Mr. Rogers:
Really? Yes, they had churches teaching what the First this Baptist, Pentecostal Church of somewhere in Miisssssss sippppi or Allaaaaaabammma , or Tennnnnnesseeeeee
Yea right
Wow, if you want to beat him up that’s fine, but mocking Southern states is going too far. Unlike the average “Catholic” voter up north, the South is actually filled with conservatives.
“Yes, they had churches teaching what the First this Baptist...Yea right”
Well, scripture does. There is no discussion of Purgatory in scripture. No priests are discussed, apart from the universal priesthood of the believer. In fact, priests - Jewish priests - are contrasted with Christianity, not emulated. There was no Pope, although Paul would have had a better claim of primacy than Peter. There wasn’t a hierarchical body of churches. Peter recommends SCRIPTURE for protection from deceit, not church organization:
He says he experienced divine revelation in person, but he will make sure “that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things”, because:
“We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
The Christians can count on the writings of the Apostles, because it is not their personal opinion, but “prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”.
And this was important, because “there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies”. But believers don’t need to worry, because “Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles....
...Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.”
We are commanded to rely on the teachings of the divinely inspired Apostles, not the all too human squabbling of the “Church Fathers”!