On Salvation Outside the Catholic Church [Ecumenical]

So then ... it seems to be, primarily, a matter of organization.

False Catholics are spread throughout the Catholic church (witness your latest crisis) ... while false Protestants are clumped together in associations which are demonstrably outside of traditional Protestant belief and practice.

Right. Which invalidates the claim of the Holy Spirit leading all of them.

Oh ... there are many that do not even claim such a leading (by the Holy Spirit) ... and, in fact, would have no part of it.

Yes, there is an enforcement problem in the Catholic Church, but there is also unity of doctrine. That is a sign of divine guidance.

Let's face it ... you force your unity.

You cast aside any who do not agree (if they're lucky).

That's not a sign of divine guidance ... that's a sign of tyranny.

“the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire”.

“the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire”.

Indeed He will.

The New Testament contains five different metaphors for the foundation of the Church (Matt. 16:18, 1 Cor. 3:11, Eph. 2:20, 1 Pet. 2:5–6, Rev. 21:14). One metaphor that has been disputed is Jesus Christ’s calling the apostle Peter “rock”: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).

Some have tried to argue that Jesus did not mean that his Church would be built on Peter but on something else.

Some argue that in this passage there is a minor difference between the Greek term for Peter (Petros) and the term for rock (petra), yet they ignore the obvious explanation: petra, a feminine noun, has simply been modifed to have a masculine ending, since one would not refer to a man (Peter) as feminine. The change in the gender is purely for stylistic reasons.

These critics also neglect the fact that Jesus spoke Aramaic, and, as John 1:42 tells us, in everyday life he actually referred to Peter as Kepha or Cephas (depending on how it is transliterated). It is that term which is then translated into Greek as petros. Thus, what Jesus actually said to Peter in Aramaic was: “You are Kepha and on this very kepha I will build my Church.”

The Church Fathers, those Christians closest to the apostles in time, culture, and theological background, clearly understood that Jesus promised to build the Church on Peter, as the following passages show.

Just one such translation.

The Church Fathers, those Christians closest to the apostles in time, culture, and theological background, clearly understood that Jesus promised to build the Church on Peter, as the following passages show.

Just one such translation.

Your argument is not with me but with the Catholic Church.

I suggest you review post #43 which lists the official teaching of the Catholic Church.

Please read CCC #'s 424, 552, and 881. Nowhere is it taught that the Church was built on Peter.

No argument. In post #42 you stated there was no such translation as this so I posted one for illustrative purpose. I will re-read post 43 and the CCC#s you posted but my first post in this thread reflects the teaching that I have had in the catholic church since childhood. At least my understanding of it.