Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: seamole
""The gates of Hell shall not prevail against" the Church. "

Don't you see here that you are reading far more into this passage then it actually says???

"The gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church, therefore the Church shall neither fail in Her mission nor fall against the assaults of the devil, Satan, the Deceiver"


What is in view here is the fact that death will not be able to hold out against the victory of Christ. "Gates" keeps people out - they don't "attack" people! It is not the picture of Hades attacking Christ's church, but of the impossibility of death's victory over the church. Another verse that states says very nearly the same thing is in Acts 2...

"God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. Seeing this in advance, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He was not left in Hades, and His flesh did not experience decay. "

The "Gates of Death (Sheol, "hell") is a phrase from the Old Testament meaning to die (or be near death) and go to the afterlife.

Psalm 9:13
"Be gracious to me, O LORD! See my affliction from those who hate me,O you who lift me up from the gates of death,"

The verse says NOTHING about being deceived or deception.




"The Catholic Church shall not fall to the Deceiver, Satan, or to any of the deceivers who have gone out into the world "

Well, unless you can provide a better basis for or proof of your exegesis of this verse, it would seem the Catholics have been deceived - about this very passage!
109 posted on 01/26/2006 9:36:33 AM PST by PetroniusMaximus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 104 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson