Sin before mercy makes the gospel a reality and makes it good news. Mercy before sin obscures the gospel and rewrites the biblical narrative, making it man’s word, and not God’s.
Read MoreAlthough it means nothing officially, the BBC is right; the Pope’s blessing of same-sex unions is a step in the right direction for the LGBT community. You can rest assured, however, that it will not be enough. Once that door is cracked open, it is a matter of time before it is pushed further open. This is why doctrinal clarity is a blessing for the church, and why it is necessary. Once it is abandoned and God’s Word alone ceases to provide the doctrinal parameters for the church, it is only a matter of time before theological confusion ensues. What we are seeing in the RCC is clear evidence of this.
Read MoreImagine you are a church leader, and you have the opportunity to speak to 7,500 children from 84 different countries on one single occasion. What an opportunity that would be! What would you say? What would your message be to those children? For Pope Francis this scenario became a reality on November 6th, as he had the privilege of hosting 7,500 children in the Vatican.
Read MoreFrom an Evangelical perspective, it remains clear that the theological foundation of the Synodal Church will not permit any real and meaningful reform in the Roman Catholic Church. The primary reason for this is the authority to which the Synodal Church submits while charting its path forward.
Read MoreRome is Catholic but it is also Roman. As it opens itself to (Catholic) synodality it strengthens the (Roman) papacy. Those who think that synodality is synonymous with evangelicalism are therefore deluding themselves. It appears to be a mode of catholicity that, while it elasticizes some aspects, it does not touch the decisive ones.
Read More“A personal relationship with Christ.” Both the Evangelical church and the Roman Catholic Church speak of this, but the theological worlds they represent are very different and the implications are significant.
Read MoreAccording to Francis friendship and dialogue are more important than ever. This is because “Sadly, on all sides we hear the cry of a wounded humanity and a broken earth.” For encouragement and examples in healing these wounds, Francis called attention to both The Buddah and Jesus Christ.
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