Over at "Beggars all" James Swan put up a post attacking another Catholics statement that Luther believed in the Assumption.
It is clear that Luther believed that Mary was in heaven. But, being true to Sola Scriptura he did not feel that her being in heaven should be an article of faith due to the fact that there was no explicit verse in the Bible one way or the other.
This varies with modern Protestants (especially the ones there) because they declare it as impossible, a myth and as a fact that it did not happen.
Of course, this ia a "argument from silence" as well, so I guess I could tack on James' quote here also.
"But an argument from silence is recognized by all to be quite weak. It implies that one must have almost total evidence before demonstration is possible. If this is the case, one could argue cogently that there may have been airplanes in the time of Christ." Dewey M. Beegle, Scripture, Tradition, and Infallibility (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1973), p. 178.
I would point out that there is just as much scriptural justification for the Assumption of Mary as there is for sola scriptura, but one Mr. Swan rejects outright, and the other he clings to as absolute truth, go figure.
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3 comments:
Kmerian,
Hi!
I too believe that Mary is in heaven, as are all the believers who have already died. One thing I don't see is that her body was taken up to heaven as taught by the Assumption doctrine. As far as I know the event is not recorded for us in Scriptures nor is it proven by first-hand witnesses in history. In the case of Martin Luther and Mary's Assumption, James Swan has treated the subject quite well here: Luther: The Assumption Was a Settled Fact? (Part 2)
http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2007/09/luther-assumption-was-settled-fact-part.html
This is my question, You said: "I would point out that there is just as much scriptural justification for the Assumption of Mary as there is for sola scriptura..."
Where in the scriptures does it specifically say Mary's Bodily Assumption into heaven? We can use the event of Jesus resurrection in Acts 1:9 and 1 Cor 15:3-8 as comparison.
Thanks,
Jerry
Hello Jerry, nowhere do the scriptures state that Mary was asssumed into heaven. Of course, nowhere do they state that the Bible shall be the sole rule of faith nor does it define what the scriptures are. That was my point. Why is one doctrine rejected based on not being explicitly in scripture and another accepted without question despite it not being explicitly in scripture.
Okay, I didn’t get you there the first time. I may have misread the last paragraph in haste. Thanks for clarifying it for me
Nevertheless, I pretty much differ with you with regards to my view of the Scriptures. That topic is for another day though.
Jerry
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