Erlösung (lat. redemptio, wörtlich: Rückkauf) ist ein Zentralbegriff des christlichen Evangeliums. Der sündige Mensch hat vor Gott nämlich Gnade gefunden in Jesus Christus, der für uns den Himmel eröffnet hat. Das Licht des Ostermysteriums hat es überdies ermöglicht, die Schatten der Sünde und des Todes, die auf der Menschheit von Anbeginn lasten, klarer zu erkennen. Das Leben, die Lehre und das Opfer Christi, gipfelnd am Kreuz, hat so die Missetat seit Adam wiedergutgemacht. Wegen der wirklichen Gegenwart des Herrn im Leben der Getauften, ist es den Christen auch möglich, ihrerseits, altmodisch gesagt: verdienstvoll zu leben, also für die Erlösung der Seelen persönlich Gutes zu wirken, als Zeugen Christi. Diese gerechten Werke der Barmherzigkeit verdunkeln die Gnade Gottes nicht, sondern machen sie erst zu einer erfahrbaren Lebenswirklichkeit unter den Menschen.
(Quelle: http://www.kathpedia.com/index.php/Erl%C3%B6sung)
"Our own salvation and the salvation of the world are interconnected like the two beams of the cross"
(Paraphrasing Henri Nouwen)
Manche Christen sind der Ansicht, wir seien alleine durch den Glauben ("sola fide") gerettet. In dem Moment, wo wir glauben (für manche Christen genübt hierfür ein einfaches Gebet, andere halten zumindest noch an der Taufe als Beginn des Lebens als Christ fest), wäre es unwichtig, welche (guten oder schlechten) Werke wir von nun an vollbringen - wir sind ja schon "gerettet". Gute werke seien höchstens noch als Ausfluss des Glaubens zu sehen. Sie sind ganz in Ordnung, aber nicht unbedingt notwendig.
Katholiken haben hier eine andere Auffassung. Ja, wir werden durch die Gnade Gottes und unseren Glauben gerettet - aber nicht durch den Glauben alleine. Ebenso warnt die Bibel ausdrücklich vor falscher Heilsgewissheit (also der Auffassung, es wäre egal, was wir ab dem Zeitpunkt, wo wir "gerettet" sind, tun).
Für Katholiken heißt "Glaube" aber nicht nur das, was wir verstandesmäßig erfassen (also etwa durch die bloße Aussage: "Ich glaube"). Es umfasst uns als ganze Menschen - mit all unseren Sinnen, mit unserem Verstand, aber auch mit unseren Taten. Am Beginn jeden Glaubens steht immer Gottes Gnade - diese muss aber durch uns beantwortet werden. Durch uns als Menschen im biblischen Sinn (das biblische Menschenbild umfasst den Körper, den spirituellen Teil und die Psyche). Durch unsere Worte wie unsere Taten. Glaube findet also nicht nur im Kopf statt, er findet seinen Ausdruck im Menschen als ganzen.
(Fortsetzung folgt)
Manche evangelikale Christen glauben, die Bibel sei doch eindeutig, was die Errettung (bzw. Erlösung) betrifft (widersprchen sich aber je nach Gemeinde doch erheblich, wie diese Errettung aussieht bzw. wer alles "gerettet" ist und wer nicht). Ihrer Meinung nach ist es auch genug, wenn man als Christ die Bibel hat. Die Kirche oder gar Tradition brauche man für den Glauben nicht.
Derartige Thesen lassen sich aber in der Bibel nicht finden. Ganz im Gegenteil. Das Problem mit Sola Scriptura: wenn jeder Christ nur die Bibel braucht und es keine andere Autorität gibt, kann und soll auch jeder alles, was er braucht in der Bibel finden. Er benötigt dann auch niemanden, der ihm zeigt, wie man sie auslegt. Bibellesen und Bibelstudium sind leider nicht dasselbe. Und genau das ist geschehen seit der Reformation: die Protestanten haben sich in abertausende verschiedener Gemeinden aufgespalten. Und ein Teil davon bezeichnet sich auch als "Biblische Christen". Da darf man allerdings nachfragen, wieviele Bibeln es gibt.
Interessant auch zu wissen, dass im NT die Kirche (und NICHT die Bibel!) als die Säule der Wahrheit genannt wird!
Die Bibel ist nicht immer leicht zu verstehen und so manches, was auf den ersten Blick offensichtlich erscheint, erweist sich bei genauerem Studium als etwas ganz anderes. Es ist beinahe unvermeidlich, dass es zu Irrlehren oder gar Abspaltungen von der Kirche kommt, wenn es keine verbindliche Autorität gibt.
Ob man nun die Eucharistie, die Taufe, die Sündenvergebung, Gnade, Glaube, Heiligung, die eventuelle Möglichkeit, seine "Errettung" zu verlieren, weibliche Geistliche in der Kirche oder was auch immer nimmt: schon zu Luthers Zeiten und erst recht danach gab es hierzu teils völlig unterschiedliche Auffassungen. Und jede davon war angeblich biblisch.
Auf dieser Seite wollen wir besonders auf die Frage eingehen, die so viele - gerade Evangelikale - besegt: wie wird man "gerettet"?
(Fortsetzung folgt)
(Quelle: Dave Armstrong, The One-Minute Apologist. Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, 2007. Go and get it!).
Tatsächlich? Sehen wir uns 2 Tim 2,12 an: "wenn wir standhaft bleiben, werden wir auch mit ihm herrschen; wenn wir ihn verleugnen, wird auch er uns verleugnen." (Einheitsübersetzung).
Standhaftigkeit und Durchhaltevermögen sind also Grundvoraussetzungen, um es bis "nach oben" zu schaffen. Wenn wir die Erlösung schon garantiert und sicher hätten, sobald wir einmal "gerettet" sind, warum sollten wir dann standhaft bleiben, um in den Himmel zu kommen, wie wir es hier lesen? Wir müssen das Rennen bis zum Ziellauf durchhalten. Jesus sagt uns in Lk 9,23, dass jemand, der Ihm nachfolgen will, sich selbst verleugnen und täglich sein Kreuz auf sich nehmen muss. Das widerspricht aber der Vorstellung von "einmal gerettet, immer gerettet"!
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Lesen wir Mt 7,21: "Nicht jeder, der zu mir sagt: Herr! Herr!, wird in das Himmelreich kommen, sondern nur, wer den Willen meines Vaters im Himmel erfüllt" (Einheitsübersetzung). Wir müssen also den Willen unseres Vaters im Himmel tun. Einfach nur zu sagen, Jesus ist unser Herr, ist nicht genug! Es reicht noch nicht einmal, Wunder iin Seinem Namen zu vollbringen oder das Evangelium zu verkünden. Es ist einfach eine Irrlehre, zu glauben, wir hätten einen festen Platz im Himmel! Wer so etwas glaubt, setzt tatsächlich seine Errettung auf's Spiel!
Nun zu Jn 14,21: "Wer meine Gebote hat und sie hält, der ist es, der mich liebt; wer mich aber liebt, wird von meinem Vater geliebt werden und auch ich werde ihn lieben und mich ihm offenbaren." (Einheitsübersetzung).
Wir müssen also Gottes Gebote halten! Die "einmal gerettet, immer gerettet"-Theologie ist nicht biblisch! Wie wir hier sehen, müssen wir mehr tun als nur Jesus als unseren persönlichen Herrn und Retter zu akzeptieren und das Sündergebet zu beten. Unsere Liebe zu Gott zeigt sich in dem, was wir tun, wie wir handeln, reden usw. Unsere Erlösung ist kein abgeschlossenenes und besiegeltes Geschäft! Ein Christ hat sein Kreuz zu tragen und Gutes zu tun: "Darum, liebe Brüder - ihr wart ja immer gehorsam, nicht nur in meiner Gegenwart, sondern noch viel mehr jetzt in meiner Abwesenheit-: müht euch mit Furcht und Zittern um euer Heil!" (Phil 2,12 - Einheitsübersetzung).
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Sehen wir uns Jk 2,24-26 an: "Ihr seht, dass der Mensch aufgrund seiner Werke gerecht wird, nicht durch den Glauben allein. Wurde nicht ebenso auch die Dirne Rahab durch ihre Werke als gerecht anerkannt, weil sie die Boten bei sich aufnahm und dann auf einem anderen Weg entkommen ließ? Denn wie der Körper ohne den Geist tot ist, so ist auch der Glaube tot ohne Werke." (Einheitsübersetzung). Es bedarf also auch der Werke, wenn man an Jesus Christus glaubt. Die Lehre von der "sola fide" (allein durch den Glauben) ist also nicht biblisch. Im vorliegenden Fall handelt es sich übrigens um die einzige Stelle in der Bibel, wo die Wörter "Glaube" und "allein" in einem Satz vorkommen - und es steht ein "nicht" davor! Wer Glaubt, muss diesem Glauben also auch Taten folgen lassen - er muss aktiv werden und reiche Frucht bringen. Wenn er nichts Gutes vollbringt, ist unser Glaube schlichtweg tot. Was ist nun mit Gottes Gnade? Durch sie glauben wir überhaupt erst - und sie ermöglicht es uns auch, unseren Glauben auszuleben und ihm Taten folgen zu lassen.
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Sehen wir uns diese Stelle an: "Denn aus Gnade seid ihr durch den Glauben gerettet, nicht aus eigener Kraft - Gott hat es geschenkt -, nicht aufgrund eurer Werke, damit keiner sich rühmen kann." (Einheitsübersetzung)
Diese Stelle wird oft und gerne gerade von evangelikalen Christinnen und Christen oder Fundamentalisten zitiert.
Ein Großteil der katholischen Antwort hierzu wird jedoch bereits im Vers 10 gegeben, der - bewusst oder unbewusst - nie mit zitiert wird: "Seine Geschöpfe sind wir, in Christus Jesus dazu geschaffen, in unserem Leben die guten Werke zu tun, die Gott für uns im Voraus bereitet hat." (Einheitsübersetzung)
Und schon löst sich das Argument in Luft auf. Ja, wir sind durch die Gnade Gottes und durch unseren Glauben gerettet - aber nicht durch den Glauben allein (siehe Jak 2,24). Luther musste das Wort "allein" in die Bibel einfügen (bei Röm 3,28), damit es seine Theorie überhaupt erst stützte!
Viele Evangelikale lehren also Eph 2,8-9. Die Katholische Kirche lehrt Eph 2,8-10.
Im übrigen hat die Katholische Kirche 2.000 Jahre lang getreu der biblischen Überlieferung gelehrt, dass wir durch die Gnade Gottes gerettet werden (vgl. Apg 15,11 oder Sektion 1996 des Katechismus der Katholischen Kirche).
Es lohnt sich also immer, zum einen Bibelverse im Kontext zu lesen und zum anderen auch die Position der Katholischen Kirche (so wie sie dies selbst verfasst hat!) nachzulesen, anstatt immer nur das zu wiederholen, was man irgendwo aufgeschnappt hat oder was sich gut anhört - sofern man einen oder zwei Verse der Bibel völlig aus dem Kontext reisst.
(Quelle: www.familylifecenter.net)
Falsch. Lesen wir hierzu Mt 16,27: "Der Menschensohn wird mit seinen Engeln in der Hoheit seines Vaters kommen und jedem Menschen vergelten, wie es seine Taten verdienen." (Einheitsübersetzung)
Wir werden also nach dem beurteilt, was wir getan oder nicht getan haben - klarer lässt sich das wohl kaum formulieren! Einfach nur zu glauben und das "Gebet des Sünders" (das übrigens nirgendwo in der Bibel steht!) zu beten, reicht offensichtlich nicht! "Du glaubst: Es gibt nur einen Gott. Damit hast du recht; das glauben auch die Dämonen und sie zittern." (Jk 2,19 - Einheitsübersetzung) - es reicht also nicht aus, einfach nur zu glauben. Wenn wir tatsächlich glauben und Jesus nachfolgen wollen, müssen wir Seinen Willen und damit Gottes Gebote erfüllen!
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Tatsächlich? Lesen wir Mt 24,13: "Wer jedoch bis zum Ende standhaft bleibt, der wird gerettet." (Einheitsübersetzung)
Wir müssen also standhaft bleiben, um gerettet zu werden! Wir müssen Gott und unseren Nächsten unser ganzes Leben lang lieben, mit einer Liebe, die sich auch in Taten ausdrückt - wir müssen also etwas tun. In der gesamten Bibel finden wir immer wieder Hinweise, dass Gott von Seinem Volk etwas gefordert hat, um ihre Liebe und ihren Gehorsam zu zeigen. Jesus hat die Türen für uns geöffnet - aber wir müssen immer noch durch gehen!
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Dieser Vers wird meist völlig aus dem Zusammenhang gerissen. Zum Verständnis sollte etwa auch Psalm 14,1-5 gelesen werden ("Die Toren sagen in ihrem Herzen: "Es gibt keinen Gott". Sie handeln verwerflich und schnöde; da ist keiner, der Gutes tut. Der Herr blickt vom Himmel herab auf die Menschen, ob noch ein Verständiger da ist, der Gott sucht. Alle sind sie abtrünnig und verdorben, keiner tut Gutes, auch nicht ein Einziger. Haben denn all die Übeltäter keine Einsicht? Sie verschlingen mein Volk. Sie essen das Brot des Herrn, doch seinen Namen rufen sie nicht an. Es trifft sie Furcht und Schrecken; denn Gott steht auf der Seite der Gerechten." (Einheitsübersetzung). Oder Mt 25,21: "Sein Herr sagte zu ihm: Sehr gut, du bist ein tüchtiger und treuer Diener. Du bist im Kleinen ein treuer Verwalter gewesen, ich will dir eine große Aufgabe übertragen. Komm, nimm teil an der Freude deines Herrn!" (Einheitsübersetzung).
Offensichtlich gibt es da Menschen, die Gutes tun, sonst würde Jesus ja absichtlich Menschen in die Irre führen. Als María in Mk 14,6 Jesu Füße salbte, sagte Er: "Sie hat ein gutes Werk an mir getan." (Einheitsübersetzung). Wenn wir aber Gutes tun, tun wir das nicht aus uns selbst heraus, sodass wir vor Jesus treten und zu Ihm sagen könnten: "Schau, ich habe etwas Gutes getan!", sondern durch Jesu Wirken in und durch uns tun wir Gutes. Andere Verse über Gutes tun: Mt 5,16, 12,35; Mk 3,4; Lk 6,27.33.
Sehen wir uns noch Lk 1,6 an: "Beide lebten so, wie es in den Augen Gottes recht ist, und hielten sich in allem streng an die Gebote und Vorschriften des Herrn." (Einheitsübersetzung).
Hier geht es darum, dass Zacharias und Elisabet taten, was recht ist. Wenn es also in Röm 3,10-12 heißt, dass es keinen gibt, der gerecht ist und der Gutes tut, so bezieht sich das auf Ps 14,1-4. Hier spricht der Psalmist von zwei Arten von Menschen: die Bösen, die Gottes Volk verschlingen und dann in Vers fünf die Gerechten. Weitere zum Verständnis hilfreiche Bibelverse: Lk 2,25, 5,32, 15,7, 23,50; Röm 5,19; Heb 10,37-38; Gen 6,9, 7,1, 38,26.
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Lesen wir Phil 2,12-13: "Darum liebe Brüder - ihr wart ja immer gehorsam -, nicht nur in meiner Gegenwart, sondern noch viel mehr jetzt in meiner Abwesenheit -: müht euch mit Furcht und Zittern um euer Heil! Denn Gott ist es, der in euch das Wollen und das Vollbringen bewirkt, noch über euren guten Willen hinaus." (Einheitsübersetzung).
Die Philipper sollten Paulus' Botschaft gehorchen, indem sie sich mit Furcht und Zittern um ihr Heil mühten. Warum sollten wir das heute anders machen, wenn wir doch die wahren Christen des Neuen Testaments sind? Unser Verhalten hat einen wesentlichen Einfluss darauf, wie Gott uns beurteilt. Das sollte doch in jedem von uns eine heilige Furcht wecken, danach zu trachten, in allem den Willen des Vaters zu tun! Weder Paulus noch irgendjemand der anderen Schreiber des Neuen Testaments erzählen uns von einer furchtlosen Versicherung der Erlösung, so wie es viele Prediger heutzutage fälschlicherweise darstellen!
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Lesen wir 1 Kor 9,27: "vielmehr züchtige und unterwerfe ich meinen Leib, damit ich nicht anderen predige und selbst verworfen werde." (Einheitsübersetzung).
Paulus sagt den Korinthern, dass es keine Garantie auf Erlösung gibt. Er fürchtet selbst um seine Erlösung, obwohl er ein treuer Dienser Gottes war und durch sein Predigen dazu beitrug, dass das Evangelium verbreitet wurde. Ihm ist aber klar, dass auch er in ernsthafte Sünde fallen könnte und der Himmel damit ausser Reichweite für ihn wäre. Wenn schon der Apostel Paulus sich aber Sorgen um seine eigene Erlösung machte, sollten wir uns dann nicht alle Sorgen um unsere Erlösung machen?
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Sehen wir uns 1 Kor 10,12 an: "Wer also zu stehen meint, der gebe Acht, dass er nicht fällt." (Einheitsübersetzung).
Wenn die eigene Erlösung damit garantiert wäre, dass man "Jesus als seinen persönlichen Herrn und Retter annimmt", warum würde Paulus dann die Kirche in Korinth derart warnen? Ganz einfach: weil unsere Erlösung keineswegs garantiert ist! Wir müssen fleissig daran arbeiten, sonst fallen auch wir. Gott gewährt uns die nötige Gnade, um Versuchungen zu widerstehen und es zu vermeiden, in die Sünde zu verfallen, wenn wir nur nahe bei Ihm bleiben und die heiligen Sakramente empfangen, die Er uns gegeben hat.
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Wurdest du auch schon einmal gefragt, ob du eine "persönliche Beziehung zu Jesus Christus hast"? Bei solchen Fragen bin ich froh, katholisch zu sein.
Abgesehen davon, dass die Kirche in den letzten 2.000 Jahren den Glauben nie als etwas persönliches gesehen hat, sondern immer in Zusammenhang mit dem Leib Christi, der Gemeinschaft der Glaubenden in der Kirche (keiner erhält seine Gaben für sich alleine, sondern soll sie zum Wohl der Kirche verwenden!) - als Katholiken haben wir die Eucharistie!
In der Eucharistie kommt Jesus Christus selbst zu uns - wir nehmen Ihn in uns auf!
Wie persönlich kann man noch werden?
(Frei nach Fr. Bill Casey)
Also muss man nicht Buße tun oder glauben? Muss man sich nicht taufen lassen?
Das sind keineswegs nur "eigene Werke" - der Glaube z.B. kann nur durch die Gnade Gottes geschenkt werden, die wir in freier Entscheidung beantworten!
Manche Sprüche klingen erst einmal gut - und sind wohl auch gut gemeint, stehen aber nicht auf der Grundlage der Bibel - und wurden von der Kirche auch nie so gesehen.
(Frei nach Prof. Dr. Scott Hahn)
Unsere eigene Erlösung und die Erlösung der gesamten Welt sind miteinander verbunden wie die beiden Planken des Kreuzes.
(in Anlehnung an Henri Nouwen)
Lesen wir Röm 11,22: "Erkenne die Güte Gottes und seine Strenge! Die Strenge gegen jene, die gefallen sind, Gottes Güte aber gegen dich, sofern du in seiner Güte bleibst; sonst wirst auch du herausgehauen werden." (Einheitsübersetzung).
Wir müssen also bis zum Schluss standhaft bleiben oder wir riskieren, vom lebensspendenden Baum abgeschnitten zu werden, so wie einige derer in Israel (Gottes auserwähltes Volk) abgeschnitten wurden, während andere (die Heiden) eingepfropft wurden (Röm 11,16-21). Gott geht streng mit denen um, die sich von Ihm abwenden; die aber, die Ihm gegenüber treu bleiben, werden Seine Güte erhalten.
Es gibt Menschen, die meinen, unsere Erlösung können wir nicht verlieren - und sie sündigen weiterhin, als ob das keinen Unterschied machen würde. Wir sündigen alle, aber wir müssen darauf acht geben, dass wir alle Sünden überwinden!
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Lesen wir Röm 5,19: "Wie durch den Ungehorsam des einen Menschen die vielen zu Sündern wurden, so werden auch durch den Gehorsam des einen die vielen zu Gerechten gemacht werden." (Einheitsübersetzung).
Wir werden nicht einfach nur für gerecht erklärt. Wegen Adam werden wir nicht nur zu Sündern erklärt, sondern dazu gemacht. Und genauso ist es mit unserer Rechtfertigung - wir wurden gerecht gemacht. Dieser Vers zeigt klar die tatsächliche Unterscheidung zwischen unserer Sündhaftigkeit und unserer Gerechtigkeit. Beide werden gemacht und nicht erklärt. Leugnen zu wollen, dass wir nicht gerecht gemacht wurden würde bedeuten, zu leugnen, dass wir zu Sündern gemacht wurden wegen Adam. Wir werden aber nicht nur Kinder Gottes genannt, wir sind Kinder Gottes (siehe 1 Jn 3,1).
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Lesen wir Röm 8,24-25: "Denn wir sind gerettet, doch in der Hoffnung. Hoffnung aber, die man schon erfüllt sieht, ist keine Hoffnung. Wie kann man auf etwas hoffen, das man sieht? Hoffen wir aber auf das, was wir nicht sehen, dann harren wir aus in Geduld." (Einheitsübersetzung).
Wir hoffen auf unsere Erlösung, die keineswegs beschlossene Sache ist, weil wir Jesus Christus als unseren persönlichen Herrn und Retter angenommen haben. Wenn dem so wäre, warum sollten wir dann in Geduld ausharren? Warum hoffen? Wenn man auf etwas hofft, heißt das auch, dass damit ein Risiko verbunden ist. Das Risiko in diesem Fall: wir könnten letzten Endes doch nicht gerettet sein! Wir müssen in Geduld ausharren und weiterhin aktiv auf unsere Erlösung hoffen. Dies ist ein guter Beginn, aber das wird nicht das endgültige Urteil Gottes bestimmen.
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
Lesen wir vorab 1 Kor 4,4-5: "Ich bin mir zwar keiner Schuld bewusst, doch bin ich dadurch noch nicht gerecht gesprochen; der Herr ist es, der mich zur Rechenschaft zieht.Richtet also nicht vor der Zeit; wartet, bis der Herr kommt, der das im Dunkeln Verborgene ans Licht bringen und die Absichten der Herzen aufdecken wird. Dann wird jeder sein Lob von Gott erhalten." (Einheitsübersetzung).
Und was steht nun in 1 Jn 5,13? "Dies schreibe ich euch, damit ihr wisst, dass ihr das ewige Leben habt; denn ihr glaubt an den Namen des Sohnes Gottes." (Einheitsübersetzung). Johannes gibt uns hier ein Kriterium wie wir wissen können, dass wir ewiges Leben haben. Er schreibt ferner: "Wenn wir seine Gebote halten (2,3), liebt nicht die Welt und was in der Welt ist (2,15), wenn das Herz uns aber nicht verurteilt (3,21), wer seine Gebote hält, bleibt in Gott (3,24), wenn wir einander lieben (4,12), soll auch seinen Bruder lieben (4,20). Wenn wir also die Dinge befolgen, von denen er vor 5,13 schreibt, können wir wissen, wir haben ewiges Leben. In 1 Kor 4,4-5 sehen wir, dass Gott uns einmal richten wird.
(Quelle: www.saintjoe.com)
"Und wenn ich prophetisch reden könnte und alle Geheimnisse wüsste und alle Erkenntnis hätte; wenn ich alle Glaubenskraft besäße und Berge damit versetzen könnte, hätte aber die Liebe nicht, wäre ich nichts." (1 Kor 13,2 - Einheitsübersetzung)
Hier steht doch tatsächlich, dass uns all unser Glaube nichts hilft, wenn wir nicht auch Liebe haben! Wenn also der Glaube alleine zu unserer Errettung ausreichen würde, wozu bräuchten wir dann noch die Liebe?
Nein, der Glaube ist ein Gnadengeschenk Gottes, das von uns in freier Entscheidung angenommen und beantwortet wird - der Glaube alleine aber hilft uns nichts.
Und wenn Jakobus sagt, dass Glaube ohne Werke tot sei, so ist es nicht ein "anderer Glaube", eine "andere Rechtfertigung", die er hier meint, sondern andere Werke - er meint nicht das levitische Gesetz (Beschneidung usw.), sondern aus dem Zusammenhang geht klar hervor, dass er von guten Werken der Nächstenliebe spricht.
Ein Glaube ohne diese Werke der Liebe ist wert- und fruchtlos Es kommt darauf an, "den Glauben zu haben, der in der Liebe wirksam ist." (Gal 5,6 - Einheitsübersetzung)!
Kol 1,24: "Jetzt freue ich mich in den Leiden, die ich für euch ertrage. Für den Leib Christ, die Kirche, ergänze ich in meinem irdischen Leben das, was an den Leiden Christi noch fehlt." (Einheitsübersetzung)
Christen glauben, dass Jesu Leiden und Tod am Kreuz ausreichend waren, damit uns unsere Sünden vergeben wurden. Die Sünden der ganzen Welt. Warum sagt aber hier der Hl. Paulus, dass an den Leiden Christi noch etwas fehlt? Die Antwort findet sich allein in der mittlerweile 2.000 Jahre alten katholischen Lehreüber unsere Teilnahme an Jesu Werk der Erlösung.
Wenn es an das Thema Leiden geht, haben viele protestantische Kirchen unbefriedigende Antworten. Wir müssen laut so einigen Evangelikalen nur Jesus als unseren persönlichen Herrn und Retter annehmen, um gerettet zu werden. Leiden sei nur ein Ausdruck des menschlichen Wesens, daswir eben aushalten müssten, ohne dass wir oder andere irgendetwas davon hätten.
Die Katholische Kirche hingegen lehrt, dass jeder durch die Taufe teil hat an Jesu ewigen Priestertum, und unsere Gebete,Werke, ja sogar unser Leiden vollenden Jesu Werk der Erlösung. Das ist wesentlich für die Mitgliedschaft in der Gemeinschaft der Heiligen. Genau darüber schreibt der Hl. Paulus hier.
Er sagt hier ganz deutlich, dass er sich feut in den Leiden, die er für andere erträgt. Der Hl.Paulus würde sich aber an nichts erfreuen und schon gar nicht darüber schreiben, wenn es nicht Jesu Werk der Erlösung voranbringen würde. Das Leiden des Hl. Paulus ist nicht für ihn selbst gedacht, sondern für andere Glieder der Kirche. Seine Freude über die Teilnahme am Werk der Erlösung durch sein Leiden beruht darauf, weil sein Leiden anderen hilft (er empfindet also keine Freude über den Schmerz des Leidens an sich). Erst im Kontext des mystischen Leib Christi macht seine Lehre Sinn.
Der Hl. Paulus erklärt, er ergänze, was an den Leiden Christi noch fehlt. Er tut das aber nicht zum Wohl von Jesus selbst, denn Jesu Leiden waren ausreichend für unsere Erlösung. Er könnte der Macht dieser Leiden nichts hinzufügen. Er sagt uns, dass er dies zum Wohle der Kirche tue, des mystischen Körpers also, dessen Haupt Jesu ist. Der Grund dafür: Gott will, dass wir an Jesu Leiden teilhaben, um das Werk Seiner Erlösung voranzubringen. In und für die Kirche also erlaubt uns Jesus, an Seinem Leiden teil zu haben und unser Leiden mit dem Seinen zu verbinden, um so den Willen des Vaters zu erfüllen. In und durch die Taufe, durch die wir die Gotteskindschaft erhalten und Teil an Jesu Priestertum nehmen, können wir Jesu Werk der Erlösung voran bringen.
Was müssen wir also tun, um wie der Hl.Paulus durch unser Leiden das zu ergänzen, was an Jesu' Leiden noch fehlt - zum Wohle der Kirche? Wir übergeben Gott unser Leiden als ein Opfer des Lobpreises Gottes. Anstatt also nur einfach still vor sich hin zu leiden, lassen wir das Leiden durch unser Gebet sogar zu, um Christi Werk der Erlösung voran zu bringen. Das ist das Leiden, worüber sich der Hl.Paulus freut und genau deshalb ist es auch so wichtig, wie wir mit dem Leiden umgehen. Ein solches Leiden ist nicht nur für die Betroffenen von Vorteil, sondern für alle Glieder im Leib Christi, der Kirche. Es gibt kein schlimmeres Leiden als vergeudetes Leiden.
Allein die Katholische Kirche hat dies 2.000 Jahre lang gelehrt!
(Quelle: http://www.scripturecatholic.com/my_top_ten.html)
Ja, in und durch Jesus finden wir Erlösung. Unser menschlicher Stolz muss dabei aber verkraften können, dass wir keine Menschen zu Jesus mehr bringen müssen,da Er schon da ist. Vielleicht müssen wir einfach nur aus dem Weg gehen, damit Jesus auch retten kann!
Was wir allerdings tun können und auch sollen, ist, Menschen, die dies möchten, dabei zu helfen, Jesus zu finden (indem wir Ihnen etwa über Ihn erzählen oder durch unser eigenes Leben ein Glaubenszeugnis geben), Ihn zu erkennen und mögliche Hindernisse auf dem Weg zu Jesus beseitigen helfen.
Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall. 1Cor 10:12
Now someone approached him and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?" He answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matt 19:16-17)
"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live." Luke 10:25-28
"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life." John 5:24
"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day." John 6:54
"You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved." Matt 10:22
"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned." Mark 16:16
Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. John 3:5
(Quelle: http://www.infpage.com/concordance/additional.htm)
The two words, "salvation" and "being saved" in the New Testament are the words, soterion, a noun (denoting deliverance, preservation, salvation), and, sozo, a verb (denoting to save).
Both words have a number of meanings, determined by the varying contexts in which the words are used.
In a first and basic sense, the word "salvation" virtually stands for Jesus Christ, Savior, by whose act of salvation, we are saved.
In a second sense, the words, "salvation" and "being saved," are also used of the present experience, God's power to deliver from the bondage of sin.
In a third sense, "salvation" and "being saved" are also used for the future deliverance of believers at the Second Coming of Christ. This salvation is the object of the confident hope of the saints.
(Quelle: http://romanticcatholic.com/apologetics.html - used with permission)
The Catholic Christian answers this question in three stages or levels corresponding to the three meanings the words "saved" and "salvation" have in the Bible. (These meanings are found in the previous section, "Salvation: A Biblical Portrait." )
Catholic Christians can respond that they have been saved. This acknowledges the first meaning of "saved" and "salvation" in scripture--Jesus Christ, Savior, by whose act of salvation we are objectively saved--He died, rose from the dead, saved them from sin.
Catholic Christians can also respond that they are being saved. This acknowledges the second meaning "saved" and "salvation" have in scripture--the present experience, God's power delivering constantly from the bondage of sin.
Catholic Christians also respond that they will be saved, that they have hope and confidence that God will give them the grace of perseverance; that they will respond to it; and accept his gift of salvation until their death. This acknowledges the third meaning the words "saved" and "salvation" have in scripture--the future deliverance of believers at the Second Coming of Christ.
(Quelle: http://romanticcatholic.com/apologetics.html - used with permission)
In light of the emphasis of contemporary evangelicalism on the role or place of a personal relationship with Christ, it behooves the authors to put this emphasis in an historical perspective, in this appendix.
Some Catholic Christians and some non-believers are often heard to say that the Church never taught that a "personal relationship with Christ" was necessary for salvation.
The term "personal relationship" is, first of all, not biblical. Neither word nor the compound phrase is found in the Bible. But then, neither are such terms as "Trinity", "Incarnation", "Eucharist", "Lord's Supper", etc., found in the Bible. The expression "personal relationship" comes neither from the language of the Bible nor from the history of Christian faith. The expression comes from the humanist psychology of the last hundred years, principally that of Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and Eric Fromm. It also has its roots in over emphasis on the attitude of rugged individualism of the early development of America.
In using the expression "personal relationship" there is a danger in attempting to harmonize the formulas of the Bible with the formulas of psychology, psychiatry, and/or American nationalism. The language of the Bible and the languages of psychology, psychiatry, and nationalism reflect divergent perceptions and conceptualizations. Attempting to treat them as identical can only be artificial.
How did the Catholic Church of the past and how does the Church of the present teach the relationship each Christian must have with his or her Lord and Savior?
Many see the foundation for a personal relationship with Jesus implicit in John chapter three.
Nicodemus, as Christians to follow for all ages, asked Jesus in return what was it that will allow a man to be "begotten from above." Jesus answered him repeating Himself:
Again Nicodemus presses Jesus for a further explanation. Jesus answers only that belief and action - deeds, works done in God - will accomplish what is required.
But Jesus seems not to be entirely clear on the requirements. But as the Church has taught through all ages, all of the Bible does present clear requirements for the Christian's relationship to Jesus.
The Catholic Church, using explicit Scriptures, has always found that the basis of a personal relationship with Jesus begins at the origin of the Christian life. The Church, from Pentecost onward, examines the language of Christ and Sacred Scriptures and the content of that language for God's desire for the Christian's relationship to Him. The Church begins at the beginning of life as a Christian.
The origin of the life of a Christian and of Christian perfection to which the Bible constantly calls us, is the Heavenly Father, Who communicates His life through the Son, and through the Son, the Holy Spirit.
The initiative for the life of a Christian is a movement descending from the Father to men: the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit sanctifies man.
The movement descending from the Father to man touches man first in baptism.
Through this participation the Christian is a new creature living in an atmosphere clearly new.
This new life of the Christian is directly a participation in the life of Christ, is the life of a member, joined with the Head, in the Body of Christ which is the Church.
The movement through Christ in the Father, founded in participation in the divine life - the movement of life in its origin involves union with Christ and - through Christ - with the Father.
The new life of the Christian is an assimilation of God through Christ. This life begins in baptism.
The new life of the Christian is a personal gift of the Father.
The response to this personal communication in the Christian is the gift or the donation of self to God through Christ.
Corresponding to this ontological state, the Christian life is not to be lived for itself, but for Christ and - through Christ - for God.
How is this gift of self of the Christian to be made manifest? It is first manifested in service to God because service to God involves conformity to the divine will and also praise to God.
Christ is the model for the Christian of service in the divine will.
Jesus teaches us that obedience to the will of the Father is our calling.
The total earthly servitude of Christ consummated on the cross was praise and glory to God.
Just as with Christ, the servitude of the Christian is simultaneously praise to God.
The gift of the self for the Christian is the denial of self.
In the life of the Father through Christ, charity/love holds first place.
(Quelle: http://romanticcatholic.com/apologetics.html - used with permission)
Ever been asked the question: “If you were to die tonight do you have absolute assurance that you will go to Heaven?”
That’s a question that many Evangelicals use when approaching Catholics to try and start the process of pulling them out of the Catholic Church. I recently attended a seminar at Briarwood Presbyterian Church (PCA), which is one of the largest – if not the largest – Protestant churches in the Birmingham area. They were holding a series of classes over a several week period on various non-Christian belief systems. They had one on Atheism, on Islam, on Jehovah’s Witnesses, on Mormonism, and then guess which non-Christian faith tradition they covered after Mormonism? You got it! Roman Catholicism! (And please read “Roman Catholicism” with a sort of deep and sinister tone in your head.)
Well, I didn’t attend the other classes, but I did go to this one. And, one of the pieces of literature they handed out was on how to approach Catholics so as to witness to them about Jesus Christ. Below is first the text of the “approach” they suggested, and then my comments follow.
Challenge/Response/Strategy
“A Simple Approach in Witnessing [to Roman Catholics]”
1. Don’t attack Roman Catholicism!!!
2. Ask them the question, “Are you a Christian?” (They will probably answer, “Yes, I’m a Catholic.”)
3. Respond by saying, “Great, then do you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior?” (They will probably answer, “Yes”.)
4. Ask, “If you died tonight, do you know for sure that you have eternal life, that you will go to heaven and be with the Lord?” (They will probably respond that they hope so or they are trying, or how is it possible to know that.)
5. If they indicate that they don’t know for sure then ask: “What is it that separates us from God?” (The answer you want is sin: Rom 3:32, 6:23.)
6. Then ask, “Which sin of ours doesn’t Christ fully atone for?” (The answer should be none – He died for all our sins. 1 Pet 3:18; Heb 10:10–12; Rom 8:1; Rom 5:1.)
7. State: “To truly receive Christ as your Savior, you must trust in Him alone, that He took all of our sins on the cross that we might know that we have eternal life (1 John 5:11–13).”
My Response:
Well, we’re good up until Question #4. The first thing I do whenever someone asks me this question is to immediately ask them: “Where is that question in the Bible?” Where does Jesus, or Paul, or Peter, or James, or anyone else ask someone, “If you died tonight do you know for sure that you would go to Heaven?” Ask them to give you book, chapter, and verse. They can’t do it, because that question is not in the Bible. In other words, these “Bible–only” Christians have made up some sort of salvation test that is nowhere found in the Bible…it is a man–made invention.
Now, of course they’ll come up with some sort of reply to your question, and then get back to asking you to answer their question. So, when asked if you “know” that you would go to Heaven should you “die tonight,” go ahead and answer the question like this: ”I do not judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but that does not mean I am acquitted. It is the Lord Who judges me.”
Now, if they try and point out that the Bible says that we can “know” – which they interpret to mean “have absolute assurance” – that we are saved and heading to Heaven and, therefore, any one who is “really” a Christian would have absolute assurance of their salvation, then simply repeat, “I do not judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but that does not mean I am acquitted. It is the Lord Who judges me.” If they then imply, or come right out and say, that your response is faulty, or somehow wrong, or that your response indicates that you are not saved – which they will eventually do – then simply point out that your response is almost an exact quote from Paul – 1 Cor 4:3–4. Tell them you are simply answering their non–scriptural question with a quote from Scripture itself. And, if they take that to somehow mean that you are not saved, then they are directly insinuating that Paul himself must not have been saved…because those are Paul’s words!
Or, another option would be to simply say, “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed, lest he fall.” Again, this is a direct quote from Paul (1 Cor 10:12), that will throw your questioner for a loop.
Now, if you want to get all the way throug h the test, rather than engaging in battle at Question #4, you could simply answer #4 with something like this: “I am not the judge of such things, God is.” Which is basically what Paul is saying, but since it’s not a direct quote from Scripture they may not recognize that you have responded with a solid scriptural principle – God is our judge, we are not.
So, let’s say you answer #4 with, “I am not my own judge, God is,” and they then interpret that as the poor little Catholic taking the bait and they move in to spring the trap with question #5, “What is it that separates us from God?” And you, quite rightly, answer with, “Sin.” They then think they’ve sealed the deal with Question #6, “Which sin of ours doesn’t Christ fully atone for?”
What do you do? How do you respond?
What I would say in response to the question: “Which sin of ours doesn’t Christ fully atone for,” is this: “The unrepented one.” Now, Christ did indeed atone for all of our sins, repented and unrepented; however, the atonement is not applied to the unrepented sins. So turn around and ask your questioner this: “Does Christ forgive YOUR unrepented sins?” Now this could present quite a problem to your questioner, because this person, based on the fact that they asked you this series of questions, undoubtedly believes not only in salvation by faith alone, but also in the dogma of once saved, always saved. In other words, they believe that once they’ve accepted Jesus, they are going to Heaven no matter what they do after that.
So, because they believe in once saved, always saved, they have to believe that Christ forgives their sins whether they repent of them or not. Yet, if they answer your question with a, “Yes,” Christ does indeed forgive their unrepented sins, they are flying in the face of Scripture: 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” “If,” we confess our sins. If we repent. If we don’t, we are not forgiven. If we are not forgiven, we are not saved. This can also be very clearly seen in Jesus’ words to the seven churches in Rev 2 and 3.
But, if they answer in accord with Scripture and say, “No,” Christ does not forgive their unrepented sins, then how can they believe in once saved, always saved? Because once they’re saved, they could always commit a sin for which they do not repent. God does not force us to repent. Repentance is not automatic, even for a Christian. And, if they have a sin for which they h aven’t repented, which means it hasn’t been forgiven, which means they have lost their salvation since, as they pointed out earlier, sin separates us from Christ…then how can once saved always saved be true?
Now, as in any of these situations, they will have undoubtedly have a response…words will come out of their mouths. But, I can guarantee you that it is not a response that will make much scriptural sense. So, no matter what they say in response to your question, examine it very carefully because it will not be consistent either with Scripture, or with one of their earlier statements. There will be a disconnect…an inconsistency…in what they say, guaranteed. You just have to pay attention and just keep coming back to your question until they have given you a logically and scripturally–consistent answer.
And, if they ever get to #7, tell them that you agree with that statement 100%. As a Catholic, we believe that we must trust in Christ and in Him alone for our salvation. We believe that His death on the cross paid the full price for our sins that we may know that we have eternal life. However, you don’t necessarily agree with their interpretation of the verses from Scripture that they are alluding to. Again, they interpret the word “know” as meaning “absolute assurance,” which, in fact, it does not necessarily mean, and they wring a “once saved, always saved” dogma out of the Scriptures that they are twisting in order to try and pull you out of the Church. Yet, the dogma of once saved, always saved, flies directly in the face of Scripture.
You can conclude by telling your questioner that you believe you were saved by God’s grace alone, but that now that you are saved, in order to run the race to the end, you need to cooperate with God’s grace in your l ife and produce good fruit, or you will be like the branches of the vine in John 15:1–6 that get cut off from the vine, thrown into the fire, and burned. And ask them if they believe they will remain a branch of the vine if they do not produce good fruit. See what they say…
In Conclusion
The guy that presented this class at Briarwood Presbyterian is a Protestant apologist who is known nationally for his work with cults – and, yes, he believes the Catholic Church is a cult. I proposed to him at the end of his class that we have a public “dialogue” at Briarwood Presbyterian so that both sides of the issue can be fairly presented. He agreed, and I’m waiting to see if he follows up. If not, I’ll soon follow up with him.
(Quelle: www.biblechristiansociety.com - used with permission)
Introduction
Every person asks himself/herself at some point the great questions of life: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? What is the point of my life? Is there a God? Does He care about me? Why is there so much suffering in the world? Are true peace, love and happiness really attainable in this life? What happens after death?
The stunning order, complexity and beauty of the world around us, as well as the deep longing for truth, beauty, and goodness within our own hearts point to the existence of God*. It would be absurd to think that this complex and beautiful universe could have come into existence billions of years ago as the result of some explosion caused by… nothing. From the order and beauty of creation we can know that there exists an intelligent and good Creator, an eternal and infinite Spirit, all-knowing, all-loving and all-powerful, distinct from our created world yet present and active in it at every moment. [1] Because He knows and loves, God is not just an impersonal cosmic force, but a personal God: not something but someone. And so from our own human experience we are able to come to know that this personal God exists. But in order that we may enter into real intimacy with him, God wished to reveal himself to man and give him the possibility to respond to Him by faith. [2] God has come to meet man*: He has spoken to us and revealed his plan of loving kindness for mankind, which the following pages will set out to briefly explain.
In the Beginning…
God is love, and out of the fullness of his love, he chose to create a world in which He could share his truth, goodness, and beauty. God created the invisible and visible world*. First, He created an invisible, spiritual world which is the world of the angels: intelligent, personal beings who are God’s servants and messengers. [3] He also created the visible world that we see around us, whose complexity and beauty reflect the wisdom, beauty, goodness and love of its Creator. The crown of God’s creation is man and woman* – us! – whom God created in his own image and likeness and called to share in his own life of love.
At the dawn of creation, God made a covenant with the first human couple and parents of the whole human race, Adam and Eve. [4] God, revealing himself as a loving Father*, adopted them as his son and daughter who would form His human family and would eternally share in His glory and love. The Bible tells us that God placed them in the Garden of Eden where they lived in perfect happiness. In their original state, as long as they remained in intimacy with God, they did not have to suffer and die. They also enjoyed a perfect inner harmony within themselves, with each other, and with all of creation. They knew the truth and purpose of their lives, which was to love God and each other; they knew the moral laws of creation and the way in which they had to live; and they shared in God’s life in a state of supernatural friendship with Him. [5]
Sin Enters the World
Yet this perfect state of peace and happiness did not last long. Some of the angels, led by Satan, radically rejected God and his reign and became evil: they are real, personal, spiritual beings who have been exerting a disastrous influence on the world ever since. [6] Under the form of a serpent, Satan tempted Adam and Eve and led them to disobey God’s commandment and sin* against Him*. In abusing their freedom, they preferred themselves to God, wanting to be “like God,” but “without God.” As a result, they lost God’s supernatural life and became subject to suffering and death. They lost the harmony within themselves and with creation that they had previously enjoyed and, becoming inclined to sin, they lost the way in which they were to live. Finally, they became afraid of God and lost sight of the truth by which they should live. [7] Cast out of paradise, Adam and Eve transmitted their wounded human nature deprived of God’s life to all mankind, and so we are now all subject to ignorance, suffering and death, and inclined to sin. [8] Our own experience confirms that we fall short of the life of freedom and love that God designed for us to live. The result of sin is not only broken commandments and a broken relationship with God, but also broken homes, broken hearts and broken lives.
God’s Covenants Restore the Human Family to Himself
Yet even after man sinned, God did not abandon him but promised a future victory over evil and man’s restoration from his fall. [9] How would God restore the human race to himself? He chose to reveal himself gradually to mankind through a series of covenants – formal, binding agreements and kinship bonds between God and man which are an exchange of mutual promises where each side must live up to their obligations.
God’s Covenants with Man
Mediator: Adam Noah Abraham Moses David Jesus
Role: Husband Father Chieftain Judge King Royal High Priest
Form: Marriage Household Tribe Nation Kingdom Catholic Church
Sign: Sabbath Rainbow Circumcision Passover Throne Eucharist
God’s first covenant with mankind, as we have seen, was with Adam, whom God called to the covenant of marriage with Eve with the command to “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen 1:28). The sign of this first covenant between God and man was the Sabbath (Gen 2:1-3), which pointed to the end for which he made us: to rest in our Father’s blessing, holiness and love, now and for all eternity.
After the sin of Adam and Eve, the earth quickly became very corrupted. Because of the great wickedness of men, God decided to destroy all humankind through a great flood and re-found the human family through one righteous man, Noah*, and his family. God’s renewed covenant with the human race grew to a household, and it was marked with the sign of the rainbow and with the same commandment to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Gen 9:1) as God had given to Adam and Eve.
The third major covenant that God made with mankind was with Abraham*, whom God called out of his native land to come to the land of Canaan, with the promise to make of his descendants a great nation, to make his “name” great, and to bless through him all families of the earth (Gen 12:1-3). With this covenant, which now included a whole tribe, God began to gather a people to himself, the chosen people of Israel. It was sealed with the sign of circumcision and tested when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his only-begotten son Isaac.
Abraham’s descendants eventually left Canaan for Egypt, where they grew to become a great nation but later became enslaved by Pharaoh. God used Moses* to deliver them out of slavery through the ten plagues which He inflicted upon Egypt. The sign of this new covenant was the Passover, where the Israelites were protected from the angel of death by sprinkling the blood of a young lamb on their doorposts. With the covenant at Mount Sinai, God made of Israel his chosen people and a holy nation called to be his witnesses to the whole world. He also gave them the Torah, his revealed law by which they should live in righteousness and justice.
God was faithful to his promise to Abraham and eventually brought Israel to the land that He promised them*. After many troubled years, David* became king of Israel, and God formed with him His next covenant. God promised David to build a worldwide kingdom that would rule in justice over all nations. David’s son Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem where not only Israelites but also people of all nations could come and worship the God of Israel.
How did God rule and lead his people in the time of the Davidic kingdom? First, He spoke to them through prophets who communicated his word of truth to them. Second, the people approached him through the mediation of priests who offered blood sacrifices in atonement for the sins of the people, and so mediated God’s forgiveness and God’s life. Third, God ruled through the king, David, who by being himself subject to the word of the prophets and to the sacrificial mediation of the priests, led his people to live in the way of righteousness and justice.
Because of Israel’s sins and idolatry, however, the kingdom went into decline. It was divided into a northern and southern kingdom* (Israel and Judah), and because of the wickedness of most of their rulers, both kingdoms were eventually conquered and the people exiled* – the northern kingdom by the Assyrians in 722 BCE, and the southern kingdom by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, who also destroyed the temple and the city of Jerusalem.
After 70 years, the Jews returned to Jerusalem* and rebuilt the Temple. But the kingdom was not restored, and for the next centuries great Messianic expectations* arose in Israel: the Jews hoped that the Messiah would come restore the Davidic kingdom and deliver Israel from all her enemies. The Hebrew Scriptures had much to say about this coming deliverer: they foretold that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah (Gen 49:10), would be a prophet like Moses (Deut 18:18) and a descendant of David (Jer 23:5-6). He would be called “Son of God” (Ps 2, Isa 9:6) and would be born of a virgin (Isa 7:14) in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2). He would work in Galilee (Isa 9:1-2) and perform miracles (Isa 35:5-6); he would enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Zech 9:9) but be rejected by his own people (Ps 118:22-23). He would be beaten, spat upon, and pierced (Is 50:6, Zech 12:10) and sacrificed for the sins of his people (Isa 53). The prophet Daniel even foretold with great precision that this Messiah would come at the time of the Roman Empire and would be “cut off” some time before the destruction of the temple (Dan 2, 9:24-27).
The Messiah and Son of God
Around the year 7 BCE, the angel Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish virgin in Nazareth named Miriam (Mary) and announced her that she would bear a son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, who would be called Yeshua (Jesus)* , who would reign on the throne of David and be Savior of mankind. By saying “yes” to God’s plan, Mary allowed the Messiah to be born of her to accomplish the redemption of the world. [10] Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem of Judah, according to Micah’s prophecy, and he quietly grew up in Nazareth in obedience and submission to his earthly parents. [11]
At approximately the age of 30, Jesus began preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins, proclaiming that the kingdom of God had come. [12] In his life, words and deeds*, Jesus showed his people what it meant to be part of the kingdom of God: He healed the sick, forgave sins, cast out demons and delivered people from the powers of evil, in fulfillment of the words of the prophet Isaiah. [13] He revealed the love of God the Father and taught us how to live as His children: by loving one another and forgiving each other, by living in humility and trust in our heavenly Father who will provide for our every need. [14] Jesus also taught us about the reality of eternal life: that we are not meant to die but called to live forever with God in heaven. Jesus even raised people from the dead to show how he came to destroy the works of Satan and win the final victory over sin and death. [15] He said: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” [16] By these words he indicated that he had come to fully restore what we had lost in Adam, by assuming the three roles by which God ruled His people at the time of the Davidic kingdom: As king he shows us the way in which we are to live - by humbly serving each other. As prophet, he tells us the truth of our identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. And as priest, he calls us to share in his own supernatural and eternal life.
Yet the victory over sin and death would not be won by Jesus’ life and deeds, but rather by his own death. His powerful ministry and authoritative teaching caused serious conflicts with the Jewish religious authorities who soon sought to kill him. Jesus’ rejection, crucifixion and death was not an unexpected failure in his ministry, but rather the central event of the history of salvation that God had planned since the foundation of the world. [17] Jesus was fully aware that he had come to freely give his life as an atoning sacrifice to God the Father for the sins of mankind, to undo Adam’s disobedience by reconciling us with God and restoring in us His divine life. [18] Jesus is called the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Just as the Passover lamb had initiated Israel’s Exodus out of Egyptian slavery, Jesus self-offering as Paschal sacrifice initiated a New Exodus for all mankind, the deliverance from the slavery of sin and death.
And so at his last Passover meal, Jesus instituted a new covenant with the house of Israel, as it had been foretold by the prophet Jeremiah. [19] He gave a radically new meaning to the Passover at this Last Supper by instituting the Eucharist, which would become the memorial of his sacrificial death and the sign of the New Covenant he established. [20] Jesus fully accomplished our redemption through the Paschal Mystery* - his passion, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. After eating the Passover with his disciples, he was betrayed by one of them, delivered to the Roman authorities, and condemned to death by crucifixion. And so the Savior and Son of God shed his blood, suffered an agonizing death on the cross, and was buried out of love for us in order to accomplish our redemption.
Yet Jesus did not remain in the grave! On the third day, Jesus’ victory over sin and death became manifest when God raised him from the dead. By his resurrection, the Messiah opened the way back to heaven and won for us eternal life. For forty days, Jesus physically appeared to his astonished disciples and to hundreds of witnesses, teaching them how everything that had happened was according to the words of Moses and the prophets. [21] After these forty days, he ascended to heaven and returned to God the Father, but not before promising that he would remain with them always through the presence of the Holy Spirit. [22]
The Birth of the Church
While he was on earth, Jesus did not work alone but chose 12 apostles to share in his own authority and mission of preaching the gospel, healing the sick, and casting out demons. [23] He told them: “He who hears you hears me; he who rejects you rejects me” (Lk 10:16). Before Jesus left the earth and returned to God the Father, he commanded them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. [24]
Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, on the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost), the Holy Spirit descended onto the disciples in the form of tongues of fire. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to preach to the Jews gathered in Jerusalem that the Messiah had come, had died and had risen to grant the forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who would repent, believe and be baptized. 3,000 people were added to them that day and the Church* was born. On the first feast of Shavuot at Sinai, God had given to Israel the Torah, written on tablets of stone. Now on this new feast of Shavuot He gave to Israel the New Law written on their hearts: the gift of the Holy Spirit and indwelling presence of God in the hearts of those who believed and were baptized. [25]
The Revelation of the Incarnation and Trinity
As Jesus lived among his people, teaching them about the kingdom of God and manifesting it through his forgiving sins and healing the sick, people inevitably asked: who is that man? Gradually, his disciples and followers – and opponents – realized that Jesus claimed that He was God*. [26] He confirmed the truth of this claim by his resurrection from the dead, which led to the apostle Thomas’ confession of faith: “My Lord and my God!” [27] Later, at Pentecost, the disciples experienced yet another manifestation of God, now dwelling within them through the Holy Spirit. How were these first Jewish believers to make sense of this new revelation of the inner mystery of the one God of Israel? God the Father had revealed Himself long ago to their forefathers on Mount Sinai. But now they had encountered the same God “with a human face,” walking alongside them as the man Jesus of Nazareth. Thirdly, they now experienced again the same God dwelling within them as the Holy Spirit! This gradually led the early Church to understand that the one God of Israel had now revealed Himself to be an eternal communion of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose inner life is love. With the coming of the New Covenant, God now called his human family to share in His own divine life of love. [28] God the Father had made the plan for us to participate in His Trinitarian life by sending us the Son. The Son made the plan effective and gave us access to it by sending the Holy Spirit. And now the Holy Spirit effects the plan and makes it work through the Church, which dispenses to us God’s way, truth and life. This eternal tri-une nature of God, newly disclosed by the New Covenant, is what the Church later called the Blessed Trinity*.
Jews and Gentiles (Temporarily) Reconciled
Initially the nascent Church was entirely composed of Jews. It was clear to the first Jewish-Christians that Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, had not come to establish a new religion detached from their Jewish heritage, but rather had come to fulfill everything that had been announced by Moses and the prophets. [29] Soon, however, the Lord revealed that the Church was also to include Gentiles. Jesus had come to break down the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles and reconcile them together. Gentiles could now be joined to the household of faith and commonwealth of Israel without having to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses. [30] At the same time, Jewish-Christians were not compelled to abandon the faith and traditions of their ancestors: Jesus had not come to abolish the Torah; He had come to fulfill it, and so Jewish-Christians were free to continue to live as observant Jews, as long as they understood that they were saved not by their observance of the Torah but by the Messiah's work of redemption. [31] Sadly, this ideal of reconciliation and charitable coexistence between Jew and Gentile was lost in the first centuries of the Church. But in recent years there has been a renewed understanding of how Jews and Gentiles are called to unity within the one Church, while still maintaining their own distinct identity, role and traditions.
What is the Church?
What is this Church that the Messiah of Israel came to establish?
The Church is, first, God’s People and God’s family, which He calls together from all the ends of the earth to reconcile to Himself. [32] It is also the seed and beginning of the Kingdom of God that will become fully manifest at the end of times. [33] The Church is both a human and a divine institution, both visible and spiritual: it is a structured and hierarchical organization through which God communicates truth and grace to all men. It is also the mystery of men’s union with God, the visible plan of God’s love for humanity, the mystical Body and bride of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. [34]
Today, many different groups and communities claim to represent the “true” or “original” Christianity that is most faithful to Jesus’ teachings. However, only one universal Christian Church has existed since the time of Jesus: the Catholic Church, which is today the largest Church in the world. The Catholic Church’s uniqueness is seen in four marks that make her truly unique: She is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic
The Church is One
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:4-6).
Jesus established one Church, not a collection of denominations. And so His Church teaches one set of doctrines, the same as those taught by the apostles. In a world ridden with divisions and wars, the Catholic Church has passed unchanged through all the changes of history, proposing the same unity of faith, worship, and moral life in every age, country, and civilization.
How could the Church have preserved such a miraculous unity through 2,000 years of history? The Church is one because of…
her source: in the Trinitarian unity of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
her founder: Jesus the Messiah, who has come to restore the unity of all in one people and one body;
her “soul”: the Holy Spirit, who brings about the wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together in Messiah;
her visible bonds of communion: a) the profession of one faith received from the apostles, b) the common celebration of divine worship, especially of the seven sacraments; c) the united leadership and government of the Church guaranteed by the apostolic succession and college of bishops in union with pope. [35]
The Church is Holy
Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Eph 5:25-27)
When we look at some periods in the history of the Church, it might seem strange to call her “holy.” The Church is made of sinners, and certainly, the holiness of the Church does not mean that each of her members was or is always holy. Jesus said there would be both good and bad members in the Church, and not all the members would go to heaven. [36] Yet He also told us: “Be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” [37] God calls every human being to attain holiness and perfection, for only in holiness can we find true freedom and happiness.
How, then, is the Church holy? She is holy in her union with the Messiah who, perfectly holy, loved the Church, joined himself to her as his Bride to sanctify her, and gave her the gift of the Holy Spirit. United with Christ, the Church is sanctified by him; through him and with him she becomes sanctifying. By his grace Jesus makes the Church holy, as he is holy. [38]
We can see the Church’s holiness:
in her teaching, which has never swerved from the highest moral standard;
in her seven sacraments, the principal means of sanctification which give us the power to grow in holiness, and especially the Eucharist, the Lord’s own body and blood, soul and divinity, which He gives to us under the appearance of bread and wine;
in her saints, who loved and served man heroically because they first loved and served God heroically, and showed us through their joyful lives, sometimes facing the greatest trials, that holiness is truly attainable.
The fact that there are bad Catholics, therefore, does not take away from the holiness of the Church, since the Church, “clasping sinners to her bosom, at once holy and always in need of purification, follows constantly the path of penance and renewal.” [39]
The Church is Catholic (Universal)
“You have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Rev 5:9)
Jesus’ Church is called catholic (“universal”) because it is his gift to all people. She has been sent out by the Messiah on a mission to the whole of the human race in every time and place, and has succeeded in uniting hundreds of millions of people differing in race, culture, education and interests, all the while retaining the richness of great diversity among the different peoples and cultures.
All men are called to belong to the new people of God so that they may be saved from sin and form one family united in Messiah. [40] And so the Church is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages so that all of God’s scattered children may be gathered as one and may find salvation in God’s family. [41] The Church has been called the “Catholic Church” at least as early as the year 107 by the Church Father Ignatius of Antioch.
The Church is Apostolic
The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Tim 2:2)
Jesus built the Church on the foundation of the apostles, who directly heard his teachings and were witnesses of his deeds, miracles, and especially of his resurrection. [42] In them, Jesus continues his own mission: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” [43] The apostolic office did not end with the death of the apostles but continues until the end of time through their successors, the bishops of the Church, who have since the first century faithfully handed on what the apostles taught in an unbroken line of apostolic succession. [44]
Jesus gave Peter special authority among the apostles and signified this by changing his name from Simon to Peter (“Kephas”), which means “rock.” He said Peter was to be the rock on which he would build his Church. The Messiah gave Peter the “keys of the kingdom” and promised that his decisions would be binding in heaven. [45] Jesus, the Good Shepherd, also called Peter to be the chief shepherd of his Church and gave him the task of strengthening the other apostles in their faith, ensuring that the faith of the Church would never go astray. Peter led the Church in proclaiming the gospel and making decisions. [46] Like the office of apostles, the role of chief shepherd of the Church did not end with the death of Peter, but continued with his successors. The Pope*, the successor of Peter as bishop of Rome, is the source and foundation of the unity of the Body of Messiah. [47] Though he is a weak human being like the rest of us, he is guided by the Lord’s special guarantee to Peter that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail” against the Church. The Church has remained one, holy, catholic and apostolic not through man’s effort, but because God preserves the Church he established.
Finding the Way, the Truth and the Life Today
The Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth. (Jn 16:13)
“…the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” (1 Tim 3:15)
How does God speak to us today? At the time of the Exodus, God guided the Israelites with a pillar of fire to light their way across the dark wilderness. [48] Today He guides us through the Catholic Church, the “pillar and foundation of truth” which Jesus promised to guide into all truth. [49]
Before He left the earth, Jesus passed on to the Church the three roles of king, prophet, and priest, which he assumed, and which continue to convey to us the way, the truth and the life which Adam and Eve had lost:
The words of Sacred Scripture communicate to us God’s truth (prophetic role).
The Church’s liturgy and sacraments most faithfully express the Church’s sacred Tradition and convey to us God’s life (priestly role).
The Pope and the college of bishops, as successors of Peter and the apostles, guide us in interpreting the Scriptures and in showing us the way how to live (kingly role).
Receiving God’s Life on the Journey towards Heaven
In the Exodus, Moses led the Israelites from the slavery of sin through the Sinai desert into the Promised Land. Now, with the “New Exodus,” Jesus delivers us from the slavery of sin and leads us through the ‘desert’ of this life to our eternal Promised Land – heaven. He has provided the seven sacraments* to heal, feed and strengthen us on this journey so that we may safely reach our heavenly destination. The sacraments are not just symbols, but signs that actually convey God’s grace and love to us.
When the Israelites left Egypt, they crossed the waters of the Red Sea, leaving their enemies behind. When we leave the slavery of sin, we go through the waters of Baptism* and are reborn with Christ to new life.
Israel received the Law at Sinai, which made them a people united for the service of God. The sacrament of Confirmation* perfects our baptismal grace and gives us the Holy Spirit to incorporate us more firmly into Christ and strengthen our bond with the Church.
God provided bread to the Israelites to sustain them during their wanderings in the desert. Now Jesus provides us with spiritual bread that nourishes us on our journey towards heaven - the Eucharist*, which is his own body and blood.
During the Exodus, the people received forgiveness for their sins through the sacrifice of animals and mediation of priests. Jesus, as paschal sacrifice and high priest who brought the forgiveness of sins to mankind, entrusted the power of absolution to the apostles and their successors, and today the forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism is received through them in the sacrament of Reconciliation (or Confession)* .
During the Exodus, God promised the Israelites that He would heal them from their illnesses: “I am the Lord who heals you.” [50] Jesus healed every sickness and every disease during his earthly ministry. Today, by the Anointing of the Sick* the Church commends those who are ill to the Lord, that he may raise them up and save them.
God’s covenant with Israel was seen as an exclusive and faithful married love. Christian Matrimony* is a sign of the union between Christ and the Church, where a man and a woman establish between themselves a life-long partnership for their good and for the procreation and education of offspring.
God made Israel a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. But He also set apart the tribe of Levi and the Aaronic priests for liturgical service. At the Last Supper, Jesus made his apostles priests of the New Covenant. Their successors, the bishops, perpetuate this new priesthood in the sacrament of Holy Orders*.
The Communion of Saints and Miriam, our Mother
As we journey on our earthly pilgrimage towards our heavenly destiny, God has not left alone. Not only did Jesus promise to always remain with us through His Holy Spirit, [51] we are also accompanied by a great cloud of witnesses – “the spirits of just men made perfect” – the saints* who have preceded us in this life and who continue to pray for us from heaven. [52] Among the saints, Jesus most especially gave us His mother Miriam (Mary)*, whom God saved from all sin and made uniquely blessed among all women, as our own mother who loves us and cares for us,. [53]
Our Eternal Destiny
God has made us for heaven – the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings and the state of supreme definitive happiness where we will be with God forever. Heaven is our destiny. Yet the journey to heaven is a difficult one. We must accept God’s offer of salvation in Jesus, and faithfully cooperate with his grace so that we may be purged from all sin and made perfectly holy before we can enter heaven. It is not enough to have faith in Jesus*; we must also obey his commandments*. And only “he who endures until the end shall be saved.” [54]
At death, each will undergo a particular judgment* and will be rewarded according to his works of faith. [55] Those who die in God’s grace and friendship, but are still imperfectly purified, are assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. [56]
But serious sins can exclude us from heaven. To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s love in Jesus means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This is hell, the definitive self-exclusion from God and from the blessed. [57] Yet God does not wish that anyone go to hell. Therefore it is all the more urgent for us to accept His great offer of salvation in Jesus the Messiah and his Church.
The End of Times
At the end of times, Jesus will come again* to judge the world. Our bodies will be resurrected and the kingdom of God will come in its fullness. God will create a new heavens and a new earth, and redeemed humanity will return to the tree of life which was lost in the Garden of Eden. [58] God’s children, having come to the perfection of love, will enjoy a state of happiness much greater than in the first paradise, living and dwelling in God himself and sharing in His love forever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Rom 1:19-20, CCC 32
[2] CCC 35
[3] CCC 328-336
[4] CCC 360
[5] Gen 2, CCC 374-378
[6] CCC 391-395
[7] Gen 3, CCC 396-401
[8] CCC 402-406
[9] Gen 3:15, CCC 410-412
[10] Luke 1:26:38
[11] Mat 2:1, 23
[12] Mat 4:17
[13] Isa 61:1
[14] Mat 5-7
[15] John 11
[16] John 14:6
[17] 1 Pet 1:20
[18] Mat 16:21
[19] Jer 31:31
[20] Luke 22:19-20
[21] Luke 24:25-35, Acts 1:3
[22] John 14:16-18, Mat 28:20
[23] Mt 10:5, CCC 858
[24] Mt 28:19-20
[25] Ezek 36:26-27
[26] Mt 16:16, Jn 10:33
[27] Jn 20:28
[28] 2 Pet 1:4
[29] Lk 24:27
[30] Eph 2:11-13, Acts 15
[31] Mt 5:17-20, Acts 21:20-24, Gal 2:16
[32] CCC 751-52
[33] CCC 764
[34] CCC 771-76, 790-91, 796-97
[35] CCC 813-15
[36] Jn 6:70, Mt 7:21-23, Mt 13:24-30, 37-43, 47-50
[37] Mt 5:48
[38] CCC 823-24
[39] LG 8, CCC 827
[40] CCC 804
[41] CCC 831
[42] Eph 2:20, CCC 860
[43] Jn 20:21, CCC 858
[44] Acts 1:15-26, CCC 860-61
[45] Jn 1:42, Mt 16:18
[46] Jn 21:15-17, Lk 22:31-32, Acts 2:1-41, 15:7-12.
[47] CCC 882
[48] Ex 13:21
[49] Jn 16:12-13
[50] Ex 15:26
[51] Mt 28:20, Jn 14:16-18
[52] Heb 12:1,23, Rev 5:8
[53] Luke 1:28,42
[54] Luke 6:46, Mt 7:21-23, 24:13
[55] Mt 16:27, 25:31-46
[56] CCC 1030
[57] CCC 1033
[58] Rev 21-22
(Quelle: Catholic for Israel - http://www.israelcatholic.com/)
Topic: Apologetics for the Masses - Issue #136
(printed with permission)
A couple of things to mention – Brand new talk and upcoming speaking engagement:
IntroductionIn this particular email, the pastor, who is a devotee of the once saved always saved dogma, is responding to a question our reader sent him about the Parable of the Prodigal Son. As I always teach folks to do, our reader used the words of the Prodigal Son’s father from Luke 15:24 (“for this my son was dead but is alive again,” to show that once saved always saved is false, and the pastor was responding to that.
I’ll put the pastor’s comments in italics, then I’ll give my response in bold. Read the parable (Luke 15:11-32), paying close attention to verse 24, and then read the newsletter.
Challenge/Response/Strategy
Pastor: First of all, I find it incredibly amusing that you resort to the parable of the Prodigal Son to support losing one’s salvation. I must admit that, in all of my reading on the subject of “falling from grace” and on the interpretation of this parable, I have never seen it so wrongly handled.
My Response: By what authority do you declare this interpretation of the Parable of the Prodigal Son to be wrong? Are you infallibl e in your interpretation of Scripture? Are you an authentic interpreter of Scripture? If so, how so? If not, then could you be wrong when you judge this particular interpretation to be wrong? After all, you’ve admitted to changing your views on other issues in the past, so you must have realized you were wrong in what you believed, and so you changed those beliefs. So, is there at least the possibility you could be wrong on this? Also, do you or do you not believe that everyone has the right to pick up the Bible and decide for themselves, as they feel guided by the Holy Spirit, as to what the words of Scripture are saying? Or, do you believe that only those who agree with your interpretation of Scripture have the right to read and interpret Scripture for themselves?
Strategy: The key word here is “interpretation.” Remember the “But That’s My Interpretation,” strategy. How can this man say anyone’s interpretation of the Prodigal Son, or any other passage of Scripture is wrong when, by one of the main pillars of his belief system, he believes everyone has the right to pick up the Bible and read it for themselves to decide for themselves what each and every verse means, without answering to any outside authority? He can say he “disagrees” with the interpretation, but he cannot say it is “wrong,” without betraying himself as a hypocrite. He believes you can, and should, read the Bible for yourself to decide for yourself what it says, but when someone does that and comes up with an interpretation that is contrary to his, that other person is declared to be wrong, and apparently infallibly so! Wel l, how can they be wrong if they have the authority to read the Bible and decide for themselves?! Hypocrite!
Pastor: Really, I could make just one point and it would suffice. You build your whole case around the fact that he was “dead.” Indeed, that’s the graphic language used by the father. But where does it say that he was ever not his son? In fact, when the son tried to say that he was “no longer worthy to be called” his father’s son, the father brushed him aside and awarded him the symbols of complete sonship. Even the son knew he was still his son. He just thought he was no longer worthy to be “called” his son. Nice try.
My Response:
What,
pray tell, do you think the “graphic language” used by the father to
describe his son as being “dead,” meant? Is it completely irrelevant
to the point of the parable? Was the son still, biologically–speaking,
his father’s son? Of course he was. So what? Do you not know what a
Jew meant by declaring a family member “dead” to them, even though that
family member was still living? I think you probably do, but you seem
to choose to ignore that in your argument here. For a Jew to declare a
family member as being “dead,” even though they were still alive, meant
that they were cut off from the father’s household. They were cut off
from the father. Cut
off from the family. Cut off from any and all rights regarding the
family, regarding their birthright, regarding their inheritance. They
were, for all practical purposes, dead to the father…dead to the
family. Was the prodigal son still the biological son? Yes. But, was
he cut off from the father and all that the father had? Yes. So,
while you are correct, he was still his father’s biological son, you
seem to completely ignore the fact that he was cut off from the
father’s house.
So, I
ask you, what does it mean when the father in the parable says that his
son was “dead.” You seem to think it is completel y irrelevant to the
story. If God the Father – whom I believe you will agree is
represented by the father in the parable – said that you, Pastor, were
“dead” to Him, what would that mean? Would being cut off from the
household of God be no big deal to you? Would being persona non grata
to God mean that you’re still saved? That is what your argument is
asserting, that for someone to be “dead” to God the Father, to be cut
off from God the Father, means that they are still saved. To you,
“dead” equals “saved.” If you want an interpretation that is amusing,
I think that one qualifies.
Strategy: Ask questions. Take whatever someone puts in front of you and go over it with a fine–toothed, common sense comb. Don’t just accept what they say as the Gospel truth. At the surface, what he says might seem to make sense. But, as I’ve shown here, what he really did was completely ignore the fact that the father described the son as being dead. He makes mention that it was “graphic” language. So, he seems to recognize the seriousness of the father using such language to describe the prodigal son, but then he goes on to completely ignore the fact that the language the father used meant something, and that it is indeed relevant to the point being made. And, the conclusion he comes to, which he doesn’t explicitly mention because it is a pretty ridiculous conclusion, is that the son was “saved,” even though he was described as being dead. Being dead, in terms of salvation, means being unsaved…being lost.
Pastor: Additionally, this parable was not a theological treatise on the uncertainty of one’s salvation. To read that into it is unjustifiable. The parable was a rebuke of the self–righteous attitudes of the Pharisees which was depicted by the older brother. Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees and confronted them with their very ungodly attitudes toward the “sinners” of society. The ending of the parable shows that it was directed to the scribes and Pharisees. The self–righteous, judgmental attitude of the elder brother is in stark contrast to the greatness of God’s unconditional love for the outcas t of society. Nobody could have been more of an outcast than an apostate, immoral, swine–feeding Jew. He challenged them to cease their loveless ways and be merciful toward those so greatly in need of the mercy of God. He was not telling them about the intricacies of gaining and losing one’s salvation.
My Response:
So,
the Parable of the Prodigal Son was obviously misnamed, eh? It should
have been the Parable of the Jealous Older Brother, right? I mean, if
the whole point of the parable was focused on the reaction of the older
brother, then all of that stuff about the prodigal son leaving his
father’s house, di ssipating his inheritance on sinful living,
repenting of his ways and turning back to the father, the father saying
he was dead and then alive “again,”...well, all of that was basically
irrelevant to the story. It was all about the older brother! Sorry,
Pastor, but the main focus of this parable is salvation, not about how
the scribes and Pharisees should be nice to everyone! Yes, the
reaction of the older brother is an important part of the parable, but
it is not the main focus. Yes, the scribes and the Pharisees were who
the parable was addressed to, but the point Jesus was making to them is
that He came for sinners and that God rejoices over every sinner who
turns from their sinful ways. We see that as the main point of the
accompanying parables in Luke 15, do we not?
In other words, the point of the parable
is salvation. Was the main point about salvation that you could lose
it even after you’ve been saved? No. The main point was that
salvation is open to anyone who repents and turns to the Father, and
that God will rejoice over every repentant sinner. But, the Jews did
not believe in once saved always saved, and neither did anyone who
called themselves a Christian until the 1500’s, so of course it’s not
going to be the main point of the parable. However, whether it’s the
main point or not, it is still something that is part of the parable,
as it is part of the accompanying parables. The son was alive, he was
a member of his father’s household. He rejects the father – which is
what asking for his inheritance while his father was still living
means…that his father was dead to him – ; then he goes off and sins and
becomes “dead” to his father, no longer a part of the family, of the
household. Then, he repents and returns to his father and is alive
“again.” Alive, dead, alive again. Saved, unsaved, saved again. Look
at the accompanying parables in Luke 15. The lost sheep; the woman who
loses a coin. They are about finding the lost. They are about
salvation. Which brings me to an interesting question for you: In the
parable of the man who has 100 sheep, and one gets lost, would you say
that the lost sheep was “saved,” even though it is described as being
“lost”? Does “lost” mean “saved” in your lexicon, just like “dead”
means “saved” in your lexicon? I mean, if I use the same logic you
used in your interpr etation of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the
lost sheep must have been saved, right? After all, even though the
sheep was lost – like the prodigal son was lost – it was still that
man’s sheep – just like the prodigal son was still the father’s son,
right? The lost sheep still belonged to that same man, didn’t it? So,
it must have been saved, even though it was lost, right? Again, if you
want an amusing interpretation, your interpretation that results in
“lost” meaning “saved,” and in “dead” meaning “saved,” would certainly
qualify. Have you ever once interpreted the Parable of the Lost Sheep
to mean that the sheep was “saved,” even though it was lost?
I
would close by simply asking you, again, what did it mean when the
father described the son as being “dead.” In salvation terms, does
dead mean “saved?” What does it mean when the father describes the son
as having been “lost?” In salvation terms, does lost mean “saved?”
And, exactly what did it mean when the father said the son was alive
“again?” In salvation terms, what does it mean to be alive “again?”
One cannot be alive “again,” unless one is first alive, then dead, then
alive once more. If alive means saved, and if dead means still saved,
as your argument claims, then what does alive again mean? Why didn’t
the father say, ”...for this my son was still my son and is still
alive?” Why did he use the words “dead” and “alive again?” Lastly,
when the elder son, who you interpret as meaning the scribes and
Pharisees, when he refused to come into their father’s house at the end
of the parable, was he still saved? Were the scribes and Pharisees
still saved even though they rejected Jesus Christ? After all, they
were in covenant with God…sons of God…by virtue of their circumcision,
so they were still his sons even after they rejected Christ, right?
So, by your logic, they should still be saved, right? Once a son,
always a son, right? Once saved always saved, eh?
Kathpedia: Soteriologie
Karl-Leisner-Jugend: Erläuterungen zur evangelikalen Kritik an der Katholischen Kirche
Karl-Leisner-Jugend: Soteriologie
Kalr-Leisner-Jugend: Erlösung
kath-info: Erlösung
Vatikan: Gemeinsame Erklärung zur Rechtfertigungslehre
St. Josef: Wer an Christus glaubt, wird gerecht
New Advent: Salvation
Original Catholic Encyclopedia: Salvation
Catholic Answers: Are Catholics Born Again?
Catholic Answers: Assurance of Salvation?
Catholic Answers: How to Become a Catholic
Catholic Answers: Mortal Sin
Catholic Answers: The Necessity of Baptism
Catholic Answers: Reward and Merit
Catholic Answers: Salvation Outside the Church
Romantic Catholic: Apologetics
Catholic Information Network: Salvation
Bible Answers for Bible Christians: Salvation
Dave Armstrong: Salvation, Justification & "Faith Alone"
Coronum Catholic Apologetic Web Page: Once Saved NOT Always Saved (Church Fathers)
StayCatholic.com: The Early Church Fathers on Salvation Outside the Church
StayCatholic.com: The Early Church Fathers on Justification
CNA: Pope Benedict Explains St. Paul's Teaching on Justification to Thousands
