Two other blogs have taken up the topic of Samuele Bacchiocchi’s credentials and the allegations that they are not what he says they are. Gregorian University apparently denies that he got his PhD summa cum laude, that he received any medals, that his book was given an imprimatur, and that they printed it.
So, in total, there are now 5 blogs that are covering this topic. Including the blog belonging to Spectrum Magazine, which is a well-known publication in Adventist circles.
The blog postings I’ve found so far are:
- Bacchiocchi’s “Gregorian Controversy” [on the now defunct XCG blog; via Internet Archive]
- Bacchiocchi’s thesis – the Gregorian Controversy [on my blog]
- Bacchiocchi’s Sabbath to Sunday [on the Hobbes’ Place blog]
- National Enquirer: Adventist Edition [Internet archive] [original on Trevan Osborn’s Divergence blog]
- Allegations regarding Bacchiocchi’s dissertation [on my blog]
I don’t usually leave blog posts open for comment, as I don’t have the time to keep watching for them, or continuing discussion. For this topic, for now at least, I’ll be leaving it open for comments in case people want to make any.
The Gregorian Controversy series is listed in full here. Click here to go to the next post in the series. And here for the previous post.
Comments imported from the old blog:
Posted by Rich on October 31, 2006, 3:23 am
What better way to cover SB’s tracks than to deny he ever achieved or received these honors from the Papacy ! SB is a Vatican plant with the “wisdom of the serpent” !
Rich
Posted by Alexander on October 31, 2006, 7:14 pm
Stephen,
Thanks for continuing to cover this important development within the Sabbatarian community.
Posted by Marko Krajnc on November 20, 2006, 4:46 pm
My dear friend!
It would be wise to wait until the final result comes out and until we see what Vatican will say about documents owned by mr. Bacchiocchi.
However I would like to mention, that even if Bacchiocchi would be lying regarding summa sum laude, it would be a minor lie compared to the big lie, that Sunday is the day of rest.
God does not change and His commandments don’t change either. If 4. commandment can be changed, than any commandment can be changed. Why keep 9 commandments and change the one about Sabbath?
Why catholic church in their catechism don’t uses original 10 commandments from the Bible?
Maybe you should resolve these issues first and then start with Bacchiocchi’s summa cum laude.
Marko Krajnc
Posted by stephen on November 20, 2006, 7:24 pm
These issues are resolved, and have been for nearly 2000 years. We keep the New Law, of which the 10 commandments are a good summary, but still part of the Old Law that has been replaced.
“The other Commandments of the Decalogue are precepts of the natural law, obligatory at all times and unalterable. Hence, after the abrogation of the Law of Moses, all the Commandments contained in the two tables are observed by Christians, not indeed because their observance is commanded by Moses, but because they are in conformity with nature which dictates obedience to them.”
– The Catechism of the Council of Trent
“The Old Law contained some moral precepts; as is evident from Ex. 20:13,15: “Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal.” This was reasonable: because, just as the principal intention of human law is to created friendship between man and man; so the chief intention of the Divine law is to establish man in friendship with God. Now since likeness is the reason of love, according to Sirach 13:19: “Every beast loveth its like”; there cannot possibly be any friendship of man to God, Who is supremely good, unless man become good: wherefore it is written (Leviticus 19:2; 11:45): “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” But the goodness of man is virtue, which “makes its possessor good” (Ethic. ii, 6). Therefore it was necessary for the Old Law to include precepts about acts of virtue: and these are the moral precepts of the Law.”
– http://www.newadvent.org/summa/209902.htm
“Accordingly the New Law had no other external works to determine, by prescribing or forbidding, except the sacraments, and those moral precepts which have a necessary connection with virtue, for instance, that one must not kill, or steal, and so forth.”
– http://www.newadvent.org/summa/210802.htm
“The New Law is the law of the New Testament. But the law of the New Testament is instilled in our hearts. For the Apostle, quoting the authority of Jeremias 31:31,33: “Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord; and I will perfect unto the house of Israel, and unto the house of Judah, a new testament,” says, explaining what this statement is (Hebrews 8:8,10): “For this is the testament which I will make to the house of Israel . . . by giving [Vulg.: ‘I will give’] My laws into their mind, and in their heart will I write them.” Therefore the New Law is instilled in our hearts.”
– http://www.newadvent.org/summa/210601.htm
“The state of the world may change in two ways. In one way, according to a change of law: and thus no other state will succeed this state of the New Law. Because the state of the New Law succeeded the state of the Old Law, as a more perfect law a less perfect one. Now no state of the present life can be more perfect that the state of the New Law: since nothing can approach nearer to the last end than that which is the immediate cause of our being brought to the last end.”
– http://www.newadvent.org/summa/210604.htm
“The Old Law is the first stage of revealed Law. Its moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments. The precepts of the Decalogue lay the foundations for the vocation of man fashioned in the image of God; they prohibit what is contrary to the love of God and neighbor and prescribe what is essential to it. The Decalogue is a light offered to the conscience of every man to make God’s call and ways known to him and to protect him against evil: God wrote on the tables of the Law what men did not read in their hearts.[13]”
– Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1962
“The Law of the Gospel “fulfills,” refines, surpasses, and leads the Old Law to its perfection.[21] In the Beatitudes, the New Law fulfills the divine promises by elevating and orienting them toward the “kingdom of heaven.” It is addressed to those open to accepting this new hope with faith – the poor, the humble, the afflicted, the pure of heart, those persecuted on account of Christ and so marks out the surprising ways of the Kingdom.”
– Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1967
Posted by Marko Krajnc on November 21, 2006, 5:50 pm
Dear Stephen!
I agree with you that 10 commandments can be summarized in the “biggest commandment” (Love God with all your strength and love your neighbour as yourself.).
I am sure, God don’t want us to steal, to commit adultery and so on… and of course this is only part of the love commandment.
However, keeping the Sabbath holy is also part of the love commandment and this has never changed. It remembers us, that God is the Creator of everything.
My objection is not about replacement of Old law with the New law. I object, because you don’t have any Biblical proof, that Sunday replaced Saturday.
God has written with his own hand on the table, that Sabbath should be kept holy. Can you provide a Bible verse, where God informed us, that this 4. commandment (which was written by His hand), should be altered in any way?
I have read the Bible and haven’t found any such message from the Lord of hosts…
Posted by stephen on November 21, 2006, 7:19 pm
2 Corinthians 3:3-11 KJV Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. [4] And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: [5] Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; [6] Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. [7] But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: [8] How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? [9] For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. [10] For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. [11] For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
See also The Sabbath in the New Testament
All the commandments have been replaced with the New Law. So if the Sabbath wasn’t included, we need not keep it. That you can see on that page. There is no biblical command, or example set, for Christians to keep the Sabbath.
Posted by Marko Krajnc on November 22, 2006, 12:50 pm
Dear Stephen!
If all the commandments have been replaced with the New Law and if we need not keep the Old Law anymore, why then you keep the rest 9 commandments?
Marko Krajnc
Posted by stephen on November 22, 2006, 1:02 pm
I explained that in my first response. The New Law contains those 9 commandments. This is getting off topic, however. The topic is Bacchiocchi.
