Irishanglican's Weblog

John Frame’s new book: The Escondido Theology, etc.

irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:21:31 +0000

John Frame’s new book: The Escondido Theology: A Reformed Response to Two Kingdom Theology. This book is a serious statement & debate towards the classic WTS Federal Calvinism of today! A must read here!

Counterarguments according to Luther..

irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:09:17 +0000

All counterarguments that were against Scripture and Revelation, Luther called mere “human wisdom” or objections of “arbitrary reason,” and should not be pursued.

The Doctrine of Original Sin

irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:56:40 +0000

The doctrine of Original Sin, which is theologically based upon the writings and teachings of St. Paul, has certainly been a doctrine of the West, and Augustine. This came to a head in the fifth century in the Augustine and Pelagius debate and controversy. And this has been classically a position of both the Roman Catholic Church, and the Protestant and Reformational, Reformed Church.

Today, in the so-called modern and now post-modern church, this doctrine is being pressed and moved by many sources, and here we can also place the Eastern Orthodox. Who simply have never been Augustinian at all! However, we again must be biblical, as well as historical, and certainly even somewhat psychological or anthropological. The latter must be seen within the reality of man, or humanity. And looking here and at all the biblical and theological places, I am myself surely Augustinian!

The Real Christian..

irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:15:24 +0000

The real Christian is a person who lives in a foreign land, he is a stranger and an exile, and is also a sojourner to/in “this” fallen world. (1 Peter 1:1) But he lives ‘In Christ’, Who lives and reigns in the glory and eternity above! (Col. 3:1-3)

The Reformers, Luther, Calvin, etc.

irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:04:03 +0000

I have been posting a bit on Martin Luther, and he is certainly one of my favorites in the Reformation. But I also love John Calvin, if pressed I confess I am on many biblical and theological issues perhaps closer to Calvin, though both Calvin and Luther were and are certainly Augustinian. And this is really my closer and common point with both. The Augustinian approach is certainly not infallible, I don’t follow Augustine everywhere, but I do believe his position on the doctrines of grace and God’s glory are closely Pauline overall. And here simply the so-called top-tier Reformers were Augustinian, and thus closely Pauline in my opinion. I have not found any so-called modern theologians that can shake this position, at least for me. Some people try to place N.T. Wright in the Augustinian camp, I suppose this can be done very broadly, but I am not myself convinced of this. I would even place Barth closer here than Wright, with Barth’s “nein” on Natural Theology. But, Calvin like Luther, both held to Law & Gospel, and here there is a great Pauline truth! Paul certainly used the Law to convince people of sin, then after he brought in the Grace of God. If we miss the depth of “sin” in God’s judgment of the world, we will always miss the Gospel, certainly. And today, the Church has in many places lost the Gospel! Indeed biblical and spiritual apostasy is certainly centre-stage in the Postmodern, Post-Christian Church. It seems today one can hear almost anything & everything besides the Gospel in the Church!

Lutheran, Luther or both?

irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:07:53 +0000

Someone has written and asked me if I were not really a “Lutheran”? This was I think meant to be a negative, in the way it was stated. But I of course took and take it as a great positive! The person and especially the Theology of Martin Luther, that great German Reformer, and really Reformer to the whole Church Catholic, is certainly one of the most central historic figures the Church has ever seen, especially since the great Apostle Paul himself! His Theology of the Cross (“theologia crucis” contra to the “theologia gloriae”) is perhaps, and certainly to my mind, one of the greatest the Church has seen! So indeed to call me “Lutheran”, if it means close to “Luther” and his theology, is a great and certain complement indeed! I will always press the great centre of Luther’s theology: Christ, and Christ Crucified! (1 Cor. 2: 2) Surely the great Death and Crucifixion of Christ, with the Incarnation – the great truth of Christ as God & Man, is the very essence of our Christian Faith! Let us cry “Glory” and worship!

Jacques Lefevre..humanist or reformist of Paul?

irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:23:29 +0000

http://unige.academia.edu/IrenaBackus/Papers/521234/Jacques_Lefevre_dEtaples_a_humanist_or_a_reformist_view_of_Paul

I had wanted to share this theological piece on Jacques Lefevre and St. Paul, reformer of Paul?

David Steinmetz on Luther’s Theology..

irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:22:33 +0000

“The sinner who is justified by grace alone without any regard to his merit or demerit is described by Luther as iustus et peccator simul. By this description Luther means to suggest that the Christian is “just” insofar as he already possesses the gifts and graces of God and “in darkness” to the extent that he still is imperfect and an object of the future generosity of God. (WA) Simul characterizes the state of the Christian who has and does not have all that God offers him in the gospel. He has it in words and promises but not yet in fact.” (David Steinmetz)

Luther’s Theology of the “theologia crucis”

irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:45:17 +0000

http://www.victorshepherd.on.ca/Course/Historical%20Theology/new_page_5.htm

This is a chart by Victor Shepherd, as to Luther’s Theology of the Cross – “theologia crucis”.

I was sharing some of this on Jason’s blog – “Per Crucem ad Lucem”.

Quote, Robert Letham…Union with Christ.

irishanglican ~ Fr. Robert — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:34:58 +0000

“The fact of the incarnation should be enough to alert us to the truth that we have been made by God to be compatible with him. If we cannot reach up to God to penetrate the divine mysteries, he has reached down to reveal himself truly and faithfully to us in Christ his Son. He has left a written record in Scripture. We are not left to grope in the dark in blissful ignorance.” (Union with Christ, etc., Robert Letham)

Calvin, held this Union together: “the external element of imputation and the transformative element of the work of the Holy Spirit.” A Biblical tension indeed, but always first and foremost a “forensic” and formal, legal work & argumentation. But justification by faith is also always connected to the Holy Spirit: both Imputation and Impartation, such is our Union in Christ.