I like listening to Neil Diamond's songs and have done so for many years. His songs seem to strike a note that describes where modern man is at spiritually. In his song, "I am, I said," he writes, “And I am lost, and I can't even say why Leavin' me lonely still,” and in so doing depicts in clear terms what people really feel and experience. Confessing that "I am lost" is a start, but only a start. Not knowing why he is lost is another honest confession. The feeling and reality of constant loneliness is an expression of the isolation that many feel today.
What is the answer? Well, the only answer to lostness is salvation. This salvation is to be found only in Christ.
Not knowing why a sinner is lost is explained only in the Gospel - man is lost because he is wandering about the world, stumbling and fumbling through life without a purpose. This is his situation because of his rebellion against a loving and holy God. This is why he is 'lost,' and needs to be 'found.'
Loneliness is answered only through fellowship with like-minded Christian people. But it's only when the first two realities are resolved will the third become a reality. The order is important. Don't expect the feeling of loneliness to go if you are still lost and don't know why.
Neil, if you ever want to have your personal situation sorted out, then you need to come to Christ in repentance and faith. There is hope for you if you trust the only Saviour of the whole world.
Friday 18 January 2013
Thursday 17 January 2013
Roman Indulgences Not Dead Yet.
From Shaun Willcock:
A very little-understood aspect of Roman Catholic doctrine is its teaching on what it calls indulgences. And yet just three months ago, the Roman pope, Benedict XVI, granted a "plenary indulgence" to his followers. It is very important both for Christians and Roman Catholics to understand the subject of indulgences, to see whether or not such a teaching is found in the Word of God, the Bible. The article that is attached with this email is an examination of indulgences in general, and in particular of this latest papal indulgence, granted to the Roman Catholic faithful in the Vatican's "Year of Faith", which began in October last year and will run till late November this year. The Papacy's teaching on indulgences is shown to be a shocking lie and deceit.
Although it’s an ever-diminishing number these days, there are Protestants who still know that a mysterious thing called indulgences had something to do with the start of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. But of those who do know this, many of them are under the impression that indulgences are a relic of earlier, less enlightened times, and that they are hardly ever, if ever, mentioned within Roman Catholic circles nowadays.
How wrong they are, as the Roman pope, Benedict XVI, showed to all the world in 2012...
The Roman Pope Grants a “Plenary Indulgence” in 2012/2013
In 2012 Benedict XVI appointed a so-called “Year of Faith” for Roman Catholics, to run from 11 October 2012 to 24 November 2013. According to the Vatican-issued decree, dated 5 October 2012: “On the day of the fiftieth anniversary of the solemn opening of the Ecumenical Council Vatican II... the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI has established the beginning of a Year dedicated particularly to the profession of the true faith and to its correct interpretation, with the reading, or better, with the pious meditation of [upon] the Acts of the Council and of the Articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church”.1
As pointed out by Richard Bennett (an ex-priest) and Timothy F. Kauffman in an article exposing this “Year of Faith”, “The main reason for commemorating the Second Vatican Council during the Year of Faith is because its ecumenical overtures have been so successful”; “...the Year of Faith is nothing else than an effort to continue the marketing and repackaging of Roman dogmas that was started at the Second Vatican Council”; and, “The Year of Faith is claiming to focus on faith, but instead it draws people ever deeper into Rome’s works based salvation.”2
This present article, however, is not an examination of Rome’s “Year of Faith”, but rather of the “plenary indulgence” Benedict has granted. According to the Vatican decree, Benedict granted this indulgence to the Roman Catholic faithful on the occasion of this “Year of Faith”, and it will last for the duration of this “Year”.3
So what is this all about? It is shocking indeed, a blatant denial of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and solid evidence of Rome’s heathenish doctrine of salvation.
But What Is an Indulgence?
Before we examine this latest papal indulgence, let us understand indulgences in general. What exactly is an “indulgence”?
Here is the definition from the official Catechism of the Catholic Church: “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven,
2
which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.”4
This is not easy to understand, but let us attempt to make it as simple as possible:
According to official Roman Catholic teaching, “The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains.”5 In other words, when the Roman Catholic sins, he can obtain forgiveness for it (by confessing his sin to a priest and performing some penance given to him by the priest) and hence will not be eternally punished for his sin in hell; but he still has to experience a temporal punishment for it either here on earth, or after death in a place called Purgatory.6 An indulgence, then, is not the forgiveness of sin, but the forgiveness of the temporal punishment due because of sin.
But none of this is in the Bible at all. It is all a lie.
Rome claims that there is biblical justification for indulgences, as follows: it says that in 1 Cor. 5:1 Paul exercised the power of “binding” (as given by Christ to the disciples in Matt. 16:19 and Matt. 18:18) by inflicting a penance, and excluding this offender from the Church until he performed the penance; and then it says that in 2 Cor. 2:7, Paul exercised the power of “loosing” by remitting the remainder of the penance!
But this is so typical of Rome’s distortion of the Scriptures to suit its own purposes. In truth, to “bind” (in Matthew) can have no reference to indulgences, which are only concerned with “loosing”. These verses, then, do not support this lie. And 2 Cor. 2:6-10 clearly refers to the restoration of the offender to the local church – it does not refer to granting an indulgence.
In fact, the total absence of any biblical justification whatsoever for indulgences has even been admitted by some of Rome’s own scholars and theologians themselves! For example, the Romish “saint”, Antoninus, scholar, author, and archbishop of Florence in the fifteenth century, declared: “We have no testimony in the Scriptures, nor among the Fathers, in favour of indulgences, but only the authority of some modern authors.” And John Chrysostom (347-407 AD), patriarch of Constantinople, whose statue, along with those of Augustine, Athanasius and Ambrose, supports the papal throne in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, wrote in his book that “Christians” must not imitate the heathens, who made use of indulgences, paying money for the absolution of sins, and imposed penances.7
A Monk Makes a Mint from Indulgences
Indulgences were a major part of what sparked Martin Luther’s protest against the Papacy, for even though Luther was still a Roman Catholic and unconverted, he could not stomach the evil of it all. And nothing more clearly shows the utterly unscriptural nature of indulgences than what occurred when a Dominican monk named Tetzel wended his way through Germany in the early years of the sixteenth century, selling indulgences to any who would part with their money. Selling them? Oh yes – indulgences were bought with money. Tetzel was rich, unscrupulous, an inquisitor, a convicted adulterer, a man who, though supposedly sworn to celibacy, took two of his children with him on his travels. Tetzel boasted: “I have saved more souls by my indulgences than the apostle [Peter, erroneously claimed by Rome as their first pope8] by his sermons. There is no sin so great that an indulgence cannot remit”. “But more than this, indulgences avail not only for the living, but for the dead. For that, repentance is not even necessary.” “Come and I will give you letters, all properly sealed, by which even the sins that you intend to commit may be pardoned .”(!) Also these truly blasphemous words: “The Lord our God no longer reigns. He has resigned all power to the pope.” And then his infamous statement: “At the very instant that the money rattles at the bottom of the chest, the soul escapes from Purgatory, and flies liberated to heaven!”
No wonder the poor blind Roman Catholics flocked to purchase that indulgence! Huge crowds gathered to hear Tetzel and to cough up the cash. Coins clattered into his money chest, the purchasers were issued a certificate, and they went on their way rejoicing, secure in the devilish delusion that they had bought their loved one’s soul freedom from the sufferings of Purgatory. And Rome’s coffers filled
3
up.
After Tetzel’s time, and because of the massive protests against it during the Reformation, “The Council of Trent... decided [in 1562] that no fees should be collected on granting indulgences.”9 Well, an indulgence may no longer be bought with money, but even so the great evil of indulgences themselves continues.
A Treasure Chest Opened... Sometimes
The pope of Rome grants this indulgence to Roman Catholics under certain prescribed conditions. If they fulfil the conditions precisely, then they will receive the indulgence. Furthermore, the indulgence can either be partial or plenary. Rome’s Catechism states: “An indulgence is either partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.”10 In the case of the particular indulgence which Benedict XVI has granted for his appointed “Year of Faith”, it will be plenary (full).
But note something more about an indulgence, from the definition given above from the official Catechism of the Roman Catholic institution: the Roman Catholic obtains it “under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.” What is Rome talking about here?
Well, according to its own explanation given in its Catechism, Rome’s “treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints” refers to “the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s merits have before God.... This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable and even pristine in their value before God. In this treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints.... they attained their own salvation and at the same time co-operated in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body.”11
Cutting through all Rome’s theological jargon, what this means is absolutely, shockingly anti-biblical. According to Rome, Mary and the so-called “saints” were all so holy that they attained Heaven by their good works. Note the words: “They attained their own salvation.” They earned their own salvation by their good works, or merits. But their works were so good, and so many, that they actually earned more “credits” than they needed for their own salvation! And these extra good works, these surplus merits, are supposedly laid up in a “treasury of the Church” of Rome, and can be dispensed to other Papists in the form of indulgences by the pope of Rome, when he sees fit, to deliver them from temporal punishment due to their sins! Here are the precise words from Rome’s Catechism:
“An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favour of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for their sins.”12 And: “this treasure [Christ] has committed to the care of St. Peter... and to his successors, his own vicars on earth [the popes of Rome]... who are to distribute it to the faithful for their salvation. And they are to apply it with compassion, for pious and good reasons, in order that it may benefit those who are truly contrite and who have confessed, at times for the complete remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, at times for the partial remission...”13
To put it as simply as possible: without any scriptural support whatsoever, Rome claims that some were so perfect on earth that they went to Heaven by the performance of their own works (merits) without going to Purgatory first, and are called “saints”; and their merits were so super-abundant that what they did not need in order to earn their own salvation, are added to a great “treasury of merits”; and from time to time the pope of Rome is able to dip into this treasury, to open this treasure casket for a time, and to dispense these surplus merits to others, so that their temporal punishments for sin can be remitted, either in whole or in part!
Has ever a more iniquitous teaching of salvation appeared on the earth? What devilish lies are proclaimed by this doctrine of indulgences! Let the Word of God condemn this satanic deception.
4
First, salvation is always and only and entirely by God’s grace (His undeserved favour), through faith in Jesus Christ His Son. It is never, ever earned by one’s works (merits) (see Eph. 2:8,9). And once sin is forgiven, there is no temporal punishment for sin still remaining to be paid! Second, there is no place called Purgatory, where Roman Catholics go to suffer the temporal punishment due for their sins. There is Heaven and there is Hell, and no place in between. If a person comes to Christ by faith, repenting of his sins and trusting in Christ alone for salvation, he is fully and completely saved from his sins, and goes to Heaven immediately when he dies. Third, every single person who is saved by grace through faith is called a saint in Scripture. (e.g. 1 Cor. 1:2). Fourth, since salvation is not by works, it follows that there is no “treasury” where the extra good works of people are stored up. The saints of God cannot even gain merit by their own works for themselves – how then can they gain extra for others? (see Isa. 64:6; 1 Tim. 1:15). Fifth, the Roman pope cannot open this treasury, for the very simple reason that it does not exist.
And sixth: if indeed the pope of Rome has this power to open some great “treasury” which will so wonderfully benefit Roman Catholics, why does he not open it all the time? Or why does he not just leave it open? Or at the very least, why does he not open it regularly, say once a year? And why are partial indulgences ever granted, instead rather of plenary ones all the time? If indeed, as the Roman pope, Clement VI, pronounced, “this treasure [Christ] has committed to the care of St. Peter... and to his successors... who are to distribute it to the faithful for their salvation”, then distribute it already! If, as this same Clement pronounced, “they [the popes of Rome] are to apply it with compassion, for pious and good reasons,” what more compassionate, pious or good reasons could there be than the remission of the temporal punishment of millions at any given time? Since it is supposedly of such immense benefit to his subjects, one would think he would be magnanimous enough to do this! But no – long years may go by without the Roman pope ever lifting the lid of the treasure chest, and poor Romanists have to supposedly suffer the temporal punishment due to their sins, both in this life and in Purgatory, when their spiritual leader (they believe) could simply unlock the treasury, plunge his bejewelled fingers into it or whatever it is he has to do, and dispense the “infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s merits have before God”, and the “truly immense, unfathomable and even pristine” value of the merits of Mary and the other “saints”! What kind of a monster is this man? How tragic that over a billion people trust him to help them obtain salvation! If he really has such enormous power, Roman Catholics should be battering on the door of the papal residence, demanding that he show compassion and contribute, as only he can according to their belief system, to relieve the temporal sufferings which Roman Catholics have to suffer in this life and the next because of their sins!
Now let us get back to this latest plenary indulgence, granted by Benedict XVI during Rome’s present “Year of Faith”:
According to this papal decree (in which the writings of the popes Paul VI and Clement VI are quoted): “Because it is above all a question of developing to the highest degree – insofar as it is possible on this earth – holiness of life and hence of obtaining, in the highest degree, purity of soul, very useful will be the great gift of Indulgences, which the Church, in virtue of the power conferred on her by Christ, offers to all those who with the proper dispositions fulfil the special prescriptions to obtain them. ‘With the Indulgence – Paul VI taught – the Church, making use of her power of minister of the Redemption wrought by Christ the Lord, communicates to the faithful the participation of this fulness of Christ in the communion of Saints, furnishing them in very large measure the means to attain salvation’.... Manifested thus is the ‘treasure of the Church,’ ‘of which also the merits of the Holy Mother of God and of all the elect, from the first to the last righteous’ constitute ‘a further increase’.”
So: the “Church” of Rome claims it has power from Christ to offer an indulgence to those Papists who fulfil the correct prescriptions. But where in God’s Word is such power conferred on this “Church” by the Lord Jesus Christ? Nowhere. It is simply a fiction, invented to exercise control over its subjects. Where in all the Bible are we taught that “the means to obtain salvation” is (among other things) to be found in papal indulgences? Nowhere. It is a lie. Not one verse in all the Bible can be
5
brought forward to support it.
As for calling Mary the “Mother of God”, this too is a lie: can God have a mother? And if He does, then was Mary’s mother the grandmother of God? See how Rome has turned the humble Mary into a goddess! She was the mother of our Lord’s human nature, but not of His divine nature. And where, from Genesis to Revelation, do we find the teaching that the supposed “merits” of Mary and the “saints” are stored up in some heavenly “treasury”, awaiting the pope’s pleasure as to when the key will be turned in the treasury’s lock and these merits will be dispensed to the people? Again, not in any book, chapter or verse of the entire Bible.
How Roman Catholics Are to Obtain Benedict’s Indulgence
Benedict’s decree then explains what Roman Catholics are required to do during this “Year of Faith”, in order to obtain this indulgence:
It states: “all individual [Roman Catholic] faithful truly repentant, duly confessed, communing sacramentally, and who pray according to the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, will be able to acquire a plenary Indulgence from the temporal punishment for their sins imparted by God’s mercy, applicable in suffrage to the souls of the deceased faithful.”
And it proceeds to elaborate further:
“a. – Every time they take part in at least three instances of preaching during the Sacred Missions, or at least three lessons on the Acts of Vatican Council II and on the Articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in any church or ideal place;
“b. – Every time they visit by way of pilgrimage a Papal Basilica, a Christian catacomb, a Cathedral Church, a sacred place designated by the Ordinary of the place for the Year of Faith... and take part there in some sacred function or at least pause for an apt time of recollection with pious meditations, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, according to the case, to Holy Apostles or Patrons;
“c. – Every time, in days determined by the Ordinary of the place for the Year of Faith... in any sacred place they participate in a solemn Eucharistic celebration or the Liturgy of the Hours, adding the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form;
“d. – A day freely chosen, during the Year of Faith, for the pious visit of the baptistery or other place, in which they received the sacrament of Baptism, renewing the baptismal promises in any legitimate formula.”
This is straightforward bribery, nothing less! If the Roman Catholic does this or that; if he hears a certain number of sermons or lessons, if he goes on a particular pilgrimage, if he “at least pauses for an apt time of recollection with pious meditations”, if he prays a certain prayer or invokes certain “saints”, if he renews the baptismal promises someone else made for him when he was a baby, etc., etc. – then, having done these works in the proper manner, he will acquire this indulgence. None of this is in the Bible. It is spiritual bribery, and part of Rome’s false teaching of salvation by one’s own merits.
Hogwash Presented as Christianity
Again: if indulgences were real, why does Benedict not simply open that “treasure chest” and let them flow out to the people? Why does he not at the very least just leave the treasure chest open, so that the super-abundant merits of the “saints” can benefit the multiplied millions of Roman Catholics today? Even if they were worried that this would cause the chest to be eventually emptied, at least millions of souls would have obtained relief from the temporal punishment due to their sins in this life or in Purgatory!
Ah, but he will not, because he cannot. It is all hogwash. Salvation is “not of works”, it is by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and as such is the free “gift of God” (Eph. 2:8,9). It is not by a complicated man-made religious system of confessing sins to a priest, performing some penance to
6
earn forgiveness, being absolved by the priest, then having the supposed temporal punishment for sins remitted by indulgences, either in this life or in a fictional Purgatory. Salvation is a free gift of God, given to all His elect, and it is a complete and perfect salvation. They do nothing to earn or merit it.
Is Roman Catholicism Christian? Is the “Church” of Rome a true Christian church, or a heathenish religion? The answer is obvious to anyone with eyes to see.
Under the Curse of the Council
Oh, and just to end by revealing the true nature of this Whorish religion masquerading as a Christian church: at the Council of Trent, held in the sixteenth century, Rome declared as an official article of faith: “Whereas the power of conferring indulgences was granted by Christ to the Church, and she has... used the said power.... The sacred, holy synod teaches and enjoins that the use of indulgences... is to be retained in the Church, and it condemns with anathema those who either assert that they are useless, or who deny that there is in the Church the power of granting them.”14 Oops... I have just come under her infamous condemnation of anathema. In past ages this would have been my death sentence, and still today this is the Papacy’s desire, all ecumenical overtures notwithstanding. She may use different tactics at present, but the old hatred remains.
January 2013
Shaun Willcock is a minister of the Gospel. He runs Bible Based Ministries. For other articles (which may be downloaded and printed), as well as details about his books, audio messages, pamphlets, etc., please visit the Bible Based Ministries website; or write to the address below. If you would like to be on Bible Based Ministries’ email list, to receive all future articles, please send your details.
ENDNOTES:
1. Decree Granting Plenary Indulgence for Year of Faith, October 5, 2012. Zenit.org.
2. RC “Year of Faith” Unfaithful to Christ and His Gospel, by Richard Bennett and Timothy F. Kauffman. Berean Beacon. www.bereanbeacon.org.
3. Pope Benedict XVI Grants Plenary Indulgence to Faithful, October 5, 2012. Zenit.org.
4. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1471. Published by Paulines Publications Africa/Mambo Press, 1994.
5. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1473.
6. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1472.
7. Ex-Priest Answers Attack by Roman Clergy, by Peter J. Doeswyck, pgs. 6,7. Knights of Christ, Inc., Long Beach, California, 1956.
8. Pope Peter? by Shaun Willcock (Gospel tract). Published by Bible Based Ministries, and available for purchase in printed format, or freely downloadable from the website: www.biblebasedministries.co.uk.
9. The Christian Faith in the Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic Church, pg. 484. Revised edition edited by J. Neuner, S.J. and J. Dupuis, S.J. [Jesuits]. Collins Liturgical Publications, London, 1986.
10. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1471.
11. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paras. 1474-1477.
12. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1478.
13. Clement VI, “Jubilee Bull Unigenitus Dei Filius (1343).
14. The Council of Trent, “Decree Concerning Indulgences”.
7
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A very little-understood aspect of Roman Catholic doctrine is its teaching on what it calls indulgences. And yet just three months ago, the Roman pope, Benedict XVI, granted a "plenary indulgence" to his followers. It is very important both for Christians and Roman Catholics to understand the subject of indulgences, to see whether or not such a teaching is found in the Word of God, the Bible. The article that is attached with this email is an examination of indulgences in general, and in particular of this latest papal indulgence, granted to the Roman Catholic faithful in the Vatican's "Year of Faith", which began in October last year and will run till late November this year. The Papacy's teaching on indulgences is shown to be a shocking lie and deceit.
Drawing Aside the Purple Curtain
The Papal System Today: an Analysis of the News
Limited Time Offer on Indulgences: Hurry Now
Before “Treasury of Merits” Slams Shut Again
by Shaun Willcock
Although it’s an ever-diminishing number these days, there are Protestants who still know that a mysterious thing called indulgences had something to do with the start of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. But of those who do know this, many of them are under the impression that indulgences are a relic of earlier, less enlightened times, and that they are hardly ever, if ever, mentioned within Roman Catholic circles nowadays.
How wrong they are, as the Roman pope, Benedict XVI, showed to all the world in 2012...
The Roman Pope Grants a “Plenary Indulgence” in 2012/2013
In 2012 Benedict XVI appointed a so-called “Year of Faith” for Roman Catholics, to run from 11 October 2012 to 24 November 2013. According to the Vatican-issued decree, dated 5 October 2012: “On the day of the fiftieth anniversary of the solemn opening of the Ecumenical Council Vatican II... the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI has established the beginning of a Year dedicated particularly to the profession of the true faith and to its correct interpretation, with the reading, or better, with the pious meditation of [upon] the Acts of the Council and of the Articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church”.1
As pointed out by Richard Bennett (an ex-priest) and Timothy F. Kauffman in an article exposing this “Year of Faith”, “The main reason for commemorating the Second Vatican Council during the Year of Faith is because its ecumenical overtures have been so successful”; “...the Year of Faith is nothing else than an effort to continue the marketing and repackaging of Roman dogmas that was started at the Second Vatican Council”; and, “The Year of Faith is claiming to focus on faith, but instead it draws people ever deeper into Rome’s works based salvation.”2
This present article, however, is not an examination of Rome’s “Year of Faith”, but rather of the “plenary indulgence” Benedict has granted. According to the Vatican decree, Benedict granted this indulgence to the Roman Catholic faithful on the occasion of this “Year of Faith”, and it will last for the duration of this “Year”.3
So what is this all about? It is shocking indeed, a blatant denial of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and solid evidence of Rome’s heathenish doctrine of salvation.
But What Is an Indulgence?
Before we examine this latest papal indulgence, let us understand indulgences in general. What exactly is an “indulgence”?
Here is the definition from the official Catechism of the Catholic Church: “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven,
2
which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.”4
This is not easy to understand, but let us attempt to make it as simple as possible:
According to official Roman Catholic teaching, “The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains.”5 In other words, when the Roman Catholic sins, he can obtain forgiveness for it (by confessing his sin to a priest and performing some penance given to him by the priest) and hence will not be eternally punished for his sin in hell; but he still has to experience a temporal punishment for it either here on earth, or after death in a place called Purgatory.6 An indulgence, then, is not the forgiveness of sin, but the forgiveness of the temporal punishment due because of sin.
But none of this is in the Bible at all. It is all a lie.
Rome claims that there is biblical justification for indulgences, as follows: it says that in 1 Cor. 5:1 Paul exercised the power of “binding” (as given by Christ to the disciples in Matt. 16:19 and Matt. 18:18) by inflicting a penance, and excluding this offender from the Church until he performed the penance; and then it says that in 2 Cor. 2:7, Paul exercised the power of “loosing” by remitting the remainder of the penance!
But this is so typical of Rome’s distortion of the Scriptures to suit its own purposes. In truth, to “bind” (in Matthew) can have no reference to indulgences, which are only concerned with “loosing”. These verses, then, do not support this lie. And 2 Cor. 2:6-10 clearly refers to the restoration of the offender to the local church – it does not refer to granting an indulgence.
In fact, the total absence of any biblical justification whatsoever for indulgences has even been admitted by some of Rome’s own scholars and theologians themselves! For example, the Romish “saint”, Antoninus, scholar, author, and archbishop of Florence in the fifteenth century, declared: “We have no testimony in the Scriptures, nor among the Fathers, in favour of indulgences, but only the authority of some modern authors.” And John Chrysostom (347-407 AD), patriarch of Constantinople, whose statue, along with those of Augustine, Athanasius and Ambrose, supports the papal throne in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, wrote in his book that “Christians” must not imitate the heathens, who made use of indulgences, paying money for the absolution of sins, and imposed penances.7
A Monk Makes a Mint from Indulgences
Indulgences were a major part of what sparked Martin Luther’s protest against the Papacy, for even though Luther was still a Roman Catholic and unconverted, he could not stomach the evil of it all. And nothing more clearly shows the utterly unscriptural nature of indulgences than what occurred when a Dominican monk named Tetzel wended his way through Germany in the early years of the sixteenth century, selling indulgences to any who would part with their money. Selling them? Oh yes – indulgences were bought with money. Tetzel was rich, unscrupulous, an inquisitor, a convicted adulterer, a man who, though supposedly sworn to celibacy, took two of his children with him on his travels. Tetzel boasted: “I have saved more souls by my indulgences than the apostle [Peter, erroneously claimed by Rome as their first pope8] by his sermons. There is no sin so great that an indulgence cannot remit”. “But more than this, indulgences avail not only for the living, but for the dead. For that, repentance is not even necessary.” “Come and I will give you letters, all properly sealed, by which even the sins that you intend to commit may be pardoned .”(!) Also these truly blasphemous words: “The Lord our God no longer reigns. He has resigned all power to the pope.” And then his infamous statement: “At the very instant that the money rattles at the bottom of the chest, the soul escapes from Purgatory, and flies liberated to heaven!”
No wonder the poor blind Roman Catholics flocked to purchase that indulgence! Huge crowds gathered to hear Tetzel and to cough up the cash. Coins clattered into his money chest, the purchasers were issued a certificate, and they went on their way rejoicing, secure in the devilish delusion that they had bought their loved one’s soul freedom from the sufferings of Purgatory. And Rome’s coffers filled
3
up.
After Tetzel’s time, and because of the massive protests against it during the Reformation, “The Council of Trent... decided [in 1562] that no fees should be collected on granting indulgences.”9 Well, an indulgence may no longer be bought with money, but even so the great evil of indulgences themselves continues.
A Treasure Chest Opened... Sometimes
The pope of Rome grants this indulgence to Roman Catholics under certain prescribed conditions. If they fulfil the conditions precisely, then they will receive the indulgence. Furthermore, the indulgence can either be partial or plenary. Rome’s Catechism states: “An indulgence is either partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.”10 In the case of the particular indulgence which Benedict XVI has granted for his appointed “Year of Faith”, it will be plenary (full).
But note something more about an indulgence, from the definition given above from the official Catechism of the Roman Catholic institution: the Roman Catholic obtains it “under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.” What is Rome talking about here?
Well, according to its own explanation given in its Catechism, Rome’s “treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints” refers to “the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s merits have before God.... This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable and even pristine in their value before God. In this treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints.... they attained their own salvation and at the same time co-operated in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical Body.”11
Cutting through all Rome’s theological jargon, what this means is absolutely, shockingly anti-biblical. According to Rome, Mary and the so-called “saints” were all so holy that they attained Heaven by their good works. Note the words: “They attained their own salvation.” They earned their own salvation by their good works, or merits. But their works were so good, and so many, that they actually earned more “credits” than they needed for their own salvation! And these extra good works, these surplus merits, are supposedly laid up in a “treasury of the Church” of Rome, and can be dispensed to other Papists in the form of indulgences by the pope of Rome, when he sees fit, to deliver them from temporal punishment due to their sins! Here are the precise words from Rome’s Catechism:
“An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favour of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for their sins.”12 And: “this treasure [Christ] has committed to the care of St. Peter... and to his successors, his own vicars on earth [the popes of Rome]... who are to distribute it to the faithful for their salvation. And they are to apply it with compassion, for pious and good reasons, in order that it may benefit those who are truly contrite and who have confessed, at times for the complete remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, at times for the partial remission...”13
To put it as simply as possible: without any scriptural support whatsoever, Rome claims that some were so perfect on earth that they went to Heaven by the performance of their own works (merits) without going to Purgatory first, and are called “saints”; and their merits were so super-abundant that what they did not need in order to earn their own salvation, are added to a great “treasury of merits”; and from time to time the pope of Rome is able to dip into this treasury, to open this treasure casket for a time, and to dispense these surplus merits to others, so that their temporal punishments for sin can be remitted, either in whole or in part!
Has ever a more iniquitous teaching of salvation appeared on the earth? What devilish lies are proclaimed by this doctrine of indulgences! Let the Word of God condemn this satanic deception.
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First, salvation is always and only and entirely by God’s grace (His undeserved favour), through faith in Jesus Christ His Son. It is never, ever earned by one’s works (merits) (see Eph. 2:8,9). And once sin is forgiven, there is no temporal punishment for sin still remaining to be paid! Second, there is no place called Purgatory, where Roman Catholics go to suffer the temporal punishment due for their sins. There is Heaven and there is Hell, and no place in between. If a person comes to Christ by faith, repenting of his sins and trusting in Christ alone for salvation, he is fully and completely saved from his sins, and goes to Heaven immediately when he dies. Third, every single person who is saved by grace through faith is called a saint in Scripture. (e.g. 1 Cor. 1:2). Fourth, since salvation is not by works, it follows that there is no “treasury” where the extra good works of people are stored up. The saints of God cannot even gain merit by their own works for themselves – how then can they gain extra for others? (see Isa. 64:6; 1 Tim. 1:15). Fifth, the Roman pope cannot open this treasury, for the very simple reason that it does not exist.
And sixth: if indeed the pope of Rome has this power to open some great “treasury” which will so wonderfully benefit Roman Catholics, why does he not open it all the time? Or why does he not just leave it open? Or at the very least, why does he not open it regularly, say once a year? And why are partial indulgences ever granted, instead rather of plenary ones all the time? If indeed, as the Roman pope, Clement VI, pronounced, “this treasure [Christ] has committed to the care of St. Peter... and to his successors... who are to distribute it to the faithful for their salvation”, then distribute it already! If, as this same Clement pronounced, “they [the popes of Rome] are to apply it with compassion, for pious and good reasons,” what more compassionate, pious or good reasons could there be than the remission of the temporal punishment of millions at any given time? Since it is supposedly of such immense benefit to his subjects, one would think he would be magnanimous enough to do this! But no – long years may go by without the Roman pope ever lifting the lid of the treasure chest, and poor Romanists have to supposedly suffer the temporal punishment due to their sins, both in this life and in Purgatory, when their spiritual leader (they believe) could simply unlock the treasury, plunge his bejewelled fingers into it or whatever it is he has to do, and dispense the “infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which Christ’s merits have before God”, and the “truly immense, unfathomable and even pristine” value of the merits of Mary and the other “saints”! What kind of a monster is this man? How tragic that over a billion people trust him to help them obtain salvation! If he really has such enormous power, Roman Catholics should be battering on the door of the papal residence, demanding that he show compassion and contribute, as only he can according to their belief system, to relieve the temporal sufferings which Roman Catholics have to suffer in this life and the next because of their sins!
Now let us get back to this latest plenary indulgence, granted by Benedict XVI during Rome’s present “Year of Faith”:
According to this papal decree (in which the writings of the popes Paul VI and Clement VI are quoted): “Because it is above all a question of developing to the highest degree – insofar as it is possible on this earth – holiness of life and hence of obtaining, in the highest degree, purity of soul, very useful will be the great gift of Indulgences, which the Church, in virtue of the power conferred on her by Christ, offers to all those who with the proper dispositions fulfil the special prescriptions to obtain them. ‘With the Indulgence – Paul VI taught – the Church, making use of her power of minister of the Redemption wrought by Christ the Lord, communicates to the faithful the participation of this fulness of Christ in the communion of Saints, furnishing them in very large measure the means to attain salvation’.... Manifested thus is the ‘treasure of the Church,’ ‘of which also the merits of the Holy Mother of God and of all the elect, from the first to the last righteous’ constitute ‘a further increase’.”
So: the “Church” of Rome claims it has power from Christ to offer an indulgence to those Papists who fulfil the correct prescriptions. But where in God’s Word is such power conferred on this “Church” by the Lord Jesus Christ? Nowhere. It is simply a fiction, invented to exercise control over its subjects. Where in all the Bible are we taught that “the means to obtain salvation” is (among other things) to be found in papal indulgences? Nowhere. It is a lie. Not one verse in all the Bible can be
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brought forward to support it.
As for calling Mary the “Mother of God”, this too is a lie: can God have a mother? And if He does, then was Mary’s mother the grandmother of God? See how Rome has turned the humble Mary into a goddess! She was the mother of our Lord’s human nature, but not of His divine nature. And where, from Genesis to Revelation, do we find the teaching that the supposed “merits” of Mary and the “saints” are stored up in some heavenly “treasury”, awaiting the pope’s pleasure as to when the key will be turned in the treasury’s lock and these merits will be dispensed to the people? Again, not in any book, chapter or verse of the entire Bible.
How Roman Catholics Are to Obtain Benedict’s Indulgence
Benedict’s decree then explains what Roman Catholics are required to do during this “Year of Faith”, in order to obtain this indulgence:
It states: “all individual [Roman Catholic] faithful truly repentant, duly confessed, communing sacramentally, and who pray according to the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, will be able to acquire a plenary Indulgence from the temporal punishment for their sins imparted by God’s mercy, applicable in suffrage to the souls of the deceased faithful.”
And it proceeds to elaborate further:
“a. – Every time they take part in at least three instances of preaching during the Sacred Missions, or at least three lessons on the Acts of Vatican Council II and on the Articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in any church or ideal place;
“b. – Every time they visit by way of pilgrimage a Papal Basilica, a Christian catacomb, a Cathedral Church, a sacred place designated by the Ordinary of the place for the Year of Faith... and take part there in some sacred function or at least pause for an apt time of recollection with pious meditations, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, according to the case, to Holy Apostles or Patrons;
“c. – Every time, in days determined by the Ordinary of the place for the Year of Faith... in any sacred place they participate in a solemn Eucharistic celebration or the Liturgy of the Hours, adding the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form;
“d. – A day freely chosen, during the Year of Faith, for the pious visit of the baptistery or other place, in which they received the sacrament of Baptism, renewing the baptismal promises in any legitimate formula.”
This is straightforward bribery, nothing less! If the Roman Catholic does this or that; if he hears a certain number of sermons or lessons, if he goes on a particular pilgrimage, if he “at least pauses for an apt time of recollection with pious meditations”, if he prays a certain prayer or invokes certain “saints”, if he renews the baptismal promises someone else made for him when he was a baby, etc., etc. – then, having done these works in the proper manner, he will acquire this indulgence. None of this is in the Bible. It is spiritual bribery, and part of Rome’s false teaching of salvation by one’s own merits.
Hogwash Presented as Christianity
Again: if indulgences were real, why does Benedict not simply open that “treasure chest” and let them flow out to the people? Why does he not at the very least just leave the treasure chest open, so that the super-abundant merits of the “saints” can benefit the multiplied millions of Roman Catholics today? Even if they were worried that this would cause the chest to be eventually emptied, at least millions of souls would have obtained relief from the temporal punishment due to their sins in this life or in Purgatory!
Ah, but he will not, because he cannot. It is all hogwash. Salvation is “not of works”, it is by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and as such is the free “gift of God” (Eph. 2:8,9). It is not by a complicated man-made religious system of confessing sins to a priest, performing some penance to
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earn forgiveness, being absolved by the priest, then having the supposed temporal punishment for sins remitted by indulgences, either in this life or in a fictional Purgatory. Salvation is a free gift of God, given to all His elect, and it is a complete and perfect salvation. They do nothing to earn or merit it.
Is Roman Catholicism Christian? Is the “Church” of Rome a true Christian church, or a heathenish religion? The answer is obvious to anyone with eyes to see.
Under the Curse of the Council
Oh, and just to end by revealing the true nature of this Whorish religion masquerading as a Christian church: at the Council of Trent, held in the sixteenth century, Rome declared as an official article of faith: “Whereas the power of conferring indulgences was granted by Christ to the Church, and she has... used the said power.... The sacred, holy synod teaches and enjoins that the use of indulgences... is to be retained in the Church, and it condemns with anathema those who either assert that they are useless, or who deny that there is in the Church the power of granting them.”14 Oops... I have just come under her infamous condemnation of anathema. In past ages this would have been my death sentence, and still today this is the Papacy’s desire, all ecumenical overtures notwithstanding. She may use different tactics at present, but the old hatred remains.
January 2013
Shaun Willcock is a minister of the Gospel. He runs Bible Based Ministries. For other articles (which may be downloaded and printed), as well as details about his books, audio messages, pamphlets, etc., please visit the Bible Based Ministries website; or write to the address below. If you would like to be on Bible Based Ministries’ email list, to receive all future articles, please send your details.
ENDNOTES:
1. Decree Granting Plenary Indulgence for Year of Faith, October 5, 2012. Zenit.org.
2. RC “Year of Faith” Unfaithful to Christ and His Gospel, by Richard Bennett and Timothy F. Kauffman. Berean Beacon. www.bereanbeacon.org.
3. Pope Benedict XVI Grants Plenary Indulgence to Faithful, October 5, 2012. Zenit.org.
4. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1471. Published by Paulines Publications Africa/Mambo Press, 1994.
5. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1473.
6. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1472.
7. Ex-Priest Answers Attack by Roman Clergy, by Peter J. Doeswyck, pgs. 6,7. Knights of Christ, Inc., Long Beach, California, 1956.
8. Pope Peter? by Shaun Willcock (Gospel tract). Published by Bible Based Ministries, and available for purchase in printed format, or freely downloadable from the website: www.biblebasedministries.co.uk.
9. The Christian Faith in the Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic Church, pg. 484. Revised edition edited by J. Neuner, S.J. and J. Dupuis, S.J. [Jesuits]. Collins Liturgical Publications, London, 1986.
10. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1471.
11. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paras. 1474-1477.
12. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1478.
13. Clement VI, “Jubilee Bull Unigenitus Dei Filius (1343).
14. The Council of Trent, “Decree Concerning Indulgences”.
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Wednesday 16 January 2013
What is Marriage?
Marriage is currently coming under sustained attack in the UK, and led by the Prime Minister, David Cameron. His determination to re-define marriage has provoked strong opposition from both within his own party and outside it. Even the Christian churches in the UK are ambivalent about this divine institution.
If you are interested in knowing more about this critically important subject, please watch the short video by clicking the blue link. Produced by the Coalition for Marriage (C4M), it is the first in a series of Marriage Minutes that I hope will be available on this website.
If you are interested in knowing more about this critically important subject, please watch the short video by clicking the blue link. Produced by the Coalition for Marriage (C4M), it is the first in a series of Marriage Minutes that I hope will be available on this website.
Tuesday 15 January 2013
Presbyterian Presbyopia
Presbyopia starts affecting Presbyterians (and
others) in the early years of their ministry or church membership, and becomes particularly
noticeable at around the age of 40. In
the early years, the church is seen as so perfect that they feel a real pride
in being a minister in such a perfect denomination. Everything in the garden is rosy, and nothing
but the good is recognised. Even obvious
unfaithfulness is not regarded as serious because “this is just the way we do things.”
In later years, say at about 40, our ability to see
details is reduced and looking at church details causes a certain degree of
strain. The pain is a felt pain, but is
seen as no more than a slight discomfort for which no action needs to be
taken.
The reality is that no one escapes presbyopia, not
even Presbyterians! Even if you've never had a previous vision problem this
will eventually arrive. Those people who are theologically or
ecclesiastically short-sighted, or myopic, notice that their near vision blurs
when they wear their usual ‘spectacles.’
These ‘spectacles’ (or Scripture) help them to see matters clearly, but
what they see they do not like, and this also causes a level of strain in them. The
real situation stares them in the eye but they do not recognise it; indeed,
some refuse to recognise what they see through their ‘spectacles,’ and decide
to ‘bury their heads in the sand,’ or prefer to live away from the brightness
of the light. Staying in darkness is attractive,
and that’s where many of them live – away from the light of Scripture. Refusing to face up to what the light exposes
is a sure sign of presbyopia.
Some Presbyterians are longsighted and this is a problem
that can sometimes hit them like a ‘double whammy’ - all of a sudden in their
early 40’s their previously good distance eyesight starts failing at the same
time as close vision becomes increasingly strained. With this condition, they can neither see the
‘big picture’ nor the closer details.
They find themselves in a kind of constant mist or fog. All they can recognise are mere outlines,
shapes, generalities; and in these they rest content.
This has its advantages, however, for it keeps them
from becoming annoyed at what they see.
Their minds start playing tricks with them, but so long as they do not
cause problems for themselves or others, they live in blissful ‘blindness.’ Pragmatism kicks in and they opt for
self-preservation and future prosperity.
The reasoning goes something like this: “It’s a good job I don’t see
things as clearly as once I did because then I might have to take actions that could
have serious personal and family consequences.
Yes, I still use my ‘spectacles’ to help with vision, but then again I’m
not always sure that what I see with them is the truth, so I just consult them
occasionally and go on in my own way.”
Such men refuse to take Scripture seriously, even
though they have these ‘spectacles’ with them all the time. But when they come into contact with other
men who still have their eyesight, men who can see spiritual things clearly,
these men are then treated as ‘square pegs in a round hole.’ They’re odd, obscurantists, idiosyncratic. To protect your ministry, you stay away from
such people. Their spiritual perception
is too clear and it only brings discomfort to people like us. They make the rest of us feel so uncomfortable,
uneasy, and put us ‘on edge.’ Deep down
we know they are absolutely correct in what they say, but it’s too uncomfortable
for us to accept and/or act upon. What
they say is right; but in a church like ours, who’s interested in what’s right!
Presbyopia is a universal condition - it will
affect all of us eventually. The growing number of people in their forties and
beyond generates a huge demand for proper treatment and action. Surgical correction may even be necessary to help
Presbyterian presbyopes deal with their failing vision.
Presbyterian
Presbyopia Symptoms and Signs
When people develop presbyopia, they need to keep things at arm's length in order to focus properly. When doing detailed work, they may develop headaches, stress and strain, or feel fatigued. As the condition progresses and people head into their fifty’s the arms are not long enough for this trick to work so they decide to live in avoidance and denial of what they see. Also around this time most people “give up” altogether, and become time-servers. They haven’t that much longer to go until pension age, so they keep their heads down so as not to jeopardise their future.
What Causes Presbyterian
Presbyopia?
Presbyterian presbyopia is caused by an age-related
process, though there are signs that the condition is setting in at a much
younger age. It is generally believed to stem from a gradual thickening of
tissue and loss of flexibility of the lens inside your spiritual eye. It is reminiscent of sclerosis where a
certain hardening of essential tissue takes place with the consequent loss of
ability to perform as in earlier days.
They become ‘woody’ and adopt a formal approach, and the mind, the
thinker, is the first to be affected.
Rather than think issues through, it is easier to go on the defensive,
even if that entails the defence of the indefensible. It is preferable to ‘assassinate’ the one who
encourages critical thought than follow this argument. To reject the message, it is easy to reject
the messenger.
Age-related changes take place to the detriment of
the soul. With reduced ability to see the truth, the ‘eye’ has a harder time
focusing on details. In fact, it gets to
the stage when they do not want to focus on details, for these are too
difficult to take on board. They’ve given
their 30, 35, 40 years to the ministry, and retirement is within sight. Just settle down now, take it easy, and your
lump sum and pension are on their way.
Treating Presbyterian
Presbyopia
To
correct this condition, several remedies are available. One is to take those with it into the ‘consulting
room’ and seek to correct what is amiss.
This might involve a period of specialised re-training for the work of
the ministry. Obviously these sufferers
are not even aware of what has happened, but those not closely caught up in
their work can see more clearly what is going on. That treatment is needed in obvious. When ministers cannot see what is really
there, they end up trying to defend the indefensible, and in so doing they only
make complete fools of themselves. Others
become ‘firm’s men’ and this is a closely related condition that says, “My
church right or wrong.” But they cannot
see what it is they are saying. Others
can, but not they.
Another
treatment is more radical – surgery to remove the offending condition. No one likes this, but sometimes it is the
only treatment that will save the situation.
When such a condition is left unchecked, it degenerates into something
much more serious, and can be fatal. The
removal of the cause of the offense is much more effective than tinkering with
it, and applying some kind of ‘band-aid’ remedy to it.
At
the end of the day, what is sought is clear sightedness in the ministers of the
Gospel so that that Gospel can be preached and applied incisively to every
situation. It is the essential health of
the church that is aimed at, not its destruction.
Monday 14 January 2013
Preaching Tour in Ireland 2013
If any Christian group or church would like my services for a preaching tour/event or for an evangelistic mission or teaching week, please contact me at jehlynch [at] gmail.com
I have experience in conducting evangelistic missions and delivering teaching weeks for groups of believers.
Perhaps it's more like an evangelistic weekend that you would like or see is needed in your church or area.
Get in touch with me for further information.
I have experience in conducting evangelistic missions and delivering teaching weeks for groups of believers.
Perhaps it's more like an evangelistic weekend that you would like or see is needed in your church or area.
Get in touch with me for further information.
Sunday 13 January 2013
The Atonement
The intention and
purpose of God in the design of the atonement is one of the most hotly debated
doctrines of the Christian, that is, reformed, faith, or of true biblical
religion. It is also one of the most
difficult in the whole range of Calvinistic theology.[1] Yet it is a doctrine that lies at the very
heart of the Christian Gospel and of world mission, and one that must be
understood if the authentic biblical Gospel is to be declared. When addressing this issue, scholars must be
aware of the theological or spiritual arrogance that can arise and be conscious
that anyone who cannot see objections to our views, would but betray the
shallowness of his thinking and knowledge.[2]
Because of our
limited human understanding of God’s ways, we ought to be most cautious about
being overly confident of our own viewpoints on such a controversial
doctrine. Debate on this dogma has
provoked much controversy since post-reformation days, and that controversy is
still a hotly debated one right into the twenty-first century. What God’s plan for the redemption of the
world[3] is
(and even this is a contested phrase that was used by John Calvin (1509-1564))
finds no agreement within sections of the Christian Church and community, nor
indeed (and sadly) within the Reformed Christian constituency.
But the fact that
there is an ongoing discussion over this issue within reformed circles
highlights one very important thing: that this crucially important and central
doctrine of the Christian faith simply cannot be ignored by any who want to
come to a fuller understanding of the faith.
Nor can it be ignored by any who are committed to the “Gospel of God”[4]
and its propagation throughout the whole world.
Those whose deep concern is for the salvation of lost sinners know that
only the death and resurrection of Christ, and a personal faith response to
that atoning sacrificial death, can save their souls from eternal damnation and
to eternal bliss.
[1] Dabney, 1871/1985:518.
[2] Dabney, 1871;1985:519.
[3] Cited in A. C. Clifford, Calvinus.
(Charenton Reformed Publishing, Norfolk, 2007), 30 - Calvin’s Sermons on Christ’s Passion, p.95; Calvinus, p. 33, Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, pp. 102, 103. See also, Calvin’s Sermons on Ephesians, where he
preaches, “...Christ is in a general view the redeemer of the world, yet his
death and passion are of no advantage to any but such as receive that which St.
Paul shows here.” p.55.
[4] Rom.1:1.
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