Posted on 06/18/2007 12:22:11 PM PDT by TexConfederate1861
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to re-marry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England, founded by Samuel Senbury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1606.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed Church, you recognize Mic helis Jones as founder because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was founded by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1774.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, New York, in 1829.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as "Church of the Nazarene, Pentecostal Gospel," "Holiness Church," or "Jehovah's Witnesses," your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past hundred years.
If you are Roman Catholic, your church shared the same rich apostolic and doctrinal heritage as the Orthodox Church for the first thousand years of its history, since during the first millennium they were one and the same Church. Lamentably, in 1054, the Pope of Rome broke away from the other four Apostolic Patriarchates (which include Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem), by tampering with the Original Creed of the Church, and considering himself to be infallible. Thus your church is 1,000 years old.
If you are Orthodox Christian, your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It has not changed since that time. Our church is now almost 2,000 years old. And it is for this reason, that Orthodoxy, the Church of the Apostles and the Fathers is considered the true "one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church."
This is the greatest legacy that we can pass on to the young people of the new millennium.
That is a very powerful passage, but there is no support for that Act of God being transferable from one man to another man. One would think that kind of "breathed" would have gotten at least one mention in Scripture after that singular event. It's not even known whether or not +Thomas was ever breathed on.
it’s not transffered from one man to another it is conffered by the Holy Spirit (GOD!)
At what point in their theological career did each decide to 'take up a serious religious life'? It appears it was well after each became a prince of the church.
Why then was it important enough to mention that the Apostles laid their hands upon the first deacons, including Stephen? I don't believe it was mere symbolism.
says you
Well, if it makes you feel any better, we no longer officially take the position that the Pope is the Antichrist.
And the sky is blue, says me. LOL!
I'm not sure but I think this is code for accusing me of linking Catholics to the inquisition again. Please tell him to stop. :-)
That word, with that meaning was used only one time in the whole NT. When the Hebrew of the OT was translated into Greek the same word was used only once, to quicken Adam.
Notice what Jesus said, “Receive the Holy Spirit." It wasn't an act done *by* Holy Spirit, like baptism. As FormerLib pointed out, the Apostles laid their hands on those they appointed. There is no mention of them breathing on those who were going to take their seats after them.
Laid their hands upon, yes, but Jesus *breathed* on the Apostles. Jesus performed an Act of God!
I don't believe it was mere symbolism.
I don't either. Different action means there was a difference between the Apostles & those who followed. You cite +Stephen & I counter with Nicolaites.
Well, if it makes you feel any better, we no longer officially take the position that the Pope is the Antichrist.
:O
If you don’t mind me asking, who’s we?
yes that is the difference Christ performed an act of God, and the apostles are not God so they cannot do that, what they can do is lay their hands on successors and ask the Holy Spirit (GOD!) to do what Christ promised it would do.
Those who subscribe to the Westminster Confession. The original version from 1636 contained this paragraph in Chapter 25, "VI. There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.
The current version used in most American churches has been toned down to this,"6. There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof."
Of course, the prohibition against intermarriage with Catholics remains.
Sorry but I don't know the name nor the point you are countering with.
If that is supposed to be funny, I don’t get the humor.
I suppose Catholics don’t believe in burning Protestants at the stake anymore either.
Could be, I am not sure when the Armenians were converted.
I thought Greece or Italy was.....
However most Armenians are also Nestorians or Monophysites.
Ah....so your a ROUNDHEAD!
That explains a lot.
Your loss.
My bible begins:
Genesis
Chapter 1
1
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
2
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
3
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
and finishes with:
Revelation
Chapter 22
10
Then he said to me, “Do not seal up the prophetic words of this book, for the appointed time 7 is near.
11
Let the wicked still act wickedly, and the filthy still be filthy. The righteous must still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
12
“Behold, I am coming soon. I bring with me the recompense I will give to each according to his deeds.
13
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14
Blessed are they who wash their robes so as to have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates.
15
Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the unchaste, the murderers, the idol-worshipers, and all who love and practice deceit.
16
“I, Jesus, sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star.”
17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let the hearer say, “Come.” Let the one who thirsts come forward, and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water.
18
I warn everyone who hears the prophetic words in this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,
19
and if anyone takes away from the words in this prophetic book, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city described in this book.
20
The one who gives this testimony says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
21
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.
and it is a requirement of the Catholic Church to include the whole Bible in our faith. All of it, with no omissions. Cherry picking bits and pieces and stringing them together out of context doth not a Christian make. Even satan can quote Scripture for his purposes. Omitting verses is wrong.
Consider also: Acts 15:
3 The apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter.
7
After much debate had taken place, Peter got up and said to them, “My brothers, you are well aware that from early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8
And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us.
Paul is part of the group that Peter is speaking to. Peter is Paul’s superior by the word of Jesus. Jesus left the Church, not a book. If somebody chooses to follow the Bible, which is a production of the Catholic Church, rather than the Church itself, then that someone rejects God’s gift to them. It is pride, hubris and arrogance to reject what God openly is trying to give to someone.
But we have all read the words of those who believe themselves their own Pope.
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