Gospel e-Letter

What can we say about Jesus and the Law? First of all, Jesus is the author of the Law. He is the Lord. The Lord has authority. The Lord rules. The Lord gives the Law. Even when it comes to the Jewish law about the Sabbath, the Gospels tell us that Jesus is “Lord of the Sabbath.” In fact, Scripture declares that He is Lord of everything. Jesus is the Lawgiver. But here’s the surprising part: the very One who gave the Law, chose to place Himself under it. He was born of a woman, born under the Law. And He obeyed it perfectly—without ever slipping, not even once. Jesus is the only person in all of human history who kept the Law completely, from start to finish. And the greatest wonder of all is this: the Author of the Law, the One who fulfilled it perfectly, was punished by that very same Law. He took on the penalty of death. The innocent Lawgiver was condemned by the Law! And He did all of this for us. The punishment He suffered was the punishment that should have fallen on us—the sinner...

I believe in God the Father — this is how we profess our faith in the Apostles’ Creed. Jesus warned us not to call anyone Father on earth, for we have one Father, who is in heaven (Matthew 23:9). When He prayed, Jesus addressed God with the unique title, “Holy Father” (John 17:11, 17:25). We Christians have the privilege of calling Him, “Our Father in heaven,” as Jesus taught us (Matthew 6:9). Therefore, the principal title of the head of the Catholic Church, who is called the Pope — the Father — and even Holy Father, is inappropriate and incorrect. In the Creed, we also profess our faith in the Lord Jesus . Scripture teaches us that He is: The one and only mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5) The head of the Church, which He purchased with His own blood (Ephesians 5:23) The chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) Again, the Bishop of Rome is accorded all these titles — he is called the Pontiff (the mediator), the head of the universal Church, and even the supreme shepherd (cf. Cat...

I believe in the God of mercy, grace, and love. But I also believe that He is a God of justice, holiness, and righteous anger. The Lord reveals both mercy and wrath—mercy toward His people, and wrath toward the wicked—both in this life and, ultimately, in eternity in hell. Even when God shows mercy to His children, He never overlooks His justice. He can forgive sinners only because Jesus took their punishment upon Himself on the cross. It is through faith in Christ that anyone can be made right with God. The Bible gives a solemn warning to those who do not believe: they are already under God’s wrath. As Scripture says: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). And again: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18). It is heartbreaking that many continue in unbelief and stubbor...

What shall we say regarding the paintings and statues that depict our Lord Jesus Christ? While one may acknowledge their artistic merit, we must speak honestly and humbly: such images are the imaginative renderings of artists and sculptors. They are not faithful representations of our Saviour. What does Holy Scripture reveal on this matter? As Christians, we affirm with joy that in the incarnation, the eternal Son of God took on human flesh. He walked among his contemporaries—seen, touched, and heard by them. This, however, is not our present experience. Yet the Bible does offer us a glimpse, however veiled, into the appearance of the Messiah during his passion: “His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance... He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Is. 52:14; 53:2) – a sorrowful image that speaks to the depth of what our Lord endured for the redemption of his people. It is no wonder, then, that the Church longs for her Be...

Who was it that gave Jesus to be crucified? Was it Judas, who betrayed Him—for money? The Jewish leaders who plotted against Him—out of envy? Or Pilate, who condemned Him—out of fear?
 No! It was God the Father.
He gave His Son—out of love.
Love for us… sinners. “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
“He did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all.” Beyond the betrayal, the envy, the injustice—the cross is the exhibition of the deep love of the Father for us. And so, my friend, if you trust in Jesus for salvation, you can confidently say: For God so loved me,
that He gave His only Son for me,
so that I, believing in Him,
I shall not perish,
I have eternal life.

On the 27th October 2011, the Vatican organized a ‘Day of reflection, dialogue and prayer for peace and justice in the world’ to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the historic gathering in Assisi, Italy, in 1986. This year’s event was led by Pope Benedict and included representatives from several Christian denominations, non-Christian religions, including Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, as well as non-religious people. The event included talks, a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Saint Francis and prayers. God’s people are called in Scripture to pray for peace. Moreover, Christians have a message of hope and peace to proclaim to the world, for we are ambassadors of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ our Lord. Why should there be so much trouble and injustice in the world? The Bible tells us plainly. Sin is the underlying cause of war and strife between nations, in our communities, in our families and even in our hearts. Sin is the root of all human misery for it separates us from God. T...

The authority of the Roman Catholic Church depends on the apostolic succession of the Pope. The Pope should be obeyed as the universal and infallible ruler, the Catholic teaching insists, because his authority has been transmitted over the centuries from the apostle Peter in an unbroken lineage of Popes. Let us then briefly examine this claim from a historical and biblical perspective. It is not particularly edifying to go through all the filth and corruption of papal history. A few examples should suffice. Pope Honorius was condemned as a heretic by the Sixth Ecumenical Council. Pope Christopher became pope by forcibly dethroning his predecessor, Leo V, and putting him into prison. He was then driven from the chair by his successor, Sergius III. Pope John XII was a coarse, immoral man, whose life was such that the Lateran was spoken of as a house of prostitution, and the moral corruption in Rome became the subject of general odium. Pope Benedict IX sold the papacy to Pope Gregory VI...