"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some [say that thou art] John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ." - Matthew 16:13-20
Gods Church is not a denomination. It is the group of believers worldwide throughout the ages.
According to Scripture, Christ wanted us to be one (John 17:22-23). We are all as a Church to be of one mind and to think the same (Philippians 2:2; Romans 15:5). There is only to be one "faith" (Ephesians 4:3-6), not many. For the Church is Christ's Body and Christ only had one Body, not many.
The only True Compass of Truth is the Bible not a denomination or a group of “wise men” from Rome. Gods real Church started in the Garden of Eden.
Christ stated that the Church, not Scripture should be the final authority: "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church: but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." (Matthew 18:17 ) Christ did not state to refer to or consult Scripture for disputes and correction. He said to go to the Church as It is the final authority in Christianity. In addition, St. Paul states that the Church, not Scripture is "THE pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15) Since the Church alone is mentioned as the pillar of truth, then It alone has the right to discern the truth and interpret Scripture. For if individuals could correctly interpret Scripture, then all interpretations would be exactly the same as there can only be one Spiritual Truth for the plural of the word "truth" never appears in Scripture.
1 Corinthians 12:12-20 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
11 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
It's obvious that Catholics just don't understand what the body of Christ is all about as presented and defined Scripturally.
The body of Christ is an organism, made up of born again living people, not an organization run top down in dictatorial fashion.
Another verse Catholics take way out of context to support their doctrine.
That verse is not Christ giving blanket authority to the church to dictate the lives of the adherents.
In context, it has everything to do with dealing with conflict between believers.
Christ did not state to refer to or consult Scripture for disputes and correction.
Absolute and total nonsense.
Jesus used Scripture authoritatively when dealing with Satan in the wilderness, to CORRECT him.
And what do you all do with THIS statement of Jesus? How are you going to mangle that one to tell us that He didn't mean what He said?
Matthew 22:29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
Mark 12:24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?
In addition, St. Paul states that the Church, not Scripture is "THE pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15) Since the Church alone is mentioned as the pillar of truth, then It alone has the right to discern the truth and interpret Scripture.
But not TRUTH itself. Only that which supports truth, and that truth is Jesus and His word.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Give us a link to a commentary on the Bible written by the infallible magisterium which tells us the *correct* interpretation of the Bible. If only the Catholic is correct in how it interprets Scripture, because they allegedly have the same interpretation for its entire 2,000 year history, it ought to be written down by now. So which of the ECF's has the correct interpretation?
“Christ stated that the Church, not Scripture should be the final authority: “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church: but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” (Matthew 18:17 )”
As I’ve pointed out before, context is important. Jesus did not give local churches authority to determine doctrine. However:
“15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
Jesus quotes scripture, already given (”by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed”), in saying how the future church should handle DISCIPLINE. When does this kick in? “If your brother sins...”
The Apostles did have the right to determine doctrine, backed by the miracles God performed through them. Thus we ended up with the New Testament, the written record of what Jesus & the Apostles taught.
“the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth”
It truly is, but not some heretical church that made up false doctrines and substituted the teachings of man for the teachings of God. When a church abandons scripture, and places itself above the Word of God, it rejects both the written Word of God and the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ.
The church lifts the truth up and holds it high, but the church is not, itself, the truth. The duty of the church is to hold the truth up before an unbelieving world, to lead some to repentance and confirm others in their damnation. The Apostles did this, and backed up what they preached with the Word of God, because it is God’s Word that is truth. The church is not the truth. God is, and His revelation to man, in the life of Christ in human flesh, the scripture and the lives of believers. The church holds that truth up for all the world to see.
The church cannot invent the truth any more than a pillar can create a building.
“14 As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
So it is the job of the church to lift up Jesus, in word and deed. Our job is to hold the truth up for all to see, not to replace it with our own thoughts and values. It is Jesus who is exulted, and the church only “in Him”.