Have fun with this one:
1 Cor 10:15 I speak as to wise men: judge ye yourselves what I say. 16 The chalice of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord?
imho, Salvation issues are not that ambiguous in Scripture.
Well, that certainly explains why there are upwards of 30,000 Protestant denominations.
We find no conclusive justification for the seemingly arbitrary interpretations the RC edifice makes of a number of Scriptures, including that one.
Who's "we"? "We" can't seem to agree enough to maintain the unity Christ desired for us.
You sit in judgement of the Church. This is the same Church which suffered its greatest disagreement with the East over a matter of authority, not liturgy or belief, in the 11th Century. More branches were pruned in the Reformation. Selfishness turned a "defender of the faith" into a demi-pope in England. The Church was blessed to have any number of saints, doctors and theologians along the way to help understand what Christ has built (after all, Christ said it would be Him Who did the building of His Church). And yet Quix knows better than them all? Thank you, but I'll continue my study and appreciation with the likes of Augustine, Aquinas, St Catherine, et al.
You sit in judgement of the Church.
. . . .
And yet Quix knows better than them all?
= = = =
Hmmmmmm
Perhaps Mark, you need to ammend the thread designation to read:
“Respectful (except of Quix & Dr.E.) Dialogue”
I suspect we could live with it quite handily.
Not of Christ's church.
Christ's church is made up of all true believers who have been graced with Trinitarian faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, found in a variety of churches from among all races and nations and eras.
We are told to sit in judgment of error. Transubstantiation is error, according to God's holy word.
Of the Church I. The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of Him that fills all in all.[1] II. The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion;[2] and of their children:[3] and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ,[4] the house and family of God,[5] out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.[6] III. Unto this catholic visible Church Christ has given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and does, by His own presence and Spirit, according to His promise, make them effectual thereunto.[7] IV. This catholic Church has been sometimes more, sometimes less visible.[8] And particular Churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the Gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.[9] V. The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error;[10] and some have so degenerated, as to become no Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan.[11] Nevertheless, there shall be always a Church on earth to worship God according to His will.[12] VI. There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ.[13] 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.[14]
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." -- 1 Corinthians 2:12-16
While a true statement (particularly if you consider each independent congregation its own denomination), I fail to see what that has to do with the subject at hand.
How can we complain about "them" bashing us when "we" take a cheap shot like the one above? (I call it a cheap chot, since the discussion had nothing to do with a universal church or the validity of protestant denominations)
No offense, but how can we complain about snarky comments if we make them as well? (especially, on a "respectful dialogue" thread)