Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: what's up
I didn't say Mary was special as per that one verse. I just said she was included in "us," and that therefore her being prepared to be "holy and blameless" from the beginning did not contradict this Scripture; nor does it contradict the character of God to do such a thing.

The very fact that some verses of Scripture says that none are sinless, none are "just," none are holy but God; and others say, for instance, that Joseph was "a just man" and God chose "us" to be holy and blameless before Him, means, at the very least, that we need to interpret these Scriptures in a wide and authoritative context.

Which is just what you (or I) who do proof-texting by one-liners cannot do.

Catholics and Orthodox --- and others, if they wish to --- do well to pay close attention to how the earliest disciples and successors of the Apostles came to understand and interpret these texts. This is called "Sacred Tradition,"-- its study comprises Patristics (the study of the Fathers) and it is of particular importance to Catholic and Orthodox theology; many Protestants study and benefit from it as well.

Be careful, though. The further back you go, back to the Third, the Second, the First Christian centuries ---Clement of Rome, Mathetes, Polycarp, Ignatius of Antioch, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Andrew of Crete --- the more Catholic and Orthodox your thinking will become.

Fair warning, my FReeper friends.

295 posted on 12/08/2006 8:03:01 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (We're very interested.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 281 | View Replies ]


To: Mrs. Don-o
The further back you go, back to the Third, the Second, the First Christian centuries ---Clement of Rome, Mathetes, Polycarp, Ignatius of Antioch, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Andrew of Crete --- the more Catholic and Orthodox your thinking will become.

Oh, I like these guys. The Catholic church was THE church for quite awhile and fought the good fight.

But these men were only men. They did not walk with Christ and much of what they said was not true. Their words are not to be taken as "gospel" but in the historical context in which they are said.

I just said she was included in "us,"

Actually you did not. You made no mention of the plural pronoun.

none are "just," none are holy but God

This is in the unredeemed state. Joseph had faith so in the context is correctly deemed just...as was Abraham. Along with Mary.

332 posted on 12/08/2006 11:23:51 AM PST by what's up
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 295 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson