Does Ephesians 2:8-9 Teach Salvation By Faith Alone?

My video on why James 2:24 should destroy Protestantism was very popular and generated a massive amount of discussion. Although its main point (that everyone bases their theology on interpretive traditions and not what just on what the Bible says) was largely missed, though, as many opted to simply try to answer my “prooftext” with…

Indulgences Explained

Introduction Indulgences do not take up a lot of space in Catholic theology. (The Catechism, for example, devotes only 8 of its 2,865 sections to discussing them – a total of about one standard, typed page). However, due to their abuses in the 16th Century (which were acknowledged and dealt with in the same century),…

What St. Paul Really Said About “Works”

Introduction One of the claims heard most often among anti-Catholic Christians is that Catholicism is “legalistic” or promotes “works-based salvation.” St. Paul, they say, clearly taught that salvation is not by works, so adding anything to the finished work of Christ is tantamount to its denial. But what does St. Paul really say about works?…

Explaining Purgatory to Protestants

What’s the Issue? Although it only takes up a couple sentences in the Catholic Catechism, the doctrine of Purgatory seems to pose big problems for many Protestants. Sometimes the reasons for this angst are ill-conceived, however, so it’s a good idea to get a few things straight before criticizing. Purgatory is said to be “a place or…

Salvation by Literal Interpretation?

Introduction Would you agree with this assertions regarding the following literal interpretation of Jesus’ words? The belief in the metaphorical view of the Lord’s Supper does not come from Scripture, but from the fallible methods that secularists use to determine what things are. To attempt to “fit” a metaphorical view into the Bible, you have to…