Corona Virus Prophets Exposed?

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

(1 John 4:1)

God's Got This!

In the midst of all this chaos, never forget that God is in control.

On Papal Indulgences (Sobre las Indulgencias Papales)

Since indulgences from Rome's bishop are back in fashion...

Luther wrote:

Thesis #75: “To consider papal indulgences so great that they could absolve a man even if he had done the impossible and had violated the mother of God is madness.”

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Ya que el obispo de Roma ha puesto nuevamente de moda las indulgencias...

Lutero escribió:

Tesis #75: “Es una locura la opinión de que las indulgencias papales tienen tanto valor, que pueden absolver a un hombre, incluso aunque, por un imposible, hubiese violado a la madre de Dios”.

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And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

Y que la paz de Dios, que sobrepasa todo entendimiento, guarde sus corazones y sus pensamientos en Cristo Jesús. (Filipenses 4:7)

Psalm 28

Psalm 28

¹ To you, O Lord, I call;
    my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me,
    I become like those who go down to the pit.
² Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
    when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
    toward your most holy sanctuary.

³ Do not drag me off with the wicked,
    with the workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
    while evil is in their hearts.
⁴ Give to them according to their work
    and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
    render them their due reward.
⁵ Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
    or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.

⁶ Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
⁷ The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.

⁸ The Lord is the strength of his people;
    he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
⁹ Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
    Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Salmo 28

Salmo 28

¹ Señor, tú eres mi roca.
A ti clamo. ¡No te apartes de mí!
De lo contrario, seré como los que bajan al sepulcro.
² Escucha mi clamor, que pide tu ayuda,
cuando levanto mis manos hacia tu santo templo.
³ No me lleves junto con los malvados,
ni con los que hacen el mal;
con los que hablan de paz con sus amigos
pero por dentro están llenos de maldad.
⁴ Págales conforme a sus malas acciones;
por tanta maldad que cometen, dales su merecido.
⁵ Hazlos caer, Señor, y no vuelvas a levantarlos,
pues no han entendido tus acciones
ni han prestado atención a tus obras.

⁶ Bendito seas, Señor,
pues escuchas la voz de mis ruegos.
⁷ Tú, Señor, eres mi escudo y mi fuerza;
en ti confía mi corazón, pues recibo tu ayuda.
Por eso mi corazón se alegra
y te alaba con sus cánticos.
⁸ Tú, Señor, infundes fuerzas a tu pueblo;
tu ungido halla en ti un refugio salvador.
⁹ ¡Salva a tu pueblo, bendice a tu herencia!
¡Guíalos y cuida de ellos ahora y siempre!

Indulgencias Plenarias

Con motivo del reciente anuncio que ha hecho el Papa Francisco respecto a conceder Indulgencia Plenaria a todos los enfermos, trabajadores de la salud y familiares afectados por el COVID-19, hago de su conocimiento otras ocasiones en que anteriores pontífices romanos hicieron uso de estas promulgaciones heréticas que dan falsas esperanzas a sus fieles.

(Bula Antiquorum Habet Fida Relatio de Bonifacio VIII, de 22 de febrero de 1300)

'Bonifacio, obispo siervo de los siervos de Dios. Para certeza de los presentes y memoria de los futuros. Existe una segura tradición de los antiguos de concesión de amplias remisiones de los pecados e indulgencias a quienes se acercan a la venerable basílica del Príncipe de los Apóstoles de Roma. Por ello, Nos, que de acuerdo con la obligación de nuestra misión buscamos y procuramos la salvación, teniendo de buen grado por ratas y gratas todas y cada una de las remisiones e indulgencias, las confirmamos y aprobamos por la autoridad apostólica, y las renovamos y reforzamos por el vigor de este escrito.

Así pues, para que sean más venerados los apóstoles Pedro y Pablo, y para que sean más frecuentadas por los fieles sus basílicas de Roma, y los fieles mismos se sientan reconfortados por la concesión de gracias, Nos, confiando en la misericordia de Dios y en la autoridad y méritos de estos apóstoles, con el consejo de nuestros hermanos y con la plenitud de la potestad apostólica, concedemos no sólo pleno y amplio sino total perdón de sus pecados a quienes durante el presente año 1300, comenzado en la fiesta de la Natividad de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo próxima pasada, y en cada año centésimo futuro, se acerquen reverentemente, auténticamente arrepentidos y confesados, o a los que se arrepientan verdaderamente y se confiesen en este año o en cualquiera de los años centésimos futuros, y decretamos que quienes deseen ser partícipes de la indulgencia por Nos así concedida, si fueran romanos, acudan a estas basílicas durante al menos treinta días seguidos o intercalados y al menos una vez cada día; si fueren peregrinos o forasteros acudan quince días a dichas basílicas, en las mismas condiciones. No obstante cada uno obtendrá más mérito y lucrará más eficaz indulgencia si se acercase más veces y más devotamente a estas basílicas...

(Sixto IV, Bula en favor de la Iglesia de San Pedro de Saintes, de 3 de agosto de 1476)

'Y para que se procure la salvación de las almas señaladamente en el tiempo en que más necesitan de los sufragios de los otros y en que menos pueden aprovecharse a sí mismas; queriendo Nos socorrer por autoridad apostólica del tesoro de la Iglesia a las almas que están en el purgatorio, que salieron de esta luz unidas por la caridad a Cristo y que merecieron mientras vivieron que se les sufragara esta indulgencia, deseando con paterno afecto, en cuanto con Dios podemos, confiando en la misericordia divina y en la plenitud de potestad, concedemos y juntamente otorgamos que si algunos parientes, amigos u otros fieles cristianos, movidos a piedad por esas mismas almas expuestas al fuego del purgatorio para expiar las penas por ellas debidas según la divina justicia, dieren cierta cantidad o valor de dinero durante dicho decenio para la reparación de la iglesia de Saintes, según la ordenación del deán y cabildo de dicha iglesia o de nuestro colector, visitando dicha iglesia, o la enviaren por medio de mensajeros que ellos mismos han de designar durante dicho decenio, queremos que la plenaria remisión valga y sufrague por modo de sufragio a las mismas almas del purgatorio, en relajación de sus penas, por las que, como se ha dicho antes, pagaren dicha cantidad de dinero o su valor.'

Queda comprobado que para la llamada iglesia de Roma, la fe en Jesucristo es insuficiente para la remisión de pecados.

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Y que la paz de Dios, que sobrepasa todo entendimiento, guarde sus corazones y pensamientos en Cristo Jesús. (Filipenses 4:7)

¿Utilizó Casiodoro de Reina la Septuaginta para traducir la Biblia al Español?

Varios católicos argumentan que Casiodoro de Reina utilizó la Septuaginta para traducir la Biblia al español. El mismo traductor en el prólogo de la llamada “Biblia del Oso” responde a esta acusación:

Primeramente declaramos no haber seguido en esta traducción en todo y por todo la vieja Traducción Latina, (La versión común latina), que está en el común uso; porque aunque su autoridad por la antigüedad sea grande, ni lo uno ni lo otro le excusan los muchos errores que tiene, apartándose del todo innumerables veces de la verdad del Texto Hebreo. Otras, añadiendo; otras, transponiendo de unos lugares a otros, todo lo cual aunque se puede bien porfiar, no se puede negar. Así que pretendiendo dar la pura palabra de Dios en cuanto se puede hacer, fue necesario que esta no fuese nuestra común regla, (aunque la consultamos como a cualquiera de los otros ejemplares que tuvimos); antes, que conforme al prescripto de los antiguo concilios, y doctores 6 santos de la Iglesia, nos acercamos de la fuente del Texto Hebreo cuanto nos fuese posible, (pues sin controversia ninguna, de él es la primera autoridad) lo cual hicimos siguiendo comúnmente la traducción de Santes Pagnino, que al voto de todo los doctos en la lengua Hebraica es tenida por la más pura que hay hasta ahora. 

Si quieres leer los prólogos de Casiodoro de Reina y Cipriano de Valera, los podrás encontrar en la página de la Sociedad Bíblica Trinitaria.

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Y que la paz de Dios, que sobrepasa todo entendimiento, guarde sus corazones y sus pensamientos en Cristo Jesús. (Filipenses 4:7)

Did Jesus Quote from the Septuagint?

I recently heard a Roman Catholic argue that Jesus read and quoted from the Septuagint (LXX). This is a very weak argument since in Jesus’ time it was only permitted to read from scrolls written in Hebrew in the synagogues and/or the Temple of Jerusalem.

Jason Evert in Catholic Answers gives insight to this:

While the New Testament authors quoted the LXX frequently, it does not necessarily follow that Christ did. We know for certain that Jesus quoted the Hebrew Old Testament at times, since he read from the scrolls in the synagogue. But Jesus could have only quoted from the Hebrew, and the New Testament authors later used the Greek translation to record the fact.

The LXX was written in Greek, considered by the Jewish to be a “lesser” language. Since the apocryphal books are not part of the Tanakh, the Jewish canon does not include them. It was only until the LXX translation that these books appeared in conjunction to the Holy Scriptures of our Old Testament.

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And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

Do the Events at Cana Justify the Worship of Mary?

Post from Christian Courier:

The testimony of some of the early church “fathers,” whom Roman Catholics consider to be as authoritative as the Scriptures (and even more so), considered Christ’s response as a rebuke.

Irenaeus (c. A.D. 140-203) wrote that the Lord was “checking [Mary’s] untimely haste” (Against Heresies, 1.3.16.7). Chrysostom (c. A.D. 347-407) said that Mary “desired through her Son to render herself more conspicuous. . . to gain credit through His miracles. Therefore He answered her somewhat vehemently, saying, ‘Woman what have I to do with you, my hour is not yet come?’”(Homily on John, XXI; emp. WJ). It is obvious that the current attitude toward Mary, characteristic of the Roman Church, was as yet undeveloped.

There is absolutely no support for the “adoration of Mary” as such is practiced by the Roman Catholic Church. That ideology did not evolve until the 5th century A.D., far too late to have the sanction of Scripture. “Cardinal” Gibbons conceded that Mary was not venerated as the “Mother of God” until the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 (James Cardinal Gibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers, Baltimore: John Murphy Co., 1917, p. 168).

As an angel once instructed the apostle John, “Worship God” (Revelation 22:9).

Jackson, Wayne. "Do the Events at Cana Justify the Worship of Mary?" ChristianCourier.com. Access date: March 9, 2020. https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1065-do-the-events-at-cana-justify-the-worship-of-mary

The Brown Scapular

On 02/28/2020 I posted (in Spanish) about the scapular. To expand on this topic, look at what was posted on Answering CatholicClaims on 02/22/20.

From Answering Catholic Claim’s post:

Who does the scapular glorify the most?  The whole emphasis of this teaching of the brown scapular seems to be that Catholics must entrust themselves to Mary.  It is (supposedly) Mary that introduced it, and it is Mary who “sustains” it.  It is about her, not about Jesus.  Mary is the star in this story, but let us learn a critical lesson from John the baptist, who said, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I [John] must decrease” (John 3:30).  It appears here (as it often does in the Catholic Church) that, in the teaching of the brown scapular, Jesus has taken a back seat to Mary.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

Highlights from "Rome's Audacious Claim" - Chapter 6

You may purchase this book from Amazon here.

[Kindle Location 862]

In New Testament times, a presbytery was a group of elders who led the church in each town. Titus was to appoint presbyters, and those presbyters would together be a presbytery. Since “elder” and “presbyter” mean the same thing, most histories use “college of elders” rather than “presbytery”.

[Kindle Location 865]

Paul, after telling Titus to appoint presbyters, gives him the qualifications for a bishop (Titus 1:7-9). The Greek word for bishop is episkopos. It means “overseer” or “supervisor”. Thus, the presbyters each filled the office of “bishop,” and “bishop” and “overseer” (as some Bible versions translate episkopos) are equivalent.

In the New Testament, or at least in the writings of Peter and Paul, presbyters (or elders) held the position of bishop. You can also see this in 1 Peter 5:1-4. Peter tells the elders that they are to “tend the flock of God” and to “oversee”. The word “oversee” is the verb form of the noun episkopos (bishop or overseer). Peter tells elders to oversee because, like Paul, his elders were also the bishops.

[Kindle Location 881]

            Paul and Peter’s churches were led by a college of elders. That is why Paul and Barnabas “appointed presbyters… in each church” (Acts 14:23). We see another example of this when Paul summons the elders of the church in Ephesus and reminds them that they were appointed “overseers” (Acts 20:17-18).

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            By the mid-third century, a new office arose. A bishop in larger cities came to be known as a “metropolitan”. A metropolitan had the oversight not only of his own city, but of surrounding smaller towns. Those towns had their own bishops, but they were subordinate to the metropolitan. The metropolitan’s own city might also have subordinate bishops.

            After another century, the role of patriarch developed. If you would excuse the terminology, they were basically super metropolitans. Metropolitans were bishops who served a city and its surrounding area. Patriarchs were bishops who led whole regions.

[Kindle Location 912]

            In 451, the Council of Chalcedon excommunicated Dioscorus, the patriarch of Alexandria. Many Egyptian churches stayed loyal to him, and today they call themselves the Coptic Orthodox Church. They call their patriarch “pope” as well. Other “Orthodox” branches of Christianity are affiliated with the Coptic pope, including two patriarchs, one in Ethiopia and one in Eritrea. (These Orthodox churches include the Armenian Apostolic, the Eritrean Orthodox Tawahedo, the Malankala Orthodox Syrian, and the Syrian Orthodox Churches)

            The Orthodox Church in Russia made the bishop of Moscow a patriarch in 1448, and Constantinople approved the designation in 1589. Constantinople gave the approval because Rome split from all the eastern patriarchs in 1054, and event known as the “Great Schism”.

            The Great Schism had a lot to do with Rome’s Audacious Claim, but the roots of the schism arose long before the eleventh century. In 476, the Roman Empire lost the city of Rome and all of Italy to barbarian tribes. By then, the Roman emperor in Constantinople was an established fixture in the rule of the churches in the empire. Rome, however, was now outside the empire. The barbarian tribes who competed for control of Europe were “Christian,” and they accepted the religious authority of the bishop of Rome, the only patriarch in Western Europe.

[Kindle Location 922]

It was during these centuries of separation that the Roman bishop became known not only as “patriarch,” but also as lone claimant to the title “pope”. The word “pope” means simply “papa”. In the early centuries of the Church, the title was applied to all bishops, especially in the East. Since the fifth century, the churches of the Roman Empire have limited the title “papa” to the bishop of Rome. (Shatz, 1996, Papal Primacy, pp. 28-29)

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            For their very doctrine, after comparison with that of the apostles, will declare by its own diversity and contrariety, that it had for its author neither an apostle nor an apostolic man. (Tertullian, c. 200, “Prescription against Heretics”, ch. 32)

            In this quote, he (Tertullian) points out that having a roll of bishops back to the apostles will do no good if a church’s doctrine is contrary to the apostles’ doctrine. Then he says there are churches who…

… although they derive not their founder from apostles or apostolic men (as being of much later date, for they are in fact being founded daily), yet, since they agree in the same faith, they are accounted as not less apostolic because they are akin in doctrine. 

[Kindle Location 969]

            It was not enough to show a lineage from the apostles, the church must also have apostolic doctrine.

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            The Roman Catholic Church claims “full, supreme, and universal power” for its bishop, even if he has abandoned the faith or possesses no regard for it at all. Horace Mann, in his history of the tenth-century popes, writes, “Have I not also the assurance of St. Leo I, the Great, that ‘the dignity of Peter is not lost even in an unworthy successor?’” (Mann, 1925, The Lives of the Popes, Vol. IV, p. viii)

            Pope Leo must have turned over in his grave when Mann used his words to defend a person like Pope John XII. Leo’s sermon was about himself, and he meant that humble unworthiness which all godly men feel before the perfect love of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Leo I, 440-661, “Sermons”, Sermon III). He certainly did not intend to justify a man whose lewd behavior made respectable women afraid to go to Rome on pilgrimage and whose court was called a brothel! (Mann, 1925, The Lives of the Popes, Vol. IV, p. 255)

1917: A Movie About Choices, Character, Courage

From the Reflections blog:

"1917 has won numerous awards, including the Golden Globe for Best Picture and Best Director and the Academy Award for Cinematography, Visual Effects, and Sound Mixing. I highly recommend the movie. It made me think about history, virtue, and how I live my life. I think it might do the same for you."

The Danger of the "Why" Question and other Theological Insights

Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book "Has American Christianity Failed?", talk about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and comfort the soul with God’s ordering of the world in the Law and Gospel.

Listen to Cross Defense here.

Querida Amazonia: A Reinforcement of Pope Francis' Missiology

“God who infinitely loves every man and woman and has revealed this love fully in Jesus Christ, crucified for us and risen in our lives” (n. 64).

This is the papal kerygma. It is a message of love manifested in Jesus Christ who died and rose and lives in us. This is all biblically right, though selective at best, flawed at worst. There is no reference to sin, the need for repentance and faith, salvation in Christ alone, God’s holiness and righteousness in salvation and judgement, and the biblical framework of the Christian faith. Francis’ gospel is a proclamation of a divine love that falls on all and is already in all. While it contains elements of the gospel, it is not the biblical gospel. Jesus’s kerygma was “The kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the gospel” (e.g. Mark 1:15). Here God’s action (i.e. his Kingdom) and man’s lostness (i.e. our need to repent) are explicitly stated and interwoven. The need to believe in the gospel is also essential and that implies a transition, a conversion on our part. Without it we are lost and continue to be lost. Unlike the Pope’s truncated message, this is the biblical kerygma.

From VaticanFiles.