Avoid 'contentious and captious cavillations'

In All Our Doings a Daily Podcast brought to you by Anglican Futures designed to help you pray.

Just confession, a quote from Cranmer’s homilies, creed and collects.

Short and simple.

Today we explore Cranmer's third homily, which cautions against engaging in frivolous disputes and highlights the futility of contentious arguments.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Hello and Welcome to “In All Our Doings”

A confession, some Cranmer, a creed and collects brought to you daily by Anglican Futures. 

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We begin with Confession

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made, and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Hear the Word of God to all who truly turn to him.

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Cranmer’s third homily warns us against frivolous objections

Here you perceive many words to be used to avoid contention in words with them that delight to brawl about words and also to show the true meaning to avoid evil taking and misunderstanding. And yet perhaps that will not do for them that be contentious, but contenders will ever forge matters of contention even when they have no occasion. Notwithstanding, this be the least to be passed on, so that the rest may profit, who will be more desirous to know the truth than, when it is plain enough, to contend about it, and with contentious and captious cavillations to obscure and darken it. Truth it is that our own works do not justify us, to speak properly of our justification: that is to say, our works do not merit or deserve remission of our sins, and make us, of unjust, just before God. But God of his mercy, through the only merits and deserving of His Son Jesus Christ, does justify us.

So, we turn to 2 Timothy chapter 2 beginning at verse 14

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶ But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹ But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

This is the word of the Lord

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen

Let us pray

Our Father in Heaven

Hallowed be your name

Your kingdom come

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven

Give us today our daily bread

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from the evil one

For the kingdom the power and the glory are yours now and forever Amen

 

Collect for today

Almighty God, you gave your only Son to be for us both a sacrifice for sin and an example of godly living: Give us grace thankfully to receive his inestimable benefits, and daily to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Go before us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favour, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, through your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Final Words

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

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Bible readings are taken from the English Standard Version with permission from Crossway.  The liturgy comes from the ACNA Book of Common Prayer 2019.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.