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The Sacrament of Confession in Scripture Part One

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                                                                                                                                                  I. Introduction It is quite common in many Baptist circles to claim that nothing in Scripture teaches that we should confess our sins to a priest. As someone who was part of the Awana Program in various Baptist Churches when I was young, I began to learn about the books of the Bible and various passages of Scripture. Although I did not realize it at the time, my studies in Awana prepared me for the memorization of not only Scripture but also the doctrines of Christianity, which I study almost every day. Later, at about the age of thirteen, I began to study the history of Early Christianity. It was not long before I realized that the government of one pastor and multiple deacons had no origins in early Christian practice at all. In this post, I am going to set out to prove the Biblicity of confession before a priest.                           
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One of the Dangers of ''Bible Only'' Interpretations

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  One of the dangers of modern Christianity, is the tendency of many well meaning Christians throughout the world to interpret the Bible with no knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, Judaism, or Early Christianity. This is demonstrated by the dangers that stem from those professing adherence to Sola Scriptura.  Oneness Pentecostals claim to hold to Sola Scriptura. They also deny the Trinity, claiming that it is a tradition of man. While many Protestants would say that their view of Scripture is wrong, they would say the same of Protestants. Which side is right? It’s not so easy for only one side to quote a single Bible verse and expect the other side to agree.  Calvinists and Arminians would both say that they hold to Sola Scriptura? Which of them is right?  Paedobaptists and Credobaptists both say their own view is alone taught in scripture. Which view of baptism is right?  Church of Christ would claim that the New Testament teaches Baptismal Reformation, though many Baptists would agree. Both
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Head Coverings and Scripture Part One

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At the beginning of this new series of posts, I will argue for the Biblical understanding of head coverings. Frequently, many need to pay more attention to 1 Corinthians 11 with no intention of what the passage is saying. Ignored by many present Christians, all women wore head coverings, in light of the mentioned passage, until the feminist movement of the 1960s. Nevertheless, traditional Roman Catholics, many Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Amish, Mennonites, and some Reformed Baptists and Anglicans still believe that 1 Corinthians 11 is relevant for the churches of today.  Many theologians would now argue that 1 Corinthians 11 was only about commands for the Corinth Church in light of female prostitution. Whether or not this is the case, I will address it later. For now, I want to more precisely focus our attention on why Catholic and Orthodox priests traditionally wear head garments when it is claimed that 1 Corinthians 11 forbids men from covering their heads. I have heard the
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The Dangers of Theology Without Biblical Studies

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  One of my first exposures to theology was through what is called ''Sysmstatic Theology.'' This discipline of theology breaks down theology by topic. For example, theologians who specialize in this field may write individual chapters in a book on Baptism, the Lord's Table, Church government, gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc. In many ways, Systematic Theology is like a helpful chart, as it can be a guide for people across various doctrines. It is also a useful tool for seeing how Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, and others agree and disagree with one another in various different fields of thought.  I enjoy Systematic Theology. While I personally find it less interesting than historical theology, another discipline of theology that concerns the history of Christian doctrine, I find value in both. I don't have a problem with Systematic Theology. In many ways, Thomas Aquinas's  Summa Theologica  was one of the standards of Systematic Theology before any modern Ev
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Catholic or Orthodox? Who Came First?

 When we read the New Testament, we don't read about the church ever being called ''Baptist'', ''Methodist,'' etc. At first, the followers of Christ were called Christians (Acts 11: 19-30.) Of course, the New Testament does not explicitly use terms like Catholic or Orthodox in referring to the church, but it also does not use some of the specific words referring to the Trinity or justification that Protestant theologians would use. However, from a historical standpoint, the Catholic and Orthodox Churches provide those of the Protestant Reformation and after. While some Anglicans wish to claim that their church is older than Catholicism on the grounds that the Council of Trent happened after the English Reformation, this is quite silly, as Roman Catholicism existed long before the English Reformation. Likewise, it is silly to claim that there was an underground Baptist Church for centuries when there is no historical evidence of this. Whether or not p
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Has the Reformation Went Far Enough?

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  In a past debate between R. C. Sproul and John Macarthur, the latter argued that infant baptism should be rejected on the grounds that it is an abuse of Rome*1. To Macarthur, infant baptism has no Biblical origins but is a practice that Presbyterians continue out of influence from Roman Catholicism.  To John MacArthur, the Reformation is not over. In his debate with R. C. Sproul, a prominent Reformed Presbyterian, Macarthur argued that the Reformation had not gone far enough----but needed to go even further. This time, Macarthur insists infant baptism should be cast out as he sees the practice as a liturgical abuse of the Roman Church.  However, Macarthur's reasoning is problematic. First of all, what makes him the standard of Reformation thought? Why is he the perfect balance of what is Biblical? Does he know more than Luther and Calvin, Augustine and Aquinas, and essentially every theologian of the first 1500 years---of whom nearly all supported infant baptism? Secondly, if the
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How often did the Ancient Church partake in Communion?

                                                                          1. Introduction  Previously, I did nine posts on why I believe Scripture teaches the Eucharist to be the literal Body and Blood of Christ. Now, I wish for this post to address how often Christians should partake in the Lord's Table.                2. The Frequency of the Eucharist in the New Testament/First Century Church Although many Baptists and Presbyterians only partake in Holy Communion quarterly or monthly, this practice is not supported by Scripture. In Acts 2: 46, we learn that the Jerusalem Church partake in the Lord's Table every day. This remains the practice of Roman Catholics toward the Mass today.  On the other hand, a careful examination of Scripture shows that not all churches followed the same practice. Acts 20: 6-11 and 1 Corinthians 16: 2 reveal that the church of Troas engaged in the Eucharist on Sundays, the first day of the week. This remains the same practice of Eastern Orthodox Lu
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