tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post6556960964894582593..comments2024-03-10T10:40:32.319-07:00Comments on Pyromaniacs: The Wrong Kind of UnityPhil Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00649092052031518426noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-39402277278021075582007-03-13T05:52:00.000-07:002007-03-13T05:52:00.000-07:00Of the faith of Rome... or of the faith dating in ...Of the faith of Rome... or of the faith dating in time to the Garden of Eden(Genesis 3:15) and in eternity to before the foundation of the world(1 Peter 1:17-21)? The Author of the faith has me in the grip of His grace, gratefully. <BR/><BR/>Awesome article! (Apologies for the previous post delete...needed to adjust Bible references). :-)J♥Yce Burrowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14974221921014132431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-41167740149344214982007-03-13T05:42:00.000-07:002007-03-13T05:42:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.J♥Yce Burrowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14974221921014132431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-50226609349968657362007-02-27T16:55:00.000-08:002007-02-27T16:55:00.000-08:00One of your best posts Mr. Phil Johnson and a welc...One of your best posts Mr. Phil Johnson and a welcome breath of fresh air in the smothering cloud of smog of desire for external unity at the expense of sound doctrine.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-11151123352522456952007-02-27T14:13:00.000-08:002007-02-27T14:13:00.000-08:00This blog reminded me of the comment by 20th Centu...This blog reminded me of the comment by 20th Century German Lutheran theologian Hermann Sasse, who wrote: <BR/><BR/><BR/>“The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, is never present where lies are told. And there is actually more unity of the church present where Christians of differing confession honorably determine that they do not have the same understanding of the Gospel than where the painful fact of confessional splintering is hidden behind a pious lie.”<BR/><BR/>(From “Union and Confession”, in The Lonely Way Vol. 1, Tr. M.C. Harrison. CPH, 2001, p 272.)siril444https://www.blogger.com/profile/08267224926255258475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-11960493478237528262007-02-27T09:18:00.000-08:002007-02-27T09:18:00.000-08:00Thank you, Pyromaniacs, for working so hard to fig...Thank you, Pyromaniacs, for working so hard to fight for godly, Biblical truth in all that you do, say, and write. You are all worthy generals to follow.Andy B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03641728681946753773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-89067280971671912742007-02-26T22:45:00.000-08:002007-02-26T22:45:00.000-08:00Frank, I knew that "no," was the answer, but the q...Frank, I knew that "no," was the answer, but the question was of the nature that I would have wanted to hear a statement with a reference. I believe the Bible teaches organizational unity, but I was looking for a statement backed by some references.<BR/><BR/>A spiritual unity in Christ, and I mean this sincerely, is wonderful. I do believe Christ would have 100% answers to His prayers. But I think we've established that the spiritual is what Phil believes about John 17. Should I expect another installment that describes what organizational unity Scripture teaches?Kent Brandenburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13419354741455959191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-33683632958443777362007-02-26T22:02:00.000-08:002007-02-26T22:02:00.000-08:00Oh, when will we learn to collectively focus on, a...Oh, when will we learn to collectively focus on, and only on, Christ, Himself?Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09693381971064363612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-39510077888728540952007-02-26T18:30:00.000-08:002007-02-26T18:30:00.000-08:00No Kent: he is not saying that.No Kent: he is not saying that.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-6616425678333225932007-02-26T16:23:00.000-08:002007-02-26T16:23:00.000-08:00So are you saying that Scripture teaches no organi...So are you saying that Scripture teaches no organizational unity?Kent Brandenburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13419354741455959191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-39173651558257778842007-02-26T11:22:00.000-08:002007-02-26T11:22:00.000-08:00"How can two walk together unless they be agreed?"..."How can two walk together unless they be agreed?"<BR/><BR/>I think it still all boils down to the nature of the Gospel and justification itself. Faith plus works is a false Gospel. Can we consider anyone a brother or sister in Christ if they embrace a false Gospel. The modern Catholic church likes to consider us as "separated brethren." I can't consider them brothers or sisters at all, separated or unseparated, recognizing that there could well be true brothers or sisters in the Catholic Church. But they are brethren in spite of the RC, not because of it.Solameaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09869424956571944997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-71531490935522856662007-02-26T09:34:00.000-08:002007-02-26T09:34:00.000-08:00The language of koinonia, does not speak to how pe...The language of koinonia, does not speak to how people feel (which is the way evangelicals typically use it—“we had great fellowship last night!”), but to what is held in COMMON. It is used, for example, of a commonly owned business or property. The joint owners do not need to have warm feelings about each other in order to be joined in a common enterprise. And though warm feelings are good in the church, they are actually not at its center—I know that that is a shocking thing to say! At its center, though, is the reality of God, whose redeeming action in Christ on the Cross is what both unites believers and diminishes the importance of their private circumstances, social experiences, generational location, and personal preferences.<BR/><BR/>David WellsEven So...https://www.blogger.com/profile/14208866122431178938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-24669859790007794902007-02-26T07:04:00.000-08:002007-02-26T07:04:00.000-08:00Could it be said that unity is a product and not a...Could it be said that unity is a product and not a purpose?JackWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16384160992033491748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-89890476045689954262007-02-26T05:52:00.000-08:002007-02-26T05:52:00.000-08:00What a powerhouse of a post, Phil. Excellent work,...What a powerhouse of a post, Phil. Excellent work, thanks. You've really provided a resource.<BR/><BR/>I like to say that RCC "unity" is just the 30,000 denominations under one massive, swollen, depraved organizational heading.<BR/><BR/>Or, "Which RCC? John Kerry's RCC? 'Mother' Teresa's RCC? Teddy Kennedy's RCC? Rudy Giuliani's RCC?"DJPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16471042180904855578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-62818643666593268262007-02-26T05:45:00.000-08:002007-02-26T05:45:00.000-08:00Game, set and match on supposed Catholic unity. On...Game, set and match on supposed Catholic unity. One could mention Mel Gibson's wing of the church, a like group founded by a French Archbishop named Lefebvre, which I believe has been officially deemed "schismatic," breakaway priests in the other direction, like Matthew Fox, and I guess we could go on and on.James Scott Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07641370124346172648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-29297568936762197172007-02-26T04:24:00.000-08:002007-02-26T04:24:00.000-08:00Phil thanks for the interesting article. It has b...Phil thanks for the interesting article. It has been a long time since I ran into a Romanist (I refuse to use the term Catholic for them!) who was committed enough to discuss any of this with.<BR/><BR/>My first response to any of this kind of unity drivel would be to ask them about the schism of Rome from the other 4 patriarchs over filioque and Petrine supremacy. It sure sounds to me like they gave up unity over much more trivial doctrine than the supremacy of scripture!Jon from Bucksporthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01263042828697185129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-29008774308253985502007-02-26T04:18:00.000-08:002007-02-26T04:18:00.000-08:00My favorite response to those kinds of objections ...My favorite response to those kinds of objections is that those Popes weren't relly teaching, V-II isn't binding, and even the Catechsm isn't infallible.<BR/><BR/>You can't win this argument.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-82283281854476886022007-02-26T01:21:00.000-08:002007-02-26T01:21:00.000-08:00Last year I had the chance to debate a RC priest f...Last year I had the chance to debate a RC priest from the Latin Mass crowd in our local University. He charged Protestantism with being splintered. I quoted back from one of their own websites:<BR/><BR/>"Moreover, with the prolongation of his reign and the prolificacy of his writings and discourses, however, it has become ever more clear that Pope John Paul II is preaching a new religion, a humanism, a gospel of the intrinsic goodness of man, thanks to God's becoming man, with the implied consequence of the salvation of all men. His starting point is Vatican II (Gaudium et Spes, §22):"<BR/><BR/>If that isn't a fracture of their supposed unity, then nothing is.Colin Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02632698769785766168noreply@blogger.com