[Alamo-Girl]

To be a Christian requires trusting those whom Christ appointed to be His Apostles.

I realize that many believe that the successors to the Apostles were always trustworthy and followed the Holy Spirit perfectly. And I thank God that they have the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox, ROCOR and so forth - who trace their succession back to the Apostles.

But I do not trust men - not even wonderfully jaw-dropping saintly Christian men. Nor do I trust my own sensory perception and reasoning. As I said on another thread:

As for me, I have thrown all caution to His wind. I’m like an infant in His arms, trusting Him to feed me as He wills and lead me where He wants me to go. Thus I don’t worry about false prophets and religions, I am trusting Him alone. My fate is in His hands.

You may find that disturbing. That's ok with me. I'm believing God and trusting Him alone. I am His to do with according to His own will.

For Spiritual guidance and truth, I look to the Father's four revelations: in Jesus Christ, in the indwelling Holy Spirit, in Scripture and in Creation.

And for those who may be thinking "Aha, Scripture was written/compiled by the Apostles and successors" I say:

To the contrary, it is the Spirit Himself who authenticates to me that God is the author of them. He brings His own words alive within me: (emphasis mine)

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. – Matt 22:29-32

[kawaii]

I realize that many believe that the successors to the Apostles were always trustworthy and followed the Holy Spirit perfectly

Actually we beleive CHRIST when he mentions that the HOLY SPIRIT WILL BRING THE TRUTH TO THE LIPS OF EVEN THOSE WHO HADN'T HEARD THE TRUTH.

[kawaii]

To the contrary, it is the Spirit Himself who authenticates to me that God is the author of them. He brings His own words alive within me: (emphasis mine)

1Cr 14:36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?

1Cr 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lo

[Quix]

To be a Christian requires trusting those whom Christ appointed to be His Apostles.

I realize that many believe that the successors to the Apostles were always trustworthy and followed the Holy Spirit perfectly. And I thank God that they have the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox, ROCOR and so forth - who trace their succession back to the Apostles. But I do not trust men - not even wonderfully jaw-dropping saintly Christian men. Nor do I trust my own sensory perception and reasoning. As I said on another thread:

As for me, I have thrown all caution to His wind. I’m like an infant in His arms, trusting Him to feed me as He wills and lead me where He wants me to go. Thus I don’t worry about false prophets and religions, I am trusting Him alone. My fate is in His hands.

You may find that disturbing. That's ok with me. I'm believing God and trusting Him alone. I am His to do with according to His own will.

For Spiritual guidance and truth, I look to the Father's four revelations: in Jesus Christ, in the indwelling Holy Spirit, in Scripture and in Creation.

And for those who may be thinking "Aha, Scripture was written/compiled by the Apostles and successors" I say:

To the contrary, it is the Spirit Himself who authenticates to me that God is the author of them. He brings His own words alive within me: (emphasis mine)

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. – Matt 22:29-32

I still contend that the above is the or one of the wisest perspectives and stances I've read or encountered from mortal humans of our era.

It certainly is closer to my own than I've often ran across--and it articulates portions of my own which I'd not articulated at all, before--much less as well.

[adiaireton8]

AG,

We've had this discussion before. What you are defending is gnosticism. You want Christ, but reject the Church. But "he cannot have God for his father who does not have the Church for his mother". If you trust Christ, you will show it by trusting those whom He has appointed to govern His Church through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Church is the ark of the New Covenant, through which we must be saved. Jesus said to the Apostles,

"He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (Luke 10:16)

If we reject the Apostles and those whom the Apostles appointed to succeed them, we are (unless we do so out of ignorance) rejecting Christ, and thus rejecting the Father.

-A8