Alpha & Omega Ministries Apologetics Blog
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Christian Apologetics Journal Book Review: A Response (III)
09/18/2005 - James White
With this installment I conclude my response to the "review" of The Roman Catholic Controversy published in the Christian Apologetics Journal.Catholics, however, use the term "justification" to cover the entire salvific process. But they do distinguish between "initial" and "progressive" justification, the former resembling justification "proper" for evangelicals, while the latter sanctification. I believe the Catholic position to be an error not a heresy. Their view is similar to the error of "Galatianism." "Paul's warning to them clearly related to their sanctification. His fear was not that they would lose their initial (forensic) justification, but that they would fall back into bondage to the law (Galatians 2:4)." (Geisler and MacKenzie, p. 236). It is interesting that while White doesn't address this distinction, Akin does.
Yes, please forgive me: my presentation was not marked by running it by a Catholic apologist to be "tweaked." I relied upon official dogmatic definitions from Rome itself, and biblical exegesis. My apologies.
It is hard to read this without concluding that 1) biblical terminology and categories are not to be taken as normative (i.e., we should not allow the Bible to define justification, and it is just one position versus another as to how one does so); 2) the anathema is used in Scripture of mere "errors" that are not "heresies"; 3) "initial justification" though based not upon the imputed righteousness of Christ, substitutionary atonement, etc., is still "close enough" (though accomplished ex opere operato by baptism) to sorta count. Geisler and MacKenzie are simply wrong in their reading of Galatians, and stand opposed to the historical reading of the Reformers and the wide swath of their children down to the point where most lost any belief in the inspiration and consistency of Scripture so as to not really count anymore. The position they take makes mince-meat of Paul's argument (esp. in 2:16ff, 5:1-4, etc.). One is sadly reminded of Geisler's statement that John 6:44 includes an assertion of "free choice." At times, the over-riding external authorities are seen with tremendous clarity, and here is such an example in reference to Rome and her "gospel" in light of Paul's epistle to the Galatians. ...
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Christian Apologetics Journal Book Review: A Response (II)
09/14/2005 - James White
This is even more clearly seen when MacKenzie raises the issue of solo scriptura in these words:White states that "the doctrine of sola scriptura is based on the nature of the Scriptures as the Word of God" (62). To demonstrate that this doctrine was held in the church prior to the Reformation, he quotes from Basil of Caesarea (c. A.D. 330-379) (55). Unfortunately, many evangelicals, intent on protecting sola scriptura form its Catholic alternative, have embraced who [sic] Keith A. Mathison terms "solo" scriptura. This is the attempt to interpret without recourse to the ecumenical councils and creeds, classically called the regula fidei ("rule of faith").
Is MacKenzie saying I am guilty of holding to solo scriptura? It is hard to avoid that impression, though he does not come right out and make the statement. Who are these evangelicals who have fallen into this alleged trap if not me? And if it is not me, why bother mentioning it here in a review of my own position on sola scriptura?
In reference to the idea of solo scriptura, I wrote in Scripture Alone:
In his book The Shape of Sola Scriptura, Keith Mathison contrasts sola scriptura with what he calls solo scriptura. Many of the criticisms Mathison aims at solo scriptura have already been enumerated above. It is quite true that there are non-Catholics who wave the banner of sola scriptura as a cloak to hide their dislike of the Bible’s teaching about the church, authority, and Christian truth. That is why it has properly been said that to hold to sola scriptura one must likewise firmly hold to tota scriptura, a belief in, and acceptance of, all the Bible reveals. Sola scriptura is mocked when the entirety of the God-breathed revelation is not obediently read and followed. And since the Scriptures speak of the church, teaching in the church, exhortation, rebuke, and the like, those who seek to make sola scriptura an excuse for being anti-church or simply heretical have no basis in the doctrine for their position. So I can join in this portion of the criticism of solo scriptura. ...
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Christian Apologetics Journal Book Review: A Response
09/12/2005 - James White
I was informed recently that Ralph MacKenzie, co-author of Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences along with Norman Geisler, wrote a book review of The Roman Catholic Controversy in the "Christian Apologetics Journal" published by Geisler's organization. I found that somewhat odd, given that my book is nearly a decade old now. In any case, I would like to respond to some of the comments made by MacKenzie.White is articulate and a vigorous (although often quite strident) debater.
Some of you may recall the encounter I had with Mr. MacKenzie in the pages of the CRI Journal back in 2000 when we wrote a point/counter-point article on the Catholic/Lutheran accord, the one that sought to foster agreement by in essence ignoring the key issues of the Reformation itself. You can guess which side I took. MacKenzie has often referred to me as a "hard-nose," and that is because, in essence, we approach the issue of Roman Catholicism (and, I would imagine, all "boundary issues" regarding the gospel) from different perspectives. As he indicated in an article he wrote for This Rock magazine in 2003 (http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2003/0311fea2.asp):
There was no latent anti-Catholicism in the Protestant faith of my youth, and so I read Catholic as well as Protestant sources. I was Evangelical in my theology (and still am) but I soon realized that—as distasteful as the notion is to some Protestants—prior to the Reformation, if we were Christians, we were members of the Catholic Church (unless of course we lived in the East and were Orthodox)....
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