https://signmovesreality.blogspot.com/2025/03/jesus-ignores-sola-fide.html
"Jesse is making heavy weather of 16th century theological notions that contributed to the formation of Protestantism."
Calling serious engagement with 16th-century theology ‘making heavy weather’ is a lazy dismissal of one of the most transformative periods in Christian thought. The Protestant Reformation did not just tweak doctrine. It reshaped the entire religious, political, and cultural landscape of the West. To trivialize its ideas is to ignore the foundations of modern Christianity. And if we follow that logic, we would have to abandon theological inquiry altogether, since every century builds on the last.
"Especially, lately, the principle known as sola fide, coined by Martin Luther."
Sola Fide (“faith alone”) was not simply “coined” by Luther. It was a crystallization of Pauline theology, especially Romans and Galatians. Luther’s articulation was radical, yes, but it was deeply rooted in Scripture and centuries of theological tension over grace, merit, and salvation. To treat it as a recent invention is historically inaccurate.
"There are a few serious misreadings that Jesse has inherited but remains ignorant of: he’s not an educated scholar."
If the views presented here are inherited misreadings, then this guy's are the family heirlooms of smugness—polished over generations of armchair theologians who skimmed one commentary, mispronounced "soteriology," and declared war on nuance. Scholarship is not measured by how many syllables that one can stack in a sentence, but by how well one understands what he is talking about. And judging by this comment, this guy is still waiting for the footnotes to show up, probably hoping they will arrive with a certificate of relevance.
"Principally that Paul’s totalizing concern in the 1st century church was the escalating tension between the increasingly dominant gentile Christian community and the original Jerusalem church of Jews."
“But actually it is Jesus who presents the biggest problem to sola fide…”
Jesus does not contradict Sola Fide, but embodies it. He consistently affirms that justification before God is grounded in divine mercy, not personal merit. In Luke 18:9–14, the tax collector is justified not by his moral record but by his humble plea for mercy, while the self-righteous Pharisee is rejected despite his impressive religious résumé. In Luke 15:11–32, the prodigal son is welcomed home with full restoration—not because he earned it, but because the father’s grace overflows in response to repentance. And in Matthew 9:2, Jesus forgives the paralytic’s sins before any healing or action takes place, showing that forgiveness is a gift, not a reward. These moments reveal a consistent theme: salvation is initiated by grace and received through faith, not achieved by human effort.
“NOTE THAT CONSCIOUSNESS OF CHRIST IS NOT EVEN REQUIRED TO BE SAVED! Much less faith.”
This is a significant theological leap. Matthew 25 does not state that the "sheep" were entirely unaware of Christ. Their surprise at serving Him may reflect a lack of full understanding, not of Christ’s existence, but of the deeper spiritual weight of their compassion. They may not have realized that in serving “the least of these,” they were serving Christ Himself. Moreover, the broader New Testament witness, from John 3:16 to Romans 10:9, clearly affirms that faith in Christ is the means of salvation. Matthew 25 must be read in harmony with these texts, not in isolation. To claim that faith is unnecessary based on one parable is to disregard the unified message of the gospel and the consistent call to believe in Christ for eternal life.
"Principally that Paul’s totalizing concern in the 1st century church was the escalating tension between the increasingly dominant gentile Christian community and the original Jerusalem church of Jews."
While Paul did address Jew-Gentile tensions, his “totalizing concern” was broader: the nature of salvation, the role of grace, and the universality of Christ’s redemptive work. Reducing his theology to sociological conflict misses the depth of his soteriological and eschatological vision.
"Paul was adamant that Christian gentiles not be made to observe Jewish law as necessary for redemption."
This is true, but it supports Sola Fide, not undermines it. Paul’s rejection of the Law as salvific aligns with Luther’s emphasis on faith over works. Galatians 2:16 is explicit: “a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”
"16th century Protestant Reformation used this discourse of St Paul’s to critique the Roman emphasis on the call of faith to all Christians to be actively willing disciples and join in the caring for community that is at the heart of Christian practice."
The Reformers did not reject discipleship or community care—they rejected the idea that such works were necessary for justification before God. Luther and Calvin critiqued merit-based salvation, not Christian ethics.
"Luther began the effort to elasticize St Paul’s dialectic of Law into an attack on 16th century Catholic moral systems of casuistry."
Luther’s critique was not a distortion, for it was a response to real abuses. Casuistry had become a tool for moral loopholes and indulgence-based salvation. Luther’s theology sought to restore the primacy of conscience and grace, not to undermine moral reasoning.
"Since Vatican II, however, consensus on theological work in the 60 years leading up to the council, principally by the figures of what is called the nouvelle théologie, described 'actual grace' as the unmerited saving act of God and 'sanctifying grace' as the continuing effort of the Holy Spirit to lead us into living good lives."
This is a fair summary of post-Vatican II Catholic theology, but it does not contradict Protestant views. The difference lies in how justification and sanctification are related—not whether both exist.
"These moments of choosing to do good necessarily involve our own agreeing will, our co-participation in the deity’s work."
For the record, the author of this site is not a Calvinist. But it is telling that Feodor assumes any rejection of co-participation must be Calvinist—as if theology were a two-lane highway and nuance got left at the toll booth.
"Paul was adamant that Christian gentiles not be made to observe Jewish law as necessary for redemption."
This is true, but it supports Sola Fide, not undermines it. Paul’s rejection of the Law as salvific aligns with Luther’s emphasis on faith over works. Galatians 2:16 is explicit: “a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”
"16th century Protestant Reformation used this discourse of St Paul’s to critique the Roman emphasis on the call of faith to all Christians to be actively willing disciples and join in the caring for community that is at the heart of Christian practice."
The Reformers did not reject discipleship or community care—they rejected the idea that such works were necessary for justification before God. Luther and Calvin critiqued merit-based salvation, not Christian ethics.
"Luther began the effort to elasticize St Paul’s dialectic of Law into an attack on 16th century Catholic moral systems of casuistry."
Luther’s critique was not a distortion, for it was a response to real abuses. Casuistry had become a tool for moral loopholes and indulgence-based salvation. Luther’s theology sought to restore the primacy of conscience and grace, not to undermine moral reasoning.
"Since Vatican II, however, consensus on theological work in the 60 years leading up to the council, principally by the figures of what is called the nouvelle théologie, described 'actual grace' as the unmerited saving act of God and 'sanctifying grace' as the continuing effort of the Holy Spirit to lead us into living good lives."
This is a fair summary of post-Vatican II Catholic theology, but it does not contradict Protestant views. The difference lies in how justification and sanctification are related—not whether both exist.
"These moments of choosing to do good necessarily involve our own agreeing will, our co-participation in the deity’s work."
For the record, the author of this site is not a Calvinist. But it is telling that Feodor assumes any rejection of co-participation must be Calvinist—as if theology were a two-lane highway and nuance got left at the toll booth.
Jesus does not contradict Sola Fide, but embodies it. He consistently affirms that justification before God is grounded in divine mercy, not personal merit. In Luke 18:9–14, the tax collector is justified not by his moral record but by his humble plea for mercy, while the self-righteous Pharisee is rejected despite his impressive religious résumé. In Luke 15:11–32, the prodigal son is welcomed home with full restoration—not because he earned it, but because the father’s grace overflows in response to repentance. And in Matthew 9:2, Jesus forgives the paralytic’s sins before any healing or action takes place, showing that forgiveness is a gift, not a reward. These moments reveal a consistent theme: salvation is initiated by grace and received through faith, not achieved by human effort.
“NOTE THAT CONSCIOUSNESS OF CHRIST IS NOT EVEN REQUIRED TO BE SAVED! Much less faith.”
This is a significant theological leap. Matthew 25 does not state that the "sheep" were entirely unaware of Christ. Their surprise at serving Him may reflect a lack of full understanding, not of Christ’s existence, but of the deeper spiritual weight of their compassion. They may not have realized that in serving “the least of these,” they were serving Christ Himself. Moreover, the broader New Testament witness, from John 3:16 to Romans 10:9, clearly affirms that faith in Christ is the means of salvation. Matthew 25 must be read in harmony with these texts, not in isolation. To claim that faith is unnecessary based on one parable is to disregard the unified message of the gospel and the consistent call to believe in Christ for eternal life.
Feodor’s credibility collapses under the weight of his own pretension. His writing is a masterclass in theological bluff—loquacious, self-congratulatory, and allergic to precision. He postures as a scholar while flattening centuries of doctrinal development into caricature and wielding Matthew 25 like a cudgel without context. His grasp of Protestant theology is as shallow as his tone is smug, and his confidence far outclasses his competence. What he offers is not insight, but performance dressed up as argument, a parade of half-read ideas masquerading as revelation.
No comments:
Post a Comment