Is the “Protest” Really Over?
This is a thread that I originally posted on several Christian forums for my fellow Protestant/Evangelicals. Some of you have no doubt seen this video or heard about it, as it is now 8 years old, but as the call for “unity” between Catholics and Protestants/Evangelicals has only grown and progressed since 2014 (when Bishop Tony Palmer made the presentation shown in the video below), this is still absolutely relevant and important.
Ecumenism is by no means going away, so I think this issue is something we must all honestly consider, as Christians. I know this topic can be quite controversial, but that should not hinder or prevent us from “testing” all that is being said to be sure it is Scriptural.
First of all, anyone who is not familiar with the video I am referencing, should take the time to watch it, in its entirety. I would hope that anyone reading this would truly desire to listen to what Bishop Palmer says, in his own words, for themselves.
First, let me be clear: this video is not posted out of any disrespect for Bishop Tony Palmer, who passed away about six months after his presentation at the KCM Minister’s Conference, shown in this video. My aim is simply to address the claims he makes during the talk he gave during this conference. Nor is it the within the scope of this post to address any issues with Kenneth Copeland, Word of Faith, the Charismatic Movement or the “Prosperity Gospel.” I am well aware of these issues, but they are not the purpose of this thread. The Anglican church, is, likewise, not the subject of this thread.
In his talk at the KCM Minister’s Conference that took place from January 21–23 2014 (shown in the video above) Anglican Bishop, Tony Palmer presented his ecumenical stance regarding Evangelicalism, Protestantism and Catholicism. Though not a Catholic himself, Bishop Palmer, who had a longstanding friendship with Pope Francis (Jorge Bergoglio), prior to Bergoglio becoming Pope, had personally met with him and recorded a video message to share with all of the Evangelical leaders present at this conference. (The video above is from Bishop Palmer’s official YouTube channel, it was published on February 28, 2014 and contains the description:
“This is the Full un-cut Video of my Presentation and Delivery of both mine and Pope Francis’ message to the international Evangelical Leaders at the KCM Minister’s Conference, 21–23 Jan, 2014 Fort Worth, Texas, USA. ‘The Miracle of Unity has Begun’)
In his talk during the conference, Bishop Palmer clearly presented his ecumenical beliefs, and he shared the video message from Pope Francis as well. The major point of both Bishop Palmer’s message and that of Pope Francis is unity between Catholics and Evangelicals. This call for unity between Evangelicals and the Catholic Church is, of course, not in any way something that originated with Bishop Palmer or Pope Francis. This call for unity (ecumenism) has been ongoing for some time. (In May of 1994, for example, the historic document, titled “Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium”, was signed by many notable Catholics and Evangelicals who agreed thereby to enter into official partnership with one another, claiming that there were no longer any serious differences between Catholicism and Evangelicalism and that they were doing the will of Christ by truly uniting in Him). This message was echoed by Bishop Palmer and Pope Francis during the KCM Minister’s Conference in January of 2014.
During his presentation at this 2014 conference, Bishop Palmer made statements, such as the following”
“And this is history that we’ve got a Pope who recognizes us as brothers and sisters, speaks to us as brothers and sisters and has sent a message to us…”
“I believe that God has brought me here, to this year’s Minister’s Conference, in the spirit of Elijah.” (pauses) “Let me explain. If you look carefully, the spirit of Elijah was on John the Baptist, to turn the hearts of the sons to the fathers. And to turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons. To prepare the way for the Lord. And we know that prophecy always has a double fulfillment. And we know that Elijah will come before the second coming as well. And I’ve understood that the spirit of Elijah is the spirit of reconciliation. To return hearts to each other.”
“If you’re born again…raise your hand if you’re born again. You’re a Catholic.” (audience laughs) “Take back, redeem, what belongs to you. We are Catholics!”
“I’ve come to understand that diversity is divine. It’s division that’s diabolic.”
“The glory that the Father had, He gave to Jesus. The glory was the presence of God. What is the Charismatic renewal? It’s when we experience the presence of God. And He said, ‘and I give them the glory’, pragmatic reason, so that they may be one. It’s the glory that glues us together, not the doctrines.”
“If you accept that Christ is living in me, and the presence of God is in me, and the presence of God is in you, that’s all we need. Because God will sort out all our doctrines when we get upstairs.”
“Division destroys our credibility. It is fear that keeps us separated, because fear is false evidence appearing real, it’s an acronym. F. E. A. R. False evidence appearing real. Because most of your fear is based on propaganda.”
“Luther believed that we were saved by grace through faith….alone. Amen. But that’s not it. The Catholic Church believed that we were saved by works. And that was their protest. In 1999, they wrote this together,[referring to the official agreement between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran church, signed in 1999] because in the Protestant church we got a lot of cheap salvations. People were getting born again but no fruit whatsoever. And because we didn’t even look for fruits, it wasn’t the issue, cause it wasn’t necessary for salvation. And no it’s not, but it’s a good judge if you are saved. So what these two churches did, they put the two definitions together. Listen to it. I’m reading verbatim from the Catholic Vatican website. Justification means that Christ Himself is our righteousness. In which we share through the Holy Spirit in accord with the will of the Father. Together we, Catholics and Protestants, (Lutherans), believe and confess that by grace alone in faith in Christ’s saving works and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God, and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.” (audience applause) “This brought an end to the protest of Luther.” (pause) “Brothers and sisters, Luther’s protest is over. Is yours?”
“So, the protest has been over for fifteen years. And I get a bit cheeky here, cause I challenge my protestant pastor friends, if there is no more protest, how can there be a protestant church? (pause) “Maybe now we’re all Catholics again. But we are reformed. We’re Catholic in the universal sense. We’re not protesting the doctrine of salvation by the Catholic Church anymore. We now preach the same Gospel. We now preach you are saved by grace through faith, alone. The word ‘alone’ was the argument for 500 years. The word ‘alone’ is there, you can read it yourself. The protest is over.” (pause) “The protest is over.”
“We need to throw as much resources and energy into the ministry of reconciliation as we do to the ministry of evangelization. Or are we building walls without foundations?”
Here are some questions I think Evangelicals and Protestants must honestly ask themselves, however, before deciding whether or not Bishop Palmer is correct in regard to the assertions he made at this conference.
- Is it actually true that Evangelicals and Catholics can have real unity if official Catholic doctrine and tradition have not changed?
- Are there truly no serious differences in faith and doctrine between Catholicism and Evangelicalism? (Or Protestantism)
- Is the “protest” really over, as Bishop Palmer suggests?
- Are we actually “all Catholics again” as Bishop Palmer claims we are?
- Are Evangelicals and Protestants actually in agreement with official Catholic doctrine regarding the Gospel and how one is saved?
- Does the Catholic Church actually teach “salvation by faith unto good works”, as Bishop Palmer claims? Or are good works still held as a necessary part of salvation in official Catholic doctrine and tradition?
- Is it true that official Catholic doctrine no longer includes various works as a crucial part of salvation?
Also, here is what Pope Francis says, in part, in the video shared at this conference:(Speaking of Catholics and Evangelicals, he says)
“We are kind of…permit me to say, separated. Separated because, it’s sin that has separated us, all our sins. The misunderstandings throughout history. It has been a long road of sins that well all shared in. Who’s to blame? We all share the blame. We have all sinned. There is only one blameless, the Lord. I am nostalgic [yearning] that this separation comes to an end and gives us communion. I am nostalgic [yearning], of that embrace.”
“We have a lot of cultural riches, and religious riches. And we have diverse traditions. But we have to encounter one another as Brothers. We must cry together like Joseph did. These tears will unite us. Tears of love.”
“And let’s pray to the Lord that He unites us all. Come on, we are Brothers. Let’s give each other a spiritual hug and let God complete the work that He has begun. And this is a miracle; the miracle of unity has begun.”
And here are some more questions we should ask ourselves as Protestants and Evangelicals:
- Is Pope Francis correct? Is it “sin” that has separated us? (Catholics and Evangelicals)
- Was the Reformation, therefore, simply a “misunderstanding”?
- Were all the thousands who died rather than submit to the Catholic Church, the Papacy and it’s doctrines and tradition guilty of sin and misunderstanding as well?
- Should Evangelicals and Protestants be willing to come back into unity with the Catholic Church? Why or why not?
I hope we all, as Christians, take the time to carefully examine these issues in light of Scripture.
God bless all of you.
