Justified by Faith Alone cf. James 2:24

[Cathoholic]

Drblank1. In post 21 you said . . .

The thief on the cross first mocked Jesus and then later believed. He did nothing but have faith in Jesus and he went straight to Paradise without doing one good work. He was justified by his faith. He went from 0 to 1.

In post 69, I responded by asking you . . . .

. . . . Are you saying you think the Good Thief was justified by faith “alone” (if you are saying this, how do you support that view) or justified by “faith”.

Since it was never addressed, I will address it now.

You said (parenthetical addition mine) :

He (The Good Thief) did nothing but have faith in Jesus and he went straight to Paradise without doing one good work.

I am sorry drblank1 but this is just not correct.

The Good Thief on his proverbial deathbed DID display faith to be sure.

But is that the ONLY virtue the Good Thief displayed? No!

Let’s go deeper into these passages.

(Some of the following will be from a prior post of mine . . . . )

As we look into “The Good Thief”, we will see on display the Graces of . . . .

• Good Work or “Charity” (“admonishing our fellow sinners” is the third spiritual WORK of mercy, as in “rebuke” the other thief)
• Repentance (our “due reward” for our sins)
• Faith (“Your Kingdom”)
• Hope (“Remember me”, I hope to go to Heaven)
• Humbling oneself (This sentence against us is, “just” or “indeed justly”)

The Bible displays the Good Thief’s faith to be sure!

**But the Good Thief passages ALSO show . . . . **

But it also shows the good thief hopes to go to Heaven – “Jesus remember me”.

The verses show the hope of the good thief here. He hopes to get to Heaven by the power of Jesus’ remembrance. “Remember me” – I hope to go to Heaven.

ROMANS 8:24a 24 For in this hope we were saved. . . .

But it even shows more. It shows works!

The good thief now admonishes or rebukes the other thief for his reviling Jesus, even though before this, he himself was reviling Jesus too!

Admonishing our fellow sinners in love is a spiritual work of mercy, but a “work” it is.

How many times have you heard someone use bad language and have not had the fortitude to admonish our fellow sinner? Or how often was someone else committing some other sinful act that you saw and you (or I) neglected to rebuke or correct them?

Yet this good thief, with all of his suffering, finds the grace (given to him) to rebuke a fellow sinner!

And yes there is even more.

The good thief “humbles himself” (as Jesus in Luke 18:14 taught us earlier with the repentant publican - “every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted”).

The good thief says in verse 41 concerning their sinful DEEDS: “And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds”.

This suggests a repentance in the good thief as well (*which is itself COOPERATING with GRACE – see 2nd Timothy 2:25-26 to see “repentance” as cooperating with grace).

LUKE 23:39-46 39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, **remember me **when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” 44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

So we’ve seen faith, hope, and a charitable work DEMONSTRATED from the good thief.

Far from teaching sola fide, this set of verses, if anything, refutes sola fide.

**The Good Thief DISPLAYS . . . **

• Good Work or Charity? Check.
• Repentance? Check.
• Faith? Check.
• Hope? Check.
• Humbling oneself? Check.

This is NOT an illustration of “Faith ALONE” drblank1.

The ONLY time in Scripture when the phrase “faith alone” is used . . . . it is used to tell us we are NOT justified by faith ALONE!

 

[MartinJordan]

For those interested I culled together some things regarding merit.

“Merit” is . . .

CCC 2006 The term “merit” refers in general to the recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members, experienced either as beneficial or harmful, deserving reward or punishment. Merit is relative to the virtue of justice, in conformity with the principle of equality which governs it.

In the sense of meriting Heaven we cannot do so on our own.

Jesus CAN merit such.

This is called “Strict Merit”.

We mere humans cannot STRICTLY merit.

CCC 2007a With regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on the part of man. . . . .

Jesus is our meritorious cause of justification in a strict sense.

This from Trent . . . .

COUNCIL OF TRENT . . . . The meritorious cause (of our justification) is His most beloved only begotten, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when we were enemies, for the exceeding charity wherewith he loved us, merited for us justification by His most holy passion on the wood of the cross and made satisfaction for us to God the Father. . . .

This is basically the same as we looked at earlier with Titus 3 and Ephesians 2.

This concerns the MOMENT we are justified.

And ONLY Jesus can merit that.

But in addition to “Strict Merit” there is what I will call here “Associated Merit”.

Associated Merit is sometimes sub-divided down by theologians to what are called “Condign” and “Congruent” Merit.

I won’t get that specific here as it is beyond the scope of this post (and probably beyond the scope of this thread).

Associated Merit is where we merit IN UNION with Christ.

• Strict Merit (ONLY Jesus)
• Associated Merit (Jesus and US)

So we have Strict Merit (Jesus ONLY) and Associated Merit (Jesus and us. Through Him, With Him, and IN Him).

So there is a sense we cannot merit.
And there is another sense in which we MUST Merit.

And this is REAL Merit (meriting WITH Jesus).

COUNCIL OF TRENT If any one saith, that the good works of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, as that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified; or, that the said justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life, - if so be, however, that he depart in grace, - and also an increase of glory; let him be anathema. – Council of Trent — Canon 32

CCC 2009 Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God’s gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us “co-heirs” with Christ and worthy of obtaining "the promised inheritance of eternal life."60 **The merits of our good works are gifts of the divine goodness.**61 "Grace has gone before us; now we are given what is due. . . . Our merits are God’s gifts."62

St. Augustine (back in about 400 A.D.) put it this way . . . .

ST. AUGUSTINE You are glorified in the assembly of Your Holy Ones, for in crowning their merits You are crowning Your own gifts.

ST. AUGUSTINE It is on this ground alone that we can speak of Divine justice at all, and apply the principle: Do ut des (Latin for “I [God] give in order that you [humans] may give” ). cf. St. Augustine, Serm. clviii, c. ii, in P.L., XXXVIII, 863)

But we have ASSOCIATED MERIT too (which comes from Christ working IN US and through us but with our COOPERATION as St. Paul reminds us in 2nd Corinthians 6:1).

CCC 2011 The charity of Christ is the source in us of all our merits before God.

CCC 2008 The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. The fatherly action of God is first on his own initiative, and then follows man’s free acting through his collaboration, so that the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of God, then to the faithful. Man’s merit, moreover, itself is due to God, for his good actions proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit.

---

The sanctification vrs. justification argument is pointless because we assert sanctification is PART of justification.

Since NO unclean thing will enter Heaven, we MUST be sanctified.

CCC 2019 Justification includes the remission of sins, sanctification, and the **renewal **of the inner man.

I’ll leave it at this for now. I only put his much up in case anyone wanted to copy and paste some of the specifics (there are more too. A lot more. But I won’t post them all here. I think we have enough for most Catholic defenders who may want to copy and paste these quotes to their files though)

Copied pasted and studying. Very nice work Cathoholic. Thanks be to God!

MJ

 

[JonNC]

And how do you square this with James, who clearly says that one is “justified by works and not by faith alone” and Paul who clearly says that it is not “the hearers of the law, but rather the doers of the law will be justified?” Justification is a process, not a single event.

I’ve never viewed justification as a single event. I’ve never had that type of event in my life. It has been gradual. OTOH, I don’t think there is anything that I can claim credit for, either.
That doesn’t mean I’m not bound (required ) to do His will. I am. That’s James’s message. Faith that lacks good works (love, charity ) is a dead faith. Repeated and unrepentant sin results in a loss of saving faith

 

[Cathoholic]

OTOH, I don’t think there is anything that I can claim credit for, either.

I hear what you are saying JonNC.

And I think there is a sense where you are absolutely correct JonNC. And that sense is merit apart from Christ. As Jesus has said . . . . “Apart from Me you can do nothing”.

But there is another sense to Merit too.

That sense is WITH Jesus.

And in that sense we CAN bear friut that will last and does not get eaten away by allegorical “moths”, or degenerate from proverbial “rust”.

MATTHEW 6:18b-21 . . . your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[a] consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(Now I’m not intimating JonNC, that YOU are neglecting this aspect of the Gospel. You KNOW from our dialogues over the years how much respect I have for YOU JonNC. Guys like you JonNC, make men like me better people.

But I want this out there for readers so that they have a chance for a fuller Gospel.)

Jesus said if we REMAIN in Him (Jesus is talking about people who are past that moment of salvation, and are now in the process of salvation . . . or as stated, they are IN JESUS.

Jesus tells those who are IN HIM, that we must REMAIN IN Him . . . and if we remain IN JESUS . . . Jesus tells us we CAN bear fruit.

Trent puts that exact same teaching this way (I will paraphrase to do away with archaic language) . . . .

COUNCIL OF TRENT If any one says, that the good works of one that is justified . . . are not also the good merits of him that is justified; let it be known that he is taking himself away from the fullness of truth (anathematizing themselves).

COUNCIL OF TRENT If any one says, that a justified person, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ . . .does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life, (assuming this guy REMAINS in Christ and dies in friendship or grace with Christ), and also an increase of glory; let it be known that he is taking himself away from the fullness of truth.

Here is some of the CCC again too.

CCC 2009a Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God’s gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us “co-heirs” with Christ and worthy of obtaining “the promised inheritance of eternal life.” . . .

That’s what the parable of Talents is all about.

Assuming this is a talent of gold (about 33 kg. gold or approx. 72 pounds of gold), on today’s market, that is about . . .

One and a Quarter MILLION DOLLARS per talent!

Five talents would be about SIX MILLION DOLLARS (if it were silver, he’d be given close to $100,000).

In other words Jesus gave his “servants” (notice they are already “servants” of the Master. This is past their “moment”), a lot of undeserved “money”!

Jesus entrusts US unmerited undeserved talents too in a sense. Jesus gives us Grace.

And once we are entrusted with that grace, we are expected to DO something with these graces too!

It is His talents in a sense. But in another sense, it is His talents ALONG WITH US.

Jesus is the Master and the guys who are His servants, are getting the Talents.

And the ones who DO something, are brought into Heaven.

But His servant, who does NOT bear fruit, has his talents removed and given to the other guys.

This “servant” of the Master is cast out where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth because he didn’t MERIT.

(This guy who ends up (likely) in Hell, apparently thought he couldn’t MERIT with Jesus, or that MERIT with Jesus’s talents, wasn’t necessary.)

biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A14-30&version=RSVCE

---

Here is the actual Trent quote again if interested (I don’t want anybody thinking I’m making this stuff up) . . .

COUNCIL OF TRENT If any one saith, that the good works of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, as that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified; or, that the said justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life, - if so be, however, that he depart in grace, - and also an increase of glory; let him be anathema. – Council of Trent — Canon 32

---

 

[James248]

I’ve never viewed justification as a single event. I’ve never had that type of event in my life. It has been gradual. OTOH, I don’t think there is anything that I can claim credit for, either.
That doesn’t mean I’m not bound (required ) to do His will. I am. That’s James’s message. Faith that lacks good works (love, charity ) is a dead faith. Repeated and unrepentant sin results in a loss of saving faith

James’s message is simple: Faith alone doesn’t justify.

 

[spina1953]

It seems to me that Faith is a word is a verb meaning faith is an action, something concrete. Faith then means one not just believes but acts on it, otherwise if faith is just something one only needs to believe but does nothing with it seems to me useless. I do think one can be justified by faith as long as that faith is active and not dormient. Being justified by faith would then mean that faith is active in one’s life not something one says. Where faith is active one would think grace abounds, that is grace is given freely and accepted because faith is being active.

James ses faith as an active part of being justified, that because of faith one does good works that is allowing God to work through a person. If one only needed faith and need not do anything else; that is a person need do nothing else then why do any good towards anyone as that would be a good work and is not needed because one does not need to do anything but just have faith. Paul says much the same thing yet, when Paul talks about works he is speaking about works of the laws of Moses that doing the works of the law of Moses does not and will not save anyone. Good works always works hand in hand with faith; one can’t work without the other.

 

[JonNC]

It seems to me that Faith is a word is a verb meaning faith is an action, something concrete. Faith then means one not just believes but acts on it, otherwise if faith is just something one only needs to believe but does nothing with it seems to me useless. I do think one can be justified by faith as long as that faith is active and not dormient. Being justified by faith would then mean that faith is active in one’s life not something one says. Where faith is active one would think grace abounds, that is grace is given freely and accepted because faith is being active.

James ses faith as an active part of being justified, that because of faith one does good works that is allowing God to work through a person. If one only needed faith and need not do anything else; that is a person need do nothing else then why do any good towards anyone as that would be a good work and is not needed because one does not need to do anything but just have faith. Paul says much the same thing yet, when Paul talks about works he is speaking about works of the laws of Moses that doing the works of the law of Moses does not and will not save anyone. Good works always works hand in hand with faith; one can’t work without the other.

Except for the last sentence of the first paragraph, which seems awkward, I generally agree with what is said here. Faith must be active.

Jon

 

[AugustTherese]

it seems to me you have to be willing to say my good works are justifying because they are His good works in and through me, and therefore only by grace.

Yes, of course! The Catholic Church anathematized Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism at Orange and Trent. You should know this.

Well, first, its just a slogan. Listen to the extensive explanatioin of what the reformer meant, and look at the context that they said it in.

Do you really presume the Catholic Church to be that naive and dense? Were those involved at Trent unable to “look at the context” and realize it was merely a “slogan”?

And why do you believe sola fide doesn’t integrate works with salvation? How can you read Luther’s commentary on Galatians 5:6 and NOT see the integration of works in salvation?

Does “sola fide” integrate works with justification?

 

[spina1953]

Except for the last sentence of the first paragraph, which seems awkward, I generally agree with what is said here. Faith must be active.

Jon

Hi Jon, its a long time and just want to say I always very highly respect your thoughts even when we disagree. That being said what i was trying to say is first God prompts us with His grace in order to justify us. Grace is active since its given freely by God so that when one responds faith becomes active in that one begins to believe and allows God to work through that person that is good works. Faith then becomes active and grace abounds, that is shared by all who receive it. I may not have expressed myself very well on the point and so I can see where it appears awkward. I apologize for that.

 

[drblank1]

drblank1. You said Judas “was a devil from the beginning.”

This is NOT in Scripture.

Are you confusing this with John 6:70?

Of course Jesus is God and KNEW EVERYTHING from the beginning.

But where does Scripture say Judas “was a devil from the beginning”?

Sorry to respond to older threads but I have been traveling and just wanted to respond to a couple of comments:

I was not quoting scripture. But consider the following:

“The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24)

"But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.” John 64-65 (Emphasis added)

You truly believe that God and Jesus, knew Judas was the betrayer and yet temporarily adopted Judas into His family? Temporarily sealed him with the Holy Spirit. Yes, when you take the totality of what is written about Judas, he was never saved.

God bless you.

 

[drblank1]

Whoa…this is what you posted yourself in Post 47:

No, you misunderstood. David was already saved prior to those egregious sins. He did not lose his salvation because of those sins.

 

[drblank1]

This is NOT an illustration of “Faith ALONE” drblank1.

The ONLY time in Scripture when the phrase “faith alone” is used . . . . it is used to tell us we are NOT justified by faith ALONE!

Sorry I messed up the quoting above.

Wow!!! There is a lot a Catholic apologetics in that post.

I hope AugustTherese understands better of the faith we sola scriptura Christians have.

 

[AugustTherese]

This is NOT an illustration of “Faith ALONE” drblank1.

The ONLY time in Scripture when the phrase “faith alone” is used . . . . it is used to tell us we are NOT justified by faith ALONE!

Sorry I messed up the quoting above.

Wow!!! There is a lot a Catholic apologetics in that post.

I hope AugustTherese understands better of the faith we sola scriptura Christians have.

I, very possibly, understand your “faith” better than you do. I spent 25 years of my life as a well-informed and highly catechized Confessional Lutheran. And the above quote is spot on. The ONLY, I repeat, the absolute ONLY instance of the words ‘faith’ and ‘alone’ being concurrently juxtaposed in Scripture is in James 2:24 where it is clearly, conspicuously, and unambiguously condemned.

“ola sciptura Christians” do not properly practice ‘sola scriptura’; if they did, then they would adhere and accept that, “a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone”, as the Bible alone exclaims.

 

[drblank1]

I, very possibly, understand your “faith” better than you do. I spent 25 years of my life as a well-informed and highly catechized Confessional Lutheran. And the above quote is spot on. The ONLY, I repeat, the absolute ONLY instance of the words ‘faith’ and ‘alone’ being concurrently juxtaposed in Scripture is in James 2:24 where it is clearly, conspicuously, and unambiguously condemned.

“ola sciptura Christians” do not properly practice ‘sola scriptura’; if they did, then they would adhere and accept that, “a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone”, as the Bible alone exclaims.

I’m glad you do. God bless you my fellow in Christ.

 

[AugustTherese]

I’m glad you do. God bless you my fellow in Christ.

I do not know if I do, hence “very possibly”.

Thanks for the blessing! May God bless you!

 

[ajcstr]

Is repentance/avoiding sin a work?

 

[AugustTherese]

Is repentance/avoiding sin a work?

Repentance, absolutely!

"The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus’ proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. “Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.” CCC, 1989

Avoiding sin, absolutely! Refer to above, “man turns toward God and away from sin”. Also:

What does Our Blessed Lord say when asked what one should do to inherit eternal life? “‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness”. The command, “Do not”, is avoiding sin. Obedience to the law, the righteousness that gets poured into our hearts so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, is avoiding sin.

"There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes: "There is no holiness without ***renunciation ***and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and ***mortification ***that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes: He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows. The children of our holy mother the Church rightly hope for the grace of final perseverance and the recompense of God their Father for the good works accomplished with his grace in communion with Jesus. Keeping the same rule of life, believers share the “blessed hope” of those whom the divine mercy gathers into the “holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” - CCC, 2015, 2016

 

[ajcstr]

Repentance, absolutely!

Avoiding sin, absolutely! Refer to above, “man turns toward God and away from sin”. Also:

Well, DUH, I know you are going to say yes - interested is hearing from the Sola Fide folks.

 

[AugustTherese]

Well, DUH, I know you are going to say yes - interested is hearing from the Sola Fide folks.

Then please be more specific to whom you are asking.

 

[JonNC]

=Cathoholic;14646327]I hear what you are saying JonNC.
And I think there is a sense where you are absolutely correct JonNC. And that sense is merit apart from Christ. As Jesus has said . . . . “Apart from Me you can do nothing”.

But there is another sense to Merit too.

That sense is WITH Jesus.

And in that sense we CAN bear friut that will last and does not get eaten away by allegorical “moths”, or degenerate from proverbial “rust”.

In light of what you state above, yes. I just recognize that it is His work through me, that I haven’t said no to.

(Now I’m not intimating JonNC, that YOU are neglecting this aspect of the Gospel. You KNOW from our dialogues over the years how much respect I have for YOU JonNC. Guys like you JonNC, make men like me better people.

But I want this out there for readers so that they have a chance for a fuller Gospel.)

You are very kind.My faith, too, has grown due to my presence here. God uses this forum in good ways.

Jesus said if we REMAIN in Him (Jesus is talking about people who are past that moment of salvation, and are now in the process of salvation . . . or as stated, they are IN JESUS.

Jesus tells those who are IN HIM, that we must REMAIN IN Him . . . and if we remain IN JESUS . . . Jesus tells us we CAN bear fruit.

No issue with this. In Him.

Trent puts that exact same teaching this way (I will paraphrase to do away with archaic language) . . . .

COUNCIL OF TRENT

If any one says, that the good works of one that is justified . . . are not also the good merits of him that is justified; let it be known that he is taking himself away from the fullness of truth (anathematizing themselves).
Here’s where I disagree with Trent. Am I growing in grace? Absolutely? Am I held to judgement of my good works? You bet (see the Athanasian Creed, etc). But for me I stop short of saying that I have earned merit of my own.

COUNCIL OF TRENT

If any one says, that a justified person, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ . . .does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life, (assuming this guy REMAINS in Christ and dies in friendship or grace with Christ), and also an increase of glory; let it be known that he is taking himself away from the fullness of truth.
I’ll take my chances on this. I know myself. I know my sin, and my weakness. I know the only strength, the only merit I can claim is in Him.

Here is some of the CCC again too.

CCC 2009a Filial adoption, in making us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as a result of God’s gratuitous justice. This is our right by grace, the full right of love, making us “co-heirs” with Christ and worthy of obtaining “the promised inheritance of eternal life.” . . .

That’s what the parable of Talents is all about.

Assuming this is a talent of gold (about 33 kg. gold or approx. 72 pounds of gold), on today’s market, that is about . . .

One and a Quarter MILLION DOLLARS per talent!

Five talents would be about SIX MILLION DOLLARS (if it were silver, he’d be given close to $100,000).

In other words Jesus gave his “servants” (notice they are already “servants” of the Master. This is past their “moment”), a lot of undeserved “money”!

Jesus entrusts US unmerited undeserved talents too in a sense. Jesus gives us Grace.

And once we are entrusted with that grace, we are expected to DO something with these graces too!

It is His talents in a sense. But in another sense, it is His talents ALONG WITH US.

Jesus is the Master and the guys who are His servants, are getting the Talents.

And the ones who DO something, are brought into Heaven.

But His servant, who does NOT bear fruit, has his talents removed and given to the other guys.

This “servant” of the Master is cast out where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth because he didn’t MERIT.

(This guy who ends up (likely) in Hell, apparently thought he couldn’t MERIT with Jesus, or that MERIT with Jesus’s talents, wasn’t necessary.)

biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A14-30&version=RSVCE

thanks for this. I will ponder it.

Here is the actual Trent quote again if interested (I don’t want anybody thinking I’m making this stuff up) . . .

Those who would don’t know you.