“In answer to the question, ‘Where was your Church before the Reformation?’ the answer is, ‘Where was your face before you washed it?’” (Papa Don’t Pope, p. 46).
And Some of Them Really Uncertified
“Throughout the long history of the covenant people, God has always loved to send disreputable messengers out of the wilderness into the royal and priestly courts and, once there, to have them behave in uncertified ways” (Papa Don’t Pope, p. 45).
Asking Hard Questions
“If the kingdom of God were like a pure line of Labrador retrievers, where we always had to have our pedigree papers stamped by the authorities in Jerusalem, then certain notables of our faith would be in trouble. I speak, of course, about John the Baptist. Tell me, was he authorized or not? Was he …
Blood True
[The Spirit] “manifests His presence through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. None of this is possible without full and free forgiveness, and this is not possible without a blood-true gospel” (Papa Don’t Pope, p. 41).
Simple Testimony
“Just as John the Baptist pointed to Jesus without outranking Him, so also the Church pointed to the Scriptures in the Canon without outranking the Canon” (Papa Don’t Pope, p. 40).
Regrettable Though It May Be
“The Bible tells me the Church is my mother (Gal. 4:26), and that I am to honor her (Ex. 20:12). But the Scriptures also tell me that I am not to follow what she says if she has been hitting the gin cabinet again (Acts 7:51), which in certain ages she has sometimes done” (Papa …
A Foundational Creed
“The Table of Contents found at the beginning of every edition of the Scriptures I have ever seen is the foundational Creed of the Church. It is no more inspired than the maps and concordance are, but it is much more authoritative. It outranks, by definition, every other creed” (Papa Don’t Pope, p. 37.
Someday
“Someday, after I am an archbishop and past grace, I will no doubt have the time to devote to it” (Papa Don’t Pope, p. 36).
Romans for Rome
“So in a very real way, the book of Romans is a covenant possession of the Church of Rome and belongs in the Vatican library. Also, in a real way, that letter stands as a Song of Moses to them; it is a testimony against them. In multiple ways, the Church of Rome formally denies …
The Word Secures the Bones
“Christ’s bones were breakable, just like ours, but God’s Word is not breakable. In a similar way, we are His bones and so the elect will persevere. In themselves, the elect are capable of falling away, but in the decrees of God they are completely secure” (Papa Don’t Pope, p. 22).