In this episode, I respond to a recent video made by Gavin Ortlund called, “Are Catholics Christians? Why Protestants Can Say YES”. Gavin argues that early Reformation theologians like Martin Luther and John Calvin both believed that Catholics are saved. He also makes a postmodern argument for church unity.

In my response, I cover John Calvin’s actual thoughts on whether Catholics can be considered “Christians”. I talk about the problems with elitist “intellectuals” like Gavin Ortlund ripping old theologians out of context to push a postmodern, liberal narrative. I also discuss the dangers of referring to church history and old theologians before referencing the Bible. I give a more detailed breakdown of the Catholic and Protestant doctrines of justification and how they are fundamentally opposed to each other. Finally, I talk about what the Bible has to say about people like Gavin Ortlund who distort doctrine and words for personal gain. I hope you enjoy!

Books mentioned:

Institutes of the Christian Religion - John Calvin

Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment - Gregg R. Allison

Faith Alone: The Doctrine of Justification: What the Reformers Taught...and Why It Still Matters (The Five Solas Series) - Thomas Schreiner

Other books to read related to this topic:

Justification: An Introduction - Thomas Schreiner

Scripture Mentioned:

Galatians 1: 6-10 (ESV)

Romans 1:17 (ESV)

1 Timothy 6:3-10 (ESV)

2 Timothy 4:1-8 (ESV)

James 2:18 (ESV)

2 Peter 2:1-22 (ESV)

Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://www.orthodoxyandorder.com

Follow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99

Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!

Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

UK economy: Making sense of the numbers with Ed Conway