The Christian Vanguard

I recorded my class session at Holy Innocents. I may do this regularly. The topic for today was on marriage and divorce.

The following is a bible study I did for Newman. Feel free to use as you see fit. What Does The Bible Say About: Sola Scriptura? Definition: Sola Scriptura is the Protestant doctrine that the only infallible rule of faith (and practice) is Sacred Scripture. Biblical Data: 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.  Discussion: All scripture is what by God? Inspired. What does inspired mean? This means that God, although he uses man to write the scripture, is ultimately the author of scripture. What is it useful for? Teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. What is the point of teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness? So that we as Christians can be proficient/equipped for every good work. Does this prove that scripture is therefore the only infalli...

Another Newman Bible study I wrote. What Does The Bible Say About: Mary Biblical Data: Luke 1:41-48 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; Discussion: Sometimes Protestants will point to v47 to show that Mary was a sinner in need of a savior, which is contrary to Catholic teaching that Mary, from the moment of conceptio...

The following is a study I wrote for the Newman Bible Study. Feel free to use it as you see fit. What Does The Bible Say About: The Trinity Definition: In one substance God, there are three divine persons , The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Some Notes: 1) Because anti-Trinitarians, such as the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, typically do not deny the deity of the Father, we will not be going over biblical data proving it. We will only be focusing on the deity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. 2) While there may be Christians who disagree with Catholics on some issues, such as the modes of baptism, it is still true they are Christians. However, anyone who denies the Trinity cannot be said to be Christian at all. Biblical Data: Acts 5:1-6 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2 with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has S...

The following is a handout I typed for the Newman Bible Study. Feel free to use as you see fit. What Does The Bible Say About: Baptism Biblical Data: Acts 2:37-42 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Discussion: What is the context? Peter just preached the first sermon, ...

The following is a handout I typed up for the Newman Bible Study. Feel free to use it as you see fit. What Does the Bible Say About: Marriage Biblical Data Ephesians 5:21-33 21 Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. 24 Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, 27 so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates ...

The following is a handout I made for the Newman Bible Study. Use it as you see fit. What Does the Bible Say About: Homosexuality Definition: Homosexuality is the sexual attraction of one person to someone of the same sex. Biblical Data: Genesis 1:27-28 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Genesis 2:21-24 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. Old Words: The expression “male...

The following is a handout I typed up for the Newman Bible Study that I lead. Feel free to use as you wish. What Does the Bible Say About: Capital Punishment Definition: What is Capital Punishment? It is the power of the government to take the life of a person who had been convicted of a crime . Biblical Data: Genesis 9:5-6 For your own lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning: from every animal I will require it and from human beings, each one for the blood of another, I will require a reckoning for human life. Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a human shall that person’s blood be shed; for in his own image God made humankind . Old Words: The verb “shed” is the Hebrew word shaphak, which means “to pour out in large amount, causing death.” So, death is being referred to here. Discussion: What is the context? What just happened to Noah and his family? Why is God giving Noah these commandments? Who is supposed to carry out this punishment? God or man? “I will req...