Replies

“The Bible wasn’t completed until about the year 120, about 90 years after Jesus’ Death. For about 400 years after this it floated around mostly by word of mouth...Since most Christians for most of the time after Jesus didn’t have access to a Bible, have most Christians throughout history been “unBiblical””

ALL Gospels and Epistles were circulated and read aloud as part of worship gatherings in local Churches - this was in addition to 2/3s of revelation existing before the Church began.

In addition, God gave the Church Pastors, Teachers and Elders, as a gift of the Holy Spirit. They functioned from the beginning and continue to function today.

As such, your statement is incorrect. Christians from the beginning of the Church have had Scriptural Truth and were taught to apply it. There have always been those who ignore the truth, despite having it - like the newly minted sexless priest.

“Following the Spirit without the Pope leads to what we have today, the scandal of 40,000 Christian denominations. Jesus wants us to be one with Him and the Father.”

The Pope is unnecessary to Biblical unity - and unnecessary to the Church, since Pope is not a Biblical office.

Jesus’ prayer for our unity was based on being kept in the truth and on our love for all believers - not to denominational identity.

“Christians from the beginning of the Church have had Scriptural Truth”

I just have to respectfully disagree. The Gospel of Luke, for instance, was not written until about 63, more than 30 years after Jesus’ Death. The Bible was still being composed for decades after Jesus’ Death. The Book of Revelation was probably composed from 100 to 120, moving close to 100 years after Jesus’ Death. These Christians heard Scriptural Truths but they obeyed the Church obedient to Rome. In the days of 3 hour sermons lacking air conditioning, I think you overestimate how much Scriptural Truth the flock retained. They, many of them uneducated, didn’t look only to their limited knowledge of Scripture they heard for truth, but they looked to the Church. Why would they obey those teaching Scriptural Truth, if those teaching it had no authority?