What about a sub-section for the non-canical works?

[gbausc]

Shlama akhi Paul,

Thank you for the history lesson on The Church Of The East.
I have downloaded the three articles you mentioned. I had no idea of the size and reach of that church and I apologize for my ignorant comments concerning it. I will read as much as I can about it.
Is the Western ignorance and lack of appreciation concerning the Church of The East linked to what I detect as a lack of appreciation and perhaps opposition to the Great Reformation in Europe ,on the part of some forum members ?
Does one bad turn deserve another ? Surely you are aware that many tens of millions of Protestants were slain during the Inquisitions and many imprisoned? The Reformers did give the Bible to the people and an example of fearless faith in proclaiming God's word openly and educating the people to read and write, establishing schools and universities, etc.. Is that all nonsense ?

We have all benefitted from and enjoy the fruits of that refomation and yet I hear some of you despising it and the men who led it. Is this some sort of cultural war we're engaged in ? I would hope we're fighting against the common foe of mankind , Satan, and not against any group of people or each other.
If you gentlemen cannot acknowledge that the Reformation was God's work, I cannot but conclude that you blaspheme The Holy Spirit as did the Pharisees who condemned Jesus' miracles as the work of Satan.
Ignorance is one thing and blasphemy of The Spirit of God is another. I hope there is none of the latter in your hearts. There is no cure for it that I know of.

I want to be very careful to honor Christ in all of His people by acknowledging Him and His works in His body ,the Church ,and in each of those who follow Him. If I despise one of them, I despise Him. That reflects on who I am, not on Him and His saints.

I don't think I know Martin Luher well enough to criticize him, nor do you. I know enough to say that he did great things for Germany and risked his life for the gospel and suffered for it. I know he opposed The Roman Catholic practices of indulgences and Papal infallibilty, salvation by works and absolution of sins by confession to a priest, as well as many other evils. He preached salvation is by God's grace alone and cannot be purchased with money or with works.
He translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into German and did a masterful job of it. The German people had the Bible for the first time in history.
I cannot condemn a man like that. I am not big enough-(perhaps I should say small enough). Are you ?

I certainly cannot condemn a whole troop of reformers who did like works and changed the course of history for the better by the finger of God; can you ?

Grace and peace,


Dave B