“I don’t need a pope because I have the Holy Spirit.
You have no assurance of that. That is purely a sentiment on your part. You are risking your eternal salvation on a hunch?”
I don’t know him, but he may be referring to the infilling of the Holy Spirit (Speaking in tongues, though most Catholics don’t believe in that.)
What I rely on is what His word says. If God’s written word isn’t enough, then how can anyone be responsible for working out their own salvation? How many call themselves men of God, and THEY know what must be done? Who do I follow, with so many claiming this? Even the Pope is no different and has been shown to be wrong. A Pope created Purgatory, and I’ve heard that another pope said there was no Purgatory. So one is wrong.
The Catholic church did not form the day Jesus died. Christianity was illegal in most places, hence the martyrs. The Catholic church rose over time, by men who may or may not have been Godly.
The only constant is God’s word, written and protected so that we would have a guide other than man to lead us.
You cannot say this with integrity till you explain by what right or authority you consider the Bible to be God's word.
How do you know the Bible is from God? C'mon -- how do you know that?
"Just because" is not an answer.
With a few translational variances we all agree on what He said, we all disagree frequently on what it means. This isn't a simple Catholic versus Protestant disagreement, but a cacophony of voices between and among the Church and the 33,000 denominations all claiming a unique and infallible interpretation of Scripture.
Unless you assert that this ever increasing fractioning and balkanization of Christendom is the stated objective of the Holy Spirit you must conclude that Jesus intended for there to be a teaching authority to facilitate His call to unity. You can call it what you will, we call it the Magisterium.
Peace be with you.
All who are born again are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. As to the gift of tongues, I am a cessassionist.