith, for Joseph Girzone, is not an intellectual state but a deep conviction, or what the writer of Hebrews calls the evidence of “things not seen.” Faith is, to use another expression, an attitude of being convinced by the person one trusts and loves. My friend Joe Girzone is convinced of Jesus and by Jesus. Guided through a life of pursuing God from childhood Joe eventually came to realize that his fear of God was rooted in not intimately knowing Jesus through faith. His journey was always taking different turns in the road, as Barbara Benjamin’s biography shows, but his destiny was clear – to know Jesus and to make him known to the world. If I had to say one thing about Joe it would be this; he knows and loves Jesus in a deeply personal and completely human way!

Barbara Benjamin writes, in the final two paragraphs of her story of The Joshua Priest:

Looking back over the Joshua years, and over a lifetime filled with so many small and wonderful miracles, Father Joe remains deeply humbled. For his faith journey has led him closer to Jesus, closer to God, and closer to his own unique ministry than he could ever have hoped for. It has led him to met people from all over the world and from all walks of life and to share with those people the new sense of Jesus that had renewed his own soul and brought him unimagined freedom and joy. And he has graced with the opportunity to see people of every nationality and religious persuasion respond to God’s universal love, respond to the healing compassion of the good shepherd and to the living spirit of Jesus among them.

Indeed, his journey with his deeply rooted, living faith had led him to Joshua and to his own spiritual rebirth as The Joshua Priest (135-36).

This was precisely how I found Father Joe to be in the flesh. He was exactly what I expected in every way. He was as non-pretentious as any spiritually-formed man I’ve ever met. He prayed with me, he shared meals with me (he is a good and healthy cook), he listened to me ramble on about this and that, he argued with me and even watched a Stanley Cup hockey game with me! We discussed Jesus, faith, politics, the church, the sacraments, Mary, visions, homosexuality, the scandal of so many priests who’ve been charged (often falsely he believes and I now do as well) with molesting children, the afterlife, the beauty of creation, the history of Albany (NY), the wonder of friendships, etc. Three days with Fr. Joe was rewarding and life-changing.

Joe lives in Altamont, New York, a small place outside of Albany. After the success of Joshua in the late 1980s Joe bought this lovely large home to be a place for him to pray, rest, write, counsel and entertain friends. I spent three days in a large, quiet room where I could see three states: New York, Vermont and Massachusetts. The spring flowers and foliage were gorgeous and the days were not too hot. We walked to the higher reaches of Joshua Mountain, drove into Albany to see sights and generally relaxed and talked a lot about the real Jesus, the one so many people (sadly) do not know. Joe gave me many of his books that I have not yet read and opened his heart and home to me as if I was a long lost brother. Each morning began with the eucharist and morning prayers. Our pace was relaxed and our conversation not prepared in any sense. We just “hung out.” For a man who was told thirty years ago he might not live another six months Joe is fit and energetic at age 81. He also maintains an active life through the Internet, the telephone and the guests he sees around his home. Several times a month he conducts evening times for teaching and people come to Joshua Mountain from around the area. It is all simple and straightforward. No pretense and no barriers. Joe is one of the freest and most genuinely joyful souls I’ve ever gotten to know.

After conversation for several days I determined that Joe clearly is a Christian mystic. He understands contemplation, practices it and does not get distressed over the things that bother so many people. He walks and talks with Jesus who is closer to him that the world itself. What does distress his soul very deeply is to see people, especially poor and weak people, being treated unjustly by other people and by social systems like government and the church. He feels the pain of the oppressed deeply but lives with joy, the very same spiritual paradox I see in the life of Jesus.

Why I Love Fr. Joe Girzone and Support Joshua Mountain Ministries

Each month Father Joe Girzone writes a news and prayer letter for friends and people who support his mission on Joshua Mountain. During my three days with Joe I saw him take phone calls from people as far away as Japan and as close as near-by Albany. He referred to his large “parish” several times. I soon became aware that he was not exaggerating at all. I was amazed at how he listened and interacted with everyone, many of them people he had not met in the flesh at all. At times he was extremely funny and at others most serious and helpful. He was always joyful and always quick with his wit. Joe just lights up around people and brings joy to them with great blessing. The presence of Jesus is quite real in his simple, unpretentious, very human presence.

I can tell you that Fr. Joe’s parish is genuinely represented by people from all over the world. He responded to emails late into the evening and talked with workers around his home during the day. He met new people in Albany, and the nearby village of Altamont, and engaged with everyone in a deeply personal way. He called on the grieving and comforted them during the time I was with him. He shows respect and dignity to everyone, just like the One he so deeply loves, Joshua.

In June Joe wrote in his “News from Joshua Mountain” the following:

Frequently throughout each month I come across more and more hurting people.  I either meet them when outside and end up talking to them or they come to visit or call to talk to me.  The pain and heartaches in their lives overwhelms me sometimes.  I am becoming more and more convinced that most people have been damaged in some way, either by others' abuse or neglect, or rejection, meanness, contempt, abandonment, hatred, or by being treated as if they don't exist by those who should love them. Some people's personalities have been severely crippled by genetic damage which often conditions them in a way difficult to control towards behavior which is unacceptable by society. They end up in prison, where they are punished severely. A truly Christian society following the mind and heart of Jesus, who said, "It is not the death of a sinner that I desire, but that he be converted and live," should be more concerned about healing damaged and broken people than treating them like animals in cages. Our highly enlightened society has more people in prison than any other country in the world, with almost four times as many in prison than the country with the next highest number which is Australia. And I know cynics will ridicule this out of ignorance and contempt for Jesus' mentality. But, if people who come to me broken, came to them on a regular basis, even their eyes would be opened and they would soon see what many of us see in the lives of damaged people. And I am perhaps more sincerely concerned than cynics about the victims of crimes also. It is easy for a cynic to say something smart but I rarely see them doing anything helpful in real life. There brilliance is limited to rocking chair commenting.

I am coming to see more and more why Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd.  Only he sees the almost universal extent of human suffering and to give us hope in our pain and hopelessness, tells us, "Do not be afraid. I am the Good Shepherd. I know your pain, and I wander day and night through the world trying to find you and heal you, so you may be able continue your pilgrimage through this world and reach out to others you meet and help them too. Always know that I love you and I will always be there for you, all of you, who are hurting and have been hurt by others.

I read this news before I met Joe and spent three days with him on Joshua Mountain. I’ve been reading his news for about a year now. I can tell you this is genuinely representative of the real man who writes these readable and simple best-sellers. He cares about people because he loves Jesus so very deeply.  

After I visited Joshua Mountain Fr. Joe wrote his July “News from Joshua Mountain.” This reveals the very things I write above and is the truth about the friend I made in June.

This past month has been a busy month in a number of ways.  My parish has grown significantly. I know I don't have a canonical parish, but as providence would have it, a parish spontaneously developed, making my priesthood an enjoyable, though at times, a stressful ministry. Whenever I notice this, my memory drifts back to a congratulations card I got when I retired in 1980.  A Protestant lady sent me a beautiful card congratulating me on my new parish. I was stunned because, I was told by my doctor that I might have only six months to live. He insisted that I retire from my unusually stressful parish work.

It was only a short time after I retired that I received the card from that lady. I called to thank her and told her that my dangerous health condition necessitated my retirement.  She said immediately, "You're not retiring, Father, you are going to have a parish that will be worldwide.” I just smiled and thanked her for her kind wishes. That was 31 years ago.

For almost three years after that I was unable to work or move around for more than two or three hours when I had to lie down and rest. That was four or five times a day. I followed strictly my doctor's orders and stuck to my diet. For the first two years one of my sisters let me stay with her even though I was not the best house guest, then an undertaker friend let me live in an unrented bungalow she owned and I lived there for four years while I wrote JOSHUA. Shortly after that my strength began to come back and I was able to work five or six hours without resting. In time JOSHUA spread throughout the whole world and was put in Buddhist monastery libraries in India. Priests in mission countries translated it into their languages and used the translation in their parishes in Pakistan, and Nepal and in other places. In time, demands came for speaking engagements which brought me, and later on Sister Dorothy with me, to China, Australia, Scotland, Belgium, Germany, Canada, and most of the states in our own country. People from all these places still keep in touch and share the happy and sad times in their lives.

Now, though I am 81 and am not able to go far from my house for long periods of time, I am still able to continue my work as a priest. What a wonderful invention computers are! My computer was set up with very high speed capability, and I can now have teleconferencing sessions with my friends around the world and through Skype can give live video talks to groups here and in other countries. I videoed my dear friend, Koji Yamazaki, last night. He had done a very professional Japanese translation of JOSHUA six years ago and it has spread all over Japan. And this morning I had a delightful session with another friend in The Netherlands, Jan van der Boom. When he called I was sitting in front of the computer shaving, and when my teleconferencing kicked in immediately, I could see myself on the screen sitting there in my tee shirt and shaving. He got a big laugh out of that because he could see me, too.

So, I am finally realizing that I still have a parish, and my parishioners are the most wonderful people in the whole world. But now to get back down to earth! In the beginning of June I was asked by my new publisher, Orbis Press, to go to Chicago for a Publishers Convention. Orbis, introduced our new book, THE HOMELESS BISHOP, to the booksellers market and it received a very good reception. I am so happy with my new publishers. They are such gracious people to work with, and have already initiated a wide publicity program throughout the country and are very enthusiastic about the book's potential. That will be such a big help. 

To my surprise my friend then wrote about our visit in June by adding:

I also had a most pleasant visit from another dear friend, John Armstrong from Chicago. John is a Dutch Reformed theologian and our theological beliefs are very much in harmony. We had long and very frank discussions about so many topics, and we both needed a mental rest when the visit ended.

Joe ended his July “News from Joshua Mountain” by adding:

If any of you would like to make a small donation to help our ministry, it would be a big help. I have tried to do it myself for the past 29 years, but I don't have the resources anymore.

I am committed to helping Joe in whatever small ways that I can. I have already sent a generous gift. You can send a tax-deductible gift to:

Joshua Mountain Ministries

1071 Joshua Lane

Altamont, NY 12009

I encourage you to get to know him, receive his monthly news, and read the books I mentioned two days ago. If you live near Albany or can get there be sure to plan on one of Joe’s Tuesday evening talks. You can also subscribe to his monthly news, as I do, by writing him directly at: [email protected]. You should also visit the Joshua Mountain web site.

The Supreme Authority of Scripture and Interpretation

Yesterday, I wrote about the authority of Scripture. I am often asked what has kept me from embracing the Catholic Church in its present state? I have many friends who’ve converted to Roman Catholicism. I have many supporters of this mission who are Catholic. This happens because these friends and donors know I am serving the whole church in a unique and ecumenical context. The fact is that I have great love for the Catholic Church. And I am clearly not an anti-Catholic. Further, I have no desire to become a polemicist who engages in anti-Catholic evangelicalism. I am a serious ecumenist and as such I love all Christians – Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. I long to see full communion between the great ancient churches of the Christian faith. Because of this love and longing I will continue to engage with these kinds of issues for the rest of my life. It is because I love Christ and all his people that I do so.

But I am sometimes asked, What keeps you from becoming a Catholic? There are several reasons I remain a Reformed Protestant but a major one is related to this issue of authority. Over time I believe the Catholic Church developed a two-source view of authority. I believe this view is wrong. I believe this view was correctly challenged by the magisterial Reformers of the sixteenth century because the errors it had produced were harmful to the health of the church. I also believe, as I began to show yesterday, that this two-source view is in conflict with the teaching of the early church fathers as well. This point will be strongly opposed by good Catholic friends. The danger in this debate is that we will simply trade quotes and throw verbal bombs. Good ecumenism will not do this. It will listen respectfully and keep the discussion moving forward. In the end a person has to be persuaded in their own conscience by the facts they read and seek to understand. I have wrestled with these facts deeply. I remain persuaded that the Catholic claim that final authority residing in two-sources is wrong.

For my Catholic friends I urge you to respect me even if you disagree with my reading of this important issue. I know most of you do. Catholic academics clearly engage in this dialog without the heated rhetorical devices of many untrained apologists. For my Protestant friends, I urge you to not give up this precious truth in the midst of the modern polemics used against it by popular Catholic authors and speakers who often rail against it by using stereotypes and misrepresentations. What is at stake here is very important, so important that at least for now it hinders the union of our respective Christian churches. (It should not hinder unity even while we cannot attain union with this disagreement on the table!)

Yesterday, I cited some sayings from early church theologians. Here are a few more that I find extremely helpful:

What the Scriptures have not declared, you will never find.
(St. Athanasius, De S. Trin. Dial.)

It is a mockery to ask questions, or to make discourses, on that which is not written. (St. Athanasius, Epist. Ad. Serap.)

In the Holy Scriptures alone is the instruction of religion announced—to which let no man add, from which let no man detract—which are sufficient in themselves for the enunciation of the truth. (St. Athanasius, adv. Gentes init.)

Do not believe me simply, unless you receive the proof of what I say from Holy Scripture. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catech. A.D. 348)

Keep that faith only which the Church is now giving to you and which is certificated out of the whole of Scripture. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catech.)

Concerning the divine and holy mysteries of the faith, even the most casual remark ought not to be delivered without the sacred Scriptures. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catech. IV.12)

It is evidently a falling away from the faith, and a proof of great presumption, to neglect any part of what is written, or to introduce anything that is not written. (St. Basil c. 329-379, bishop of Caesarea, de Vera Fide)

How can we use those things, which we find not in the Scriptures!
(St. Ambrose c. 339-397, Offic. Lib. 1, c. 23)

When we receive money, we do not trust to those who give it to us; we wish to count it ourselves: and when there is a question of Divine things, would it not be a folly rashly and blindly to receive the opinions of others, when we have a rule by which we can examine everything? I mean the Divine law. It is for this reason that I conjure you all, without resting in the slightest degree on the judgment of others, to consult the Scriptures. (St. John Chrysostom c. 347-407, Homil. xiii. in 2 Cor.)

When you shall see the wicked heresy, which is the army of Antichrist, standing in the holy places of the church, then let those who are in Judea head for the mountains, that is, those who are Christians should head for the Scriptures. For the true Judea is
Christendom, and the mountains are the Scriptures of the prophets and apostles, as it is written: “Her foundations are in the holy mountains.” But why should all Christians at this time head for the Scriptures? Because in this period in which heresy has taken
possession of the churches there can be no proof of true Christianity nor any other refuge for Christians who want to know the truth of the faith except the divine Scriptures. Earlier we showed in many ways which is the church of Christ, and which heathenism. But now there is for those who want to know which is the true church of Christ no way to know it except only the through the Scriptures. Why? Because heresy has everything just like the church. How, then, will anyone who wants to know which is the true church of Christ know it in the midst of this great confusion resulting from this similarity, except only through the Scriptures? The Lord, therefore, knowing that there would be such a great confusion of things in the last days, commands that Christians who…want to gain steadfastness in the true faith should take refuge in nothing else but the Scriptures.

Otherwise, if they look to other things, they will be offended and will perish, because they will not know which is the true church, and as a result they will fall into the abomination of desolation which stands in the holy places of the church. (Traditionally ascribed to St. John Chrysostom, glossa ordinaria 49th Homily, on Mat. 24)

We deny not those things which are written, so we refuse those which are not written. That God was born of a Virgin, we believe, because we read; that Mary married after she gave birth to him, we believe not, because we read not. (St. Jerome c. 347-c. 420, adv. Helvidium juxta finem, Tom. IV. Part II)

In those things, which are plainly laid down in Scripture, all things are found, which embrace faith and morals. (St. Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana A.D. 427, Lib. II, c. 9)

The canon of the Scriptures is perfect, and in itself suffices to the full, and more, for all demands. (St. Vincent of Lérins, Adversus profanes omnium novitates haereticorum commonitorium A.D.434)

Bring me not human reasonings and syllogisms, for I rely on the divine Scripture alone. (Theodoret of Cyrus c. 393-466, Dial. I. Atrept.)

I have provided only a small sample of hundreds of such early church texts. When I began to wrestle with this issue of biblical authority some years ago, and then re-engage it through my deep love for the whole Christian church over the last fifteen years or so, I came to a deeper appreciation for a sound and balanced understanding of the truth of sola scriptura. Often Protestants hold very bad views of sola scriptura. This does not disprove the true doctrine but it should make us careful about how we state it and teach it.

But this pursuit has also caused me to see many of the more common errors taught by Protestants who hold to this principle. Some Protestant evangelicals make amazing claims about the Bible, especially when it comes to interpreting Scripture. In their desire to avoid various forms of interpretation (allegory comes to mind) embraced by the whole church throughout her history they sometimes fall into grievous errors. One such egregious error was made by a now deceased professor of mine who also became a personal friend. He once lectured for our ministerial meeting here in the Chicago area. In his lecture on Scripture he said:

We don’t criticize the apostolic use of the Old Testament in the New because the apostles were inspired but we cannot follow it because  they were wrong.

I am not misquoting my departed friend. So amazing was this claim that I have discussed it now and again with friends. (This professor actually wrote a book on the Old Testament in the New!) When my dear friend, Fr,. Wilbur Ellsworth, once a Baptist and now an Orthodox priest, brought his up to me a few days ago I was mortified by its conclusion once again. I asked myself, “What made a brilliant man make such a statement?” What my friend was seeking to uphold was a particularly evangelical view of how to interpret the Bible literally. I believe in this case his view of Scripture had gone wrong.

I am again reminded that Catholic and Orthodox Christians read the Bible as the Word of God. This is why I am especially delighted when I see all of us reading and discussing Holy Scripture. For now we disagree about the nature of biblical authority but we can agree on far more than we realized not too long ago. This will remain true so long as we keep talking and listening. By talking and listening we can still learn and so long as we are learning there is room to grow in knowledge and the grace of God. A true ecumenist doesn’t have all the answers but knows the way forward. After all the central message of Holy Scripture is the same for us all – God is love and Christ died for our sins, was raised on the third day, and ascended to the Father from where he will come again at the end of this age. He thus came to redeem all who trust in Him!

The Supreme Authority of Scripture

A major tenet of Protestant theology is the authority and finality of the biblical revelation. This principle is often poorly stated but the essential point is that Scripture serves as the supreme court in all matters of faith and practice.

For some all one needs to do is quote a verse and the issue is settled. For others they are aware of the difficulty of some questions and realize Scripture does not directly address some doctrinal and ethical issues with complete clarity. The Westminster Confession of Faith puts this principle rather clearly:

All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.

Here, and elsewhere, the Reformation doctrine of sola scriptura reflects a nuanced tension between the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture necessary for final authority, and the occasional need for its meaning to be revealed by careful exposition (Hebrews 5:12).

The errors made by many Protestants regarding this truth are too numerous to engage in through one post. They are legion and they are often extreme.

Sola scriptura teaches that the only doctrines which should be admitted or confessed are found directly within Scripture or indirectly therein by using valid logical deduction or valid deductive reasoning discovered within scripture. But, and this is vitally important, sola scriptura is not a denial of other authorities governing Christian life and devotion! This is the error large numbers of modern evangelicals have made by appealing wrongly to sola scriptura. What the principle simply says is that all other authorities are subordinate to, and to be corrected by, the written word of God.

Another major error is to believe that sola scriptura ignores Christian history and tradition when interpreting the Bible. In principle the doctrine sees the Bible as the only final authority in matters of faith and practice but not the only authority. Martin Luther thus said, "The true rule is this: God's Word shall establish articles of faith, and no one else, not even an angel can do so.

One of the more important aspects of this doctrine is the idea of efficacy of Scripture. Scripture, united with the power of the Holy Spirit, not only demands, but creates the acceptance of its clear teaching. Thus a proper teaching of Scripture produces faith and obedience. The Holy Scripture is not a dead letter, an academic tool box. By the power of the Holy Spirit inherent in its witness it is powerful and living in the human soul. Put more clearly, Scripture compels more than intellectual assent to its doctrine. By the power of the Spirit it works to create the living agreement of faith. The Smalcald Articles affirm, "in those things which concern the spoken, outward Word, we must firmly hold that God grants His Spirit or grace to no one, except through or with the preceding outward Word.” This statement does not deny that divine revelation comes through other means (e.g., in nature, etc.) but simply affirms that the spoken teaching of the Christian faith must firmly hold to the canon of the written Scriptures and then proceed in the power of the Spirit.

I do not write these things to debate with Catholic apologists, though they any are welcome to disagree and post their response. What I write these things to establish a basic principle, one I believe taught by the Reformers and the early church Fathers as well. While Luther’s doctrine of faith, at least as he put it, is not clearly found in the writings of the earliest Christian theologians (Alister McGrath has established this beyond any reasonable doubt in his magnum opus, Iustitia Dei: A History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification), the doctrine of the authority and finality of the Holy Scripture is abundantly evident in the writing of early church fathers. Consider these few quotations:

We have received the disposition of our salvation by no others, but those by whom the Gospel came to us; which they then preached, and afterwards by God's will delivered to us in the Scriptures, to be the pillar and ground of our faith. (St. Irenaeus, Lib. III. c. 1)

Let the shop of Hermogenes prove that what it advances is written; or if it be not written, let it fear the malediction uttered against those who dare to add or to retrench. (Tertullian c. 160-240, adv. Hermog.)

There is one God, whom we do not otherwise acknowledge, brethren, but out of the Sacred Scriptures. For as he, who would profess the wisdom of this world cannot otherwise attain it, unless he read the doctrines of the philosophers; so whosoever will
exercise piety towards God, can learn it no where but from the Holy Scriptures. (St. Hippolytus c. 170-c.235, adv. Noetum, c. IX)

In the two testaments every word that pertaineth unto God may be sought and discussed, and out of them all knowledge of things may be understood. And if anything remains which Holy Scripture does not determine, no other third scripture ought to be received to authorize any knowledge, but we must “commit to the fire” what remains, that is, reserve it unto God. (Origen c. 185-c.254, Hom. in Lev.)

When I arrived in the district of Arsinoe, when as you know this notion had long been widely held, so that schisms and secessions of entire churches had taken place, I called a meeting of the presbyters and teachers of the village congregations, with any laymen who wished to attend, and urged them to thrash out the question in public. So they brought me this book as positive and irrefutable proof, and I sat with them for three days on end from
dawn to dusk, criticizing its contents point by point. In the process I was immensely impressed by the essential soundness, complete sincerity, logical grasp, and mental clarity shown by these good people, as we methodically and good-temperedly dealt with questions, objections, and points of agreement. We refused to cling with pig-headed determination to opinions once held even if proved wrong. There was no shirking of difficulties, but to the limit of our powers we tried to grapple with the problems and master them; nor were we too proud, if worsted in argument, to abandon our position and admit defeat; conscientiously, honestly, and with simple-minded trust in God, we accepted the conclusions to be drawn from the proofs and teachings of Holy Writ. (Eusebius, in The History of the Church, quoting Dionysius c. 200-c. 265, bishop of Alexandria)

The holy and divinely inspired writings are sufficient of themselves alone to make known the truth. (St. Athanasius 296-373, Orat. Contr. Gent. Tom. I)

If you desire a new quotation, if you pretend to affirm anything besides what is written, why do you dispute with us, who are resolved to hear nothing, and to say nothing, besides what is written? (St. Athanasius, De Incarn. Chr.)

Fr. John Corapi: Scandal in the Catholic Church?

Fr. John Anthony Corapi is a 64-year old Catholic priest who is well known to many conservative Catholic readers of this blog. I knew very little about him personally until quite recently. I have enjoyed listening to him on Relevant Radio now and then. He is an engaging speaker and in style could pass for a passionate evangelical preacher! He is humorous, convicting, clear and winsomely human. He speaks about his past, sometimes a bit too much for some, but he seeks to exalt Jesus in his redemption. He is dogmatic and generally very opinionated. Corapi has had both extensive television and radio ministries for several years and has conducted speaking tours across North America that have introduced him to countless thousands of the faithful. Fr. Corapi’s story is available at his own web site as well as at Wikipedia.

Earlier this year Fr. Corapi was charged with sexual impropriety and drug addiction. His bishop began an investigation in March. Fr. Corapi pled with his listeners and friends to support him. It was all very moving and genuinely sad. But in June he resigned from public ministry. He unconditionally asserts his innocence of the charges against him. This is why the unfolding story has become so important for a number of my Catholic friends.

After a rather amazing life of sin and religious apostasy Corapi became a heavy drug user and landed in deep trouble. He now refers to this drug use period of his life as an encounter with a demon. His wild and sinful lifestyle eventually led to mental breakdown and homelessness. This sinful background has quite often been used, with great effect, in his preaching.

Corapi actually spent three years wandering the streets as a homeless man following his mental breakdown. His Catholic mother sent him a prayer card with the Hail Mary prayer and asked him to pray it once a day. He eventually changed his life, escaping homelessness and illicit sex and drugs. His mother sent him a one-way airline ticket back to New York, and he returned home. He lived with his mother for some time, coming home to God on June 24, 1984. He then entered a Catholic seminary and was ordained a deacon in 1990.

But his story does not end there. On May 26, 1991, Pope John Paul II ordained Fr. John A. Corapi to the priesthood. He served as a parish priest in Hudson, New York and Robstown, Texas. Fr. Corapi is a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. He received a masters degree in Sacred Scripture from Holy Apostles Seminary, Cromwell, Connecticut, and a doctorate in Dogmatic theology from the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain. He is not only a gifted speaker but also a powerful apologist for the Catholic Church.

Fr. Corapi cut back on his public appearances because of health issues in 2008. He now broadcasts worldwide from his studio in Kalispell, Montana. Fr. Corapi has been a regular contributor on the EWTN radio network. He has great regard for the Virgin Mary as well as several saints, including his namesake, St. John, and the much loved Italian mystic Padre Pio.

There is so much more that you can learn about Fr. Corapi by searching the two sites that I linked above but the next part of his story that I will tell is relevant, or so I believe. In 2002 Fr. Corapi filed a much discussed lawsuit against a cardiologist and a hospital. The doctor was eventually declared a fraud and lost his license. Fr. Corapi received a large settlement from this claim. The details of this story have always been disputed but Fr. Corapi came through it in good standing.

But in March of this year Bishop William Mulvey (photo) of Corpus Christi, Texas, instructed the SOLT religious community to assign two independent priests to investigate allegations, made by a former employee, that Fr. Corapi had been in a relationship with her and is (still) a drug addict. At this time Fr. Corapi was placed on administrative leave by his religious superior, Fr. Gerard Sheehan. Corapi strongly denied the allegations as entirely false and claims that the entire process is flawed. Sheehan issued a statement in March emphasizing that the suspension "in no way implies Father Corapi is guilty of the allegation.” Corapi then filed a civil suit against the former employee for breach of contract, thus entering the court system for the second time in the last decade. The television network EWTN suspended broadcasts by Corapi when he was placed on leave and the story began to quickly spread.

On June 17 Fr. Corapi announced that he would no longer be involved in public ministry as a priest. On a new website entitled The Black Sheep Dog, Corapi made the following statements:

There are certain persons in authority in the Church that want me gone, and I shall be gone. ... They can't prove I'm guilty of the things alleged because I'm not, and they can't prove I'm innocent because that is simply illogical and impossible. ... My canon lawyer and my civil lawyers have concluded that I cannot receive a fair and just hearing under the Church's present process. The Church will conclude that I am not cooperating with the process because I refuse to give up all of my civil and human rights in order to hold harmless anyone who chooses to say defamatory and actionable things against me with no downside to them. ... I am, indeed, not ready to be extinguished. Under the name "The Black Sheep Dog," I shall be with you through radio broadcasts and writing. My autobiography, The Black Sheep Dog, is almost ready for publication. My topics will be broader than in the past, and my audience likewise is apt to be broader. I'll do what I can under the circumstances.

I have been asked by several to comment on this story. The best that I can provide is a few general observations and a recounting of the relevant material for those who want to learn more. Fr. Corapi’s own information is available online at his site. Here you can listen to his announcement as to why he is leaving the priesthood. A dear Catholic friend wrote to me the following: “I have thoroughly enjoyed his preaching over the past few years, so this is quite a shock.  I seriously question the sanity of his decision, but that is between him and God.  All I can do is pray for him.” That is a very charitable response and sounds about right to me. Further news of this sad decision by Fr. Corapi can be accessed and read here.

I am afraid this Catholic brother expresses my general impression of this matter, at least based upon the limited research that I did over the last few weeks. I so hope that Fr. Corapi is entirely right and that my impressions are proven wrong. The tragedy is that there will be no real way to know if he is innocent or not unless his accuser admits to lying. This kind of charge leaves a person in the ministry in such a vulnerable place. I am personally convinced, by a good deal of my reading and dialog with Catholic leaders, that most of the accusations of sexual misconduct against priests are false. Had the church never allowed attorneys to file suits against the Catholic Church, not simply the individual priest, much of this would never have gotten to first base.

But, and this is huge in my mind, the Catholic Church provides a well-ordered basis for investigation and response in these cases. Priests down through the centuries have been suspended for a time and some for a lifetime. And some of this has eventually proven to be unjust. Yet good priests have chosen to suffer and allow the process to go forward. It seems to me that this is at the core of the vow a priest takes in terms of loyalty to his bishop. Fr. Corapi has chosen to go around his bishop and defend himself, all on his own. In this case he didn’t even wait for exoneration or conviction but simply left his order and vows. And he did this after only three months. He may be entirely innocent but his actions are not those of a faithful priest, at least so far as I understand the matter. (I am sure my Catholic friends can explain this far better than me.) Meanwhile, I pray for Fr. Corapi and all of those who gained so much good from his mission. The disillusionment and loss to people is huge, underscoring that this problem is not a Catholic or evangelical problem, but a human one.

Fr. Corapi’s self-proclaimed moniker is "the black sheep dog.”  You can listen to his message about this new name and even read some of the blogs about Fr. Corapi posted on the National Catholic Register. 

All Christians should feel sadness in this matter. And all Christians should pray for Fr. Corapi, as well as his bishop and superiors. We should all “take heed to ourselves lest we also fall.” The whole story brings grief and loss to many. I hope Fr. Corapi is eventually exonerated but it seems unlikely he will be given his choice to walk away from the process. His choice, which is so un-Catholic in both process and conclusion, is much more typical among evangelical preachers, especially those who are not aligned with a specific denomination. Our stories have made the news, much, much too often. Now this one joins the sad legacy that harms the faithful and the work of Christ around the world. There is nothing here that is new under the sun but this still hurts the witness of Christ deeply. I pray for this man and all of those who love him and were helped by him.

A Reasonable Catholic and Evangelical Dialog

Blogger Joe Heschmeyer is a Roman Catholic and an attorney in Washington, D.C. He has been reading my blogs, and interacting with me via these blogs, for several years now. I have found Joe to always be a reasonable, intelligent and fair-minded apologist. He is a very conservative and devout Catholic. I disagree with a great deal of what he writes. But he, like me, is not a “read meat” fighter. He is a lover of all things related to Jesus and the church, especially the Catholic Church. His all roads lead to Rome stance is common among many young bloggers but it is unconvincing to me. Yet I find him often helpful and always fair. A Catholic friend, who is reader of Joe’s blog and of mine as well, sent me a link to an article that Joe wrote on June 15 about the movement of people (converts) between Catholic and evangelical Protestant churches. (I wrote about Catholic reasons for leaving their church just a few weeks ago.) Why do Catholics leave? Research suggests some important reasons that I wrote about and Joe acknowledges as well. Why do evangelicals become Catholic? There is less formal research here, so far as I can tell, but I have read both sides of this discussion and had more than a few friends who left to become Catholic. Joe’s voice is one that I warmly welcome even though I would wish for a little more openness on his part. He is insightful and generous. Please read his comments.

By the way, Joe is a serious baseball fan just like me. He has to be a true, die-hard fan because he loves the Kansas City Royals. This love has to be genuine since too many fans only support winners. For years I supported horrible Atlanta Braves losing teams but still showed up and wore my colors. I did not get on the band wagon in the 1990s when the Braves had all that great pitching and winning teams and were self-proclaimed to be “America’s Team.” (They never were except in Ted Turner’s marketing brain!)

Joe was born and reared in Kansas City, thus his childhood love for his team is rooted in place and passion. Joe now lives in Alexandria, Virginia. I hope someday I can meet Joe face-to-face. I have grown to love and admire him for his work and faithfulness.

A Lunch with Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.

Several weeks ago I had the privilege of spending some wonderful days in New York. Because of my friendship with Rev. Colleen Holby, chaplain at Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry (Wheaton ‘55), I was introduced to Fr. Benedict Groeschel, who has been a friend of Colleen’s for many years. Fr. Groeschel has been a huge supporter of the ecumenical work done at Children’s Village, a residence for young teens since 1851.

 

The mission of The Children's Village has been to work in partnership with families to help society’s most vulnerable children so that they become educationally proficient, economically productive, and socially responsible members of their communities. The teen boys at Children’s Village often have this one last opportunity before they may go to prison. (I toured Children’s Village later on the same day that I had lunch for Fr. Benedict.) There is a chapel program at Children’s Village and the chapel itself was built by Protestant and Catholic donors many years ago.  Today this ministry is served by Colleen, who is an ordained Protestant minister and an evangelical with a Young Life background, and a Catholic chaplain. Colleen was recently awarded an special honor as alumna of the year at Wheaton College. I had the opportunity to be there to honor her with other friends. It is an excellent model of missional-ecumenism.

I enjoyed a lovely lunch (May 20) with Colleen, Fr. Groeschel and two dear friends, who have supported me and the mission of ACT 3. We met  on a Friday at the lovely Trinity Retreat House, which is owned by the diocese of New York. Fr. Groeschel lives in a small cottage nearby. He is limited in his ability to get around and must be physically cared for by a brother at all times. About seven years ago he was hit by a bus and suffered very serious injury.

Fr. Groeschel will be well known to many of my Catholic readers. Not only is he a prolific writer but a well-known television host of the program Sunday Prime on EWTN. He is a Capuchin Franciscan priest who co-founded the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, an order committed to preaching evangelical reform. The order, in typical Franciscan fashion, also serves the homeless in the South Bronx and elsewhere.

Fr. Groeschel is the author/editor of dozens of books. You can see them all on a site dedicated specifically to his work and writing. Abby Gruen, writing in March 2007 in the New York Times referred to Fr. Groeschel as a man of faith who was “Straddling Liberalism and Conservatism.” I think this insight is correct and it underscores why I love Fr. Groeschel as I do. Ms. Gruen wrote in The Times article:

“Father Groeschel lives in a converted garage next to the retreat house, in a cell-like bedroom that looks out on the Long Island Sound. Beneath his long white beard and kind demeanor is a wise-cracking, street-smart Jersey boy who is unafraid of ruffling feathers. He preaches orthodox Catholicism in the retreats he leads around the world, on his popular show on the Catholic cable network, and in the three dozen religious books he has written — forums in which he is well known for outspoken attacks on hypocrisy, bureaucratic complacency and the news media.”

Fr. Groeschel is humorous, self-effacing and bold. He is conservative when it comes to Christian conviction and Catholic beliefs. He is liberal when it comes to putting him in a box that limits his frankness about injustice, social well-being and concern for the poor. He is also, contrary to what many viewers of his EWTN program realize, genuinely ecumenical. Just last Sunday evening I watched his program. He referred to reading Christianity Today and to his love for evangelical Protestants. It was endearing and genuine. I experienced this love and warmth and can attest to its being real and encouraging.

Fr. Groeschel has a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University and is a trained therapist. One fellow priest says of this tender man: “When people went to confession to him, he didn’t give stock answers out of a moral theology book. He was respectful of the story they were telling him.” I love that. I wish many more priests had the grace, humility and devotional life of Fr. Benedict Groeschel. (I wish the same for evangelical pastors, who need a much deeper life of real devotion!)

Fr. Benedict signed a copy of a large new book of his that he then gave to me. His inscription reads: “To John. Welcome to Trinity – Lets pray for each other, Benedict.” My distinct belief is that Fr. Benedict has prayed for me. I have prayed for him. The book he gave me is a treasured classic titled: I Am With You Always: Personal Devotion to Jesus Christ. It is a study of the history and meaning of devotion to Jesus for Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians. The devotional life of Christians for two thousand years has been in motion, changing in response to the challenges faced by Christians and the church. Yet the core of authentic Christian devotion has not changed! Those who love Jesus have found practical and personal ways to express that love. Personal encounter with Jesus is what the Christian faith is finally all about. Fr. Groeschel understands this as well as any Christian teacher I’ve ever met. I am honored to have spent a lengthy time with this modern spiritual master teacher. I will always cherish my lunch at Trinity on May 20.