A poster using the name “BenYachov (Jim Scott 4th)” writes in response to MarieP, who protested that there’s a whole lot of accusing going on, but precious little proving:
Well in his Bible Answer Man debate with James Akin the smarmy git implied the merits of our suffering in purgatory where from our own efforts & not from the Grace of Christ.
Indeed his confuses the Catholic view of the Supremacy of Grace with the condemned error of semi-plagianism all time. Where have you been?
Again, there was no debate on the Bible Answer Man broadcast those many years ago. There was a call in talk show. Besides this, I’m not sure “smarmy git” means (“smarmy guy” perhaps?), but I can only imagine that he is referring to my statement regarding satispassio, the suffering of atonement in purgatory. Ludwig Ott explains:
The remission of the venial sins which are not yet remitted, occurs . . . as it does in this life, by an act of contrition deriving from charity and performed with the help of grace. This act of contrition, which is presumably awakened immediately after entry into the purifying fire, does not, however, effect the abrogation or the diminution of the punishment for sins, since in the other world there is no longer any possibility of merit.
The temporal punishments for sins are atoned for in the purifying fire by the so-called suffering of atonement (satispassio), that is, by the willing bearing of the expiatory punishments imposed by God (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, p. 485).
What I recall saying is that satispassio is borne solely by the believer: it is not an application of the merits of Jesus Christ. Would Mr. Scott like to show me where Rome has defined satispassio as the application of the grace or merits of Jesus Christ? Or will he instead seek the “easy way out” and offer the lame excuse that, “Well, anything related to salvation is ours by grace, so, even the opportunity to undergo the suffering of atonement in purgatory is, ultimately, due to Christ’s grace,” an absurdity that would only prove my point to the fullest? I invite Mr. Scott to give us a call today on the DL and explain to everyone how suffering in purgatory for the temporal punishments of your sins is consistent with the New Testament’s teaching about the atoning work of Christ and the nature of grace. That alone should be enough to establish the semi-Pelagian nature of modern Rome’s doctrine of grace. The number is 877-753-3341. 🙂
