Posted on 07/10/2014 8:05:46 PM PDT by NKP_Vet
THIS!
Arrogance is no excuse. It is hubris in the extreme to think that God did not have a hand in directing the right men to write, hold and save the works revealed by Him. You attribute to the Catholic Church that which rightfully belongs to God. You elevate man/denomination to a level beyond his pay grade. Give God the Glory. Do a Bible search and see if He doesn't deserve it more.
Regarding changing the Bible...one can make the case that the RCC has been the one to change the Bible by including the Apocrypha as official scripture.
The Jews didn't recognize it...Christ didn't recognize it, Jerome didn't think it was "official" as didn't a number of the ECFs.
After Christ and the apostles you're on shaky ground. Not all of the "doctors of the church" were in agreement on what they wrote about. In fact, some of the things they wrote fly against the written Word.
Now... I'll ask again: What did Christ serve the Apostles at the Last Supper? Was it His Body and Blood or bread and wine?
Luke 22:14-20
14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.
15And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you.
18For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-27
23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
The bread and wine are symbols of His body and blood.
“The Catholic Church, started by Christ himself, has the teaching authority for the Bible”
The people that wrote the Bible are the “teaching authority”.
All Catholics. Not Jimmy Swaggart and his ilk.
“When the Reformation set the Scriptures free, it also set in motion an examination that resulted in a Canon minus the erroneous books Romanism had included”
So all those mean old Christians that existed for the first
1,500 years after the Bible was written were all wrong, were living a false doctrine, and as such are in hell.
You know that means all your ancestors, unless they were Buddists. If they busted hell wide open for preaching and believing in a false doctrine, and for perverting the Word of God, how in the world did anyone manage to survive? Inquiring minds want to know.
“So all those mean old Christians that existed for the first
1,500 years after the Bible was written were all wrong, were living a false doctrine, and as such are in hell.”
No. God makes the Gospel clear. Always has.
Actually, in a larger sense, it is there in principal.
II Tim 3:15 - “...the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” However, churches are essential—they have had centuries to make and correct their mistakes. Unfortunately, some churches, although they may have Christians in them, are not run by Christians.
Well unless you have buddists in your background your ancestors were CATHOLIC!
“The evil one cannot comprehend the joy we receive from the spiritual life; for this reason he is jealous of us, he envies us and sets traps for us, and we become grieved and fall. Therefore we must struggle. Because without struggles we do not obtain virtues.” -Elder leronymos of Aegina
“Well unless you have buddists in your background your ancestors were CATHOLIC!”
Have you ever read about world religions? It turns out there are more than two!
“However, churches are essential—they have had centuries to make and correct their mistakes. Unfortunately, some churches, although they may have Christians in them, are not run by Christians.”
Sure, God has gifted teachers to His gatherings. Some churches have failed to correct their errors.
As they were moved by the Holy Spirit, I agree. However, even those authors fell into error occasionally (Galatians 2), so not everything they taught was authoritative. In either case, since those people are dead, what they wrote is the sole authority, hence "Sola Scriptura"
QUOTE: "All Catholics"
Are you suggesting Moses, Ezekiel, Luke and Jude are Catholics? Or are you asserting that All Catholics have teaching authority, and that "Jimmy Swaggart and his ilk" do not because they are not Catholic?
You are in error on both of those counts, but perhaps there is another meaning I missed?
And the whole point of Sola Scriptura is that the Saint of God, who studies the scripture, can easily identify the errors of the Swaggerts, Hinn's, and Popes of the world.
“Have you ever read about world religions? It turns out there are more than two”
There was only one type of Christian in the world before Luther came along. Catholic.
The Magisterium of the Catholic Church
Defined as “the Church’s divinely appointed authority to teach the truths of religion”. In other words, Our Lord gave His Church the authority to teach the faithful about what is expected of them, and that is what the Church has done consistently from the start.
The Magisterium of Catholic Church teaches the faithful in two ways;
1) Solemn Magisterium: is Church teaching which is used only rarely by formal and authentic definitions of councils or Popes. This includes dogmatic definitions by councils or Popes teaching “ex cathedra”
2) Ordinary Magisterium: this second form of Church teaching is continually exercised by the Church especially in her universal practices connected with faith and morals, in the unanimous consent of the Fathers and theologians, in the decisions of the Roman Congregations concerning faith and morals, in the common sense of the Faithful, and various historical documents, in which the faith is declared.
(Definitions from A Catholic Dictionary, 1951)
It is my observation that VERY FEW PEOPLE read the Bible. I could tell that the author of this article hasn’t. But yet he has an opinion based on what? His own understanding? tradition? What others have told him that tickles his ears?
Reading the Bible requires a thinking cap and it is MUCH EASIER to let others do you thinking for you. My evidence is the growth of liberalism and even here on FR, many think the answer to problems is the govt.
Regarding tradition. I trust no man and no man made institution. And yes, protestant and Catholic are MAN MADE institutions. And neither did Jesus, because he knew their hearts, He knows the nature of man. God knows the nature of man.
Sola Scripture does not mean this it is the only source. IT means that you test everything with it. It is the touch stone if anyone knows what that is anymore.
“You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my CHURCH, and the gates of hell will not overcome it”. ~ Matthew 16:18
“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
~ Matthew 28:20
On reflection there is danger in tradition as well as leaning on your own understanding. Tradition many times begins with leaning on your own understanding. Iron sharpens iron, that is why we are here on FR. But the touch stone is still Gods Word.
Just yesterday, I asked my barber what he was reading in the Bible. He asked me if I had ever heard of the stone of destiny. I said yes, maybe in a movie? He tells me he was at a meeting the other day where others more knowledgeable than him told him about it. It was in the Bible! Where I asked? He showed me some printouts from the internet that did reference something in the Bible.
I let those here who have an inquiring minds do their own research.
Turns out there is a lot of tradition regarding the stone of destiny and yes it is in there. Surprising rocks are in the Bible.
Protestants and Catholics BOTH have relics and traditions and they are useful and dangerous. Why focus on the rock instead of God? Because God requires a thinking cap, I can put the rock in my pocket and go on down the road.
“You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my CHURCH, and the gates of hell will not overcome it”. ~ Matthew 16:18
“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
~ Matthew 28:20
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