Peter & Succession (Understanding the Church Today)

Ignatius Insight ^ | 2005 | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

[AlaninSA]

I told you the Church I attend, the one mentioned in Romans 16:16.

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No, you're dodging the question like every other cowardly anti-Catholic I encounter on this forum.

Gutless.

Pathetic.

Utterly incapable of defending the doctrines and teachings of their "church."

[Quix]

BTW, NO organization of man impresses me a great deal.

The Vatican was interesting and impressive as far as buildings go. I found some of the art works interesting, indeed. And the vastness of St Peters was fun. But buildings and art are chaff. Wood, hay, stubble. The Pieta is chaff. The beautiful dome is chaff. The high altar is chaff.

The Pharisees and Saducees of Jesus' dusty pathed days were quite intent on Lording it over others; on being loftier than others; on being more "perfectly righteous" than others; on being more "right" than others; on having the 'inside track' with God.

Yet, God Himself called them children of satan and white-washed tombs.

I take that as an exceedingly important warning about becoming puffed up regarding individual supposed accomplishments, stations in life, positions, organizations, whatever.

The only thing that matters is WHAT IS GOD DOING WITH ME IN THIS SITUATION NOW. WHAT IS HIS HIGHEST WITH ME IN THIS SITUATION NOW?

Past is history. God is interested in my obedience NOW. God is interested in my humility NOW.

God has a habit of pulling or applying anointing in a flash for whatever seconds seem fitting TO HIM.

I can't find an unbroken record in all of Scripture where GOD HIMSELF allowed persistently wayward spiritual leaders to continue walking unfettered, undisciplined in His blessings and anointing. And there are plenty of examples of Him lifting the anointing and even of ending a lineage because folks began to be proud; immoral; do their own thing instead of God's thing, etc.

The Roman group/denomination is no different on this score from any other. ALL ARE EQUAL BEFORE THE CROSS.

God will be making this abundantly clear supernaturally in this era. But those who discern such sooner will be ahead to have done so.

[Petronski]

We're all mocking Juan Carlos, king of Spain?

[marajade]

Did you read the scripture?

[AlaninSA]

Again, I am not a member of any of those. I am a member of the church as mentioned in Romans 16:16.

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Here: let me help you find yourself:

If you belong to "Pentecostal Gospel," your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men in the last 100 years.

[Pyro7480]

You all and the Catholics on this thread are the ones mocking JC.

Do you know what calumny is?

[marajade]

I am a member of the Church of Christ, that Church which is mentioned in Romans 16:16.

[Petronski]

Romans 16:16

Salute one another with an holy kiss. All the churches of Christ salute you.

[AlaninSA]

Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

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You're a member of the church of the Holy Kiss?

[FJ290]

Oh, I may or may not find some time to research it further, but the point is that there is only one human being who deserves spiritual elevation above the rest of us, and he warned very sharply not to exalt others (in Matthew 23, etc.).

Catholics don't exalt the Pope over Jesus Christ.

[Quix]

It has been documented that God has always had at least a remnant practicing Paul's exhortations regarding spiritual gifts from Paul's day to this era we are in. Notions to the contrary just happen to be in error.

[Petronski]

Do you know what calumny is?

Well, not by name....

[marajade]

Which meaning of the word?

[AlaninSA]

Ah, so your a follower of Campbell...

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The Churches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations.

Those who self-identify as members of congregations of the Churches of Christ generally emphasize their belief that the modern Churches of Christ represent the intent of the original, primitive Christian church established by Jesus Christ and the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost as described in the New Testament in Acts 2.

In the United States, for the most part, the churches' roots can be traced back to the Restoration Movement championed by American preachers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, most notably Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander Campbell, with a confluence of contributions from Walter Scott, Barton W. Stone, and others.

Members of the Church of Christ point out that there have been those who have sought to return to a first century Christianity pattern throughout Christian history. They do not believe that it is necessary to be able to trace an unbroken lineage back to the church of the first century in order to be the church that was established by Christ. These assertions are based on the view that the church is a spiritual body and therefore differs from secular notions of lineage.

Following Alexander Campbell's death in 1866, conservatives within the movement, led by Tolbert Fanning, David Lipscomb, and others, advocated an increased unity in doctrine which produced a division with the more liberal Disciples of Christ that was formalized in 1906. Further internal disagreements since that time have produced a number of sub-groupings according to differences over various beliefs and practices.

Today, Churches of Christ have the following distinctive traits: the refusal to hold to any creeds other than the Bible itself; the practice of youth and adult baptism (but not infant baptism) as a requirement for the remission of sins; autonomous non-denominational congregational church organization, with congregations overseen by a plurality of male-only elders; the weekly observance of The Lord's Supper; and the belief in a cappella congregational singing during worship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_christ

[Running On Empty]

At this point, I think this whole thread has deteriorated beyond resuscitation.

Going, going gone.

Tomorrow is another day.

Signing off.

[marajade]

I am a member of the Church of Christ.

[Quix]

I personally would not want to speak for 100% of the folks in any sizeable group--especially one as large as the Roman church.

I've observed a number of professing Roman believers who were all gah gah about he Pope and rather blase, dismissive and casual about Jesus Christ Their Lord.

Their actions spoke tons louder than the words I'm replying to.

[marajade]

No I am a follower of the Church of Christ.

[FJ290]

Marajade:You all and the Catholics on this thread are the ones mocking JC.

Pyro:Do you know what calumny is?

Marajade has a funny way of trying to turn the tables when she is the one that starts it all. Spin, spin, spin!

[Quix]

Thanks. Indeed.