I appreciate your research, but ask yourself:
Why did Jesus call Peter “His Rock” and tell Peter that what he holds fast on Earth will be held fast in Heaven and what he loosens on Earth will be loosened in Heaven?
To me, and to the ages, that signifies Jesus’ establishment of the Papacy.
As for Mary: God chose her from the beginning of all creation to be the blessed vessel which would deliver Jesus as the Savior of all mankind.
And the Bible refers to her as blessed and says that ALL generations shall call her blessed. Just because 20, 30, 40, 50, 350 or even 4000 generations have passed, those words prescribing us to call her blessed still stands.
We’re probably not going to see eye to eye on this issue so let’s all get together on condemning abortion - ok?
Following and interpreting Biblical passages can be very difficult and tricky but can’t we all agree that sticking a fork in a baby’s head is a bad move?
What a reasoned, pleasant reply - I commend you. I was afraid I would get hate comments.
On Mary - of course she is blessed. My point was that God paid no attention to the status of a person - status, wealth, the opinions and honors of man hold no value to God. I was talking about the fact that he brought Jesus to life in a manger - not a castle - why? Mary was a simple woman - not one of wealth and status. All the apostles were simple people. Don’t you see the emphasis the catholic church puts on appearances, wealth, lavish clothing?
My point is that God does not look at the things man looks at. God could have had Jesus born to a King, into an esteemed family - but no, he chose based on the heart of a person. The trappings displayed in the Catholic church honor the men rather than God, provide esteem and status to the believers based on the lavishness rather than on God who always ignored such.
God did not tell Peter to establish a man to whom people gave the utmost power of the church. God established the church, stated that men should be chosen as elders based on their having one wife and raising their children to be christians and that christians were to follow the direction of these elders. Even the preachers answer to the designated elders.
Also we were told not to add to or take from the Word. Why? Because adding to or taking from the Word changes the Word and the will of God. How can you be sure the Word inspired in the first century be kept unchanged so that men in the later centuries would have access to God’s inspired Word. Tell man not to add to or take from the scripture.
Yet, man with his need to be identified with the elite, status, etc. looks for lavishness in church, chooses to ignore God’s direction and change the instructions. No where did God tell us to pray to anyone other than Him through Christ.
I know you love your church, I know you love God - same as I do. I am just pointing out that a pope is not found in the Bible or instruction to set up a pope. Also saints, praying to saints, all of these are man’s additions.
If a church does not match the instructions laid out in the Bible - that is a warning sign that something has been changed.
On abortion - what a wonderful way to come together even over differences and I thoroughly love the catholic church for standing up and taking a stand on this issue. That is what I admire about the catholic church - their stand on moral issues - not the pompous pagentry, not the control over the people, not the establishment of procedures preventing the people from speaking to God directly for forgiveness - but the simple standing up for what God gave as the ten commandments - thou shalt not kill.
Aside from the issue of authority (the Bible or sinful man), I think you are making biblical interpretation harder than it is.
1. INTERPRETATION and DOCTRINE. If I took any other author out of context, it would be disrespecting the author and the original message. The same with the Bible. God meant to be understood. It’s not a cook book.
Ironically, Jesus warns the disciples about bad doctrine coming from religious men in Mt 16:11-12; immediately before asking the disciples who they thought He was.
2. PETER THE ROCK. Read Matthew 16:13-19 again. It doesn’t have “his” or “my”, or any other personal pronoun. Again, even without knowing the Greek, the English meaning is unmistakable; unless you willfully ignore it.
Here’s what happens with this passage is taken out of context:
“We must hold as of the faith, that out of the Apostolic Roman Church there is no salvation” Pope Pius IX, 1854.
Not biblical. Sorry. The Bible never points to any man-made institution for salvation, particularly 325 years after the Resurrection. The New Testament always points to the heart of man, and his response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:1-4).
3. KEYS TO THE KINGDOM/BINDING AND LOOSING. What are the keys to the kingdom? That sounds pretty important to me. The only other mention of “keys” in the NT is Rev 1:18. I’d look that one up.
Binding and loosing was given corporately to all the disciples: Mt 18:18 and John 20:23. In other words, the disciples (and even Christians today) have legitimate authority to say whether a person is saved or not, based on a person’s response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter explained that in Acts 15, adding nothing to himself more than what Scripture states.
In its application— Christians can legitimately say a person is going to hell unless they accept Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, as Lord and Saviour; asking Him to forgive all sins and save them. I don’t need the Pope or anyone else to issue a ruling on it. The Scripture is clear, and the gospel is easily understood (1 Cor 15:1-4). That does NOT mean I, or any Pope can forgive sins or pronounce final judgment (although popes have made careers out of it)...see Rev 1:18.
4. MARY. Mary was blessed, no doubt. And those words still stand, for sure. I’m blessed too. So are all Christians that have placed their trust in Christ alone for their salvation.
-—>John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
God chose Mary for a special role. She performed it. That’s it. There is no scriptural support for anything else; other than what man has added from his own emotional, or evil reasoning. God makes a stinging warning about adding to His Word (Rev 22:18-19).
5. CONCLUSION. There is no room for Mary, Pope, dead saint, or any other creature for salvation of spiritual help/intercession.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
WORD (BIBLE) = Truth
Why base any spiritual judgment outside of Scripture? It doesn’t make sense, and seems wholly unwise given the constant scriptural reminders of the condition of man, and the repetition throughout the Bible to know God’s Word, obey it, and exalt the Word of God above all things.
In Christ alone,
Salva