If He did, it's not in Bible. But you will find a pageful of references about hearing and believing.
Take for instance
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? -- Rom 10:14
or
He said to them, " Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." -- Act 19:2
or
and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world." -- John 4:42
or
Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved -- Luk 8:12
Men of the Church need power, so they make themselves gatekeepers to salvation/theosis
LOL!!! That's pathetic. You really have a thing about clergy. It reminds me of that move the "Sand Lot" and a "beast" that eats children fro breakfast. In fear, eyes are really big, FK. You need to make friends with a priest and discover how wrong you are about mopst of them.
Most people have no clue what they are reading when they read the Bible. It's like reading any technical book. You understand the words but not the concepts. I can't spend the night at Holiday Inn and pretend I am a lawyer!
Some legal concepts are 'logical' and "obvious," but others are based on precedents (in our case Concensus Patrum, Bible, Liturgy), that are not so clear-cut.
Anyway, Christ did preach to the Masses, but He preached the Old Testament. He read aloud from it in synagogues. But He never said to anyone "read the Bible." And He never said "write the Bible."
Hearing is the same as reading, as long as it is not corrupted by a third party intermediary. :) I believe the Apostles taught orally exactly what they wrote.
You really have a thing about clergy.
I am trying to figure a reason for them to teach what is against scripture on a wide range of issues. I know that clergy are fallible and that power corrupts. At least the Latin clergy also claims absolute power (one of the reasons for the Great Schism). Men who have power almost always seek more power. That widespread corruption has been rampant in the Latin Church throughout history is inarguable. So, this is one explanation that would fit. I recognize their humanity and what could happen to anyone who was taught that he had so much more power than he actually had.
Most people have no clue what they are reading when they read the Bible.
I don't agree. While complex doctrines need teachers, fundamentals and elementary concepts are able to be grasped by the average person, at least OUR elementary concepts. :)