A Quick Note

I'm just writing to note that I haven't given up on this blog. It's a busy time, so there's been quite a pause after the last post, but that doesn't mean I won't write again - it just may have to wait until this weekend!

Excursus: The Pope

This is not exactly the topic I had planned to write about, but it is appropriate to the events. Lately, there's been an awful lot going on about the pope. Well, he will have been pope for five years tomorrow, so I guess that's appropriate, too. But I'd like to interact with some things being said. A popular 'topic' over here is the list of controversies since he's been pope, and I don't see why a lot of them are (controversies, that is).

So here goes:

First, that it was such surprise, what he preached on as pope the first World Youth Day - about the church being inviting, and that Christianity changes lives, rather than what one may and may not do, or about sexual morality. "One would not expect this from such a defender of the faith" was said over this. What? I'm sorry, he preached the core of Christianity, instead of legalism, so good for him!

Second, his quote about Islam - though it might not be politically correct today, the God of Christianity is not that of the Muslims, and we don't have common ground. He could even have made it his own express opinion, without being untrue to his post. The world just doesn't like it.

Third, the statement about the Protestants. Well, in his opinion, any church that's not Roman Catholic can't by definition be a church. He didn't say we're not Christians. I even see it the other way around - that the Catholics are a church in error, and so not the true church, but just the same I don't say they're not Christians. The pope and I would agree to disagree here, and yet meet in Christian love.

Fourth, the Good Friday prayer for the Jews. What's the big deal about that? A Christian prays fervently for everyone, that they recognize Christ as the savior. Jews included. So it's not saying anything different than the entire message of Christianity! If you take issue with this prayer, you have to take issue with the entire faith.

Fifth, the Pius-Brothers and Robinson. I'm relatively sure that the reabsorption was a church government thing, and unconnected to Robinson's statements on the Holocaust. As he should, the pope leaves the judging of crime regarding denying the Holocaust to the secular government (who, rightly, found Robinson guilty and fined him).

Sixth, the sex-abuse scandal. The pope takes a lot of heat here in Germany for not making comments on the situation. I'm sorry, is it concluded? Have the police even charged people yet? Or are they still investigating? (Here's a clue - to my knowledge no one has been officially charged yet!). The pope can't comment on something still open like this. Once guilt is proven, sure - but on plain accusation? Anyone can accuse, and the pope won't comment until the truths of the accusations are known.

Lastly, the church-renewing movement, this idea to allow female and married priests. You're not going to change the faith unless you convince the leadership out of scripture, and for Catholics, tradition. I as a Protestant wouldn't want pure human opinion to change my church! So respect to the pope, that he's not a weak political creature, craving approval, that he would be moved by petitions and protests, but remains true to what he believes.

So let's stop judging Christians, all Christians, by worldly standards, and judge them by the standards of Christ. Even when I disagree with the pope on some, or many positions he holds, I'm glad that he defends what he thinks is right, and stands up for Christ.

Monergism and Synergism

Well, this is kind of a follow-up post to the last one. There's a need to explain some of what I was talking about, and give a defense for it, so here goes:

Monergism - the idea that man's salvation is 100% God's work.

Synergism - the idea that man works together with God for salvation.

Now, right off the bat, the question gets raised, "wait, that means synergism is a works salvation, right? That's like, completely against everything Christianity teaches!" And it's completely correct. Any belief that says we do something in our own salvation falls in this category.

Now, it gets a little stickier here: what about faith? When you believe, is it an action you chose to do? And if you are saved through faith, doesn't that mean that you cooperated in your own salvation by believing?

The answer, thankfully, is no. Biblically speaking, we don't possess the ability to choose God, that is, to have faith. God gives us faith. There was a monk at one point, named Pelagius, who taught that man could choose to have faith in God - he famously opposed Augustine on the subject (and, well, got burned for his heresy). That's why sometimes this gets called 'Pelagiansim.'

On the subject of faith again, if God gives us our faith, because we're too sinful to choose God on our own, where does that leave our free will? There's two answers to that question that are pretty at odds with one another, so we'll deal with that next.

One note here, the statement that we don't have the ability to choose God is a matter of salvation only. I'm not in any way saying that we don't have free will to, say, make a sandwich, but rather that we don't have the free will to overcome our own sin - that's why we need the truth that sets us free. So please don't hear me espousing determinism.

So in conclusion, if you're going to call yourself a Christian, you have to accept that God does all the work of salvation. This sounds basic now, but hold on to that thought as we go through the next few things that this doctrine has bearing on.

The God of Sola Fide

The doctrine of justification by faith may be taken as a 'given' for many protestant Christians. I used to be one of them. Sure, we all probably get taught the basics of what it means - that we can't earn our salvation.

Here's a quote from Martin Luther about it, from the Smalcald Articles: (English translation from the Lutheran Book of Concord. Article shortened by me.)

1] That Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins, and was raised again for our justification, Rom. 4:25.

2] And He alone is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world, John 1:29; and God has laid upon Him the iniquities of us all, Is. 53:6.

3] Likewise: All have sinned and are justified without merit [freely, and without their own works or merits] by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood, Rom. 3:23f

4] Now, since it is necessary to believe this, and it cannot be otherwise acquired or apprehended by any work, law, or merit, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us as St. Paul says, Rom. 3:28: For we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the Law. Likewise 3:26: That He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Christ.

5] Of this article nothing can be yielded or surrendered [nor can anything be granted or permitted contrary to the same], even though heaven and earth, and whatever will not abide, should sink to ruin. For there is none other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved, says Peter, Acts 4:12. And with His stripes we are healed, Is. 53:5. .

(Quote's over now, in case you didn't catch that) Ok, so it's an important doctrine, right? Well, yes, but also it means a whole different way of looking at God. Sola Fide may not have been something new, but realizing its implications certainly was.

If we take the idea of monergism, that God does all the work, as true, all of a sudden you have every indication for God outside of scripture pointing directly here. No one argues that man isn't perfect. No one rational argues that man can become perfect. So if you look with your reason for a God, the only God you can find is the one who, if He has contact with man at all, initiates the contact and does all the work. "You can't be good enough on your own" isn't just scriptural, its logical.

Then, in a nutshell, when you go looking for a God who does all the work of initiating the relationship, the only one you find is Christ. The theological doctrine of Sola Fide unites what we believe to be true with that which we can logically grasp - because every other possibility outside of the God of Sola Fide, every possibility out there besides Christ, is logically indefensible.

And the best thing about it? We didn't find this God by our reason - He found us, and gave us faith. This isn't philosophy guiding theology, but rather philosophy pointing clearly at its own limit, and showing that the only answer lies in Christ.

This post raises a lot of questions, so here's a sneak peek at the title of what I'll be writing next: Why I reject synergism, and accept monergism.

Inaugural Post

Well, I guess I am actually blogging now (how insipid is that to write? Bäh). I've started this blog as a record of what I study, what I read, and what I think, so it's going to be mostly fitting to the title - theological thoughts. Occasionally there will be things on other topics.

I'll post mainly in English, since it's my native tongue, but from time to time posts may appear in German, or less often, other languages.

As for readers, I'll provide a translation to anyone who asks.