Posted on 02/01/2017 6:33:59 PM PST by marshmallow
Evangelicals have been urged to celebrate the Reformation as "essential" to Christianity and resist attempts to dilute differences between Protestants and Catholics.
The Evangelical Alliance's statement to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, headlined on the Evangelical Alliance press release as "500 Years of Protest", praised the split as a recovery of Jesus' teaching. It emphasised ongoing "points of divergence" between the two traditions as well as acknowledging efforts at reconciliation and convergence after centuries of mistrust.
"As evangelicals, we owe a great deal of our doctrinal, spiritual and cultural identity to the Reformation," the statement read.
"The Reformation was not so much an innovation as a recovery – a recovery of the essential content of the 'evangel' or 'good news' of salvation proclaimed by Jesus Christ himself, and by his apostles. That work of recovery is reflected in our own designation as evangelicals."
It insists the "core distinctions" between Luther and the 16th-century Roman Catholic church "remain between modern-day evangelicals and Catholics despite efforts at reconciliation".
The statement marked a notably different tone to that of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York who called for repentance for the division. They lamented the "lasting damage done five centuries ago to the unity of the Church, in defiance of the clear command of Jesus Christ to unity in love".
(Excerpt) Read more at christiantoday.com ...
The question remains what evidence? Works themselves do not I.D. these as RC vs evangelicals, nor did all 7 churches excel in this, and in which RCs are more actually are more like the church of the Laodiceans. Again, where are any RC distinctives that would actually provide the evidence which you so desperately need?
The descendent communities of the Reformation have no such evidence.
Which is just as much a baseless assertion as imagining these were RC churches.
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle
What? You are asked to provide evidence from Rv. 2+3 and so you go to of Romans, and which still does not provide the evidence you need. Paul in his epistle to the church at Rome even utterly fails to mention Peter once amidst the multitude of people he salutes or sends greeting from (and don't even try the absurd apologetic that he was trying to protect Peter, while yet naming 33 other people in Rm. 16), while all the while teaching zero R. Catholic distinctives but teaching evangelical doctrines.
Correct; it was a bona fide church with provenance, a member of the Messiah's church, the one holy catholic apostolic church.
What? Being a lukewarm church the Lord wanted to spit out of His mouth is provenance that it is a member of the Messiah's church, the one holy catholic apostolic church? How fitting!
You seem to be basing "provenance" around the parts of the world where the first Christian assemblies existed but that hardly qualifies assemblies as BEING churches/the Body of Christ. What has always been the determining factor for knowing legitimate churches of Christ is the faith and beliefs of the PEOPLE within those assemblies - not their location. There IS no "one, true, catholic, apostolic church" unless it is the spiritual house Peter described of which ALL believers are living stones being built up into it. To constantly assert it is the Roman Catholic church which alone can lay claim to this title ignores the often sordid history of the leadership - which disqualified it over and over from having any provenance back to the original churches which were established, discipled and cared for by the Apostles. Peter himself would have excommunicated these popes and bishops and there is plenty of Scriptural precedent for doing so. The "church" can't be the organization. Calling itself the "Catholic Church" doesn't mean it is the universal body of Christ - in Rome or anywhere else.
What gets handed down, the traditions, the rule of faith, and how these are received and practiced determines whether or not an assembly is genuinely Christian and follows the faith once delivered unto the saints. The Vincentian Canon talked about the Christian faith as what was believed everywhere and by all. I certainly CAN trace my faith back to there and prove every tenet I believe from God's holy word, can Catholics? The pedigree is in the faith, not the building or hierarchy.
Why?
These things I have written to you that you will know that you have Eternal Life, you who believe in the name of The Son of God.
---1 John 5:13
Are you insinuating that the Bible is NOT enough to get a person to Heaven?
You get actually THINK for yourself?
I know for sure that ROME will TELL you what it means and you'd BETTER go along with THAT!
2 Peter 3:16
He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Even your first pope could see what has coming down the line!
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
HMMMmmm...
And, according to FR Catholics; teaching NOTHING but the truth as handed down directly from the Apostles; just like today's Catholic churches.
We've just added stuff that sweet, blessed Mary has delivered to us thru her many wondrous appearances.
--Catholic_Wannabe_Dude(Hail Mary!!)
I'm not sure why the Church continues to propagate this myth. There was never any questions by our Jewish forefathers as to what constituted inspired writing in the Old Testament. And our early church fathers decided very early on what was inspired and inerrant for the New Testament. They purposely excluded the deuterocanonical books since they did not meet the rigid criteria for being inspired or inerrant.
What happened a 1000 years later to make the Church change its mind should be suspect. It's not any more different then adding the Book of Mormons to the collection and saying that is inspired.
Christ did NOT say - “I will give YOU the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever YOU bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever YOU loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matt 16:19”
What Christ did say
18 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.
19 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.
Peter was given the keys of the kingdom of heaven ... And Peter wrote down what those ‘keys’ entail... Peter was not given a ‘locksmiths shop’ to re-key the ‘keys’... Christ did not nor did Peter hand off or hand down to any that came after the power or authority to add to or take away from the WORD. Actually, there will be an accounting for any that make their traditions replace what the Creator, and God with US, Christ our Redeemer authorized and foretold...
Matthew 16King James Version (KJV)
16 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.
8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
13 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?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 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.
18 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.
19 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.
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
John who was taken in spirit to the Lord's Day, penned the Book of Revelation. John then proceeded to pen an evaluation of the 'standing' of those seven churches. Only two were found without charges. There is no way Rome's doctrines fits either of these two churches. That is the test kit by which we today can test the fruit.
From Genesis to Revelation any time a person was in communion with the Creator they prospered... God allowed the Reformation, and you all can complain and damn it all you want. But God will be the judge.
Thyatira church was known for teaching ..... charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first....., however, God had a few things against them. And there is still the opportunity to overcome all that God has against them...
Only the teachings of the Church in Philadelphia write; These things saith HE That is Holy, He That is True, He That hath the "KEY" of David, He That openers, and no man shutters, and shutters, and no man openers;......
I think I remember Christ giving that "KEY" to Peter? Right?
And the church at Smyrna ...Their teachings were spot on as was those in Philadelphia... The other 5 churches were left wanting.
Christ declared in Mark 13:22 For false Christ and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to ‘seduce’, if it were possible even thee elect,
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things....
This declaration by Christ, was before any of the so called ‘New Testament’ was placed upon plant fibers or animal skins... Christ made the so called ‘Old Testament’ one and the same, His Gospel..
By the way verse 22 is quoting Moses in Deuteronomy 13:1.
And verse 24 of this Chapter is quoting Isaiah 13:10
24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
verse 25 is quoting Isaiah 34:4
25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
verse 26 is quoting Daniel 7:13
26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
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