>> Jesus says come, follow Me....not come, follow a church.<<
What a joke, coming from somone who believes in sola scriptura.
1
Matthew 16:18
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
2
Matthew 18:17
And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.
3
Acts Of Apostles 5:11
And there came great fear upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things.
4
Acts Of Apostles 7:38
This is he that was in the church in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on mount Sina, and with our fathers; who received the words of life to give unto us.
5
Acts Of Apostles 8:1
And at that time there was raised a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all dispersed through the countries of Judea, and Samaria, except the apostles.
6
Acts Of Apostles 8:3
But Saul made havock of the church, entering in from house to house, and dragging away men and women, committed them to prison.
7
Acts Of Apostles 9:31
Now the church had peace throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria; and was edified, walking in the fear of the Lord, and was filled with the consolation of the Holy Ghost.
8
Acts Of Apostles 11:22
And the tidings came to the ears of the church that was at Jerusalem, touching these things: and they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.
9
Acts Of Apostles 11:26
And they conversed there in the church a whole year; and they taught a great multitude, so that at Antioch the disciples were first named Christians.
10
Acts Of Apostles 12:1
And at the same time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the church.
11
Acts Of Apostles 12:5
Peter therefore was kept in prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him.
12
Acts Of Apostles 13:1
Now there were in the church which was at Antioch, prophets and doctors, among whom was Barnabas, and Simon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen, who was the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
13
Acts Of Apostles 14:22
And when they had ordained to them priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed.
14
Acts Of Apostles 14:26
And when they were come, and had assembled the church, they related what great things God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
15
Acts Of Apostles 15:3
They therefore being brought on their way by the church, passed through Phenice, and Samaria, relating the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.
16
Acts Of Apostles 15:4
And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church, and by the apostles and ancients, declaring how great things God had done with them.
17
Acts Of Apostles 15:22
Then it pleased the apostles and ancients, with the whole church, to choose men of their own company, and to send to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas, who was surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren.
18
Acts Of Apostles 18:22
And going down to Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem, and saluted the church, and so came down to Antioch.
19
Acts Of Apostles 20:17
And sending from Miletus to Ephesus, he called the ancients of the church.
20
Acts Of Apostles 20:28
Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
21
Romans 16:1
And I commend to you Phebe, our sister, who is in the ministry of the church, that is in Cenchrae:
22
Romans 16:5
And the church which is in their house. Salute Epenetus, my beloved: who is the firstfruits of Asia in Christ.
23
Romans 16:23
Caius, my host, and the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, saluteth you, and Quartus, a brother.
24
1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God that is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in every place of theirs and ours.
25
1 Corinthians 4:17
For this cause have I sent to you Timothy, who is my dearest son and faithful in the Lord; who will put you in mind of my ways, which are in Christ Jesus; as I teach everywhere in every church.
26
1 Corinthians 6:4
If therefore you have judgments of things pertaining to this world, set them to judge, who are the most despised in the church.
27
1 Corinthians 10:32
Be without offence to the Jews, and to the Gentiles, and to the church of God:
28
1 Corinthians 11:16
But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the church of God.
29
1 Corinthians 11:18
For first of all I hear that when you come together in the church, there are schisms among you; and in part I believe it.
30
1 Corinthians 11:22
What, have you not houses to eat and to drink in? Or despise ye the church of God; and put them to shame that have not? What shall I say to you? Do I praise you? In this I praise you not.
31
1 Corinthians 12:28
And God indeed hath set some in the church; first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly doctors; after that miracles; then the graces of healing, helps, governments, kinds of tongues, interpretations of speeches.
32
1 Corinthians 14:4
He that speaketh in a tongue, edifieth himself: but he that prophesieth, edifieth the church.
33
1 Corinthians 14:5
And I would have you all to speak with tongues, but rather to prophesy. For greater is he that prophesieth, than he that speaketh with tongues: unless perhaps he interpret, that the church may receive edification.
34
1 Corinthians 14:12
So you also, forasmuch as you are zealous of spirits, seek to abound unto the edifying of the church.
35
1 Corinthians 14:19
But in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct others also; than ten thousand words in a tongue.
36
1 Corinthians 14:23
If therefore the whole church come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in unlearned persons or infidels, will they not say that you are mad?
37
1 Corinthians 14:28
But if there be no interpreter, let him hold his peace in the church, and speak to himself and to God.
38
1 Corinthians 14:35
But if they would learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church.
39
1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
40
1 Corinthians 16:19
The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house, with whom I also lodge.
41
2 Corinthians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother: to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in all Achaia:
42
Galatians 1:13
For you have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion: how that, beyond measure, I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it.
43
Ephesians 1:22
And he hath subjected all things under his feet, and hath made him head over all the church,
44
Ephesians 3:10
That the manifold wisdom of God may be made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places through the church,
45
Ephesians 3:21
To him be glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus unto all generations, world without end. Amen.
46
Ephesians 5:23
Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the saviour of his body.
47
Ephesians 5:24
Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things.
48
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it:
49
Ephesians 5:27
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.
50
Ephesians 5:29
For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the church:
And right on schedule, one of them proves the point, unable to differentiate the institutional org from the spiritual Ekklesia. Amazing that!
Please see my post #247 to ealgeone and the immediate next post illustrating the point of #247. It is amazing!
ekklēsía(from 1537 /ek, "out from and to" and 2564 /kaléō, "to call") – properly, people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church (the mystical body of Christ) – i.e. the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom.
The church is the body of believers....those who follow Christ.
If anyone thinks just joining a "church" saves them they are not a follower of Christ.
Being Roman Catholic does not save you.
Being Methodist does not save you.
Being Southern Baptist does not save you.
Being Lutheran does not save you.
Being Presbyterian does not save you.
Being any "insert denomination here" does not save you.
It is only through faith in Christ.
If anyone thinks praying to Mary and hoping she intervenes for their salvation is not a Christian.
If anyone believes in any other way to Heaven than apart from Christ...they are not a Christian.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
Jesus is being very emphatic in this statement. The Greek John recorded this statement in tells us this.
There is no other way to be a Christian than to follow Christ. Nobody else.
He is the only One to have died for our sins.
It is only His shed blood that cleanses, wipes clean, our sins.
He is the One who promises He will come back for us.
There is no other way. John records the words of Jesus on this topic.
35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
36“But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.
37“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
38“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
39“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
40“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:35-40
http://biblehub.com/text/1_corinthians/10-4.htm
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock (petra) that followed them, and the Rock (petra) was Christ.
No mention at ALL about those 7 CATHOLIC churches in Asia that John wrote about?