User talk:Dbickel

Five solas
Before you submit any controversial changes, you may want to discuss them on the talk page and/or consult with Drboisclair and CTSWyneken, who are two wise Lutherans who regularly help with the Wikipedia articles. --Flex 12:55, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I notice that you would like to show the distinction between Lutheranism and Calvinism regarding the means of grace. Lutheranism asserts that God works mediately to regenerate the sinner through Gospel and Sacraments, while Calvinism asserts that God works immediately or directly to regenerate the sinner alongside the Gospel and the Sacraments. I think that you make a good point about this, but I wonder where it would fit into the five solas. Luther emphasized this with his insistence on the "externum verbum" (the external word) of the Gospel, that certainty of salvation is directed outwardly to the external means of grace. Calvin believed that through the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit one could be assured of one's election to salvation. Does this touch to some extent on the point you wish to make?--Drboisclair 20:16, 2 August 2006 (UTC)