TDB 6 Taylor Marshall Reprise and The Conversion of Marcus Grodi part 1

In this episode, we revisit the issue of receiving communion in the early church in order to display the great lengths Taylor Marshall has gone to try to find evidence for communion on the tongue, and to suppress evidence of the ordinary mode of communion in the hand. We expand on the concept of the Presumption of Apostolic Continuity and provide examples of how it is used by Roman Catholics. We then proceed into the conversion of Marcus Grodi, former Presbyterian and Congregationalist who now hosts the Coming Home Network’s “Journey Home” television show that highlights the conversion stories of Protestants who return to Roman Catholicism.

Episode notes:

Communion on Tongue vs. Hand (Taylor Marshall)

Basil of Cæsarea, Epistle 93, To the Patrician Cæsaria, concerning Communion

Council of Saragossa, Canon 3

III. Ut qui eucharistiam in ecclesia accipit et ibi non eam sumit anathamatizetur

Item Legit: “Eucharistiae gratiam si quis probatur acceptam in ecclesia non sumpsisse, anathema sit in perpetuum.” (H. T. Bruns, Canones apostolorum et conciliorum saeculorum iv., v., vi., vii., pars altera (Berlin, 1839) (13))

Tertullian of Carthage, To His Wife

Cyprian of Carthage, Epistle 55, To the People of Thibaris, Exhorting to Martyrdom

John Chrysostom of Antioch, Homily 82 on the Gospel of Matthew

Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 23

Priestly celibacy in patristics and in the history of the Church

Marcus Grodi: The Early Church Fathers I Never Saw - The Journey Home (3-19-2007)

Cyprian of Carthage, Epistle 63, To Epictetus and to the Congregation of Assurae, Concerning Fortunatianus, Formerly Their Bishop

Cyprian of Carthage, Epistle 67, To the Clergy and People Abiding in Spain, Concerning Basilides and Martial, Their Former Bishops


TPW 58 Old Hank Hanegraaff Versus New Hank Hanegraaff

Here is the article from the Christian Research Institute’s website I refer to:

https://www.equip.org/broadcast/body-christ-denominations-qa/

The following is from Chapter 53 of “The Bible Answer Book” by Hank Hanegraaff:

– 53 –

DOES JAMES TEACH SALVATION BY WORKS? Critics of the Bible have long argued that the book of James contradicts the rest of Scripture in teaching “that a person is C justified by what he does and not by faith alone” (James 2: 24). Upon closer examination, however, the book of James, like the rest of Scripture, confirms that we are saved not by what we do but by what Jesus Christ has done. First, in context James teaches that we are saved not by works but by the kind of faith that produces good works. As James puts it, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?” (2: 14). The answer is “no.” “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (v. 26). Furthermore, when James says a person is not justified by faith alone, he means that a person is not justified by mental assent alone. As such, he says, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that––and shudder” (vv. 18–19). In other words, demons believe in the sense of giving mental assent to the fact that there is only one true God, all the while failing to place their hope and trust in him. “Justification is by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.” Finally, while James says “a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone” and Paul says “man is justified by faith apart from observing the law” (Romans 3: 28), their words are in complete harmony. James is countering the false assertion that a said faith is a substitute for a saving faith, while Paul is countering the equally fallacious notion that salvation can be earned by observing the law. As the Reformers were wont to say, “Justification is by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.”

For further study, see R. C. Sproul, Justified by Faith Alone (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1999).

“Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteousfor what he did when he offered his son Isaacon the altar? You see that his faith and his actionswere working together, and his faithwas made complete by what he did.” JAMES 2: 21–22

Hanegraaff, Hank. The Complete Bible Answer Book: Collector's Edition (Kindle Locations 1798-1820). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

I wonder if Hank Hanegraaff would continue to recommend R. C. Sproul’s excellent book: “Justified by Faith Alone” today. Clearly, he would not. Why? Because his view on the heart of the gospel has, in point of fact, changed.

SRR 103 Steve Matthews, Knox Seminary, and Imagining a Vain Thing

Carlos interviews Steve Matthews on his excellent book, Imagining a Vain Thing: The Decline and Fall of Knox Seminary: 

 http://www.trinitylectures.org/imagining-vain-thing-p-170.html

This exposé by a former Knox student demonstrates how neglecting the historical grammatical hermeneutic of the Reformation leads to all sorts of fanciful eisegesis and ultimately heresy. A case in point is Warren Gage, the John-Revelation Project, and the controversy surrounding the medieval hermeneutics he taught at Knox Theological Seminary. It's a shame when such fiascos in reformed institutions are not resolved biblically.

This is a very informative and insightful book, and I learned new things about Reformed hermeneutics, including an enlightening discussion about typology and Marsh's dictum. A must read!

 

References

+http://trinityfoundation.org/journal.php?id=305

 +http://trinityfoundation.org/journal.php?id=316

https://imaginingavainthing.wordpress.com/

SRR 102 The Danielic Imperative, Episode 20 — The Days, Weeks, Months and Years of Prophecy, part 1
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When it comes to prophetic time periods in Scripture—at least in the historicist school—days, months and years are typically interpreted as “days of years” based on Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6. Thus, the 2,300 days of Daniel 8, the 1,290 days and 1,335 days of Daniel 12, and the 42 months and 1,260 days of Revelation 11, 12 and 13 are all taken as “days of years,” just as the Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9 are understood as Seventy “Weeks” of seven years each. But such analysis is generally performed without knowledge of the lunisolar calendar in Scriptures or the principle of intercalation that logically follows from it. Without that knowledge, we are left guessing which periods are supposed to literal days, and which periods are supposed to be understood as prophetic “days of years.” By leveraging the Scriptural concept of intercalation as a necessary implication of the lunisolar calendar revealed to Moses, we understand from context which periods are literal solar days, and which are prophetic “days” of solar years.

TDB 5 The Conversion of Taylor Marshall

In this episode we analyze the conversion testimony of Taylor Marshall, former Presbyterian turned Anglican turned Roman Catholic. We first look at the historical viability of his personal interpretation of Matthew 16:18, and then examine his criticisms of what are ostensibly Protestant practices regarding the Lord’s Supper, and his desire to return to the ancient liturgy of the apostolic church. What we discover in the the ancient church, however, is an essentially Protestant approach to Matthew 16:18 and the Lord’s Supper, and thus, Taylor Marshall is left appealing to late-4th, 5th, 6th, 11th and 13th century novelties in order to justify the “apostolicity” of his novel Roman Catholic religion.

Episode notes:

My Canterbury Trail to Rome (My Conversion from the Anglican Priesthood to Catholicism)

Did the Church Fathers Practice Communion in the Hand? (Not Exactly)

Liturgical Abuse in the Novus Ordo Mass [Podcast]

Nicæa and the Roman Precedent

Recovering Irenæus

The Great Write-in Write-out Campaign

TPW 57 Hungering for the Word of God & Worshipping Together in Church as Entire Families

To the detriment of generations of believers, children have been sent out of the worship services of Christ’s church into the unbiblical phenomenon of “children’s church” for far too long. It is time to abolish this unbiblical practice and bring the covenant children of Christ’s church back into the service that they may learn from the older and wiser parents and saints what it means to truly worship God in Spirit and in truth from their youngest ages!

SRR 101 John Piper and the Decline of Sola Fide at Final Judgment (3)
TPW 56 John Piper, Revoice, and Roman Catholicism

My former denomination published and excellent resolution regarding a “final salvation” or “final justification” by the fruits of our faith. Please read!

https://www.theaquilareport.com/resolution-on-the-doctrine-of-justification-adopted-by-the-bible-presbyterian-church/

Here is a YouTube channel of some of the main Revoice conference talks. Evidently, not all of the break-out sessions were recorded or posted anywhere:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6rzVr-tB8ZE6wUHipoc7ng

SRR 100 The Danielic Imperative, Episode 19 — The Feet and the Toes of Daniel 2
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In this episode we focus on the historical gap in typical eschatologies that are able to identify the transitions in Daniel’s vision of chapter 2—from Gold to Silver, from Silver to Bronze, and from Bronze to Iron—but are less sure on the transitions from Iron to Iron & Clay, and from Feet to Toes. We examine the Scriptural evidence to show that the period of the Feet must have begun in 69 AD, shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem, and the period of the Toes must have begun in 293 AD. We also discuss Daniel’s focus not only imperial succession, but also on imperial transition throughout his visions, and in a sidebar discussion, we evaluate the traditional dating of the Book of Revelation. By identifying the transitions from Legs to Feet, and from Feet to Toes, we can clearly identify in the period of the Feet the Heavenly Kingdom that was not of earth, and distinguish it from the earthly kingdom set up during the period of the Toes, that was not of heaven .

TPW 55 Christian Worship Versus Novelty and Instant Gratification

In this sermon, I address the issue of addition to Scripture, subtraction from Scripture, deduction from Scripture with regard to the “elements” of worship, and the use of prudence and wisdom regarding the “circumstances” of worship.

The "elements" of a worship service are: prayer, bible reading, preaching, singing, sacraments, and on special occasions taking oaths. These are what God requires us always to do. These are regulated by Scripture alone.

The "circumstances" of a worship service are: a building (or location), a pulpit, pews, air conditioning, the time of the service, etc. These are regulated by Christian prudence and the application of biblical wisdom.

Two books mentioned in this sermon:

  1. All God’s Children in Blue Suede Shoes by Ken Myers

  2. How God Wants Us to Worship Him by Dr. Joe Morecraft

SRR 99 John Piper and the Decline of Sola Fide at Final Judgment (2)
SRR 98 John Piper and the Decline of Sola Fide at Final Judgment (1)
TPW 54 The Regulative Principle of Worship Versus Shallow Entertainment

What is it that God, our Creator and Redeemer, desires His gathered church to do when they gather for worship on the Lord’s Day Sabbath? Are Christians free to do whatever they like? Why does so much of what’s left of conservative Christianity in the United States look more like a rock concert than a service of worship to the Living God? Make sure your children understand this precious truth as it will be vital for them to know when/if they have to choose a local church on their own at some point in their future!