“Only one, true Christian Church exists, and that Church is made up of all those who sincerely believe in Christ as their Savior. The true Church, then, is invisible, including members of all denominations, even those without a denomination or formal affiliation. Only God can judge the heart, so one cannot judge whether a person has saving faith from his membership in one denomination or another.” — Gregory L Jackson

We are pleased to offer this book with the express approval of the author.

Level of Difficulty: Primer: No subject matter knowledge needed.

Book Contents

• Acknowledgements and Dedication

• Preface

• Books Frequently Cited

• Part One: Areas of Agreement

  • Chapter One: The Scriptures, the Trinity, Natural Law
    • Introduction
    • Agreement among Catholics, Lutherans, and Protestants
    • Catholic and Lutheran Agreement
    • Lutheran and Protestant Agreement
    • Scriptures: The Measuring Rod
    • Biblical Testimonies
    • The Early Church
    • Church Fathers
    • Clarity of the Scriptures
    • Sufficiency of the Scriptures
    • Scriptures during the Reformation
    • The Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
    • Old Testament
    • New Testament
    • The Trinity in the Early Church
    • Hymnic Confessions
    • The Two Natures of Christ
    • Human Nature of Christ
    • Divine Nature of Christ
    • Natural Law
    • Declaration of Independence
    • Social Structure

• Part Two: Areas of Partial Agreement

  • Chapter Two: The Sacraments
    • Means of Grace
    • The Holy Spirit and the Word
    • The Holy Spirit and the Means of Grace
    • The Word Active in Baptism
    • Biblical Answers to Objections
    • Infant Faith
    • Infant Baptism
    • The Lord’s Supper
    • Real Presence
    • Biblical Testimonies
    • The Stealthy Is Argument
    • The Two Natures
    • Forgiveness
    • The Sacraments in Roman Catholicism
    • Worthiness of the Minister
    • Roman Catholic Errors about Holy Communion
    • Transubstantiation
    • Reservation of the Host
    • Bloodless Sacrifice
    • Comparison: The Means of Grace

• Part Three: Complete Disagreement

  • Chapter Three: Justification by Faith

    • The Bible Is Clear: How We Are Justified
    • Council of Trent
    • Atonement and Justification
    • Original Sin
    • The Law and Original Sin
    • Atonement and Redemption
    • The Roman Catholic View
    • Faith and Good Works
    • Merit or Worthiness of the Christian
    • The Monster of Uncertainty
    • James and Good Works
    • Protestant Problems
    • Calvinism and TULIP
    • Law and Gospel
    • First Use of the Law
    • Second Use of the Law
    • Third Use of the Law
    • Confusing Law and Gospel
    • Mingling Law with Gospel
    • Justification Summary
    • The Old Missouri Synod Catechism – On Justification

  • Chapter Four: Purgatory

    • Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory
    • The Biblical Passages
    • History of the Doctrine of Purgatory
    • Seeds of Purgatory, Early Medieval Period
    • St. Augustine
    • Pope Gregory the Great
    • The Medieval Scholastics
    • Doctrines of Purgatory
    • Nature and Purpose of Purgatory
    • Mary and the Scapular Promise
    • Confraternities
    • The Mass and Indulgences
    • Avoiding Purgatory
    • Biblical Response
    • Purgatory Summarized
    • Early Foundations
    • Growing Roman Catholic Support for Purgatory

  • Chapter Five: The Infallible Pope

    • The Bible
    • History of Infallibility
    • Pope Pius IX
    • Bishop Strossmayer’s Opposition to Infallibility
    • Vengeful Aftermath of Vatican I
    • Infallibility Explained and Expanded
    • Doctrinal Answers to Infallibility
    • Definition of the Church
    • The Biblical View
    • Vatican II
    • Papal Infallibility and Church Definition Summary
    • Roman Catholic View
    • Lutheran View
    • Protestant View in General

  • Chapter Six: Doctrines Concerning the Virgin Mary

    • The Biblical Portrait
    • Roman Catholic Doctrines about Mary
    • History of the Immaculate Conception
    • History of the Assumption of Mary
    • History of Co-Redemption
    • Marian Devotion
    • The Rosary
    • Scapular Devotion
    • Organizations to Support Marian Piety
    • Development of Marian Doctrine
    • Luther and Mary
    • Lutherans and the Immaculate Conception
    • John Calvin
    • Summary - Doctrines about Mary
    • Pope John Paul II’s Prayers, December 8, 2003

  • Chapter Seven: Luther versus the Papacy

    • Fidelity Magazine
    • The Seven-Headed Luther
    • Luther Quotations
    • Luther on Conversion
    • Law and Gospel
    • Evangelism
    • The Means of Grace
    • Humour
    • Good Works
    • Trials
    • The Antichrist
    • Antichrist in the New Testament
    • Apostasy, 2 Thessalonians 2:3
    • The Man of Sin, Son of Perdition
    • Warning and Hope

  • A Final Word – The Gospel

  • Bibliography  

Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2022
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0