Posted on 07/26/2014 4:41:46 AM PDT by michaelwlf3
I am coming up on my first year as an ordained minister in a continuing Anglican church, and I have noticed that participating on political forums (even when the topic is religious) I find that my opinions and postings more often than not generate more hatred than anything else. Among the things I often hear are that the laity are the real priests and that I am a Pharisee, that my vocation disqualifies me from offering an opinion on anything Christian because I am too narrow minded, and (my personal favorite) because I look too Catholic I must be a child molester.
Are these people really Christians?
You ARE the OP.
I think I see the source of your problems then.
Perhaps the ministry is not where you belong yet.
They have been convinced using their own fallible human reasoning that Rome is the one true infallible church, and thus the only means for assurance of Truth, and thus being convinced of something by the prayerful use of one's own fallible human reasoning (examining the evidences), and to ascertain the veracity of RC teachings, is to be condemned.
Very convincing.
My original post said nothing of “Priests”, so let’s stay focused:
“Because the entire concept of “Protestant” invites each individual to be their own “Pope”.
One interpretation is as good as another, as long as I convince myself that I am being guided by the Holy Spirit.
Thus, anyone claiming to be in authority, who disagrees with me is an anathema.”
To which Robertson's WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT concurs:
John 3:3; Except a man be born anew (ean mē tis gennēthēi anōthen). Another condition of the third class, undetermined but with prospect of determination. First aorist passive subjunctive of gennaō. Anōthen. Originally “from above” (Mar_15:38), then “from heaven” (Joh_3:31), then “from the first” (Luk_1:3), and then “again” (palin anōthen, Gal_4:9). Which is the meaning here? The puzzle of Nicodemus shows (deuteron, Joh_3:4) that he took it as “again,” a second birth from the womb. The Vulgate translates it by renatus fuerit denuo.
But the misapprehension of Nicodemus does not prove the meaning of Jesus. In the other passages in John (Joh_3:31; Joh_19:11, Joh_19:23) the meaning is “from above” (desuper) and usually so in the Synoptics. It is a second birth, to be sure, regeneration, but a birth from above by the Spirit.
The KJV also translates anōthen as "above" in Jn. 3:31 (2), 19:11, James 1:17; 3:15,17, while the Challoner Douay-Rheims also has "born again" in Jn. 3:3,7)
For while this birth from above, it is a second birth, spiritual vs. physical, and thus it is that of being born again, and which event occurs in the conversion of faith in the Word of the gospel,
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again anagennaō=to beget] unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," (1 Peter 1:3)
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." (1 John 5:1)
How "above" versus "again" makes a theological difference to you vs. WVKayaker was not stated.
“And I hear nothing but the kind of crap the the OP speaks of from you.”
So what are you going to do about it? Toss out your congregation because they don’t meet your expectations?
Your whining does nothing to help your personal incompetence as a clergyman. If you knew the first thing about leadership - of any kind - you’d realize that the reason the folks you are trying to lead don’t respect you is a personal failure, not a failure of those who look to you to lead.
You are so poorly suited to your job - you’ve turned a position that should be able do so much good and used it as a literal bully pulpit to castigate those looking to you to communicate the gospel to them as somehow being “haters” - not because you are completely ineffective, but because they have the temerity to be Protestants.
You should be fired, and are likely well on your way already!
You
I don't see a lot of difference between then and now in how they see themselves.....nor their behavior or arguments regarding their dogma and how they view those outside their “country”.
They missed the mark then and do now IMO..and the popes surround themselves with regalia and pomp as an emperor might to elevate themselves over their “citizens”. It just appears they do what they do then attach Jesus Christ to it all like some sort of seal of approval. He certainly isn't central....with all the figure/idols and pomp to wade through..and all the others they pray to....HE sure gets pushed to the back of the room if there and among at all.
That’s quite interesting Harley....is it still there?
“Interesting doctrine
Does it include those believers watching a movie at the movie theater ?
How far away can they be from each other physically and still make up your your church ?
Do two make up a gathering
Is the FR religion forum a virtual church of the kind you define ? “
You’re so silly!
“Straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel!”
“You ARE the OP.”
I described the behavior you are exhibiting in detail in the OP, good of you two to pop by with a demonstration of what I was talking about. That’s about as clear as I can make it.
But you have answered my question.
“But you have answered my question.”
You are asking the wrong question then.
Whining and excuses. That’s what you exude. It’s no wonder you congregation doesn’t respect you.
If you weren’t so insecure you’d realize that I’ve given you the path to fix your problem. It’s hard and it takes being able to take responsibility. You don’t seem to have the fortitude to do either, based on your post and your responses.
A leader has to have a little thicker skin than you have demonstrated. Your reflex to turn personal failings into “hate” on the part of others will not serve you well in ministry - or in life for that matter.
It will be a reoccurring theme in your life until you are old enough and mature enough to accept that you are the problem. Only then will you be able to be an effective leader.
“So what are you going to do about it? Toss out your congregation because they don’t meet your expectations?”
I am not talking about my congregation, I am talking about the Catholic haters, the “I said it, God believes it, that settles it” crowd. I am talking about the people who have run thousands or millions of sinners away from Christ because of their judgmental, hateful attitudes. That is not my congregation. My congregation loves me, regardless of what you think. Actually, my congregation loves EVERYBODY, and I consider my work for them a privilege.
It has become clear to me that many of you either did not read the OP and if you did, you didn’t understand it.
“It has become clear to me that many of you either did not read the OP and if you did, you didn’t understand it.”
Again, here is a perfect example. You wrote an incoherent screed and posted it. Then you posit “Are these people Christian?”
When people interpret it - and the interpretation that it was YOUR congregation is entirely reasonable based on what you wrote, you blame then, rather than your inability to communicate a coherent thought. If you demand respect, you have to earn it. You have not.
Again, you have a lot to learn about a lot of things, not the least of which is leadership and taking responsibility.
So perhaps you should rewrite your OP to be a little less whiny - and punctuate it without assuming God’s responsibility by passing judgement on the legitimacy of others Christianity.
“I beg your pardon, the King James Version of the Holy Scriptures is OUR Bible, we published it, and I have heard many a Baptist declare the KJV to be the only “True Word of God”.”
The KJV deliberately mistranslated several words in the Bible on King James requirement, based on “No Bishop, No King”. It was a high church blatant rejection of what scripture says for what medieval society wanted.
While there are small baptist churches who claim the KJV is the only acceptable translation, the large majority - the vast majority - do not. In my 40 years, including 25 moving about because I was in the military, I’ve only encountered ONE small independent baptist church that was KJV only. If you went to a Baptist Bible study, odds are no one will be using the KJV.
The KJV borrowed much of its language for the NT from Tyndale, but Tyndale was an honest translator, unlike the KJV crowd. Adjust Tyndale’s translation in 1526 to modern spelling & punctuation, and it reads like a modern translation. The KJV rejected the simplicity of the original language to support a high church theology.
Are Anglican churches accepting practicing homosexuals as church leaders? Many are. Do they ordain women? Do they have priests, although the New Testament had no office of priest?
No Christian in the New Testament is called a priest, except in the sense of a universal priesthood offering sacrifices of thanksgiving, praise, and good deeds to God. If you call yourself priest in any other sense, then you are rejecting what the word of God reveals to follow the traditions of man. Anyone who calls himself a priest in contrast to the lay people has rejected the divine revelation on how the church is to be ordered, as revealed by the Apostles.
If you claim authority from the Apostles while rejecting what they taught, why would anyone take you seriously?
“I am talking about the people who have run thousands or millions of sinners away from Christ because of their judgmental, hateful attitudes. That is not my congregation.”
One of the great failings of the modern church is its refusal to take sin seriously. It is true that sinners who choose to wallow in their sin will reject the judgmental attitude of...God Himself.
It is also true that a Christian who doesn’t take sin seriously is not a Christian, because you cannot be becoming more like God while rejecting what God says about sin. You cannot tolerate sin and be a child of God. You will still sin, as all of us do, but you won’t be happy about it.
One of the great heresies in the modern church is that it has changed “God loves you in spite of what you are” into “God loves you as you are”. The Gospel starts with “Repent”. Modern man, hearing the church, can reasonably reply, “Repent from what? You said God loves me just like I am....”
Who needs a new life, if God accepts them as they are in their old life?
I cannot help but think you are referring to modern Baptists, and not Independent Fundamental Baptist churches and their fellowship of churches. I don't think the Fundamentalists, unlike the SBC, ever supported abortion.
The SBC did not support abortion. They were caught by surprise by Roe v Wade, and took a few years to get 45,000 congregations to build a consensus on how to respond. The SBC has been very strong in the anti-abortion fight, and members of the SBC have an outstanding track record of backing their words with their votes. In 2008, a whopping 1% of SBC pastors voted for Obama - find another denomination with a better vote tally!
And no, the KJV is not a great translation. King James gave specific instructions requiring a high church translation. Why? Because if congregations were free to choose their leaders, then why shouldn’t people be free to choose their political leaders - hence his comment, “No Bishop, No King!”
When someone deliberately mistranslates the word of God to promote their politics, it is evil. The Tyndale translation 80 years earlier was more faithful, and actually holds up well today.
That is odd.
I guess you choose to ignore what followed, when the 45,000 congregations that make up the SBC rejected that approach:
Resolution On Abortion
Norfolk, Virginia - 1976
“WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically held a biblical view of the sanctity of human life, and
WHEREAS, Abortion is a very serious moral and spiritual problem of continuing concern to the American people, and
WHEREAS, Christians have a responsibility to deal with all moral and spiritual issues which affect society, including the problems of abortion, and
WHEREAS, The practice of abortion for selfish non-therapeutic reasons want-only destroys fetal life, dulls our society’s moral sensitivity, and leads to a cheapening of all human life, and
WHEREAS, Every decision for an abortion, for whatever reason must necessarily involve the decision to terminate the life of an innocent human being.
Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Norfolk in June 1976 reaffirm the biblical sacredness and dignity of all human life, including fetal life, and
Be it further RESOLVED, that we call on Southern Baptists and all citizens of the nation to work to change those attitudes and conditions which encourage many people to turn to abortion as a means of birth control, and
Be it further RESOLVED, that in the best interest of our society, we reject any indiscriminate attitude toward abortion, as contrary to the biblical view, and
Be it further RESOLVED, that we also affirm our conviction about the limited role of government in dealing with matters relating to abortion, and support the right of expectant mothers to the full range of medical services and personal counseling for the preservation of life and health.”
Resolution On Abortion
Kansas City, Missouri - 1977
RESOLVED that this Convention reaffirm the strong stand against abortion adopted by the 1976 Convention, and, in view of some confusion in interpreting part of this resolution we confirm our strong opposition to abortion on demand and all governmental policies and actions which permit this.
Resolution On Abortion And Infanticide
New Orleans, Louisiana - 1982
WHEREAS, Both medical science and biblical references indicate that human life begins at conception, and
WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have traditionally upheld the sanctity and worth of all human life, both born and pre-born, as being created in the image of God, and
WHEREAS, Current judicial opinion gives no guarantee of protection of pre-born persons, thus permitting the widespread practice of abortion on demand, which has led to the killing of an estimated four thousand developing human beings daily in the United States, and
WHEREAS, Social acceptance of abortion has begun to dull society’s respect for all human life, leading to growing occurrences of infanticide, child abuse, and active euthanasia.
Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the 1982 Southern Baptist Convention affirm that all human life, both born and pre-born, is sacred, bearing the image of God, and is not subject to personal judgments as to “quality of life” based on such subjective criteria as stage of development, abnormality, intelligence level, degree of dependency, cost of medical treatment, or inconvenience to parents.
Be it further RESOLVED, That we abhor the use of federal, state or local tax money; public, tax-supported medical facilities; or Southern Baptist supported medical facilities for the practice of selfish, medically unnecessary abortions and/or the practice of withholding treatment from unwanted or defective newly born infants.
Be it finally RESOLVED, That we support and will work for appropriate legislation and/or constitutional amendment which will prohibit abortions except to save the physical life of the mother, and that we also support and will work for legislation which will prohibit the practice of infanticide.
Resolution On Abortion
Kansas City, Missouri - 1984
WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in New Orleans in June 1982, clearly stated its opposition to abortion and called upon Southern Baptists to work for appropriate legislation and/or constitutional amendment which will prohibit abortions except to save the physical life of the mother; and
WHEREAS, In addition to legislative remedies for this national sin, it is incumbent that we encourage the woman who is considering abortion to think seriously about the grave significance of such action by presenting information to her about the unborn child in her womb, who is a living individual human being, and encourage her to consider alternatives to abortion; and
WHEREAS, Christlike love requires that such alternatives be made available.
Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, June 12-14, 1984, encourage all of its institutions, cooperating churches, and members to work diligently to provide counseling, housing, and adoption placement services for unwed mothers with the specific intent of bringing them into a relationship with Jesus Christ and/or a sense of Christian responsibility; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we deplore the practice of performing abortions, as well as dispensing to minors without parental consent or even notification, contraceptive medications which have potentially dangerous side effects, and deplore also the use of tax funds for such activities; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we call upon all Southern Baptists to renew their commitment to support and work for legislation and/or constitutional amendment which will prohibit abortion except to save the physical life of the mother; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptists to inquire whether or not their physicians perform abortions on demand or give referrals for abortions, and that we commend those of the medical profession who abstain from performing abortions or making abortion referrals; and
Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge our agencies and institutions to provide leadership for our cooperating churches and members, by preparing literature to take a clear and strong stand against abortion, and to inform and motivate our members to action to eliminate abortion on demand.
Resolution On Abortion
St. Louis, Missouri - 1987
WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have traditionally upheld the sanctity of all innocent human life and have opposed abortion on demand; and
WHEREAS, 4,000 unborn children are being killed daily in America’s abortuaries;
Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, June 16-18, 1987, encourage the Christian Life Commission to continue the expansion of program services related to the sanctity of human life and to actively lobby for legislation to protect the lives of the unborn; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage the Christian Life Commission to continue to make the abortion issue a priority on its agenda; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage the Home Mission Board to train churches for ministry in crisis pregnancy centers and residential care homes for pregnant women and children; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage churches, associations, and state conventions to expand their children’s homes ministry to include outpatient and residential care for unwed mothers; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage all agencies and institutions of the SBC to use their resources and program ministries to promote the sanctity of human life; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage individuals to minister to those who need physical, emotional, and spiritual support in the midst of a crisis pregnancy; and
Be it finally RESOLVED, That we encourage all churches of the SBC to observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday on the Convention’s calendar, January 17, 1988.
Resolution On Sanctity Of Human Life
Atlanta, Georgia - 1991
WHEREAS, The Bible teaches that God holds human life to be sacred and created human beings in His own image; and
WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have historically affirmed biblical teaching regarding the sanctity of human life by adopting numerous pro-life resolutions at the national, state, and local levels; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 1.6 million unborn babies are killed each year in America as a result of the 1973 decision of the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade; and
WHEREAS, In 1989 the Supreme Court began the dismantlement of the Roe decision by upholding a Missouri pro-life statute in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services; and
WHEREAS, As a result of the Webster decision, states now have more flexibility to regulate and restrict the practice of abortion; and
WHEREAS, The Supreme Court is likely to erode or overturn the Roe decision in the near future; and
WHEREAS, Legislation has been introduced in the United States Congress which would codify and expand the Roe abortion rights and thereby restrict the rights of states to regulate abortions within their borders; and
WHEREAS, Pro-abortion legislators in Congress are also attempting to repeal restrictions on federal abortion funding; and
WHEREAS, New drugs and technologies, including RU-486, which will make the practice of abortion easier, are being researched and used in other nations and abortion advocates are attempting to bring these technologies to America; and
WHEREAS, Some scientists in America are experimenting with the tissues of babies from induced abortions in order to find cures to certain diseases and are working to repeal the ban on federal government research on fetal tissue transplantation; Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, June 4-6, 1991, affirm the biblical prohibition against the taking of unborn human life except to save the life of the mother; and
BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, That we call on all Southern Baptists to work for the adoption of pro-life legislation in their respective states which would expand protection for unborn babies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we call on all Southern Baptists to work with equal fervor to compassionately encourage and assist girls and women with unplanned or unwanted pregnancies to carry their children to term and to prepare for the best life possible for their children; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we oppose all efforts by the United States Congress to limit the rights of states to restrict abortion-on-demand and call upon Congress to maintain current pro-life policies which prohibit the use of federal funds to encourage, promote, or perform abortions except to save the life of the mother; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we oppose the testing, approval, distribution, and marketing in America of new drugs and technologies which will make the practice of abortion more convenient and more widespread; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we support the current federal government ban on funding any transplantation of tissue from induced abortions for purposes of experimentation and research and call on the federal government to maintain the ban despite pressure from the scientific community and pro-abortion organizations.
On Thirty Years Of Roe V. Wade
Phoenix - 2003
WHEREAS, Scripture reveals that all human life is created in the image of God, and therefore sacred to our Creator (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6); and
WHEREAS, The Bible affirms that the unborn baby is a person bearing the image of God from the moment of conception (Psalm 139:13–16; Luke 1:44); and
WHEREAS, Scripture further commands the people of God to plead for protection for the innocent and justice for the fatherless (Psalm 72:12–14; Psalm 82:3; James 1:27); and
WHEREAS, January 2003 marked thirty years since the 1973 United States Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in all fifty states; and
WHEREAS, Resolutions passed by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1971 and 1974 accepted unbiblical premises of the abortion rights movement, forfeiting the opportunity to advocate the protection of defenseless women and children; and
WHEREAS, During the early years of the post-Roe era, some of those then in leadership positions within the denomination endorsed and furthered the “pro-choice” abortion rights agenda outlined in Roe v. Wade; and
WHEREAS, Some political leaders have referenced 1970s-era Southern Baptist Convention resolutions and statements by former Southern Baptist Convention leaders to oppose legislative efforts to protect women and children from abortion; and
WHEREAS, Southern Baptist churches have effected a renewal of biblical orthodoxy and confessional integrity in our denomination, beginning with the Southern Baptist Convention presidential election of 1979; and
WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention has maintained a robust commitment to the sanctity of all human life, including that of the unborn, beginning with a landmark pro-life resolution in 1982; and
WHEREAS, Our confessional statement, The Baptist Faith and Message, affirms that children “from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord”; and further affirms that Southern Baptists are mandated by Scripture to “speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death”; and
WHEREAS, The legacy of Roe v. Wade has grown to include ongoing assaults on human life such as euthanasia, the harvesting of human embryos for the purposes of medical experimentation, and an accelerating move toward human cloning; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, June 17–18, 2003, reiterate our conviction that the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was based on a fundamentally flawed understanding of the United States Constitution, human embryology, and the basic principles of human rights; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our belief that the Roe v. Wade decision was an act of injustice against innocent unborn children as well as against vulnerable women in crisis pregnancy situations, both of which have been victimized by a “sexual revolution” that empowers predatory and irresponsible men and by a lucrative abortion industry that has fought against even the most minimal restrictions on abortion; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we offer our prayers, our love, and our advocacy for women and men who have been abused by abortion and the emotional, spiritual, and physical aftermath of this horrific practice; affirming that the gospel of Jesus Christ grants complete forgiveness for any sin, including that of abortion; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we lament and renounce statements and actions by previous Conventions and previous denominational leadership that offered support to the abortion culture; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we humbly confess that the initial blindness of many in our Convention to the enormity of Roe v. Wade should serve as a warning to contemporary Southern Baptists of the subtlety of the spirit of the age in obscuring a biblical worldview; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge our Southern Baptist churches to remain vigilant in the protection of human life by preaching the whole counsel of God on matters of human sexuality and the sanctity of life, by encouraging and empowering Southern Baptists to adopt unwanted children, by providing spiritual, emotional, and financial support for women in crisis pregnancies, and by calling on our government officials to take action to protect the lives of women and children; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we express our appreciation to both houses of Congress for their passage of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, and we applaud President Bush for his commitment to sign this bill into law; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to act swiftly to deliver this bill to President Bush for his signature; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we pray and work for the repeal of the Roe v. Wade decision and for the day when the act of abortion will be not only illegal, but also unthinkable.
Let me repeat part of the last one for emphasis:
“WHEREAS, Resolutions passed by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1971 and 1974 accepted unbiblical premises of the abortion rights movement, forfeiting the opportunity to advocate the protection of defenseless women and children; and
WHEREAS, During the early years of the post-Roe era, some of those then in leadership positions within the denomination endorsed and furthered the “pro-choice” abortion rights agenda outlined in Roe v. Wade; and...
...WHEREAS, Southern Baptist churches have effected a renewal of biblical orthodoxy and confessional integrity in our denomination, beginning with the Southern Baptist Convention presidential election of 1979; and...
...WHEREAS, Our confessional statement, The Baptist Faith and Message, affirms that children “from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord”; and further affirms that Southern Baptists are mandated by Scripture to “speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death”; and
WHEREAS, The legacy of Roe v. Wade has grown to include ongoing assaults on human life such as euthanasia, the harvesting of human embryos for the purposes of medical experimentation, and an accelerating move toward human cloning; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, June 17–18, 2003, reiterate our conviction that the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was based on a fundamentally flawed understanding of the United States Constitution, human embryology, and the basic principles of human rights; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our belief that the Roe v. Wade decision was an act of injustice against innocent unborn children as well as against vulnerable women in crisis pregnancy situations, both of which have been victimized by a “sexual revolution” that empowers predatory and irresponsible men and by a lucrative abortion industry that has fought against even the most minimal restrictions on abortion; and be it further...
...RESOLVED, That we lament and renounce statements and actions by previous Conventions and previous denominational leadership that offered support to the abortion culture; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we humbly confess that the initial blindness of many in our Convention to the enormity of Roe v. Wade should serve as a warning to contemporary Southern Baptists of the subtlety of the spirit of the age in obscuring a biblical worldview...”
Seems to me it is pretty obvious where the SBC stands, and I’m pretty sure you knew all this already...which leads me to wonder what your agenda is.
As I wrote, and as you choose to selectively quote a portion to make it seem I wrote something else:
“The SBC did not support abortion. They were caught by surprise by Roe v Wade, and took a few years to get 45,000 congregations to build a consensus on how to respond.”
So - what is your agenda and what idea are you trying to push by distorting the actual record of the SBC?
I don’t even think we need to actually go into the Greek to understand what a falsehood that statement is. Jesus was talking to Nicodemus undoubtedly in a language that Nicodemus understood. Nicodemus’ understanding is perfectly clear from his question to Jesus.
John 3: 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Now, Nicodemus’ mother’s womb wasn’t “from above” and if he understood that it would be “the second time” ie again we can be assured he understood the statement from Jesus to mean “born again”.
Catholics may not realize that they actually should be totally embarrassed with statements like the one you just made but it’s pretty obvious to Bible believers that they should.
And if you were misinformed about something this simple what else have you been lied to about?
Acts 15:8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts.
Acts 11:17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
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