Just and Sinner Podcast

On this program, I discussed the writings of St. Ambrose in which he talks about justification. This is a continuation of my Sola Fide in the church fathers series.

This podcast is a Q&A program. I answered the following questions:

Who are the Nephilim?

What is your view of Christians and secular entertainment?

If you weren't Lutheran, what church would you go to?

Did Jesus found the Roman Catholic Church?

Why is Lutheranism unknown?

What is your view of the perpetual virginity of Mary?

This is a talk I gave on the topic of Holy Scripture at the Hold the Line Conference at Trinity Lutheran Church in West Hempstead NY. In it, I discuss the authority of Scripture, as well as the nature of Scripture and the sufficiency of Scripture.

On today's program, I discuss the doctrine of justification by faith alone as taught in the Lutheran tradition and its relation to the teachings of the early church. I argue that there is some precedent for such a teaching in some of the earliest Christian writings. Along with this, I spent a long time talking about how to read and use the fathers honestly and fruitfully.

This week's program covers the controversy which has surrounded the Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel, and the recent 2019 Shepherd's Conference Q&A. I try to navigate these extremely difficult issues by discussing particular areas of disagreement. I talk about the use of the term "social justice," the question of corporate guilt, and the nature of racism both as a sociological term and as a sin in Scripture.

Today's program is on the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. I look at the Scriptural evidence for this teaching, and I also compare various Protestant uses of this teaching which differ from one another.

Today's podcast is the second Q&A program this month. Since last week's show was limited to two questions, I decided to do a second to address several other important topics. I addressed intersectionality, the loss of mystical language within Lutheranism, Melanchthon's role in the Reformation, and other issues.

On this program, I discussed two listener questions, though I intended to address more. The first part of the program was on the Israelite conquest of Canaan. I discussed four different interpretations of the text and the moral issues addressed. The second part of the program was about the church father Origen, wherein I asked whether he was heretical or orthodox.

On today's program, I discussed Romans 9 and double predestination. I looked at the entire argument at work in the text, and showed why the subject of double predestination is not Paul's intent. Instead, Paul demonstrates the nature of true Israel as those who are chosen by grace and saved through faith.

After over a year of not doing any recordings together, Rev. Lewis Polzin came back on the program to continue our long-running series of discussions about Henry Eyster Jacobs' book A Summary of the Christian Faith. On this show, we discussed the meaning of sanctification and its importance in the Christian life, and also addressed controversies in the Lutheran church dealing with the topic.