SURPRISED BY TRUTH
by Pat Madrid
Rebuttal by Bill Jackson
Surprised by Truth contains 11 testimonies of Protestants who were converted to Roman Catholicism. While there are variations which we will explore as we go through the book, most of these converts to Rome shared some commonalities. They were mostly from liberal or New Evangelical Presbyterian churches, many attended seminaries that are not known for their discernment concerning the need of Roman Catholics for the Gospel, many of them had holiness or Pentecostal stages in their journey to Rome which left them open to subjective, feeling-based experiences. These are other facets in their pilgrimages will be explored in further chapters.
We might ask the question, "Are they saved?" The answer from them would have to be the answer given by any knowledgeable Catholic. They would say they are redeemed but will not know for sure until they die if they will be eternally saved.
However, we can answer more positively. If they were truly saved, that is, regenerated by the Holy Spirit and baptized by Him into the Body of Christ they are still eternally saved. Incorrect theology and backsliding does not erase salvation, but it is the cause for much apprehension when facing the Judgment Seat of Christ, as all believers will.
In this rebuttal will not attempt to ascertain the salvation of any of the individuals; we will leave that up God, Who alone really knows for sure those that are His.
It is necessary for us to point out the possibility of ones personal testimony to be unduly influenced by the present so that the past is embellished or exaggerated. While not desiring to impugn the honesty of anyone who gives his personal testimony, we must enter this study with this fact firmly in our minds. Many of the converts to Rome characterize their pre-Catholic theology as being Fundamentalist when there is evidence that their position was more akin to New Evangelicalism or even Liberalism.
In the Trinity Review (Box 700, Jefferson, MD 21755), John Robbins traces Scott Hahn's odyssey from a liberal Presbyterian upbringing through Young Life to membership in the Roman Catholic Church. Some of the steps were fascinating. He claims both a conversion and charismatic experience in high school, he played guitar for a Christian musical group, the Continentals, and later attended a liberal Presbyterian College.
He became enamored with Thomas Aquinas (the "Fathers" seem to have a hand in many Protestant to Catholic conversions). While he was at Gordon-Conwell (supported by a Christian businessman) he adopted the Roman Catholic view of justification. The next major factor was the Reconstructionist Movement. He was hired as pastor and teacher by a Reconstructionist Church in Fairfax, Virginia. Gradually Scott became convinced of the Real Presence, which eventually brought him to Rome.