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To: Forest Keeper; Kolokotronis; kosta50; annalex; Agrarian
...Catholics do believe that some are graced more than others (but that all are graced sufficiently for ultimate salvation). So, then would you say that a Bishop is not graced more than a member of the laity? What is your view on the concept of "spiritual gifts"?

We believe that a bishop has been given different gifts, as per 1 Cor 12. God has graced each and every part of His Body with different gifts. All are needed by the Church - can the eye hear? Can a Body without a mouth speak? Thus, the Spirit ensures that the Body is properly outfitted to execute its purpose - to bring more people to Christ and sanctify those who are abiding in Him. It would be impossible to say that a bishop has been given "more" of anything, just different gifts. God can give gifts, but does man always use them?

Regards

6,810 posted on 05/17/2006 4:56:56 AM PDT by jo kus (For love is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God. 1Jn 4:7)
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To: jo kus; Forest Keeper; Kolokotronis; annalex; Agrarian
It would be impossible to say that a bishop has been given "more" of anything, just different gifts

God gives us different talents. It favors community. Everyone can contribute something to the whole. No one has it all except God. Christianity is all about that.

6,826 posted on 05/17/2006 6:50:16 PM PDT by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
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To: jo kus; Kolokotronis; kosta50; annalex; Agrarian
[On some being graced more than others, and spiritual gifts:] It would be impossible to say that a bishop has been given "more" of anything, just different gifts. God can give gifts, but does man always use them?

I was specifically thinking in the area of discernment. Since I do not agree patently with everything that Calvin and Luther said, I cannot say that their gifts of discernment were better on every issue than "all Protestants". However, I could say that in general terms their gifts of discernment were greater than mine. I mean, I "could" have studied all the languages and read the texts to the degree they did, but I really doubt that I would have come up with writings as profound as theirs. For me, it would be the same with medicine or rocket science. I could try with all my might, but it wouldn't "happen".

Likewise, there were Bishop Fathers who wrote things that you would not agree with, and so their gifts were not wholly better. However, since you do agree with many of their other writings, would you not say that, in general, they had a higher level of this gift? Why else would these Saints be held up so high? Are you saying that these Fathers, and all Popes, etc., were the only ones to accept the gifts from God that were available to everyone? That doesn't seem to match the human experience.

6,977 posted on 05/22/2006 1:14:02 AM PDT by Forest Keeper
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