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Scott Hahn A Brilliant Apologist? |
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I first met Scott Hahn on the steps of a Catholic Church in San Diego where Jesuit Priest Mitch Pacwa and James White had just finished a debate. I asked Scott about the fatherhood concept of the Roman priest. I was not as concerned about the title (which, of course, is scripturally prohibited in Matthew 23:9) as I was in showing the fact that the Roman priest, while supposedly achieving certain sacramental realities upon his flock, does not ever do them so as to give eternal life or the assurance thereof. If he be the father because he presides over sacraments that make and keep us children of God, he does so imperfectly. Scott, however, wanted to prove the Priest-Father concept of the Roman Church, and in doing so, he turned to Judges 17:10, "And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest." Read the rest of Judges 17 and see if you would like to establish a principle upon which your church accomplishes its liturgy on any verse in Judges 17. Scott wrote an article in This Rock (9/91) in which he tried to disprove the normal interpretation of John 19:30 (It is finished). Rather than having it refer to the completed work of redemption, Scott said it was the fourth cup of the Passover to which Jesus was referring. The four cups of the Passover come from the four "I wills" of Exodus 6:6-7. "I will bring you out." "I will rid you out of bondage." "I will redeem you." "I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God" is the fourth cup. The Lord didn't at that time drink of the fourth cup because Israel had not yet accepted Him (Courtesy of Marv Rosenthal). Even Scott's fellow Catholic apologist, Old Testament scholar Mitch Pacwa, disagrees with his interpretation of the fourth cup. Scott goes into intricate "proofs", saying that the word for "garments" of John 19:23 is the same word as is used in the Old Testament for the High Priest's official garments. Scott's autobiography Rome Sweet Home is extremely popular among Roman Catholics who like to think that a fundamentalist became a Catholic. In a review of the book, John Robbins writes, "What sort of people write autobiographies when they are alive and well at 35? Generally there are three sorts: egotists, egomaniacs and megalomaniacs." Peter Kreeft wrote the foreword to Scott's book. He says Scott and Kimberly, his wife, are "one of the beautiful and bright-shining stars in the firmament of hope for our desperate days." Their sole achievement is their noisy rejection of Christianity and conversion to Catholicism. Kimberly writes, "Scott suffered tremendous loneliness. He was misunderstood and rejected by many Protestant friends who didn't want to talk to him. . .He felt that former professors didn't think he was worth pursuing to convince him he was wrong. And he couldn't understand the nonchalance of a number of Catholics at Marquette [University, where Hahn was a student at the time] over his conversion, acting rather ho-hum over the whole thing, rather than welcoming him for all he had risked and left behind." John Robbins adds, "What good is being a martyr if no one notices you?" In the Trinity Review (Box 700, Jefferson, MD 21755), John Robbins traces Scott's odyssey from a liberal Presbyterian upbringing through Young Life eventually 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, but his last stumbling block was Mary. He finally decided to test her. Scott performed an experiment. Faced with an "impossible" situation, he prayed the Rosary. The situation resolved itself within three months, so now Scott prays to Mary daily. John Robbins sums it up, "Hahn's defection is one of several similar defections. They are occurring, not because Rome is the true church, but because of the apostasy of `Protestantism.'" With hundreds of thousands of tapes being sent out, it is no doubt that Hahn's "conversion" will greatly aid the Roman Catholic cause. And while the splash of these few "Fundamentalists" are finding the Fathers better than the Book, and are marching, single-file, to Rome, God is at work in the hearts of hundreds of Roman Catholics, ministering to them the truth of the Gospel, and bringing them into the fullness of God's salvation. Who wins on the earthly scene? I want our side to win, but I know the Lord's "Well done" will be to those who are faithful. Our work may be small and virtually unnoticed down here, but we as Christians must desire first of all the loving approval of our blessed Savior. The following is from Mike Gendron, Proclaiming the Gospel, P.O. Box 940871, Plano, TX 75094 We reported that the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) had no record of his ordination or any record of Trinity Presbyterian Church, the church where he had been a pastor. Mr. Hahn acknowledged these facts but offered an explanation. Trinity Presbyterian was an independent church with an average attendance of 30 when two of its elders laid hands on him in a private ceremony in 1982. He served as their Associate Pastor for about two years. The church remained independent until its closing in 1986. Mr. Hahn told me the reason for his private ceremony was because he did not feel he was very qualified to serve as an elder at age 26, but needed the ordination to take the pastor's exemption from Social Security. In my conversation with Mr. Hahn, I asked him about his conversion to Roman Catholicism after praying to Mary using the rosary. I challenged him to show me in the Scriptures where people pray to anyone other than God. When he responded that there are no Scriptures to support this practice, I questioned how his conversion could be doctrinally sound and honoring to God. He then changed the subject to challenge sola scriptura. I encouraged him to focus more on Jesus Christ as the all-sufficient Savior, for it is what we believe about Him that is of utmost importance." WHEN IN ROME - THINK AS ROME? A Review of Scott Hahn's Rome Sweet Home by Rob Zins Light, breezy, sincere, winsome and sprinkled with arsenic might best describe this emotional autobiography, Rome Sweet Home, co-authored by Scott and Kimberly Hahn. Written in a down home folksy way, this little book is going to be very popular and herein lies the danger. Scott Hahn is a former pastor/teacher of a Presbyterian Church who graduated from an evangelical Bible College and Seminary. He and his wife, Kimberly, have since defected into the Roman Catholic religion. Their journey to Rome is chronicled for us in Rome Sweet Home. To begin with, we find Hahn's use of Scripture and the corresponding theology which emerges is nothing more than warmed over Roman Catholicism. We search in vain for new insights as to why the Roman Catholic religion should be reconsidered as anything other than a non-Christian religion.Instead, we get the same old same old! Roman Catholicism is a religion in need of biblical justification The Hahns have only dragged out of the closet the wrinkled bag of Catholic tricks consisting of smoke, mirrors, tap dance shoes and a little sleight of hand when it comes to biblical theology. The Hahns come to us equipped with an arsenal of quantum leaps and an array of fantastic conclusions presented in a "neat-o", "keen-o" and "by golly" sort of way. But, while they are upbeat, the substance is still classic Rome! For instance, consider this on the Romish sacrament of Baptism: "Of course, back in the Old Testament, the sign of entering God's covenant was circumcision; whereas Christ changed it to Baptism in the New Testament." In the above comment, Hahn leaves out the dogma of ex opere operato which is the Catholic teaching that the sacrament, in this case baptism, actually bring about the things they signify. Catholic baptism is said to bring about justification and union with Christ by virtue of the mysterious efficacy of the sacrament when performed by a priest. The idea is historically refuted as nonbiblical and continues to be refuted by biblical exegesis today. This is but one example of misleading through assuming a conclusion without recourse to points of theology and sound biblical exegesis. Every conclusion is taken for granted using the Catholic methodology of traditional teachings of the Roman religion. In many instances, we are left only with bottom line statements void of even the Catholic steps listed to arrive at such conclusions. Hahn does not attempt to prove how circumcision was replaced by baptism which in turn becomes ex opere operato in the hands of a priest. There is no reasoned argument. There is no discussion. Simply a "fait accompli"! Like any Romanist apologists, the Hahns simply say it is so and that is that. Can you hear the "old" dogma of Roman transubstantiation in the Hahns' typically dramatic prose?: "Day after day, witnessing the entire drama of the Mass, I saw the covenant renewed right before my eyes.I knew Christ wanted me to receive him in faith, not just spiritually in my heart, but physically as well: onto my tongue, down my throat and into my whole body and soul. This was what the Incarnation was all about. This was the gospel in its fullness." Transubstantiation is found nowhere except in the imagination of Roman Catholic theologians. It is their fanciful attempt to take John 6 overly literally. It fits into the overall system of Rome which has invented an infusionary understanding of grace for a meritorious justification. This term, first used in the 4th Lateran Council in 1215, has no biblical or historical testimony. Hahn sees what he wants to see! Plunging further headlong into the murky waters of Romanism, Hahn soon discovers that the Reformers had missed it when it comes to how a man is justified. "In fact, I discovered that no where in Scripture did Saint Paul ever teach that we were justified by faith alone! Sola Fide was unscriptural!" This, of course, is a stab in the heart of all Reformation theology. Indeed, all Protestant denominations owe their foundation to the men of the Reformation who gave their lives to preach and defend the gospel of justification by faith apart from works performed in anyone's religious system. This "moment of truth" for Hahn is spelled HERESY in the annals of Protestant history. It is a denial of the very nature of the purpose and application of Christ's atoning work. The Hahns have many "moment of truth" episodes in their journey to Rome. Perhaps the most interesting is their struggle over the origin of the Bible. While a Bible college professor, Hahn was asked, "where does the Bible teach that scripture alone is our sole authority?" Hahn can only report that he "broke into a cold sweat." By his own testimony, this question "had never occurred to me." In the end, Hahn submits his reasoning to the speculation of Rome. He concludes, along with his inquiring student, that: "...Jesus wasn't condemning all tradition in Matthew 15 but rather corrupt tradition. When 2 Timothy 3:16 says 'all Scripture", it doesn't say that 'only Scripture' is profitable. Prayer, evangelizing and many other things are also essential." We find it peculiar how this basic question could have eluded anyone who prides himself in his quest for truth, much less a college Bible teacher. We find it equally odd that anyone could accept the above conclusions uncritically. Hahn never bothers to ask how the Roman Catholic religion knows that Jesus was really approving something called "good" traditions while scolding the Pharisees for holding to the 'traditions of men'. Neither does he ask why we should put 'profitable' things, such as prayer and evangelizing on the same level as inspiration. Nor does he ever ask to see the 'little book' of Apostolic tradition which the Roman Catholic religion alleges to have played such a big part in the development of the early Church. We find ourselves breaking out in a cold sweat wondering at the gaps in Hahn's education! Ultimately, the Hahns take a leap (swim the Tiber) to Rome and conclude that the Roman Catholic religion gave us our Bible. This, of course, is never explained or reasoned through for the reader. We are taken on an emotional whirlwind of more dramatic "truth points" in the Hahn conversion. On their way they have to negotiate "the roadblocks of Rome" given to us from the biblical exegesis of those who sought to reform Rome in the early centuries. For Hahn, the Catholic Mass was hard to swallow until he approached John 6 and became convinced that Jesus was offering his actual body and blood to all who would take it through the Roman mass! His fear of using the Roman Rosary was overcome by giving it a try. "I locked myself in my office and quietly prayed. I said, 'Lord, the Catholic Church has gotten it right ninety-nine times out of a hundred. The only major obstacle left is Mary. I apologize in advance if you are only half offended by what I'm about to do...Mary, if you are even half of what the Catholic Church says, please take this specific petition - which seems impossible - to the Lord for me through this prayer.' I then prayed my first Rosary. I prayed it again for that intention several more times the next week, but then I forgot about it. Three months later, I realized that from the day I prayed my first Rosary, that seemingly impossible situation had been completely reversed. My petition had been granted! This kind of reasoning predominates. For instance, Mary is to be honored based upon the following convoluted logic. We are informed by Hahn that since Jesus honored His mother in fulfillment to the law of God that we, too, are to honor Mary in fulfillment to Christ's command to imitate Him! By this logic we might be expected to select 12 personal apostles and attempt to walk on water! To say nothing of the fact that not one shred of evidence from the Bible ever has Jesus worshipping Mary or even intimating her alleged sinlessness. Throughout his recollections, Hahn gives us pithy statements on theology taken and polished from standard Roman Catholic texts. Mary "full of grace" somehow equals Mary born without sin. The water of John 3:5 somehow becomes the fond of infant baptism. The fire of 1 Cor 3 somehow becomes the fire of Purgatory. The pope becomes the vicar of Christ on earth, The keys given to Peter in Matthew 16 are said to be for papal authority and passed down to the current pope at Rome. Furthermore, Scott and Kimberly become astounded at the beauty of the liturgy. When describing the pain of separation he felt from his friends over converting to Catholicism, Hahn informs us that it was nothing in comparison with "the joy and strength that came from knowing that I was doing God's will and obeying His work." We lament this autobiography of Scott and Kimberley Hahn. They are not following the word of the Lord. They are not obeying the will of God. They are utterly denying the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have substituted the religion of Rome for the gospel of the grace of Christ. Laced within the convincing style of their book is the deadly poison of a false hope and a false gospel. The distortions of Rome's religion have been well documented. We wish only, in this short space, to reaffirm justification apart from works of any law, including the suffocating rituals of Rome. We wish to affirm that the entry into the New Covenant is by faith alone without the Romanistic sacramental system. We wish to affirm Christ as our only mediator and deny the Roman recasting of Mary into a female deity! We affirm that taking in Jesus and partaking of His body and blood is only by faith in His finished work. He is the bread of life taken by faith. We deny the Roman understanding of the sacrifice of Christ whereby He is viewed as opening the door for all to obey Him through Rome! We further affirm that full pardon and forgiveness from God is based entirely on the death of Christ. We deny to doctrines of future purgatorial sufferings for sin committed here on earth. We are saddened that this young couple have turned their backs on the faith once delivered. We'd urge all of you to be aware of how subtle the lie can be and how beautifully packaged is the serpent!
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