Posted on 06/11/2020 4:55:54 AM PDT by ADSUM
Steve Gregg is a nationally known Protestant radio broadcaster. He’s hosted The Narrow Path, which airs daily on dozens of radio stations around the country. He’s also the author of multiple books, he’s founded a Bible school, and he’s taught verse-by-verse through the books of Scripture many times.
Best of all, he is a real gentleman who not only knows his stuff but who is also interested in getting to the heart of issues and exploring them in a way that avoids the pitfalls of so many debates.
You can get your front row seat right now - Order your copy of Akin vs Gregg: Debating Differences, Finding Common Ground.
• The question of authority: What is the role of Scripture and Tradition? • The Church: Is it just an “invisible union” of all believers? • St. Peter: Did Jesus make him the leader of the apostles? • Salvation and the sacraments: What should we make of the controversy over justification “by faith alone,” and how should we understand sacraments like baptism and the Eucharist? • Mary and the saints: What role should they play in our lives? Should we ask them to pray for us?
They could debate which has been subverted the most thoroughly over the past 100 years. That would be a debate worth having.
The debate happened 500 years ago. Read the Augsburg confession and apology for a thorough discussion of the issues
Their eyes are too close together.
There is no doubt that the body of Christ is fractured along many lines both within and without denominations. Jesus' prayer that "they be one" has not been realized and I wonder if it will ever be realized this side of heaven.
I highly doubt it. The only unified religion coming on this earth will be the false one world religion lead by the false prophet to benefit the antichrist. That is coming all too soon
I wish Catholics and Protestants could work together better because the lack of unity has allowed the secular and in some cases outright atheist agenda to win.
But I do not see that happening and that is because of the Protestants (to whom I belong). Why? Because 1/2 of the Protestants are themselves 15 major denominations (believing in very different things) and then nearly 1/2 of them belonging to a list of various denominations to extensive and in some cases obscure to even list here. Protestants go from ultra liberal to ultra conservative and orthodox. Trying to find a common ground with that group... well, they can’t even find a common ground amongst themselves.
There are some groups among the Protestants that would work very well with the Catholics, say the LCMS which is more conservative than the Catholic church, very similar in beliefs, just without a Pope. But what about the ELCA with their gay marriages, tattooed female pastors and unwilling to even make a value judgement on abortion? Both have “Lutheran” in their name, but that’s about it.
***Reading from the “fundamental issues” listed, you will not find unity in how the Protestants see things.
One of the unforeseen consequences of Luther was that once they peeled away from the Catholic church which maintained unity in doctrine and tradition, there was nothing holding them together and they continued to divide and continued to come up with their own new ideas of what Christianity is.
Many Protestants don’t see is the varying views in the’Catholic’ church.
However, the beliefs that all Christians hold in common gives me hope that a core of common ground can be agreed on.
A common enemy, or group of enemies, needs to be confronted.
United we stand; divided we fall.
(And yes I know there will always be a remnant. Several of you will ‘know’ that they alone are 100% correct, but Having a viable impact on society and gov’t. is vital for us to continue to be a light unto the world).
The LCMS would not work well with the Roman church. We are conservative and therefore mean it when we stick to Scripture as the final authority, no praying to Mary or Saints, assurance of salvation and salvation by grace through faith not works. There is no compromise on these issues and a few others that caused the Reformation in the first place. The Roman church is much closer to the ELCA than the LCMS
I agree 100%.
I wish you and anyone trying to tackle this luck.
We have been losing one battle after the other for decades!
Nuance.
LCMS and Roman is pretty close and they can definitely work together on social issues because they see eye to eye on most things. I’m not saying they are the same, there are differences for sure. However, if you are LCMS and there is no church around, you would not feel foreign and doctrinally not hear things you reject in a Roman service and vice versa.
Ask your pastor if when traveling and no LCMS church is nearby, should you rather go to an ELCA church or Catholic one? I bet I know how he will answer. I bet he’ll tell you Catholic ahead for at least 11 of 15 other major Protestant denominations. But ask him.
I dont need to ask my pastor, we Lutherans are actually allowed to think for ourselves. I could never go to a Roman church the ave maria and praying to saints as well as the resacrifice of christ in the mass and worship of the elements is a deal breaker.
I would also never go to an apostate ELCA church. I would likely find a baptist church or worship on my own that weekend. But there are many LCMS services online so it’s not an issue I need to worry about
Well stated.
In our political correct world, reasonable discussions are often shouted down.
Protestants go from ultra liberal to ultra conservative and orthodox. Catholics are the same. However, we should have unity on the principles that Christ taught us. Some may find it through education and others by challenging our understanding through discussion. Some will only accept their own beliefs that differ from God’s Truth. There are false teachers and false teachings including from the secular world (atheists).
Jesus allows us to either accept Him through faith and love or reject Him. I believe that many reject Him by their own beliefs (not God’s Truth) and we have a responsibility to spread the good news of salvation to those that will listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9AhEn1C-iA
Jay is Orthodox by the way. Very interesting. His video called The Root of Protestant Error is very good as well.
“Childish?” “Squabbles?”
______
According to Romish doctrine, I am doomed to eternal Hell, because I believe in justification by grace through faith alone. Because I am certain of my salvation and I believe in the security of the believer, I have committed “the mortal sin of presumption.” I do not go to purgatory, I go straight to Hell, unless I come to them for absolution. Not happenin’
Acoording to Romish doctrine, if I do not come to them for baptism, then I am still in original sin. How can their be any salvation outside of their church if this is true?
As for quoting scripture, the Bible cannot be interpreted outside of their Catholic church. Only their church can say what that passage or what any passage means.
If you are saying that all religion is childish and so all religious squabbles are therefore foolish, then I understand that position, the position of so many American youth today, but I do not think that is what you meant. You probably meant that doctrine does not matter. Which is in itself a fundamental religious doctrine. We would need the voice of God Himself to tell us that you are right about that.
Luther stood on the Word, while his inquisitors squabbled about it. Must we shut up while the Catholic church continues to teach and preach their doctrine, is that what you mean? Not happenin’.
(By the way Jim, you are a fine FReeper here and I always enjoy your contribution especially in the science related matters but everything else too. Thanks!)
As a member of the LCMS, I would prefer, hands down, attending Catholic Mass than a service at an ELCA church.
It’s a strawman. I would attend neither.
Great-
Scripture is pretty clear on the importance of church attendance.
There are doctrines of the Catholic church with which I disagree, but there’s not much in the Mass which is contrary to Lutheran doctrine (refer to Article 24 of the Augsburg Confession, for instance).
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