Apologetics to the Glory of God

Category: Exposition

  • Nature Grace Dualism (Part 2)

    Nature Grace Dualism Part 1

    Nature Grace Dualism Part 2

    The presence of nature grace dualism throughout Roman Catholicism has resulted in a host of worries. Goldsworthy quotes Vittorio Subilia’s observation that Roman Catholicism is marked by “a phenomenon of complexio oppositorum.”  The claim is an historical one supported by the evidence of Roman Catholic syncretism. While Gnosticism and mystery religions are cited as examples of non-Christian systems of thought that have at times been adopted by Roman Catholicism and blended in with Christian categories the non-Christian systems of thought stemming directly from philosophy are perhaps more interesting to …

  • Jesus and the Paralytic (Part 1)

    Passage

    And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.  And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the …

  • Is Homosexuality Condemned In Genesis 19?

     Summary

    The account recorded in Genesis 19 is examined in terms of the debate over whether or not the passage condemns homosexuality. It is stated that rejection of the interpretation of the passage as pertaining to the issue of homosexuality requires the provision of a superior interpretation which is still faithful to the text yet does not have anything to do with the condemnation of homosexuality. After considering a number of such alleged interpretations it is concluded that interpretations of the Genesis 19 passage wherein homosexuality is not condemned are inconsistent with the text while an interpretation of the passage …

  • Nature Grace Dualism

    Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

    Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

    Even this portion of a verse of Scripture has serious ramifications for apologetic methodology.

    When “image” and “likeness” are taken not to be synonymous but rather to refer to two different concepts a false anthropological dichotomization is created which either extends to or finds inductive support from other doctrines similarly understood. Thus the ‘image’ of God might incorrectly be thought of as being natural to humans while the ‘likeness’ of God is thought of as supernatural so that an instance of a fabricated distinction …

  • There Are No Syllogisms In Scripture

    syl⋅lo⋅gism [sil-uh-jiz-uhm] –noun 1. Logic. an argument the conclusion of which is supported by two premises, of which one (major premise) contains the term (major term) that is the predicate of the conclusion, and the other (minor premise) contains the term (minor term) that is the subject of the conclusion; common to both premises is a term (middle term) that is excluded from the conclusion. A typical form is “All A is C; all B is A; therefore all B is C.” (www.dictionary.com)

    My students are often reminded that there are no syllogisms in Scripture. Actually, this is …