Talking with Catholics about the Gospel by Christopher A. Castaldo

Author:Christopher A. Castaldo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2017-07-01T04:00:00+00:00

· CHAPTER FIVE ·

EMBODYING AND PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL

In this chapter we will consider the practical dimensions of gospel witness among Catholics. Because there is no such thing as a view from nowhere, it is important that we evaluate how the beliefs of Catholics (covered in our previous chapter) either support or undermine evangelism. In doing so, I hope to maximize common ground as a fruitful starting point to conversation, while at the same time avoiding the land mines that inevitably detonate when we fail to consider our differences. Such consideration will focus on the two fundamental issues covered in our previous chapter (authority and salvation), since they have such profound and far-reaching implications for Christian life.

Let’s start by thinking about salvation. Consider a classic land mine on which we often step: our message that justification is by “faith alone.” From an evangelical Protestant perspective, the fact that our ultimate acceptance comes by faith apart from human works is about as central as it gets to the good news of the gospel. Why then does it not sound so good to Catholic ears? This is where some familiarity with the doctrinal underpinning of the issue is valuable. Given the Catholic assumptions concerning justification — that it is a process in which one becomes increasingly righteous — the assertion that God accepts us by faith alone often sounds like “cheap grace” (to borrow a phrase from Dietrich Bonhoeffer). It sounds like we’re saying, “Don’t worry about pursuing a life of holiness. Just say this sinner’s prayer, walk this aisle, and then you’ll be safe for all of eternity.” Thus, for Catholics, our doctrine of salvation resembles a form of fire insurance that requires a minimal investment in exchange for an eternal payoff.

So what is happening here? On one side, evangelical Protestants are sharing one of the most glorious and beautiful truths that they possess — the message that God, like the father of the prodigal son in Luke 15, wraps his loving arms around us despite the filthiness of our sin; meanwhile, to Catholics it sounds like a bunch of rubbish that diminishes divine holiness and reduces salvation to a momentary experience. I shudder to think of how many gospel conversations have been blown to smithereens by this land mine.

How then can we improve communication on this issue? It is up to evangelical Protestants to “contextualize” the message of faith alone so that Catholics can understand precisely what we are not saying. For example, when I discuss salvation with a Catholic friend, I seek to emphasize that while it is impossible to merit even the smallest measure of divine favor, we are nonetheless called to manifest holiness as God’s new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), for such devotion to Christ is basic to our Christian identity. Unfortunately, in our zeal to emphasize the grace of justification, we can easily ignore the work of the Spirit in sanctification. The tragic result is a truncated portrait of salvation. Is it any wonder that

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