Not By Faith Alone: The Biblical Evidence for the Catholic Doctrine of Justification, 2nd Edition, 2019 (PDF Download)

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Not By Faith Alone: The Biblical Evidence for the Catholic Doctrine of Justification, *2nd Edition, 2019* (PDF Download)

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***THIS IS FOR THE 2019 SECOND EDITION***

Not By Faith Alone is one of the first books produced in modern Catholic history to address and explain in fine detail all the relevant biblical passages concerning the Catholic view of Justification. Its over 700 pages, with extensive footnotes and appendices; examination of the original Greek and Hebrew; critique of past and present Protestant theologians; citations of major patristic Fathers, medieval theologians, Ecumenical Councils and the Catholic Catechism, make this one of the finest and most thorough books ever made on the subject. Not By Faith Alone contains the Nihil Obstatand Imprimatur of the Catholic Church. Foreword by Dr. Scott Hahn, Epilogue by Rev. Peter Stravinskas, Ph.D. 775 pages.

Scott Hahn, Ph.D. of Franciscan University: "If you are a Protestant, this book affords you today's greatest opportunity to judge for yourself, the solid scriptural grounds for the Catholic Church's teaching on Justification."

Samuel Hutchens, Ph.D. (Protestant), Senior Editor of Touchstone Magazine: "For those who require an exhaustive exposition of the point, the best book I have found is Robert Sungenis' Not By Faith Alone...This reviewer thinks he has successfully made the point he started out to make, and that if one remains a Protestant after reading it (as I do) it will be vastly more difficult to mount his protest on the basis of belief that we are justified by faith alone apart from works..." Touchstone: Sept./Oct. 1998

Endorsements

(From the First Edition)

In proving from Sacred Scripture the veracity of the Catholic theology of justification, Robert Sungenis leaves nothing to chance, no stone unturned, no concession for any other reasonable argument. We know that an active faith in Christ Jesus presupposes corporal and spiritual works of mercy— that faith implies works. We know that the words we long to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant...come share your Master’s joy” (Mt. 25:21), will be spoken to those who have done well. Faith alone is not enough. The Protestant Reformation sowed confusion about the biblical theology of faith and good works, and many today rely on this confusion to defend or excuse a failure to live holy lives of service and goodness. Robert Sungenis has systematically addressed the confusion and demonstrated what we have always known, namely that Sacred Scripture and the Catholic Deposit of Faith are in complete agreement about justification. I applaud this work, and recommend it for all who wish to know how and why the Bible teaches that we are not saved by faith alone.

The Most Reverend Fabian W. Bruskewitz

Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska

Only some books deserve to be called “seminal” and “revolutionary.” This is surely one of them. The ecumenical enthusiasm following Vatican II led many of us to view our divisions as rooted in nothing more intractable than misunderstanding. But if Robert Sungenis is right, this optimistic view is itself the result of deep misunderstanding; a failure to face squarely and honestly the hard doctrines of the reformation. Not By Faith Alone pays the reformers the ultimate compliment of taking them at their word; it also renders a real service to anyone who cares deeply about Christian unity. For there can be no such unity apart from the truth. By forcing Catholics and Protestants to take a long second look at the things that still divide us, Robert Sungenis deserves genuine gratitude -- and undivided attention.

Ronald K. Tecelli, S.J.

Department of Philosophy, Boston College

Co-author: A Handbook of Christian Apologetics

This study shows Robert Sungenis to be a theologian and scholar of the first rank. With objectivity, clarity and precision, the author sheds new light on one of the most subtle and difficult issues of the Christian faith. Making meticulous use of Scripture and the primary writings of the Protestant writers themselves, Robert Sungenis exposes the many weaknesses, problems and inconsistencies of the sola fide position. This book is a gold mine of historical detail and theological analysis. Anyone interested in what really is at stake in the Protestant/Catholic discussions over justification can only benefit from this illuminating and intelligent study.

Dr. Robert Fastiggi

Sacred Heart Seminary

I am pleased that the important doctrine of Justification has received such a thorough apologia as this book offers. It is especially gratifying to read so clear an account of a matter which has often been sadly confused in the rush of polemics.

Rev. George W. Rutler

National Chaplain: Legatus

This work represents the first book-length response by an American Catholic to Protestant attacks against the Catholic Church’s teaching on faith and justification in more than half a century — perhaps longer, since I am not familiar with a single title written in the 20th century!...If you are a Protestant, this book affords you today’s greatest opportunity to judge fairly — for yourself — the solid scriptural grounds for the Church’s teachings on justification, and how an informed Bible-Catholic would respond to standard anti-Catholic arguments put forth by many evangelicals today.

Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

Franciscan University

“Catholic Apologetics has rarely been in more flourishing condition, and this book is one of the foremost proofs of it.”

William Marshner

Professor, Christendom College

“Does the Bible teach justification by faith alone? Ever since the 16th century, the evangelical community has accepted this as fact. Now they have good reason to doubt it. Anyone who will make the effort to study carefully the details of Robert Sungenis’ insightful work will make the rather remarkable discovery that open-minded, modern sons and daughters of the Protestant Reformation can no longer hold to both biblical clarity and justification by faith alone without being double-minded. With his characteristic sincerity and comprehensive intensity, Robert Sungenis details the bankruptcy of the man-made system of Protestant theology, especially the Reformed denominations.”

Rev. Paul Rothermel

Pastor of Notre Dame Church

“Upon reading Robert Sungenis’s book, one hopes most fervently that it will be very widely read and studied among those who have espoused Luther’s doctrine — and most especially our brethren, the leaders of the evangelicals. This is a major document, noteworthy for its clarity, its exhaustive coverage of the topic, and its punctilious scholarship.”

Thomas Howard, Ph.D.

Author: Evangelical is Not Enough

“Robert Sungenis has written a powerful essay in Catholic apologetics. With clarity and charity, he exposes the countless confusions and contradictions within and between the myriad Protestant theologies of faith and justification, as well as give a solid, biblical defense of the Catholic teaching on justification.”

Professor John Saward

St. Charles Borromeo Seminary

“One of the most urgent needs among the various Christian traditions in our time is for an honest accounting of the sins and errors of judgment that converged to produce what Lutheran historian Jaraslov Pelikan has called the “tragic necessity” of the Reformation. By his meticulous analysis, Robert Sungenis contributes substantially to one of the most urgent needs among the various Christian traditions in our time -- an honest sorting out of what was really “necessary” from what was truly “tragic” in the Protestant Reformation.”

Professor Philip Blosser

Lenoir-Rhyne College

The notion of 'justification by faith alone' is so alluring that countless good people have been convinced by the (weak) argument in favor of it. Robert Sungenis turns those arguments on their head and shows what the real biblical doctrine is. It may not have quite the pizazz of the position espoused by Martin Luther, but it has one great advantage. It's true.

Karl Keating

President of Catholic Answers

Author of Catholicism and Fundamentalism

While this present work is clearly scholarly, it must be distinguished from many other efforts along these lines over the past five centuries. Previous volumes often exhibited an acerbic tone; yet other lacked passion because they had reduced the discussion to blandly academic. Robert Sungenis is not only a competent theologian but a convinced believer who, with the sacred author, holds that God wants all men to be saved, precisely by coming to know the truth (cf. 1 Tim 2:2). But being an intelligent person and one desirous of fulfilling the Second Vatican Council's hope for Christian unity, he has refrained from polemics even while defending and explaining in the most articulate way possible the Church's position on this topic...Robert Sungenis has heard the invitation and responded to the challenge; in doing so, he paves the way for others to follow.

Rev. Peter M. J. Stravinskas

Editor: The Catholic Encyclopedia

Not By Faith Alone exposes the Reformation formula of sola fide for what it is: a legal fiction, a tragic misunderstanding of St. Paul. With relentless precision, Robert Sungenis examines sola fide in fine detail, showing that it cannot withstand careful biblical, linguistic, historical, and theological analysis

Patrick Madrid

Editor: Envoy Magazine and Surprised by Truth

Robert Sungenis' book is a thorough presentation of the Catholic doctrine of justification from the biblical perspective. It combines a keen knowledge of the original language texts with an historic perspective often lacking in discussions of this type. This book not only deals with the historic debates on the question of justification dating from the 16th century, it is also the first apologetic book to directly challenge the recent writings of Protestant critics of Catholicism such as McGrath, Sproul, Geisler, McCarthy, MacArthur, White, et al. This enlightening and readable book is accessible to both the scholar and the average believer. It is written with sufficient sensitivity and depth of scholarship that both Catholics and non-Catholics will benefit from a careful reading. Anyone interested in Catholic apologetics and sound biblical exegesis needs to read this book.

Dr. Arthur Sippo

Catholic Apologist

There is no question that justification and salvation are hot topics in the Catholic-Protestant dialog. Proof texts are tossed about and heated words are exchanged. For many Protestants, this is the highest hurdle, not because Catholic teaching is difficult or unbiblical, but because Protestants have too often misrepresented, and therefore misunderstood the Catholic teaching--treating it as a mere caricature of its real substance. Robert Sungenis' book is just what the doctor ordered. It gives a lucid, organized, scholarly, and well-reasoned explanation of the biblical and Catholic view of justification. I find myself turning to this book frequently, not only for quick answers to burning questions, but also for a clear presentation of how Justification has been understood for two thousand years of the Christian faith. Many deviations and corruptions (2 Peter 3:15) have sprouted through the centuries, but Robert Sungenis' book demonstrates the solid, biblical doctrine that has been sustained with unaltered clarity and faithfulness within the Catholic Church. I am grateful for this landmark achievement.

Steve Ray

Author: Crossing the Tiber

Not By Faith Alone is a masterful biblical study which makes significant progress in two important areas. First, it advances the Catholic-Evangelical dialogue with its thorough presentation of the issue of justification. Second, it is a classic example of the 'biblical theology' or 'theological exegesis' that is so greatly needed in the Church today.

Rev. Pablo Gadenz

St. Ann's Church, Keansburg, NJ

“For those who require an exhaustive exposition of the point, the best book I have found is Robert Sungenis’ Not By Faith Alone...This reviewer thinks he has successfully made the point he started out to make, and that if one remains a Protestant after reading it (as I do) it will be vastly more difficult to mount his protest on the basis of belief that we are justified by faith alone apart from works.”

Samuel Hutchens, Ph.D. (Protestant)

Senior Editor of Touchstone Magazine

Touchstone: Sept./Oct. 1998

Chapter 1

Did the apostle Paul teach justification by faith alone?

Did the apostle Paul teach justification by faith alone? For those who propose that he did, a very haunting question remains: Why didn't Paul use the specific phrase "faith alone" anywhere in his New Testament writings? A thorough study of his epistles reveals that Paul used the word faith and its cognates over two hundred times in the New Testament, but not once did he couple them with the adjectival qualifiers alone or only. Are we to believe that though he intended to teach justification by faith alone, he was never convinced that he should employ the attributes of the word alone to express explicitly what he invariably meant? What would have curtailed him from such an important qualification if indeed the solitude of faith in regard to justification was on the forefront of his mind?

A second reason that leads us to pose this critical question is that Paul used the wordalone more frequently than did any other New Testament writer. Many of these instances appear right alongside the very contexts that contain teachings on faith and justification.1 Thus it is obvious that even while Paul was teaching about the nature of justification he was keenly aware of the word alone and its qualifying properties. This would lead us to expect that if Paul, who is usually very direct and candid in his epistles, wanted to teach unambiguously and unequivocally that man was justified by faith alone, he would be compelled to use the phrase if he thought it would make his point indisputable. Moreover, since Paul's writings were inspired, we must also acknowledge that the Holy Spirit likewise knew of the inherent qualifying properties of the word alone but had specific reasons for prohibiting Paul from using it in connection with faith.

Third, although the Holy Spirit prohibited Paul from using the phrase faith alone, he intentionally allowed James to make a clear and forceful point to the contrary by inspiring him with the words, "man is justified by works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24). This unambiguous negation comes at the precise point in the epistle where James questions whether faith, by itself, is sufficient for justification. Comparing Paul and James leads us to believe that Paul avoids using the phrase faith alone because: (1) Paul's use of the word faith is pregnant with theological meaning and implications that absolutely preclude it from being coupled with the word alone; and (2) it would have created an obvious and acute contradiction in holy writ for one author to say, "man is justified by faith alone," while another is saying the exact opposite, namely, "man is not justified by faith alone."

With these facts from Scripture in the background, we submit that the burden of proof rests upon those who insist that the doctrine of justification be taught by using language that Scripture itself does not use. Although Protestantism proposes that the qualifying language "justified by faith alone" is appropriate to use because of the specific nature of justification, it is painfully obvious that, irrespective of what the true understanding of justification should be, Scripture intentionally chooses not to use such language. Precedence should be given to this undeniable fact when attempts are made to resolve this controversy. Since Scripture deliberately used the converse phrase ("not by faith alone") when the issue of the solitude of faith is interrogated, it apparently realizes and concludes that the expression "justified by faith alone" is not the correct was to teach the masses how man is justified before God. We are forced to reflect on this issue ever more seriously when we realize Scripture's own insistence that its words are chosen very carefully,2 and that it makes such choices precisely because it "foresees" the impact and implication of its teaching.3 Moreover, Scripture teaches that Paul "wrote to you with the wisdom given to him" (2 Peter 3:16). We propose that it was this God-given "wisdom" which prevented him from joining the word alone with faith, wisdom that is as good for us as it was for him.4

Endnotes

1) The word "alone" or "only" is from the Greek "monon" or "monos." In contexts where he discusses justification, Paul uses the word in Romans 3:29 ("Is God the God of the Jews only"); in Romans 4:12 ("...the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised"); in Romans 4:16 ("...not only to those who are of the law"); in Romans 4:23 ("The words, 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone"); in Galatians 2:10 ("Only that we might remember the poor"); in Galatians 3:2 ("I would like to learn only one thing from you"); in Galatians 4:18 ("....and not only when I am present"); in Galatians 5:13 ("only do not use the freedom for an advantage to the flesh"). It is the same word James uses when he says, "not by faith alone" (James 2:24).

2) For example, in Galatians 3:16 Paul makes quite an issue out of Scripture's choice, in explaining redemptive truth, of the singular "seed," not the plural "seeds" -- a relatively imperceptible distinction from the uniformed reader. Paul writes: "The promises were spoken to Abraham and his seed. The Scripture does not say 'and to seeds,' meaning many people, but 'and to your seed.' meaning one person, who is Christ." Scripture often appeals to its own precise language, which many times goes unnoticed by the average reader, to settle disputes and uncover nuances to divine revelation that are not immediately obvious (cf., Matt. 12:3-5; 22:29-32; 22:41-46; 24:15; Luke 20:37; John 7:41-43; 10:34-36; 19:36-37; Rom. 9:13; 10:8-11; 1 Cor. 9:9-10; 14:21; Gal. 4:30; Eph. 4:8-9; Heb. 4:2,6; 7:14; Num. 25:9/1 Cor. 10:8; Exo. 12:41/Gal. 3;17; Gen. 46:26/Acts 7:14; Luke 10:7/1 Tim. 5:18). Obviously, Paul, and the other inspired writers, treat Scripture as one cohesive whole wherein one book or testament anticipates and clarifies another. Hence, we can reasonably assume that Paul avoided the word "alone" but that James added it is recognition and respect of the ubiquity of Scripture's teaching on justification. We hasten to add that this argument should not be dismissed by claiming, for example, that if it is legitimate to use non-biblical words such as "Trinity" or "homouousious" to explain theological truth, then it is acceptable to add such words as "alone" to Paul's writings for theological clarification. The reason: since "faith" and "alone" are words used by Scripture, we are required to follow Scriptural guidelines on their respective use.

3) Since Scripture is inspired by God, in Galatians 3:8 Paul does not hesitate to personify it as a 'thinking' personality. He writes: "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.'" The word "foresaw" is from the Greek "proeideoo." The only other passage where this word appears, Acts 2:21, confirms this meaning in reference to David "foreseeing" the resurrection of Christ, thus showing its personal and cognitive quality.

4) The Council of Trent (1545-1563) specifically attacked the Protestant Reformer's teaching of justification by faith alone. The Council stated: "And so no one should flatter himself because of faith alone, thinking that by faith alone he is made an heir and will obtain the inheritance..." (Session 6, Chapter 11). "But neither is this to be asserted, that they who are truly justified without any doubt whatever should decide for themselves that they are justified, and that no one is absolved from sins and is justified, except him who believes with certainty that he is absolved and justified, and that by this faith alone are absolution and justification effected..." (Chapter 9).