Theological Battle Cries

[ITS]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

[Joanne]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are 1) Justification by faith, 2) the authority of Scripture and 3) the priesthood of all believers. Each of these were to counter the positions held by the Roman Catholic Church. I believe Protestantism has held true to these principles, but it has not been without great effort. With the advent of post-modern thought, truth and relativity pervade the culture's thinking processes. Historical critical methods also seek to undermine the authority of the Word. But I have experienced a growing hunger and thirst for God and His Word among university students. In their search, they are finding, reaffirming and living out the truth of these principles.

[Steve]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are 1) Justification by faith 2) the authority of Scripture, and 3) the priesthood of all believers. I feel the Protestant Church holds to these principles today, however, I also believe these Biblical principles that Luther took such a stand for against the Roman Catholic Church, and that many gave their lives to defend are often not taught and preached in many Protestant churches, and there are many in the church who are still trying to earn their way to heaven, don't believe in the authority of scripture, and don't know what is means to be a priest in the family of God.

[Kevin Chen]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Protestant Reformation were justification by faith, the authority of Scripture, and the priesthood of all believers. I feel that Protestantism, for the most part, has held true to the first two of these principles but has not adhered as closely to the last one. In regards to the priesthood of all believers, which was meant to supplant the clergy-laity dichotomy, Protestantism today still has not been able to shake off this old pattern. While acknowledging the biblical basis of having officially recognized church leaders, it seems that today's clergy oftentimes goes beyond Scripture in emphasizing their position, either implicitly or explicitly. In so doing, they are maintaining the old dichotomy because it protects their position of authority.

[Kevin Chen]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are 1) Justification by faith, 2) the authority of Scripture and 3) the priesthood of all believers. Each of these were to counter the positions held by the Roman Catholic Church. I believe Protestantism has held true to these principles, but it has not been without great effort. With the advent of post-modern thought, truth and relativity pervade the culture's thinking processes. Historical critical methods also seek to undermine the authority of the Word. But I have experienced a growing hunger and thirst for God and His Word among university students. In their search, they are finding, reaffirming and living out the truth of these principles.

I heartily agree with the assessment that the advent of historical-critical methods in the understanding Scripture undermine the authority of Scripture. In addition to questioning the validity of Scripture itself, it also puts correct interpretation in the hands of scholars, be they evangelical or not. The net effect is that the Scriptures are essentially taken out of the hands of believers, who do not believe that they can understand Scripture themselves and instead depend too much on Christian scholars. The present situation is analogous to that of the Reformation, in which Reformers labored to translate Scripture into the languages of the people so that they could read it and understand it for themselves.

[Floyd]

The three battle cries for Protestantism are 1) Justification by Faith 2) The Authority of Scripture and 3) The Priesthood of all Believers. I think Protestantism has sought to hold on to these truths and has maintained them only through repeated struggle. These were established positionally against the Catholic Church, yet we Protestants have been tempted throughout history, as we become more organized, to institutionalize in different ways. We have proven that many different forms of religion (denominations) can attempt to become authoritative within themselves and provide systematic religion, doctrinal authority, pastoral authority rather than these three profound truths. I agree with several of the other students that higher critical methods have led to the devaluation of the authority of the word in our churches. That is an ongoing challenge to the Protestant churches - to maintain the Authority of the Word of God above our own.

However, it also seems historically true that as often as the organized church seeks its own authority above these foundational truths, there will be grass root movements to rise up and re-establish these truths. The examples of the German Pietists within Lutheranism, The Puritans from within Anglicanism (and the Methodists along with them), and the modern Evangelicals from out of Liberalism continue to reveal the strength of these three battle cries and the need to experience Christ in a personal way.

[adamduchin]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

1) Justification by faith
2) The authority of Scripture
3) The priesthood of all believers

I like the idea that these are "battle cries." I would say that Protestantism today has stayed true to the first and the last, but is tottering back and forth on the middle of these battle cries. There is such a move today to engage the culture, the Postmodern, the "emerging" that some churches have more than begun to lose sight of the authority of Scripture -- oh yeah, it IS the living Word of God.

"It seems so easy to understand and preach the first one; the third one affects ME in such a positive way that I like it and I want it; but I am not so sure I want to give in to some authority that is outside of me...": sadly, this seems to be the idea behind where some churches today are heading. It is time we take a stand for the God we serve -- oh yeah, we SERVE.

[adamduchin]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are 1) Justification by faith, 2) the authority of Scripture and 3) the priesthood of all believers. Each of these were to counter the positions held by the Roman Catholic Church. I believe Protestantism has held true to these principles, but it has not been without great effort. With the advent of post-modern thought, truth and relativity pervade the culture's thinking processes. Historical critical methods also seek to undermine the authority of the Word. But I have experienced a growing hunger and thirst for God and His Word among university students. In their search, they are finding, reaffirming and living out the truth of these principles.

Hooray for the recognition of one of the possible perils of Postmodern thought. Don't get me wrong, I am not completely against postmodernism, but I would push for an emphasis in a more solid biblical and historical (Christian) training for anyone moving towards leadership within a more postmodern mnistry/church/etc., especially in just the simple understanding of exactly what postmodernism is and means.

I have to say that I am so glad that you have and are experiencing a growing hunger and thirst for God and his word among college students. That is such a crucial time. As a youth pastor, I would love to see it as a "trickle-up" effect... what I mean is this, a lot of youth today are simply not prepared for what is next for them: they need to develop that same hunger for God and his word early, so that it GROWS as they mature, so that it trickles UP, not down. Then they will truly be prepared for whatever comes next.

[Rebecca]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three battle cries were 1. Justification by faith, 2. Sola Scriptura, and 3. the Priesthood of all the Believers. I think one of the problems for Protestants is that these words and other words can be interpreted completely different. For example, while all Protestant Churches hold to justification by faith. I’m not sure everyone would agree with Luther when it comes to the bondage of the will. While some Protestants still accuse Catholics of being semi-peligian, it seems like there are a lot of Protestant Churches who are teaching this theory. It seems like Luther and the reformers accepted theories which many Protestants do not accept today, especially with the advent of Arminianism.

[Rebecca]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are 1) Justification by faith, 2) the authority of Scripture and 3) the priesthood of all believers. Each of these were to counter the positions held by the Roman Catholic Church. I believe Protestantism has held true to these principles, but it has not been without great effort. With the advent of post-modern thought, truth and relativity pervade the culture's thinking processes. Historical critical methods also seek to undermine the authority of the Word. But I have experienced a growing hunger and thirst for God and His Word among university students. In their search, they are finding, reaffirming and living out the truth of these principles.

Hooray for the recognition of one of the possible perils of Postmodern thought. Don't get me wrong, I am not completely against postmodernism, but I would push for an emphasis in a more solid biblical and historical (Christian) training for anyone moving towards leadership within a more postmodern mnistry/church/etc., especially in just the simple understanding of exactly what postmodernism is and means.

I have to say that I am so glad that you have and are experiencing a growing hunger and thirst for God and his word among college students. That is such a crucial time. As a youth pastor, I would love to see it as a "trickle-up" effect... what I mean is this, a lot of youth today are simply not prepared for what is next for them: they need to develop that same hunger for God and his word early, so that it GROWS as they mature, so that it trickles UP, not down. Then they will truly be prepared for whatever comes next.
But I think the issue is that people interpret Scripture differently. While one might have issue with the idea of Scripture being interpreted by Scholars, how then, do we come to conclusions about the theological issues of today? Does each individual interpret Scripture for themselves, coming to their own conclusions? One of the problems in Protestantism is that people don't agree on what Scripture means. You currently have thousands of different and conflicting interpretations of Scripture. Many of these variations directly contradict each other. For example, Luther and Zwingli had completely opposing ideas on Communion can we really say that both men were guided by the Holy Spirit, into the correct conclusion? It also seems to me like you have a lot of people reading what they want to read into Scripture, and it can become the triumph of personal opinion, rather than the triumph of Scripture. In fact even Luther at the end of his day required the Lutheran people to submit to their church leaders interpretations of Scripture, at least according to the lectures we heard.

[flodoman]

Overall, I think that Protestantism has held true to the principles of justification by faith, the authority of Scripture and the priesthood of all believers. But there are instances in which the Protestant church still fails in each of these areas.

Justification is the central truth of the gospel. It was certainly central to Paul’s theology of the church and salvation. It was not just another doctrine among other doctrines and Luther brought this out as well. Yet many of us still try to bring about our justification by our own efforts. We have only head knowledge that it has everything to do with God and nothing to do with us. In our hearts we still think it is based on our righteousness and goodness, so we try to please God on our own efforts and try to earn our way to Heaven, rather than fully relying on the atoning work of Christ.

The Reformation emphasized the fact that Scripture is the only source of all knowledge of supernatural theology. What started off as tradition that intended to supplement the Scripture and resulted in superseding the Scripture. Luther reinforced that Scripture alone is the teacher and arbiter of belief and practice. However, today we are allowing subjective criteria and private judgment to undermine the authority of Scripture and to give meaning and value of the Christian gospel. This is seen by the many liberal theologians who subscribe to the historical critical method and also by the many young people who embrace post-modern relativity.

We affirm the common dignity, calling and privilege of all Christians before God, and for the most part the line between clergy is laity is blurred. We appreciate that there is no NT warrant for ascribing any special qualification of priesthood to ordained persons in the church. Yet, although the commonality of all Christians is generally acknowledged, I find that it is often muted based on the interests of a special group of ordained ministers. So we do not express the full richness of this doctrine. There is a sense of superstardom among some ministers, and they are completely inaccessible to the ordinary congregants to whom they minister. Getting an appointment with some of them is virtually impossible, although they may carry the designation of “pastor.”

[DonnieJack]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are justification by faith, the authority of Scripture and the priesthood of all believers. These views were used by Luther to counteract the positions held by the Roman Catholic Church. I believe Protestantism has held true to these principles, however some protestant denominations have strayed away from them. I think the number one struggle that some protestant churchs or denominations have dealt with is the priesthood of all believers. Some of these churches have developed a top-down philopsophy or a dictatorship. In this scenario, people are not truly empowered for the work of the ministry.

[DonnieJack]

Overall, I think that Protestantism has held true to the principles of justification by faith, the authority of Scripture and the priesthood of all believers. But there are instances in which the Protestant church still fails in each of these areas.

Justification is the central truth of the gospel. It was certainly central to Paul’s theology of the church and salvation. It was not just another doctrine among other doctrines and Luther brought this out as well. Yet many of us still try to bring about our justification by our own efforts. We have only head knowledge that it has everything to do with God and nothing to do with us. In our hearts we still think it is based on our righteousness and goodness, so we try to please God on our own efforts and try to earn our way to Heaven, rather than fully relying on the atoning work of Christ.

The Reformation emphasized the fact that Scripture is the only source of all knowledge of supernatural theology. What started off as tradition that intended to supplement the Scripture and resulted in superseding the Scripture. Luther reinforced that Scripture alone is the teacher and arbiter of belief and practice. However, today we are allowing subjective criteria and private judgment to undermine the authority of Scripture and to give meaning and value of the Christian gospel. This is seen by the many liberal theologians who subscribe to the historical critical method and also by the many young people who embrace post-modern relativity.

We affirm the common dignity, calling and privilege of all Christians before God, and for the most part the line between clergy is laity is blurred. We appreciate that there is no NT warrant for ascribing any special qualification of priesthood to ordained persons in the church. Yet, although the commonality of all Christians is generally acknowledged, I find that it is often muted based on the interests of a special group of ordained ministers. So we do not express the full richness of this doctrine. There is a sense of superstardom among some ministers, and they are completely inaccessible to the ordinary congregants to whom they minister. Getting an appointment with some of them is virtually impossible, although they may carry the designation of “pastor.”

I would like to comment on the last part of this essay. I believe you have a good point that there seems to be sense of superstardom and that they may seem unreachable. This is probably true however we must not generalize. Just to be safe we must assume that some large church pastors are doing what they do best. They are empowering people for the work of the ministry. I am an assistant to the Senior Pastor of a relatively large church and I understand the huge demand that is placed upon the shoulders of a large church pastor. In order for churches to grow and to expand the senior pastor must learn to let go and learn to empower people as the role of "pastors."

[driskelljason]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are 1) Justification by faith, 2) the authority of Scripture and 3) the priesthood of all believers. Each of these were to counter the positions held by the Roman Catholic Church. I believe Protestantism has held true to these principles, but it has not been without great effort. With the advent of post-modern thought, truth and relativity pervade the culture's thinking processes. Historical critical methods also seek to undermine the authority of the Word. But I have experienced a growing hunger and thirst for God and His Word among university students. In their search, they are finding, reaffirming and living out the truth of these principles.

[driskelljason]

I agree with Joanne. the three battle cries are: 1. justification by faith, 2. the authority of Scripture and 3. the priesthood of all believers. and that Protestantism has held true today. we are still seeing these truths taught in modern seminaries and preached in Protestant Churches. Although the world tries to tear down these truths, they will stay intact. The Word is the truth and will always be the truth. :State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are 1) Justification by faith, 2) the authority of Scripture and 3) the priesthood of all believers. Each of these were to counter the positions held by the Roman Catholic Church. I believe Protestantism has held true to these principles, but it has not been without great effort. With the advent of post-modern thought, truth and relativity pervade the culture's thinking processes. Historical critical methods also seek to undermine the authority of the Word. But I have experienced a growing hunger and thirst for God and His Word among university students. In their search, they are finding, reaffirming and living out the truth of these principles.

[driskelljason]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are 1) Justification by faith 2) the authority of Scripture, and 3) the priesthood of all believers. I feel the Protestant Church holds to these principles today. i has took a great deal of effort and a great deal of expence(lives). Although not all of the Protestant Church is on the same page most are. These truths are taught in our seminaries and are preached in our pulpits in most of the Protestant Churches. Are fight is not over and will not be until the coming of Jesus in the clouds.

[mleew_99]

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are 1) Justification by faith, 2) the authority of Scripture or Sola Scriptura, and 3) the priesthood of all believers. I think that the term ‘battle cries’ is somewhat humorous here. What were they battle crying against … another church … established religion (this sounds a little too familiar)? I think that might preach today.

I make the previous statements lightly. I am thankful for where that we are today because of these battle cries, but I sometimes wonder what would have been our cries had the Catholic Church had these views first. Just a thought.

I do feel that Protestantism today has held true to these principles. There have been some hiccups along the way, but I think overall they are still prevalent aspects within Protestantism. It has been a continuous work in progress. I am not referring to God’s word, authority, and purpose, but instead to us as living, growing, and changing human beings.

[mleew_99]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

1) Justification by faith
2) The authority of Scripture
3) The priesthood of all believers

I like the idea that these are "battle cries." I would say that Protestantism today has stayed true to the first and the last, but is tottering back and forth on the middle of these battle cries. There is such a move today to engage the culture, the Postmodern, the "emerging" that some churches have more than begun to lose sight of the authority of Scripture -- oh yeah, it IS the living Word of God.

"It seems so easy to understand and preach the first one; the third one affects ME in such a positive way that I like it and I want it; but I am not so sure I want to give in to some authority that is outside of me...": sadly, this seems to be the idea behind where some churches today are heading. It is time we take a stand for the God we serve -- oh yeah, we SERVE.

I agree that Protestantism has stayed true to the first and the last. I just might agree (with some debate) that it has ‘tottered’ back and forth concerning the authority of scripture. I surely would not agree however, that the blame should land in the lap of the Postmodern move of today. It really doesn’t seem fair that many of the problems that seem to plague the church of today get blamed on the Postmodern movement.

I understand that with this movement has come a wave of change, but I do not feel that it has been to the extent that we can say it has caused us to lose sight of the authority of scripture. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the Postmodern movement has blown new breath into the life of having a desire, understanding the meaning, and respecting the authority of scripture within the church of today.

[Dan Biegler]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?
The three Theological battle cries of the Reformation were justification by faith, the authority of scripture, and the priesthood of all believers.
I believe that many Evangelicals still hold these as central to their beliefs, yet over the centuries, these tenents have been challegned within the ranks of the religious minded. Some have strayed while others have held true. Today I believe there are still those who hold true, while others call themselves Christains, yet deny the tenents. Protestantism of today has come out of hundreds of years of battle and has emerged fragmented.
While many hold to salvation by faith, some in protestantism graft outward morality in with faith.
While many hold to the authority of scripture, others who have emerged as liberals stand untited believing that the scriptures, while good and moral, are not the absolute word of God, and even presume to edit the Bible.
While many hold to the priesthood of all belivers, others hold up their pastors and teachers as heros and celebreties, quoting their every word as absoulute authority, looking to them as the only word in matters of doctirne; and looking to them only to dicsiple the families of the chruch while the sheep sit idly by and give these leaders the same practical homage as one gives the Pope.
So, yes some protestants still hold to the battle cries of the reformation, while others have emerged over the centuries with the title of protestant, yet with very different fundamental beliefs and practices.

[Dan Biegler]

The three theological battle cries of the Protestant Reformation were justification by faith, the authority of Scripture, and the priesthood of all believers. I feel that Protestantism, for the most part, has held true to the first two of these principles but has not adhered as closely to the last one. In regards to the priesthood of all believers, which was meant to supplant the clergy-laity dichotomy, Protestantism today still has not been able to shake off this old pattern. While acknowledging the biblical basis of having officially recognized church leaders, it seems that today's clergy oftentimes goes beyond Scripture in emphasizing their position, either implicitly or explicitly. In so doing, they are maintaining the old dichotomy because it protects their position of authority.
I do agree with you. I feel that some of the vary leaders who tout the priesthood of all belivers, are the same ones who surround their own offices in celebrity and beaurocracy. Much of our modern Evangelical Protestant expressions of worship and church life are still essentially old world Catholic.
While there indeed needs to be good training and screening for church leaders, their offices for many, are still seen as functioning from a top-down, rather than a lateral plain. Even the early Protestants did not get this totally right as they grappled with celebrity, as well as magisterial forms of government.
So I feel that this one aspect of the priesthood of all believers has never been catagorically mastered since the Reformation. Hope we get it right before Christ returns.

[Schmiedc]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?


The Battle Cries of the Reformation ring loudly in my ears - justification by faith, the authority of Scriptures, and the Priesthood of the believer.

Unfortunately Protestantism has lost its way since then. In many main-line churches today we see a "works doctrine" at work. The Christian life is seen to begin with church membership with no real emphasis on conversion.

Scriptures are widely neglected much less considered authoritative. Bible study in general is at a low point. People are just too busy these days to take the Word of God seriously. Having taught Adult Sunday School for years I see this every week even among so called evangelicals. Bible literacy is atrociously low.

People don't really understand the concept of the Priesthood of the Believer. Too much reliance is placed on Christian leaders and Pastors. People don't pray and think enough for themselves.

[Schmiedc]

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are 1) Justification by faith, 2) the authority of Scripture and 3) the priesthood of all believers. Each of these were to counter the positions held by the Roman Catholic Church. I believe Protestantism has held true to these principles, but it has not been without great effort. With the advent of post-modern thought, truth and relativity pervade the culture's thinking processes. Historical critical methods also seek to undermine the authority of the Word. But I have experienced a growing hunger and thirst for God and His Word among university students. In their search, they are finding, reaffirming and living out the truth of these principles.

I agree totally with this response. The ideals established by the Reformation battle cries are alive and well in some circles. Unfortunately in many main-line churches this is not the case.

Fortunately the situation is much different in many Bible churches where hunger for the Word of God is real and much Bible study takes place. These churches are growing as more people confess their faith in Christ and rely on jusitification by faith alone. Also evidence exists of many who really understand the concept of the Priesthood of the believer. People are praying and going to the Lord for guidance and wisdom. Thank the Lord for this!

[Hotchkisst]

1) Justification by faith, 2) the authority of Scripture and 3) the priesthood of all believers are the 3 battle cries of the Reformation. Have we held true to this? That is a good question. I have many who question the authority of the Scripture even as Christians. People have told me that those are just nice stories made up to make us feel better and that they did not really happen. Over all as Protestants, I think these are being upheld for the most part. In our Post -modern world there is a continued need for some spiritual hole to be filled and many are looking for something solid to believe in and the Scriptures offer to fill this void. Also, I have seen the justification by faith be a stumbling stone to many still trying to find a way to pave their way to heaven with good works.

[Becomer]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three battle cries of the reformation are clearly, 1) Justifacation by faith, 2) The authority of scripture, 3) the priesthood of all believers.

I believe "battle cries" is a perfect term for these three tenets. Not only were they battle cries of the Reformation times, but I believe it will always be a battle to proclaim and live out these mandates. The Protestant church has in my mind done well to continue the fight.

I believe the Protestant church is facing waves of criticism that seek to erode the three battle cries. I believe it is simply human nature, (especially in the western world) to question justification by faith. But I believe the second and third battle cries are where the battle is fiercest. Specifically I believe that the authority of scripture is becoming the #1 issue the church is facing in the world today. Protestantism proclaimed that scripture trumps tradition, personal feeling, and in fact everything. The unbelieving modern world challenged scripture as truth, and the postmodern world questions any claims of truth whatsoever. Number 2 is where the battle will be won or lost.

[Becomer]

The Battle Cries of the Reformation ring loudly in my ears - justification by faith, the authority of Scriptures, and the Priesthood of the believer.

Unfortunately Protestantism has lost its way since then. In many main-line churches today we see a "works doctrine" at work. The Christian life is seen to begin with church membership with no real emphasis on conversion.

Scriptures are widely neglected much less considered authoritative. Bible study in general is at a low point. People are just too busy these days to take the Word of God seriously. Having taught Adult Sunday School for years I see this every week even among so called evangelicals. Bible literacy is atrociously low.

People don't really understand the concept of the Priesthood of the Believer. Too much reliance is placed on Christian leaders and Pastors. People don't pray and think enough for themselves.


I disagree that Protestantism has lost it's way since the reformation. However you do point to some very serious problems.

Your thoughts remind me that people need to have a genuine conversion experience that propels them to live out the three battle cries. I wish that every new believer was blown away at 1) God's grace. 2) Amazed at the powerful truth in the scripture. 3) And serious about their own personal ministry.

Perhaps the church (all believers, not just the leaders) can do a better job of helping new believers to see the power of God and the urgency we must have to live out grace, truth, and service. If nothing else we should point to those fresh believers who have gratefully found the grace of God and the life changing authority of scripture that has propelled them to live their life for the sake of the gospel.

[SeaPeak]

"State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?"

The three theological principles of the Reformation were, 1) Justification by faith, 2) the priesthood of all believers, and 3) the Bible is the only authority for Christian living. I believe only the evangelical churches still hold to these principles. The term Evangelical is widely used today and some churches or people who would claim to be evangelical don not hold these principles. The influence of Higher Criticism that calls into question the accuracy, authorship and the inspiration of the Scripture while presupposing that none of the “supernatural” events including the resurrection of Jesus clearly deny that the Bible would have’ any authority in modern life. Liberalism has taken over the majority of Protestant Churches in my opinion. As for justification by faith many churches have substituted works based salvation particularly in regard to social work. As for the priesthood of all believers as I see most Protestant Churches today there are more pew-warmers than those actively engaged in ministry. American Protestantism needs a Fifth Great Awakening to stir up sincere faith make Christian living a primary objective in people’s lives. This must start one heart at a time.

[SeaPeak]

"Specifically I believe that the authority of scripture is becoming the #1 issue the church is facing in the world today. Protestantism proclaimed that scripture trumps tradition, personal feelin'g, and in fact everything."

I completely agree with this statement. Without accepting the Bible as the authority for one's life there is no authority except that declared by men.

[eric.j.davenport]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three theological battle cries of the Reformation are Justification by grace through faith, the Authority of the Scriptures, Sola Scriptura, by Scripture alone, and the Priesthood of all believers. I believe that the Church, consisting of true believers, has held true to the Reformation principles. However, I do not believe that certain denominations have held true.

For example, the Authority of the Scriptures should make it impossible for there to be homosexual ministers, and homosexual marriages. Yet, certain denominations have begun to accept something that is completely contrary to what the Bible says in Leviticus 20:13, and Rom. 1:26, 27.

I also believe that the priesthood of all believers isn’t taught like it should be. Christians who have been discipled in the Word and filled with the Holy Spirit should be able to witness their faith to unbelievers, they should be able to pray for and administer communion to people who are sick or to those who could not make it to Church or fellowship of the believers because of schedule.

[eric.j.davenport]

The three battle cries of the reformation are clearly, 1) Justifacation by faith, 2) The authority of scripture, 3) the priesthood of all believers.

I believe "battle cries" is a perfect term for these three tenets. Not only were they battle cries of the Reformation times, but I believe it will always be a battle to proclaim and live out these mandates. The Protestant church has in my mind done well to continue the fight.

I believe the Protestant church is facing waves of criticism that seek to erode the three battle cries. I believe it is simply human nature, (especially in the western world) to question justification by faith. But I believe the second and third battle cries are where the battle is fiercest. Specifically I believe that the authority of scripture is becoming the #1 issue the church is facing in the world today. Protestantism proclaimed that scripture trumps tradition, personal feeling, and in fact everything. The unbelieving modern world challenged scripture as truth, and the postmodern world questions any claims of truth whatsoever. Number 2 is where the battle will be won or lost.

Your answer is well thought out. I agree that the Authority of the Scripture is the number one issue especially with many ethical issues that the Church is facing. The first response a non believer suggests is that the Bible was written by men who could have made it all up and that it no way is the Word of God. They suggest also that the translations are copies of copies and we have now of knowing if the written word of God is the truth. Personally when I come across this reasoning, I have responded with the normal Josh McDowel, “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” defense as far as the number of original manuscripts.

We need to not only be grounded in the Word as believers, but we need to be endued with the power of the Holy Spirit to witness. We need a revival or Great Awakening like never before.

[revscottosattin]

State the three theological battle cries of the Reformation. Do you feel that the Protestantism of today has held true to these principles? Why or why not?

The three battle cries are Justification by faith, the authority of scripture and the priesthood of believers.

Justification by faith is a difficult concept to accept. It is human nature to want to do things our way. Modern Protestentism has a major issue with this tenet. It is echoed in our preaching. Do these three things and God will like you more because you are obedient.

The Authority of Scripture is being undermined by the authority of the pastor which also undermines the priesthood of believers. Just as the priests of Catholic church were used as a go between for man and God so too today protestants around the world are encouraged to go to their spiritual leaders because they are trained to do so and not to go to God.

[revscottosattin]

The Battle Cries of the Reformation ring loudly in my ears - justification by faith, the authority of Scriptures, and the Priesthood of the believer.

Unfortunately Protestantism has lost its way since then. In many main-line churches today we see a "works doctrine" at work. The Christian life is seen to begin with church membership with no real emphasis on conversion.

Scriptures are widely neglected much less considered authoritative. Bible study in general is at a low point. People are just too busy these days to take the Word of God seriously. Having taught Adult Sunday School for years I see this every week even among so called evangelicals. Bible literacy is atrociously low.

People don't really understand the concept of the Priesthood of the Believer. Too much reliance is placed on Christian leaders and Pastors. People don't pray and think enough for themselves.

I agree with you on the point that believers in the church place too much an emphasis on their leaders. This can be seen in the rising popularity in televangelists. Believers don't need to go to these people to have someone intercede on their behalf before God. They are able to come to God through Jesus Christ since he is the mediator of our covenant. If the beleivers were taught to read the Bible and pray for themselves much of this trend can be averted.