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Paul T. McCain
First Thoughts Articles
The Claims of the Roman Catholic Church: The First Evangelicals’ Response
In a previous post, I posted remarks about the catholicity of the Lutheran Church. It still is receiving a response. I thought it might be good to go on record here on this “Evangel” blog what the first evangelicals had to say about the claims of the Roman Catholic Church, when they . . . . Continue Reading »
Commemoration of St. John Chrysostom
[caption id=”attachment_4881” align=”alignleft” width=”400” caption=”Mosaic of Chrysostom in the Hagia Sophia. Istanbul (Constantinople), Turkey.”][/caption]Given the added name of Chrysostom, which means “golden-mouthed” in Greek, Saint . . . . Continue Reading »
A Sermon for St. Titus Day
Pastor Mason Beecroft, of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, preached this very fine sermon today, for St. Titus Day.“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict . . . . Continue Reading »
The Pro-Life Generation
Thanks to Dr. Gene Edward Veith, for this post:The pro-abortionists are worried. Journalist Robert McCartney, one of their number, explains why:I went to the March for Life rally Friday on the Mall expecting to write about its irrelevance. Isn’t it quaint, I thought, that these abortion . . . . Continue Reading »
St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor: January 26
A disciple and companion of St. Paul to whom the great saint addressed one of his letters. Paul referred to Titus as “my true child in our common faith”. Not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, he was noted in Galatians where Paul writes of journeying to Jerusalem with Barnabas, . . . . Continue Reading »
The Conversion of St. Paul: January 25
Can there be a more magnificent example of the love, grace and mercy of God than the conversion of our father in Christ, St. Paul? From persecutor to preacher, from murderer of the saints, to the merciful lover of all souls. The Scripture readings appointed for today are:Acts 9:1-22Galatians . . . . Continue Reading »
Scripture is Not a Set of Principles to Reshape the World: It is the Living Voice of Christ Speaking to Us
This is an essential catholic and evangelical truth: the Word of God does not speak of something the way, for example, I may speak of something I know or have an opinion about. Scripture is God speaking. When Scripture speaks, we hear the voice of God.For most of Protestantism Scripture has become a . . . . Continue Reading »
The Center of God’s Revelation
It never ceases to amaze me how often I forget this profound truth:“The center of God’s revelation is Christ. All that God is to us, He is in Christ. All that we know of God, we know through Christ.” (Henry Eyster Jacobs, Elements of Religion, p. 170).So often we are tempted to . . . . Continue Reading »
The Church’s Calendar
The Christian Church Year is such a blessing. Many people who are new to the Lutheran Church, or other liturgical churches, coming from general evangelical protestantism, are unfamiliar with the ancient custom of observing a series of festivals, also known as “feasts,” and unique times . . . . Continue Reading »
No “End Run” Around the Cross
Here is a graphic that, Rev. James Douthwaite, at St. Athanasius Lutheran Church in Vienna, Virginia, uses to explain how we should always factor in the Cross when we consider our relationship to God and His relationship to us. (A parishioner made this visual image.)So, in God’s relationship . . . . Continue Reading »
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