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Sources of the Protestant Devolution
Catholic Stand ^ | November 6, 2014 | Matthew Tyson

Posted on 11/06/2014 2:29:33 PM PST by NYer

In June of this year, the largest Presbyterian denomination in America voted to allow their clergy to perform same-sex “marriages” within the church, thus joining the ranks of other Protestant denominations, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Episcopalian Church, and United Church of Christ.

This “evolution” of theology and “modernizing” of church doctrine is a trend that I predict we’ll continue to see in non-Catholic Christian circles for years to come, and not just with marriage. Today, nearly all Protestant denominations support and even advocate the use of artificial birth control, and many allow at least some level of support for abortion.

Of course, not all Protestants are willing to “move with the times”, so to speak; there remains, especially among the more conservative groups, quite a bit of dissent. However, it cannot be denied that many modern day Protestant denominations are falling further into the depths of secularism.

While it pains me to see Christians turning their backs on the sanctity of life and marriage, I have to admit that whenever the media lights up with news of another Protestant church endorsing an otherwise wholly unchristian act, I find myself entirely unsurprised.

The reason for my utter lack of shock lies, interestingly enough, within two of the critical tenants of Protestant Theology: the doctrines of sola scriptura (scripture alone) and sola fide (faith alone).

Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide

As Catholics, the Bible is not our sole source of authority, nor was the Catholic Church based upon it. In fact, what we now call “The Bible” — the collected Old Testament and New Testament writings — was put together by the Church herself, and is meant to enrich and support our doctrine and Tradition.

(Consider too that the Gospel is the written testimony of the teachings of the apostles, which, due to apostolic tradition and the God-given teaching authority of the Church, precedes the written text. Thus, any authority of the Scriptures is derived from the recognition of the Church.)

Yet, the Protestant Reformation severed the Tradition from the Bible, and put all other authorities beneath it. By doing so, they created a type of religious relativism (unwittingly, I’m sure) that opened the door for an “anything goes” mentality. So long, of course, as it can be found — or not found — in the scriptures.

For years, sola scriptura was a major weapon against Catholic theology, claiming that our practices were either absent or directly forbidden by Sacred Scripture. However, since the latter part of the 20th century, the charges that “Jesus never said (x)” or “That’s not in the Bible” have turned on themselves and have now become, “Jesus never said (x) was wrong, so that means (x) must be okay.”

This idea blends well with many in my generation, the millennials, who wish to hold on to some shred of spirituality but cannot bring themselves to relinquish the desires of the flesh. It is also a base notion of “Progressive Christianity”, which is basically the feel-good parts of following Christ without any actual sacrifice.

The same problem goes for sola fide. Though the only place in the Bible where the words “faith” and “alone” appear next to one another is in James 2:24 (“See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone”), it still remains a significant tenant of Protestant Christianity. However, much like sola scriptura, it has seemingly evolved into an even more bastardized version of itself that states, “As long as I’m a good person and believe in Jesus, I’m okay.”

The Beginning of the End?

Now, understand, I’m not among the ilk who believe that Protestants can’t go to Heaven, though the path is significantly more challenging (and not in a “take up your cross” kind of way). I do believe, however, that Christianity was never meant go in this direction. And I certainly believe that, should things continue in the manner they’re going for the modern-day Protestants, they’ll eventually have nothing left to call Christian at all.

Of course, perhaps that’s the only logical conclusion Protestantism could possibly come to. It is, after all, a theologically incomplete Christianity; and perhaps that is why it has such difficulty standing the test of time. Consider the continuous splintering Protestantism has seen since the days of Luther, that continues today. Sooner or later, it will be dust; and displaced Christians will be left with two choices: return to Holy Catholic Church or give themselves to the world.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Mainline Protestant; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; gaymarriage; homosexualagenda; protestant; samesexmarriage; solafide; solascriptura
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To: CynicalBear; verga

C’mon, guys, I took it as a written misunderstanding. We have a world that is our enemy; we don’t need to be tearing each other up.


221 posted on 11/07/2014 9:46:59 AM PST by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: CynicalBear; Religion Moderator

Cynical bear is engaging in mind reading. See my post #215


222 posted on 11/07/2014 9:49:09 AM PST by verga (You anger Catholics by telling them a lie, you anger protestants by telling them the truth.)
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To: Prophet2520
>>Can we agree that the quoted passage physically defines a land for the dominion of Christ?<<

Only if the city of His rule is from Jerusalem in the land of Israel.

I ask again. Are you Mormon?

223 posted on 11/07/2014 9:49:42 AM PST by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: NYer

So many problems with this.

The Reformation was legitimate. The need existed. At the time, the traditions of the Church were pretty awful.

This isn’t why the Protestants are off the beam. They’re off the beam for the same reason the Jews who started worshipping golden calves were off the beam. You can know who and what God is and you sin anyway.

The difference is that some people sin, realize it is sin, are sorry for it, go forth and sin no more, but sin again anyway - rinse and repeat.

The other group decides to squint at the rules, change them incrementally, and then claim that God’s OK with it. “It can’t be wrong if it feels so good, right? This is actually love, right?”

Well, of course it is. Don’t worry about it. Love’s the important part. Love never fails. Go ahead and consummate that boy - boy marriage, and let no one put it asunder. Sodom is just a ghost town in the desert, baby.


224 posted on 11/07/2014 9:50:36 AM PST by RinaseaofDs
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To: NYer; Tao Yin; Biggirl; boatbums; mrobisr
Besides your shameless posting of the spurious and refuted hit price, your unattributed pilfered (http://www.catholicbasictraining.com/apologetics/coursetexts/1l.htm) polemic is likewise refuted parroted propaganda.

The canon (list of books) of the Old Testament was not formally fixed and varied a great deal between different groups of faithful Jews.

A future historian looking back at the past 2k yeard could say the same of Christianity.

The Pharisees, Sadducees, Samaritans and other groups all had different lists of books which they considered to be Sacred Scripture, although there was agreement on the core of which books were part of the canon.

But the Lord did not say the Sadducees, Samaritans and other groups sat in Moses's seat, but that the Scribes and Pharisees did. (Mt. 23:2) And it is their tripartite canon that is seen to correspond to that which the Lord referred to in Lk. 24:44 as Scripture:

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44)

The ancient 1st century Jewish historian Josephus only numbered 22 books of Scripture, which is seen to reflect the Jewish canon at the time of Jesus, and corresponding to the 39 book Protestant canon, which divides books the Jews referred to as single works.

Researchers also state,

[Josephus] also limits his books to those written between the time of Moses and Artaxerxes, thus eliminating some apocryphal books, observing that "(Jewish) history hath been written since Artaxerxes very particularly but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers, because there hath not been an exact succession of prophets since that time."

Also in support of the Jewish canon excluding the apocrypha we also have Philo, the Alexandrian Jewish philosopher (20 BC-AD 40) who never quoted from the Apocrypha as inspired, though he prolifically quoted the Old Testament and recognized the threefold division

While other have different opinions, in the Tosfeta (supplement to the Mishnah) it states, "...the Holy Spirit departed after the death of Haggai, Zecharaiah, and Malachi. Thus Judaism defined the limits of the canon that was and still is accepted within the Jewish community." Once that limit was defined, there was little controversy. Some discussion was held over Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, but the core and bulk of the OT was never disputed. (Tosfeta Sota 13.2, quoted by German theologian Leonhard Rost [1896-1979], Judaism Outside the Hebrew Canon. Nashville: Abingdon, 1971; http://www.tektonics.org/lp/otcanon.html)

Note that the so-called “Council” of Jamnia (see here ), is considered to be theoretical, with some scholars arguing that the Jewish canon was fixed during the Hasmonean dynasty (140 and c. 116 B.C.). — (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Jamnia) The Catholic Encyclopedia (Canon of the Old Testament) affirms, “the protocanonical books of the Old Testament correspond with those of the Bible of the Hebrews, and the Old Testament as received by Protestants.” “...the Hebrew Bible, which became the Old Testament of Protestantism.” (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03267a.htm)

The available historical evidence indicates that in the Jewish mind a collection of books existed from at least 400 B.C. in three groups, two of them fluid, 22 (24 by another manner of counting) in number, which were considered by the Jews from among the many other existing books as the only ones for which they would die rather than add to or take away from them, books which they considered veritably from God...The Apocrypha are not included. (http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/rev-henry/11_apocrypha_young.pdf)

Although some apocryphal books contain a few texts which correspond to New Testament ones, this is also true of some works which are found outside the apocrypha, which the Bible sometimes quotes from. (Acts 17:28; Jude 1:14) Texts from the apocrypha were occasionally quoted in early church writings, and were considered worthy reading even if not included as Scripture, but the apocrypha was not accepted in such early O.T. lists as that of Melito (AD 170) bishop of the church in Sardis, an inland city of Asia Minor, who gives a list of the Hebrew canon, minus Esther, and makes no mention of any of the apocryphal/deuterocanonical books:

Christians have the current 46 book Old Testament because this was the canon used by the leaders of the early Christian Church; the apostles and their followers. This canon was found in a Greek translation of the Scriptures known as the Septuagint. This was the version used by very many Jews in the first century.

A bald faced presumption. You should know better by now, as it remains that

No two Septuagint codices contain the same apocrypha, and no uniform Septuagint ‘Bible’ was ever the subject of discussion in the patristic church. In view of these facts the Septuagint codices appear to have been originally intended more as service books than as a defined and normative canon of Scripture,” (E. E. Ellis, The Old Testament in Early Christianity [Baker 1992], 34-35.

British scholar R. T. Beckwith states, Philo of Alexandria's writings show it to have been the same as the Palestinian. He refers to the three familiar sections, and he ascribes inspiration to many books in all three, but never to any of the Apocrypha....The Apocrypha were known in the church from the start, but the further back one goes, the more rarely are they treated as inspired. (Roger T. Beckwith, "The Canon of the Old Testament" in Phillip Comfort, The Origin of the Bible [Wheaton: Tyndale House, 2003] pp. 57-64)

Manuscripts of anything like the capacity of Codex Alexandrinus were not used in the first centuries of the Christian era, and since in the second century AD the Jews seem largely to have discarded the Septuagint…there can be no real doubt that the comprehensive codices of the Septuagint, which start appearing in the fourth century AD, are all of Christian origin.

Nor is there agreement between the codices which the Apocrypha include...Moreover, all three codices [Vaticanus, Sinaiticus and Alexandrinus], according to Kenyon, were produced in Egypt, yet the contemporary Christian lists of the biblical books drawn up in Egypt by Athanasius and (very likely) pseudo-Athanasius are much more critical, excluding all apocryphal books from the canon, and putting them in a separate appendix. (Roger Beckwith, [Anglican priest, Oxford BD and Lambeth DD], The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church [Eerdmans 1986], p. 382, 383; http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2008/01/legendary-alexandrian-canon.html)

Likewise Gleason Archer affirms,

Even in the case of the Septuagint, the apocryphal books maintain a rather uncertain existence. The Codex Vaticanus (B) lacks [besides 3 and 4] 1 and 2 Maccabees (canonical, according to Rome), but includes 1 Esdras (non-canonical, according to Rome). The Sinaiticus (Aleph) omits Baruch (canonical, according to Rome), but includes 4 Maccabees (non-canonical, according to Rome)... Thus it turns out that even the three earliest MSS or the LXX show considerable uncertainty as to which books constitute the list of the Apocrypha.. (Archer, Gleason L., Jr., "A Survey of Old Testament Introduction", Moody Press, Chicago, IL, Rev. 1974, p. 75; http://www.provethebible.net/T2-Integ/B-1101.htm)

The German historian Martin Hengel writes,Sinaiticus contains Barnabas and Hermas, Alexandrinus 1 and 2 Clement.” “Codex Alexandrinus...includes the LXX as we know it in Rahlfs’ edition, with all four books of Maccabees and the fourteen Odes appended to Psalms.” “...the Odes (sometimes varied in number), attested from the fifth century in all Greek Psalm manuscripts, contain three New Testament ‘psalms’: the Magnificat, the Benedictus, the Nunc Dimittis from Luke’s birth narrative, and the conclusion of the hymn that begins with the ‘Gloria in Excelsis.’ This underlines the fact that the LXX, although, itself consisting of a collection of Jewish documents, wishes to be a Christian book.” (Martin Hengel, The Septuagint as Christian Scripture [Baker 2004], pp. 57-59)

Also,

The Targums did not include these books, nor the earliest versions of the Peshitta, and the apocryphal books are seen to have been later additions, and later versions of the LXX varied in regard to which books of the apocrypha they contained. “Nor is there agreement between the codices which of the Apocrypha include. (Eerdmans 1986), 382.

And Cyril of Jerusalem, whose list rejected the apocrypha (except for Baruch) exhorts his readers to read the Divine Scriptures, the twenty-two books of the Old Testament, these that have been translated by the Seventy-two Interpreters,” the latter referring to the Septuagint but not as including the apocrypha. (http://www.bible-researcher.com/cyril.html)

And if quoting from some of the Septuagint means the whole is sanctioned, then since the Psalms of Solomon, which is not part of any scriptural canon, is found in copies of the Septuagint as is Psalm 151, and 3 and 4 Maccabees (Vaticanus [early 4th century] does not include any of the Maccabean books, while Sinaiticus [early 4th century] includes 1 and 4 Maccabees and Alexandrinus [early 5th century] includes 1, 2, 3, and 4 Maccabees and the Psalms of Solomon), then we would be bound to accept them as well.

Also, saying the church and church fathers recognized the deuterocanonicals from early one fails to admit that this was not a universally accepted, or a settled canon.

As the the Catholic Encyclopedia states,

At Jerusalem there was a renascence, perhaps a survival, of Jewish ideas, the tendency there being distinctly unfavourable to the deuteros. St. Cyril of that see, while vindicating for the Church the right to fix the Canon, places them among the apocrypha and forbids all books to be read privately which are not read in the churches. In Antioch and Syria the attitude was more favourable. St. Epiphanius shows hesitation about the rank of the deuteros; he esteemed them, but they had not the same place as the Hebrew books in his regard. The historian Eusebius attests the widespread doubts in his time; he classes them as antilegomena, or disputed writings, and, like Athanasius, places them in a class intermediate between the books received by all and the apocrypha. The 59th (or 60th) canon of the provincial Council of Laodicea (the authenticity of which however is contested) gives a catalogue of the Scriptures entirely in accord with the ideas of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. On the other hand, the Oriental versions and Greek manuscripts of the period are more liberal; the extant ones have all the deuterocanonicals and, in some cases, certain apocrypha.

The influence of Origen's and Athanasius's restricted canon naturally spread to the West. St. Hilary of Poitiers and Rufinus followed their footsteps, excluding the deuteros from canonical rank in theory, but admitting them in practice. The latter styles them "ecclesiastical" books, but in authority unequal to the other Scriptures. St. Jerome cast his weighty suffrage on the side unfavourable to the disputed books... (Catholic Encyclopedia, Canon of the Old Testament, eph. mine)

The Catholic Encyclopedia also states as regards the Middle Ages,

In the Latin Church, all through the Middle Ages [5th century to the 15th century] we find evidence of hesitation about the character of the deuterocanonicals. There is a current friendly to them, another one distinctly unfavourable to their authority and sacredness, while wavering between the two are a number of writers whose veneration for these books is tempered by some perplexity as to their exact standing, and among those we note St. Thomas Aquinas. Few are found to unequivocally acknowledge their canonicity. The prevailing attitude of Western medieval authors is substantially that of the Greek Fathers. The chief cause of this phenomenon in the West is to be sought in the influence, direct and indirect, of St. Jerome's depreciating Prologus (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03267a.htm)

This issue has been settled many times by the RC propaganda continues.

These councils produced canons which were identical to the current 73 book Roman Catholic canon.

To the degree that this occurred testifies to how tradition can perpetuate error, while decrees by non-ecumenical early councils such as Hippo, Carthage and Florence were not infallible, and thus doubts and disputes among scholars continued right into Trent. The decision of Trent in 1546 was the first “infallible” indisputable and final definition of the Roman Catholic canon, (New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. II, Bible, III (Canon), p. 390; The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent : Rockford: Tan, 1978), Fourth Session, Footnote #4, p. 17, and see below) apparently after an informal vote of 24 yea, 15 nay, with 16 abstaining (44%, 27%, 29%) as to whether to affirm it as an article of faith with its anathemas on those who dissent from it.

This definition, coming over 1400 hundred years (April 8th, 1546) after the last book was written — and after Luther died (February 8,1546) — was issued in reaction to Martin Luther and the Reformation, and in so doing, it not only went against a tradition of substantial weight in pronouncing the apocryphal books to be uninspired, but there is even confusion over whether the canon of Trent is exactly the same as that of Carthage and Hippo. Thus , if the canon list was dogma prior to Trent, then there were many Catholics throughout history who would have been de facto excommunicated. More. (Also, some of the books of the Pseudepigrapha were invoked by some church fathers, and found their way into other canons of various Eastern churches, which also differ with that of Rome, but which is seldom made a major issue by Roman Catholic apologists, unlike as with Protestants).

The Council of Florence (1442) contains a complete list of the books received by the Church as inspired, but omits, perhaps advisedly, the terms canon and canonical. The Council of Florence therefore taught the inspiration of all the Scriptures, but did not formally pass on their canonicity.” (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03267a.htm)

► “The seventh Ecumenical Council officially accepted the Trullan Canons as part of the sixth Ecumenical Council. The importance of this is underscored by canon II of Trullo which officially authorized the decrees of Carthage, thereby elevating them to a place of ecumenical authority. However, the Council also sanctioned were the canons of Athanasius and Amphilochius that had to do with the canon and both of these fathers rejected the major books of the Apocrypha. In addition, the Council sanctioned the Apostolical canons which, in canon eighty-five, gave a list of canonical books which included 3 Maccabees, a book never accepted as canonical in the West.101 Furthermore, the Apostolical canons were condemned and rejected as apocryphal in the decrees of Popes Gelasius and Hormisdas.102 Thus indicating that the approval given was not specific but general.” (http://www.christiantruth.com/articles/Apocrypha3.html)

Theologian Cardinal Cajetan stated, in his Commentary on All the Authentic Historical Books of the Old Testament (dedicated to Pope Clement VII ):

"Here we close our commentaries on the historical books of the Old Testament. For the rest (that is, Judith, Tobit, and the books of Maccabees) are counted by St. Jerome out of the canonical books, and are placed amongst the apocrypha, along with Wisdom and Ecciesiasticus, as is plain from the Protogus Galeatus. Nor be thou disturbed, like a raw scholar, if thou shouldest find anywhere, either in the sacred councils or the sacred doctors, these books reckoned as canonical. For the words as well of councils as of doctors are to be reduced to the correction of Jerome.

Following Jerome, Cajetan also relegated the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament to a secondary place where they could serve piety but not the teaching of revealed doctrine. Jared Wicks tr., Cajetan Responds: A Reader in Reformation Controversy (Washington: The Catholic University Press of America, 1978). See also Cardinal Cajetan, "Commentary on all the Authentic Historical Books of the Old Testament," Bruce Metzger, An Introduction to the Apocrypha (New York: Oxford, 1957), p. 180.)

Cajetan was also highly regarded by many, even if opposed by others: The Catholic Encyclopedia states, "It has been significantly said of Cajetan that his positive teaching was regarded as a guide for others and his silence as an implicit censure. His rectitude, candour, and moderation were praised even by his enemies. Always obedient, and submitting his works to ecclesiastical authority, he presented a striking contrast to the leaders of heresy and revolt, whom he strove to save from their folly." And that "It was the common opinion of his contemporaries that had he lived, he would have succeeded Clement VII on the papal throne.” Catholic Encyclopedia>Tommaso de Vio Gaetani Cajetan

Jerome (340-420), the preeminent 3rd century scholar rejected the Apocrypha, as they did not have the sanction of Jewish antiquity, and were not received by all, and did not generally work toward "confirmation of the doctrine of the Church." His lists of the 24 books of the O.T. Scriptures corresponds to the 39 of the Protestant canon,

Jerome wrote in his Prologue to the Books of the Kings,

This preface to the Scriptures may serve as a helmeted [i.e. defensive] introduction to all the books which we turn from Hebrew into Latin, so that we may be assured that what is outside of them must be placed aside among the Apocryphal writings. Wisdom, therefore, which generally bears the name of Solomon, and the book of Jesus the Son of Sirach, and Judith, and Tobias, and the Shepherd [of Hermes?] are not in the canon. The first book of Maccabees is found in Hebrew, but the second is Greek, as can be proved from the very style.

In his preface to Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs he also states,

As, then, the Church reads Judith, Tobit, and the books of Maccabees, but does not admit them among the canonical Scriptures, so let it read these two volumes for the edification of the people, not to give authority to doctrines of the Church.” (Shaff, Henry Wace, A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, p. 492)

none of the books of the Bible were even written until around 50 AD. But the Catholic Church began 20 years earlier, at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles.

Yet the church actually began in dissent from those who sat in the seat of Moses over Israel, who were the historical instruments and stewards of Scripture, and inheritors of promises of Divine guidance, presence and perpetuation. (Lv. 10:11; Dt. 4:31; 17:8-13; Is. 41:10, Ps. 89:33,34)

And instead they followed an itinerant Preacher whom the magisterium rejected, and whom the Messiah reproved them Scripture as being supreme, (Mk. 7:2-16) and established His Truth claims upon scriptural substantiation in word and in power, as did the early church as it began upon this basis. (Mt. 22:23-45; Lk. 24:27,44; Jn. 5:36,39; Acts 2:14-35; 4:33; 5:12; 15:6-21;17:2,11; 18:28; 28:23; Rm. 15:19; 2Cor. 12:12, etc.)

The Christians who wrote the New Testament were Catholic – they were Catholic for two reasons. One, they believed everything which the current Catholic Church (and only the Catholic Church) teaches. And they were Catholic because there was no other church at the time

Wrong and Wrong. Just see post 100 here . The visible church has never remained pure or unified for long, and in fact never saw comprehensive doctrinal unity, while the body of Christ has always consisted of only believers. Like as God preserved His people in the OT,, so He preserved the church, which is His body, though the visible form can be very deformed.

And even RC scholars admit that preceding the Reformation, "according to the testimony of those who were then alive, there was almost an entire abandonment of equity in ecclesiastical judgments; in morals, no discipline; in sacred literature, no erudition; in divine things, no reverence; religion was almost extinct," (Cardinal Bellarmine) "..the true Church, the true pledge of salvation, had to be sought outside the institution." (Ratizinger) Sources and more .

Rome this reached a point where the (imperfect) Reformation became a necessity as Rome has become and is as the gates of Hell for multitudes (i was one), which church as the body of Christ overcomes and continues, by God's grace and to His glory. Amen.

225 posted on 11/07/2014 9:51:49 AM PST by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: CynicalBear

That is because it is not even a Biblical question. I was trying to answer the verse I THINK you are meaning to refer to. The scripture teaches there are many antiChrists and they were already present when the NT was written. You may wish to refer to the man of sin in Thesalonians as the antichrist, but scripture does not use that word. You may refer to the little horn of Daniel 7 as the antichrist, but scripture does not use that word. Or you may try to refer to the prince Jesus making the covenant with His people in Daniel 9 as antichrist, but that is heretical. One of the errors the Jesuits introduced with futurism is mixing Daniel 9’s prince Jesus of the New Covenant (the main topic of that prophecy), with the prince Titus who was coming to destroy Jerusalem. I am repeating myself only because you seem to have never even been exposed to the reformers teaching on Dan 9, since you didn’t get it the first time.

Now how about you answer my simple question.


226 posted on 11/07/2014 10:00:19 AM PST by Prophet2520
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To: CynicalBear

LOL, NO I am NOT Mormon!

Please tell me how Jerusalem in the land of Israel meets the stated description?! How does Jersualem extend to the ends of the earth, and what is the river and the seas mentioned. Also as I pointed out if you care to do a study, a huge number of the biblical traits for New Jerusalem CANNOT be made to fit the Old Jerusalem. Try it. Bible study is good for you. :-)


227 posted on 11/07/2014 10:03:41 AM PST by Prophet2520
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Comment #228 Removed by Moderator

To: terycarl
you compare some teachings of protestantism with the illicit actions of a very few bad apples in the Catholic church....VERY poor analogy...

I compare those not living their creed with those who have abandoned theirs. Both camps have people who claim their banner that they are ashamed. The analogy is good, it drives the point that first remove the log in your own eye. But more to the point to claim that a teaching is destructive by pointing to those who deny that same teaching is dishonestly fallacious; so much so that even the most ardent RC apologist ought to be ashamed of such moronic trash.

229 posted on 11/07/2014 10:22:01 AM PST by DaveyB
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To: terycarl

It’s just this is I think the weak link in the Catholic Church. I say this because I am from a denomination, the Episcopal Church, which has been destroyed by the spiritual corruption of its bishops (at least in my opinion).


230 posted on 11/07/2014 10:26:04 AM PST by kaehurowing
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To: Prophet2520
Daniel 9:25 Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Who is the ruler and the he and the him in that passage?

231 posted on 11/07/2014 10:26:10 AM PST by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: daniel1212

But 99% of faithful Catholics regularly dismiss the ramblings of our incomplete brethren. We have heard it all before; our skin is thick and we are born for battle.

Sancte Michael archangele, defende nos in proelio!


232 posted on 11/07/2014 10:27:54 AM PST by GreensKeeperWillie (Sancte Maria, mater Dei, ora pro nobis.)
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To: af_vet_1981

So you think you can grab a bunch of random scriptures, run them together without any context and get some sort of understanding??? Try to find a way to match your human reasoning???

Like they say, you can get the scriptures to say anything you want, if you leave enough out and add what you want in its place...


233 posted on 11/07/2014 10:29:30 AM PST by Iscool
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To: Prophet2520
Daniel 7:19 He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. 20The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power. 23 In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.

When is the time of wrath?

When is "the time of the end"?

Who is the He and by what power is He destroyed? Who is

234 posted on 11/07/2014 10:36:48 AM PST by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: Salvation

“I believe there are many more articles posted that shed negative light on the Catholic Church than vice versa.”

Nonsense, the majority of articles in the religion forum are posted by Catholics, and it has been that way for a few years now. There’s a constant stream of “why I converted from Protestantism to Catholicism” articles, and they are not posted by Protestants.


235 posted on 11/07/2014 10:44:47 AM PST by Boogieman
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To: CynicalBear; verga; chajin; metmom; boatbums; daniel1212; Iscool

Thank you CB.

verga has been corrected, by you, by me, and probably by many others.

I’ve seen enough of verga’ posts to know that he/she/it is not likely to acknowledge the truth. It’s enough for me to know that the truth has been presented to rebut the lies, and to know that anyone whose opinion is worth anything now knows the truth.


236 posted on 11/07/2014 10:50:27 AM PST by BykrBayb (Where there is life, there is hope. - Terri Schiavo ~ Þ)
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To: Prophet2520
>>Please tell me how Jerusalem in the land of Israel meets the stated description?!<<

At this point it doesn't but after Christ returns it will.

>>How does Jersualem extend to the ends of the earth, and what is the river and the seas mentioned.<<

Book, chapter and verses please.

>>Also as I pointed out if you care to do a study, a huge number of the biblical traits for New Jerusalem CANNOT be made to fit the Old Jerusalem.<<

Ever hear of the New Jerusalem?

>>Try it. Bible study is good for you.<<

Snide much?

237 posted on 11/07/2014 10:53:14 AM PST by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: Salvation
John wrote this approximately in the year 100. I do not believe it is referring to medieval happenings but rather the blood of the Catholic martyrs who were being killed by Nero of the Roman Empire

And the Protestant martyrs also. Let's not forget them.

238 posted on 11/07/2014 10:53:57 AM PST by Syncro (Benghazi-LIES/CoverupIRS-LIES/CoverupDOJ-NO Justice--Etc Marxist Treason IMPEACH!)
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To: Biggirl

Boy, that church sure does seek a lot of glory for doing something that God brought about through the Holy Spirit.


239 posted on 11/07/2014 10:56:52 AM PST by Boogieman
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To: BykrBayb
Show me where I said the SBC were in favor of Homosexuality, show me where I said the SBC was ordaining women.

Quote me exactly.

240 posted on 11/07/2014 11:06:36 AM PST by verga (You anger Catholics by telling them a lie, you anger protestants by telling them the truth.)
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