Another sola fide question

[Seeking12]

I think this whole controversy is simply a polemical one between evangelicals and Catholics. The position of the Catholic Church is clear.

We were made to serve God and each other and that is how we will be measured in the final judgment.

I’ve been reading various Jewish books on Judaism, and they understand clearly that the OT emphasizes living a good life in our families and with our “neighbors.” Forget the technical language. If we don’t live a life of sacrifice following Christ, for the benefit of our family and others then we aren’t living the Catholic / Christian message. This was settled in OT times, and Martin Luther stirred things, just to be anti-Catholic.

The only verse in the NT about “faith alone” says that we’re NOT save by faith alone. What doesn’t anybody understand about that?

The Jews say that we show our love for God by showing love for our neighbor. You shouldn’t and can’t faithfully pull one idea out of scripture to the abandonment of everything else that is there.

No matter what St. Paul says, Jesus told his disciples to teach all nations to OBEY all his commandments. I don’t think anyone can obey all Jesus’ commandments with faith alone, without good works. We’re going to be judged on how we lived our lives. We won’t be given an essay exam on what we believed.

That appears to me to be a whole new theology on salvation.
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

 

[JonNC]

Just curious…is baptism necessary for salvation?

“He that believes and is Baptized shall be saved.” So yes, but I don’t presume to dictate to God.

Jon

 

[JonNC]

Jon,

As a Lutheran, what do you specifically disagree with in the RCC?

Also, can you help me understand the different “types” of Lutheranism (Missouri Synod, etc) and let me know which one you are a part of.

In Christ,

Brad

Brad,
To be honest, less and less. Perhaps the biggest is still authority, and really how it has been exercised since the schism.

As for Lutheranism, I am LCMS because I view it as the most confessional of those synods available to me. I have become, over these last few years, more and more “evangelical Catholic”. ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) is quite a bit more liberal; open communion, women clergy, etc. To their credit, they have been more open to ecumenical discussions, a real criticism I have with LCMS. So, perhaps I might say Lutherans run the spread not unlike Catholics (extreme traditional to liberal).

Hope that helps,
Jon