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To: A.A. Cunningham
I hate to break in here, but in regards to scripture, you do have a few inaccuracies:

Scripture makes no mention of any of the other eleven being married. Scripture does mention that all of the Apostles gave up everything, including a wife if they happened to be married, in order to follow Christ.

Actually St. Paul mentions Apostles (in the plural) being married including Peter (and the Corinthian letters were not written really early).

"Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?" 1 Corinthians 9:5

Paul was talking about his sacrifice of being unmarried and celibate. (why would he mention this if all or even most of the Apostles were also unmarried and celibate?)

Also there is no mention that any Apostle abandoned his wife to follow Christ...to do so would contradict his marriage vows, and also contradict pretty extensive instructions on marriage written by the Apostles themselves in the New Testament.

There is a verse where Paul says:

"This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none," 1 Corinthians 7:29, but note the "as though" ... probably an instruction using exageration warning of pending persecution. St. Paul was definitely not calling anyone to abandon his wife and family responsibilities for the Church.

Jesus Himself directly condemned religious works done at the expense of family, especially religious traditions of doing so:

"For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition."(Matt 15:4))

As to the "Levitical priesthood of Melchisedech," the Old Testament has only one priest of that line...with the name Melchizedek--he mysteriously gives Abraham bread and wine....and recieves a tithe from Abraham then disappears, and this is 3 generations before Levi (son of Jacob son of Isaac son of Abraham) the ancester of the Levitical priesthood line was born. The New Testament book of Hebrews mentions Jesus Christ as in the line of Melchizedek, no one else.

63 posted on 02/10/2006 11:09:44 PM PST by AnalogReigns
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To: AnalogReigns
I hate to break in here, but in regards to scripture, you do have a few inaccuracies:

As will be demonstrated in this reply, you are sadly mistaken.

"Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?" 1 Corinthians 9:5

Quoting a corrupted text yields a corrupted argument.

The correct wording:

"Have we not power to carry about a woman, a sister, as well as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?" 1 Corinthians 9:5

Also there is no mention that any Apostle abandoned his wife to follow Christ...

I didn't say abandon and your implication that Christ would have allowed the abandonment of a spouse by one of the Apostles is absurd. Your ignorance of Scripture is quite telling.

"Then Peter answering, said to him: Behold we have left all things, and have followed thee: what therefore shall we have? And Jesus said to them: Amen, I say to you, that you, who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting. And many that are first, shall be last: and the last shall be first." Matthew 19:27-30

"Then Peter said: Behold, we have left all things, and have followed thee. Who said to them: Amen, I say to you, there is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive much more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." Luke 18:28-30
(emphasis added to both verses for your much needed edification)

Jesus Himself directly condemned religious works done at the expense of family, especially religious traditions of doing so:

Christ was condemning the Pharisees for abandoning the care of their parents, the poor and infirm, a result of following the Korban rule.

As to the "Levitical priesthood of Melchisedech," the Old Testament has only one priest of that line

"But Melchisedech the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God," Genesis 14:18

"The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech." Psalm 109:4

"As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech." Hebrews 5:6

"Called by God a high priest according to the order of Melchisedech." Hebrews 5:10

"Where the forerunner Jesus is entered for us, made a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech." Hebrews 6:20

"For this Melchisedech was king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him: To whom also Abraham divided the tithes of all: who first indeed by interpretation, is king of justice: and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace: Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continueth a priest for ever." Hebrews 7:1-3

"If then perfection was by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchisedech, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?" Hebrews 7:11

"And it is yet far more evident: if according to the similitude of Melchisedech there ariseth another priest, Who is made not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but according to the power of an indissoluble life: For he testifieth: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech." Hebrews 7:15-17

73 posted on 02/10/2006 11:59:26 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
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