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To: cva66snipe

It is a matter of definition.

If the Church is:

26.1 The universal church (brought into being by the internal work of the Spirit and truth of grace) may be called the invisible church. It consists of the complete number of the elect who have been, who are, or who shall be gathered into one under Christ its Head. The church is the bride, the body, the fullness of Christ who fills all in all.

—The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 26: The Church

Then, by definition, all who are saved are in the Church.

However, if by Church is meant an entity such as the Catholic Church, or the Anglican Church, then “Outside the Church there is no salvation” is outside the Word of God.

I believe the point made in the article bdeaner posted is that, since the Catholic Church considers itself to be the universal church, at least since Vatian 2, it accepts that there are folks who reject the form of their church, but who are still inside the fold. From their perspective, this is true even if some of us don’t feel like we are part of the Catholic Church in that sense.

It also gets back to using the term Roman Catholic Church. It isn’t meant as an insult to Catholics, only that some of us do not consider the ‘Catholic Church’ to be catholic in the sense used in the Baptist statement.


495 posted on 06/28/2009 9:46:42 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I loathe the ground he slithers on!)
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To: Mr Rogers
I believe the point made in the article bdeaner posted is that, since the Catholic Church considers itself to be the universal church, at least since Vatian 2, it accepts that there are folks who reject the form of their church, but who are still inside the fold. From their perspective, this is true even if some of us don’t feel like we are part of the Catholic Church in that sense.

I've read that statement in numerous publications and on FR numerous times...It is usually made clear that those non-Catholics who claim they have received Jesus as their Saviour but reject the notion that the Catholic religion is the one, true, blah, blah, blah, are not participants or recipients of the salvation that Jesus Christ offers...

501 posted on 06/28/2009 10:04:34 PM PDT by Iscool (I don't understand all that I know...)
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To: Mr Rogers
The church is the bride, the body, the fullness of Christ who fills all in all.

That is the church. Inclusive to all churches who worship Christ as Lord and Savior. Salvation can come at anywhere at anytime. It is the rejection of that call that condemns a person.

The Laws of Moses and especially the added rules and conditions set forth by the Jewish leaders following that was a burden no man could live under and be righteous without sin. GOD knew it and sent His Son for our salvation.

519 posted on 06/28/2009 11:32:29 PM PDT by cva66snipe (Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgement? Which one say ye?)
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