FRANCIS CHAN AND GAVIN ORTLUND

In reaction to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUvYCV_y6bo

Francis Chan is still in ecclesiological limbo, huh?

I made a video that I streamed over for FrontlineTV about 4 or 5 years ago now about my thoughts on Francis Chan on the Eucharist. Not sure what he's still stuck on but he's clearly in the feels category. I think the Catholics around him need to focus more on the feels than the thinks, because the thinks have obviously not done the job.

As for Gavin, I know it sounds so true to think well, there are true believers in all ecclesial flavors of Christianity, and that's because true believers exist in spite of ecclesial affiliation. That's the Protestant ecclesiology, or the underlying practical experience. Of course there are stricter flavors that are concerned with adherence to doctrinal confessions. For those folks, membership in the church has to do with intellectual assent to doctrinal propositions and not ecclesial affiliation.

But Gavin "knows" that true Christians exist in Roman Catholicism, but why and how, because he sees or feels that the folks he meets are "in love with Jesus". That's quite a claim. How many folks have we been wrong about thinking someone is "in love with Jesus" but were in fact habitual charlatans? Let's not use our personal judgment to know who is or is not a Christian and build an ecclesial theology around that.

EXTRA ECCLESIA NULLA SALUS

is still a thing and cannot be dispensed with from a Catholic perspective. The Church is a dogmatic fact, and it is a Biblical fact. Where is it and how does one enter into it should be ones prime directive as a true Christian seeking to know and live what a true Christian is supposed to think and do in this life.

For me it's simple, and there's no need to get into complicated apologetics. If you still don't see it, you are just not ready for it.

1. Jesus is the ONLY way to salvation

John 14:6
English Standard Version
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

2. Jesus established the Church, and gives Peter the KEYS, with the pastoral and juridical authority to bind and loose

Matthew 16:13-19
English Standard Version
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock[a] I will build my church, and the gates of hell[b] shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[c] in heaven.”

3. The Church is CATHOLIC (universal) is charged with making new disciples

Matthew 28:19
English Standard Version
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

4. The Church is is ONE

John 17:21
English Standard Version
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

5. The Church is APOSTOLIC, and passes on its apostolic authority

Acts 1:21-26
English Standard Version
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

6. The TEACHERS of the TRUE Church are sent with AUTHORITY by God

Acts 8:26-40
English Standard Version
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south[a] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”[b] 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

7. Christians accept only those that Jesus SENDS, not just anyone who claims authority

John 13:20
English Standard Version
20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

8. Beware of FALSE Christian teachers

2 Timothy 4:3-4
English Standard Version
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

9. Stay close to the ones who plant and water that have been ASSIGNED to you (bishops), as they are one with God, who gives the GROWTH

1 Corinthians 3:4-9
English Standard Version
4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.