Monday, February 22, 2010

When Protestants Become Catholic: Are the Church Fathers a Danger to Born Again Christians?: Shammah (Paul Pavao)

Here is a blog post on Shammah's (Paul Pavao's) blog (whom I posted about in the last post), The Rest of the Old, Old Story. The post is called 'When Protestants Become Catholic: Are the Church Father's a Danger to Born Again Christians?' It's very compelling; he concludes that only the local church, which is pliable, open to the Spirit's leading, and has believers working together in unity, can be 'the pillar and support of the truth' as scripture describes it. I have said something similar in comments and posts here, but he takes it much further, and has personal experience of this, whereas I mostly only have hope of it, having seen so many examples of failure of it in myself and others.

2 comments:

Moonshadow said...

The Roman Catholic Church is not pliable.

Bunyan observes "it is not enough to be pliable." (note at line 47)

Pliable wanted only the happiness, therefore the mire of the Slough of Dispond [sic] turned him back. He had no fortitude (Lewis on the "cardinal virtues"). Of course, Obstinate had turned back long ago.

Is Shammah saying the RCC is "obstinate" because she is not pliable? I think Bunyan advises avoiding extremes, as is reasonably expected.

Jennie said...

I think Bunyan was saying one needs to be MORE than just pliable. Pliability is a GOOD quality when combined with fortitude, (among other things) but both of those things are given by the Holy Spirit.