Apologetics for the Masses #269

Bible Christian Society

Topic

Continuing my dialogue with Mr. Don Jackson...

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General Comments

Hey folks, every now and then I bring to your attention a family that really needs your help.  The first time was several years ago.  The second time was just a few months ago with the passing of my friend, Doug Pearson, who had been very involved in putting a few dozen Catholic radio stations on the air in the last 15 years or so.  You were very generous in helping his family with expenses that had arisen as a result of his battle with cancer.  Well, I hope you will permit me to bring one other such family in need to your attention.  I don't know if you're familiar with Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle or not, but she is a Catholic author and a frequent host of programs on EWTN television.  Well, she has had a prolonged illness and the medical bills have overwhelmed the family and they are in danger of losing their house and need a little help.  A friend of Donna-Marie's has started a GoFundMe page for the family.  If you could spare a few dollars - $5, $10, or whatever - to help the family out, I know they would greatly appreciate it. Here's a link to the GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/ap56pmt4?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=cta_button&utm_campaign=upd_n

 

Introduction

Continuing my dialogue - if you can call it that - with Mr. Don Jackson.  It seems more like I'm talking to a record that has a scratch on it and just keeps repeating the same thing over and over.  Ordinarily, I would give it just one more shot and if his next response did not move the dialogue forward, then I would shake the dust of Don Jackson from my sandals and move on.  And that's what I thought this would be - my last response to him, however, I've had a change of mind as I'll explain below.  So, I will begin with my last response  - which can also be found in the previous newsletter: http://www.biblechristiansociety.com/newsletter/detail/339, then his reply in its entiretyThen, I will repeat his reply, but with my comments interspersed amongst his. 

 

Challenge/Response/Strategy

My Response (last newsletter)

Dear Don,

Thank you again for being honest.  First, you admitted to not knowing who wrote the Gospel of Mark, which essentially means for you, as a Sola Scriptura believer, that you have no way of actually knowing that the Gospel of Mark is the inspired Scripture.  And now, you admit to not being infallible.  Which essentially means, that everything you have written to me, could be wrong, couldn’t it?  Will you admit to that?  Will you admit that you could be wrong in your interpretations of Scripture and that you could mistakenly be following the father of all lies by relying on your own private, fallible, non-authoritative, man-made interpretations of Scripture?  

You are also correct in saying that I am not infallible, I have never claimed to be.  But then, I do not follow my own teachings based solely upon my own authority and my own private interpretations of Scripture as you do, so I have no need of being infallible.  You, however, relying on your own authority and your own private interpretations, which you have admitted could be wrong, have need of being infallible - but you’re not.  Very scary place to be.  

You said that no human being is infallible.  But let me ask you this: Is the Church founded by Jesus Christ, and which is guided by the Holy Spirit, infallible...yes or no?

Don, I would be very happy to discuss with you the “gospel that saves” and how you have badly misinterpreted Scripture in regard to salvation and baptism and the rapture and the gospel and how you are wrongly dividing the New Testament up into parts that you believe are meant solely for the Jews and parts that you believe are meant solely for the Gentiles.  Again, I’m happy to take up these issues with you.  But first, we need to address a fundamental issue about the Bible itself, before we can address issues that are found in the Bible.  

So, I will ask you again: Please give me a reasonable argument for how you know the Bible is what you believe it to be?  If the bible doesn't tell you that the Gospel of Mark is the inspired, inerrant Word of God, then what authority are you relying on for your belief that it is?

Now, I will address one of your points, just to show you that your interpretations of Scripture leave a lot to be desired.  Regarding what you said about “the crucifix leaves my Savior hanging as a corpse, on the cross,” I will point you to Galatians 3:1, “Oh foolish Galatians!  Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”  What were the Galatians looking at if Jesus was publicly portrayed...before their eyes...as being crucified?  

Furthermore, you might want to check out 1st Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 23.  Paul says, “…but we preach Christ crucified…”  Why does Paul preach Christ crucified?  Doesn’t he know Jesus has been raised from the dead?  1 Cor 2:2, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”  Again, didn’t Paul know that Jesus had risen from the dead?  The crucified Christ is the “power of God and the wisdom of God.”  We have crucifixes to remind us of all of these things.  Please tell me where Scripture forbids it?

In the power of the crucified Christ,

John Martignoni

 

Don Jackson

Dear John:  [Wasn’t there a song by that title written during WW2?]

You will do anything to avoid the gospel by which one is saved, won’t you?  This is a favorite ploy of those who don’t know and are not proclaiming the gospel of the grace of God.  You blame it on “poor catechesis”  in the Roman Catholic Church.  Thank you for being honest enough to admit  that your church does not teach the true way of salvation.  Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this when he said, “But if our gospel be hidden, it is hidden to those that are lost.  In whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Cor. 4:3,4.  How do Roman Catholics plan to get to heaven?  From their own mouths:

   1. I hope that my good works will get me there.
   2.
I hope that my baptism will get me there.
   3.
I hope that my prayers to Mary and the “saints” will get me there.
   4.
I wear the brown scapular and hope that Mary comes to purgatory and gets me out on the Saturday after my death.

These are the things I have heard from Roman Catholics when I ask them how they plan to get to heaven.  And the priest told me that everyone is saved and therefore going to heaven.  And the monsignor told me that I must pray 3 times a day in order to get to heaven.  Didn’t matter what I prayed about. None of them ever mentioned the Lord Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection, “according to the Scriptures”.

Now you want me to believe that a church with “poor catechesis” is led by God the Holy Spirit?  Hmmmmm!  Hardly!

You want me to believe that a “religious” organization with the long checkered history of corruption of the Roman Catholic Church is led by God the Holy Spirit?  Come on John, if you are honest, you must admit that this can’t be the case.

Where did we get the Bible?  The obvious answer is from God the Holy Spirit as He led men to write it.  He trusted to Israel the oracles of God [the 39 books of the Old Testament].  In the first 100 years of Christianity the gospels and epistles were circulating in Asia, Syria, and Alexandria.  They were being read and discussed throughout these areas.  Polycarp quotes from the New Testament many times.  The Scriptures were quoted so familiarly as to suggest that they had been in regular use for a long time.

Timothy knew the Old Testament from early childhood [2 Tim. 3:15].  The New Testament was accepted by a consensus of believers as it was being written.  Peter called Paul’s epistles “Scripture.” 2 Peter 3:15,16.

“Not until the 3rd Council of Carthage, in A.D. 397, do we have the first conciliar decision on the canon.  This would seem to be rather late if without it Christians didn’t know what books were in the New Testament, and therefore, couldn’t use them.  History is clear that the books of the New Testament were in wide circulation and use at least 300 years before Carthage listed them.” Dave Hunt, A Woman Rides the Beast, (Harvest House, 1994), p. 336.

Karl Keating, who told me that, “Catholics know nothing about rightly dividing the Word of truth,” Writes that,. “The Catholic believes in inspiration because the Church tells him so…”

“The Church” that is riddled with scandal after scandal and corruption after corruption tells him so?  Come on!  The Holy Spirit can’t be part of that corrupt “religious” organization.

Paul writes about believers:  “For as many as are led by the [Holy] Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” [Romans 8:14]

And, “The Spirit [Himself] beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”  [Romans 8:16]

Believers are led by the Holy Spirit.  Not by the Roman Catholic Church.

Paul, our apostle, is the one to follow, as he follows our Lord Jesus Christ. [1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1].

In his epistles we find the gospel of the grace of God, the gospel by which one is saved in this dispensation of the grace of God. [Eph. 3:2].

I pray that you can say with Paul,  2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

And that you will: 2Ti 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

John, I pray that you are truly saved and that I will meet you in the air when my Lord and Savior will catch us up as in 1 Thess. 4:13-18.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Don Jackson

Dear John:  [Wasn’t there a song by that title written during WW2?]

You will do anything to avoid the gospel by which one is saved, won’t you?  This is a favorite ploy of those who don’t know and are not proclaiming the gospel of the grace of God.  You blame it on “poor catechesis”  in the Roman Catholic Church.  Thank you for being honest enough to admit  that your church does not teach the true way of salvation.  Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this when he said, “But if our gospel be hidden, it is hidden to those that are lost.  In whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Cor. 4:3,4.  


John Martignoni
Don, where have I avoided in any way, shape, or form the "gospel by which one is saved."  You apparently believe that that gospel can be found, in its entirety, in 1 Cor 15:3-4, and I told you that I agree 100% with those two verses.  So exactly what am I avoiding?  But, let me ask you a question: If I believe "the gospel by which one is saved" as found in 1 Cor 15:3-4 - "that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures," then, according to you, I'm saved, right?  Well, if I believe 1 Cor 15:3-4, but I don't believe that Jesus appeared to 500 brethren at one time as it states in verse 6 of that passage, then am I still saved?  

You, however, are good at avoiding questions.  Here are the questions I have asked that you have, so far, left unanswered:

1) Can you give me a reasonable argument for why you believe the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, Word of God...yes or no?

2) Will you admit that since you are not infallible, any or all of your private fallible interpretations of Scripture that you have written to me about could be wrong?

3) Is the Church founded by Jesus Christ, which is guided by the Holy Spirit, infallible?

4) What were the Galatians looking at if Jesus was publicly portrayed...before their eyes...as being crucified (Galatians 3:1)?

Furthermore, you have badly mangled what I said about what my Church - the Church founded by Jesus Christ - teaches.  Did you do so out of ignorance, or out of malice?  The former can be forgiven, the latter cannot.  Nowhere have I stated that the Catholic Church - the Church founded by Jesus Christ - does not teach the true way of salvation. The Catholic Church teaches the truth about Jesus and salvation, and the truth in its fullness - unlike you.  And that teaching can be readily found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  The problem is, that imperfect sinners in the Church quite often inadequately teach the truths of salvation that are held by the Church or they are too lazy to pick up Catechism to discover it for themselves.  So, poor catechesis does not equal false teaching.  Will you have the decency to admit that?

 

Strategy
I am going to reply point-by-point to most, if not all, of his assertions.  Normally I would not do that because it could easily lead to an out-of-control conversation (trying to handle more than 2 or 3 main arguments at a time - as you’ll be able to see if this continues), but I’ve decided to do so here as a means of instruction on a few of the issues he’s touched on - particularly on this thing he calls “rightly dividing” Scripture.  

So, the first thing you do, is repeat the unanswered questions.  And keep repeating them until they are answered.  Also, he is accusing me of avoiding “the gospel that saves,” but he hasn’t really asked me any questions about it.  Besides, I’ve told him that I agree with his pet verse, 1 Cor 15:3-7, 100%.  As I agree with every Scripture verse, 100%.  His big question to me was about the ignorance of Catholics.  I answered that question and explained why there are so many ignorant Catholics.  He twisted that one so far out of context that he’s trying to pin me with admitting the Church doesn’t teach the truth of salvation.  That gives you an idea of the honesty and integrity of the person we’re dealing with here.

 

Don Jackson
How do Roman Catholics plan to get to heaven?  From their own mouths:

1. I hope that my good works will get me there.
2. I hope that my baptism will get me there.
3. I hope that my prayers to Mary and the “saints” will get me there.
4. I wear the brown scapular and hope that Mary comes to purgatory and gets me out on the Saturday after my death.

These are the things I have heard from Roman Catholics when I ask them how they plan to get to heaven.  And the priest told me that everyone is saved and therefore going to heaven.  And the monsignor told me that I must pray 3 times a day in order to get to heaven.  Didn’t matter what I prayed about. None of them ever mentioned the Lord Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection, “according to the Scriptures”.

 

John Martignoni
Don, I’ve already responded to this, please re-read my first response to you, which you can find here: http://www.biblechristiansociety.com/newsletter/detail/338

However, you have not responded to my questions about the incredible ignorance of so many Protestants - including you - in regard to the Word of God.  They don’t know - you don’t know - where your Bible came from!  You don’t know whose testimony you are relying on for your belief that the Bible is the Word of God.  That it is inerrant.  That it is inspired.  You are so twisted in your interpretations of Scripture (2 Peter 3:16) that you don’t even recognize the contradictions they lead to in your beliefs.  For example, you believe the books of the Bible to be infallible, don’t you?  But, they had human authors.  And you have already stated that no “human being” is infallible.  So please tell me, Don, how does a fallible human being write an infallible book?  

 

Strategy
Not going to re-hash all that “ignorant Catholic” garbage when it’s already been addressed.  The question I asked, "How does a fallible human being write an infallible book," can be asked of most Protestants to point up a contradiction in their belief system.  "The Pope is not infallible!  No man is infallible!"  "Were the folks who wrote the books of the Bible infallible?"  "Yes, of course they were!"  "But you just said no man is infallible."  "Well, they were the exception to the rule.  After them, no man is infallible."  "Well, if they were exceptions to your rule, couldn't God also make an exception with the Pope?"  "Well, nowhere in the Bible does it say that the Pope is infallible!"  "Well, where in the Bible does it say Mark was infallible?  Or Luke?  Or Paul?"  "Well, uh...why do you worship Mary...that's not in the Bible?!" 


Don Jackson
Now you want me to believe that a church with “poor catechesis” is led by God the Holy Spirit?  Hmmmmm!  Hardly!  You want me to believe that a “religious” organization with the long checkered history of corruption of the Roman Catholic Church is led by God the Holy Spirit?  Come on John, if you are honest, you must admit that this can’t be the case.


John Martignoni
Don, the Catholic Church is the oldest institution on Earth.  If it wasn’t led by the Holy Spirit, it would have collapsed and faded away about 1900 years ago.  You yourself admit to the “long” checkered history of the Catholic Church.  It has been a long history, hasn’t it?  So, how old is your church?  By the way, what church do you even belong to Don?  Is it perfect?  Is it led by men who commit no sins whatsoever?  Does it have teachers who are perfect?  Does it have bishops and pastors and deacons who are perfect?  No one in your church sins?  That seems to be what you’re saying here.  The thing is, Don, that of the first 12 leaders of my Church, one of them betrayed Jesus, one of them denied Jesus, and 9 of the other 10 abandoned Jesus in His greatest hour of need.  Not a good record for Church leaders, is it?  I guess those guys didn’t belong to your church, did they, since they weren’t perfect?  But then again, Jesus says He came to call the sinners, and not the righteous (Matt 9:13).  So I guess He isn’t calling the folks in your church, is He?  One other thing, Jesus tells us that in His kingdom here on Earth - which is the Church - there are weeds (evildoers) who will not be admitted to His eternal kingdom (Matt 13:24-31; 36-43), so if your church doesn’t have any sinners in it, then you must not be in Jesus’ Church.  


Strategy
Anytime anyone brings up the corruption and the sins of the leaders of the Catholic Church and of the members of the Catholic Church, you just say, “Yep, that’s us alright.  Sinners...the whole lot of us.  Too bad you don’t let sinners into your church.”  


Don Jackson
Where did we get the Bible?  The obvious answer is from God the Holy Spirit as He led men to write it.  He trusted to Israel the oracles of God [the 39 books of the Old Testament].  In the first 100 years of Christianity the gospels and epistles were circulating in Asia, Syria, and Alexandria.  They were being read and discussed throughout these areas.  Polycarp quotes from the New Testament many times.  The Scriptures were quoted so familiarly as to suggest that they had been in regular use for a long time.

Timothy knew the Old Testament from early childhood [2 Tim. 3:15].  The New Testament was accepted by a consensus of believers as it was being written.  Peter called Paul’s epistles “Scripture.” 2 Peter 3:15,16.

“Not until the 3rd Council of Carthage, in A.D. 397, do we have the first conciliar decision on the canon.  This would seem to be rather late if without it Christians didn’t know what books were in the New Testament, and therefore, couldn’t use them.  History is clear that the books of the New Testament were in wide circulation and use at least 300 years before Carthage listed them.” Dave Hunt, A Woman Rides the Beast, (Harvest House, 1994), p. 336.


John Martignoni
Yes, Don, we got the Bible from God.  You believe that, as do all Christians, by the authority and witness of the Catholic Church.  But, I’m confused by something you said: “the Holy Spirit led men to write it.”  Wouldn’t men led by the Holy Spirit to write the Bible be...infallible?  But that can’t be, can it, because you have stated that no “human being” is infallible.  

So, you are putting Polycarp out there as an authority that you rely upon for believing the Bible is indeed the inerrant, inspired, Word of God, eh?  Very nice.  You do know that Polycarp was a bishop of the Catholic Church, right?  You also state that the “New Testament was accepted by a consensus of believers.”  Would you call that “tradition,” Don?  I find it odd that a Sola Scriptura believer would admit that he believes in the veracity, inerrancy, and inspiration of Scripture based on what I suppose you to believe is a man-made tradition that is not found in the Bible.  Where does the Bible say that you will know it is the Word of God based on a “consensus of believers?”  Book, chapter, and verse, if you please?  By the way, what consensus of believers are you talking about?  Can you give me some names?  Some dates?  

You do realize that a number of New Testament books were not considered inspired Scripture by a number of believers for some 300 years after the death of Christ, don’t you?  Hebrews, James, 2nd Peter, Jude, Revelation, 2nd and 3rd John were all disputed books.  And, there were a number of books that didn’t make the final cut into the Bible that were indeed considered Scripture by a lot of Christians - books such as the Letter of Clement, the Letter of Barnabas, the Didache, the Apocalypse of Paul, the Apocalypse of Peter, and others.  

So, who was it that made that final authoritative decision as to which books were and were not to be considered the inspired, inerrant, Word of God?  Which “consensus of believers” made that decision, Don?  Your argument from Dave Hunt’s book is specious.  Catholics do not dispute that all of the books of the New Testament, and old, were in circulation before the Council of Carthage in 397 A.D. and the Council of Hippo in 393 A.D. and the Council of Rome in 382 A.D.  That is not the argument.  Neither do Catholics argue that there were undisputed books.  The question is, though, by whose authority were any of the books recognized as being inspired and inerrant, and by whose authority were the disputes about some of the books finally decided?  Which "consensus of believers" decided these things?  By the way, you need to stop reading people like Dave Hunt, Don - he is filled with hate and with lies in regard to the Catholic Church.  True followers of Christ do not lie about the beliefs of others, even if they disagree with them.

And, how does Timothy knowing the Old Testament from his childhood prove anything about anything?  I’ve known Robinson Crusoe since childhood, does that mean it’s Scripture?  And regarding Peter saying Paul’s letters are Scripture, that begs the question - how do you know Peter’s letter is Scripture?  How do you know Peter wrote it?  How do you know Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit when he wrote it?  Was Peter infallible when he wrote it?  How do you know any of these things, Don?  Not by tradition, is it?  

One last thing, if you believe the Bible is what you believe it is based on a “consensus of believers,” then why do you not believe the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ based on that same “consensus of believers”?  Why do you not believe in confession of sins to a priest based on that same “consensus of believers”?  Why do you not believe in Sacred Tradition based on that same “consensus of believers”?  Why do you not believe in the primacy of Peter based on that same “consensus of believers”?  


Strategy
Take anything and everything they say and use it against them.  He thinks he’s giving me answers about how he knows the Bible is the Word of God and that the Gospel of Mark was inspired and so on, when all he is doing is digging his own grave. All you usually have to do to start getting the other guy to start contradicting himself is ask a second round of questions based on his answers to your first question or questions.  Don’t just accept their answers on the surface.  Dig down underneath to the assumptions behind what they are telling you.  Everything Don is saying to me is based on tradition; yet, he supposedly doesn’t believe in tradition - he’s goes by the Bible alone.  If it’s not in the Bible, then he doesn’t believe it.  But nothing he’s giving me in answer to my questions is in the Bible.  Oh, he mentions the Bible, but as you can see, his biblical references in no way answer what I’m asking.  

He is not going to address any of this because it is a minefield for him.  There is trap after trap in here.  He doesn’t know for sure where the traps are, but he instinctively knows they are there.  So, instead of answering what I ask, he will ignore it and pretend I never asked.  

 

Don Jackson
Karl Keating, who told me that, “Catholics know nothing about rightly dividing the Word of truth,” Writes that,. “The Catholic believes in inspiration because the Church tells him so…”

“The Church” that is riddled with scandal after scandal and corruption after corruption tells him so?  Come on!  The Holy Spirit can’t be part of that corrupt “religious” organization.

Paul writes about believers:  “For as many as are led by the [Holy] Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” [Romans 8:14]

And, “The Spirit [Himself] beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”  [Romans 8:16]

Believers are led by the Holy Spirit.  Not by the Roman Catholic Church.


John Martignoni

Believers are led by the Holy Spirit, eh?  Then that would make them infallible, wouldn’t it?  But, again, you have stated that no “human being” is infallible.  So I’m confused.  Does the Holy Spirit make mistakes?  How can you be led by the Holy Spirit, yet not be infallible?  Please explain that to me, Don. Or, does He maybe lead believers some of the time, but not all of the time?  But, in that instance, how would you know when He was or was not leading you?  What if believers are led by the Church founded by Jesus Christ which the Bible tells us is led by the Holy Spirit?  Is that not acceptable in your eyes?

Besides, who gets to decide who is or is not led by the Holy Spirit?  I claim to be led by the Holy Spirt - who are you to say I’m not?  What authority do you have to declare whether or not someone is led by the Holy Spirit or not?  I have shown you to be ignorant of Scripture in my last response when I pointed out that you had no clue that the Galatians had seen a public display of a crucifix (Galatians 3:1).   So if you are ignorant of something like that - a relatively small matter - then how can you be trusted in the larger matters pertaining to Scripture?  

Now, let me address this garbage about “rightly dividing” Scripture.

[For those of you who are unfamiliar with what Don is talking about here, folks who believe in the “right division” of Scripture essentially believe that Jesus “came for the Jews” exclusively, and that Peter and Mark and Matthew and Luke and James and Jude and John - the writers of the Gospels/Letters - were exclusively for the Jews, and that Paul’s letters were exclusively for the Gentiles.  And that Paul’s letters were meant for our age (or dispensation) and that all the others words, including Jesus’, were meant for the age (dispensation) that ended with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D.  So, we are to go by what Paul says in the Bible, and not by what Jesus says, or any of the others.  That’s how they think they get around all that nasty stuff about works and losing one’s salvation and the consequences of sin and Confession and the Eucharist and all the other things that Catholics believe in that they don’t,  which are clearly found in the New Testament.]

Don, you stated in a previous response that 1st and 2nd Peter were written to the Jews.  But there’s a problem with that.  In 2nd Peter, he talks about that letter being the 2nd letter he has written them (2 Peter 3:1).  So, both letters - 1st and 2nd Peter - were written to the same folks.  But here is where the problem lies - Peter tells us that these people he is writing to, have also received at least one letter from Paul (2 Peter 3:15)!  Paul and Peter are writing to the same people!  Don't they know about "rightly dividing" Scripture?  How could they confuse us like that?  It might have been the Galatian converts since Peter mentions Galatia in his 1st letter.  But that’s not possible in your system of theology, is it?  Paul and Peter were supposed to be writing exclusively to the Gentiles or the Jews, respectively.  But the Bible tells us they were evangelizing, teaching, and instructing at least some of the same people.  Furthermore, history tells us that the Church of Rome was the Church of both Peter and Paul.  They taught the same congregation of folks in Rome!  Also, scholars tell us that the Gospel of Mark, is written primarily for a Gentile audience.  Luke, who wrote a gospel and Acts, was a Gentile writing to Gentiles.  The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), is a council made up of Jews, yet they are exercising authority over Gentiles.  Why reject Peter's letters, Mark, Luke, and Acts if they were written not to Jews, but to Gentiles?  Besides, where does it say in any of the Gospels or any of the New Testament letters: "This is written exclusively for the Jews [or Gentiles, in Paul's case]?"  Your “right division” of Scripture is pretty messed up.  

Besides, doesn’t the Bible tell us that we are to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God?  Or does it say that we are to live by only some of the words that proceed from the mouth of God - only those written by Paul?  And doesn’t Paul tell us that the Gentiles and the Jews have been reconciled into “one body through the cross?”  Were they one body with two separate gospels, Don?  How could that be?  

No, Don, this whole “right division” of Scripture thing that you and other false teachers are purveying is nothing but the new lies of that ancient serpent.  You have been led astray and I fear you are leading others astray.  I will pray that the scales fall from your eyes so that you may see the truth.  


Strategy
Authority is the crux of the problem here.  Who has it and who doesn’t?  Does the Church founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Holy Spirit have it, or does each individual who reads the Bible and who claims to be guided by the Holy Spirit have it?  This is the main question you need to get to in all of your discussions with non-Catholic Christians.  What authority does Don Jackson have over me?  None.  What authority do his private, fallible, man-made interpretations of Scripture have over me?  None.  By whose authority does he claim his fallible interpretations of Scripture hold more weight than my interpretations of Scripture, or of the teachings of the Church founded by Jesus Christ?  By his own authority he claims such things.  Where is Don Jackson’s name in the Bible that I may believe him?  It’s not.  Where is the proof that Don Jackson is guided by the Holy Spirit?  There is none.  Where is the “consensus of believers” who believed and taught “right division” of Scripture 1900 years ago?  1700 years ago?  1300 years ago?  500 years ago?  100 years ago?  It’s not there.

And the line of argumentation that I used here, you can use almost every single time you have a discussion with a Sola Scriptura believer.  “So, no human being is infallible, right?”  “Right.”  Yet, you claim that you are guided by the Holy Spirit, especially when reading the Bible, right?”  “Right.”  “So, wouldn’t that make you infallible?  I mean, after all, the Holy Spirit doesn’t guide you into any errors about faith and morals, does He?"  "Well, uh...why do you you worship Mary...where is that in the Bible?!"


Don Jackson
Paul, our apostle, is the one to follow, as he follows our Lord Jesus Christ. [1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1].

In his epistles we find the gospel of the grace of God, the gospel by which one is saved in this dispensation of the grace of God. [Eph. 3:2].

I pray that you can say with Paul,  2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

And that you will: 2Ti 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

John, I pray that you are truly saved and that I will meet you in the air when my Lord and Savior will catch us up as in 1 Thess. 4:13-18.


John Martignoni
Notice he said, "Paul, OUR Apostle."  The other Apostles are not "our" Apostles.  They were for the Jews.  Even though Jesus told them to go and teach ALL nations (Matt 28), not just one nation. 

Don, have you ever seriously looked into what the Catholic Church teaches and why?  The answer is, “No, you haven’t.”  I can tell because of the incredible ignorance you display in regard to Catholic teachings.  The Catholic Church teaches that we are saved by God’s grace and God’s grace alone.  That salvation is a free gift of God and that nothing we do before we are saved - whether faith or works - is worth a hill of beans.  However, once we are saved, we have to respond to God’s free gift - we have to apply that gift to our lives through a combination of faith and the works that God has prepared for us beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10).  If we don’t, then we could be cut off from the olive tree (Romans 11:17-24) or fall away from grace (Galatians 5:4).  All of that is in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Don.  Will you bother yourself to read it?  Do you think that Jesus wants you to be ill informed and misinformed about the teachings of others, and to pass along that misinformation, half truths, and outright lies to others?  Is that being a good Christian? 

So, you follow Paul as he follows Christ, eh?  Well, does Paul follow Christ when Jesus said that in order to follow Him one has to deny himself and pick up his cross daily?  Doesn’t that tell us there is something we need to do, on a daily basis, in order to be a follower of Christ?  And does Paul follow Jesus when Jesus said that in order to have eternal life we must “keep the Commandments”?  Wouldn’t that count as works?  Does Paul follow Christ when He said that in order to have your sins forgiven you must first forgive the sins of others?  Isn’t forgiving others of their sins against you...a work?  Does part of Paul following Christ include Paul believing in what Christ said?

Regarding being caught up in the air to meet the Lord (1 Thes 4) - the Rapture - this is another area of scriptural interpretation that you have gotten totally wrong.  In fact, you have it completely backwards.  Jesus is coming back one more time, and only one more time, at the end of time.  There is no pre-Tribulation Rapture as you believe.  There will be an event as described in 1 Thes 4, but it’s going to be the final leg of Jesus’ return to Earth, not to pick up folks and go back to Heaven.  You really need to get these things right, Don...you're salvation is depending on it.  Know the truth, and the truth will make you free...


Strategy
Again, take what they give you and run with it.  He doesn’t really follow Christ...at least not the Christ of the Gospels...as he doesn’t believe what Jesus said and did was meant for him.  Yet, here he is saying he follows Paul as Paul follows Christ.  Well, if Paul follows Christ, then doesn’t that mean Paul believes what Jesus said?  Well, if Paul believes what Jesus said, then why doesn't Don Jackson?  So many contradictions in what this guy believes, and in what so many Protestants believe.  You have to find them, point them out, and use them to plant seeds of truth with them.

 

Closing Comments

The trick to any conversation with a non-Catholic, is to pay close attention to what they say, and then start using their own words against them.  They will contradict themselves time after time after time, but you have to be paying attention in order to catch the contradictions.  Whatever answer they give you, if it is contrary to what the Catholic Church teaches, is wrong and has a hole in it somewhere - a logical hole, a scriptural hole, or a common sense hole - or all of the above.  Usually the hole is very easy to find, but sometimes you have to dig a bit deeper - but I guarantee you it's there. 

I hope all of you have a great week! 

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Apologetics for the Masses