A World Without Luther

We don't expect everyone to have perfect understanding. Human nature has all of us looking through the glass darkly. Your church talks about gaining understanding about God as something that is always ongoing. As better understanding unfolds, it is due to the work of the Holy Spirit & the Holy Spirit protects your church from error. Even your church refuses to say that it currently has all of the Truth at this very moment. It has all of the Truth that has been revealed to it. By the time that all filters down to your church's portion of the Body that's sitting in the pews, you'll find as much diversity of thought & understanding as you will find in the entire Body of the invisible Church.

The Holy Spirit works on all individuals within the Body & none of us pretend to have all of the answers. We see those who try to pretend that they do have all of the answers for what they are, pretenders to the Throne of God.

If someone throws an idea or belief at you, you'll test it against the teachings of your church. You might find your church silent about it or you may find that your church has a teaching about it, but whether or not you understand that teaching & embrace it depends on the work of the Holy Spirit.

Protties do similar testing, but we use the Bible as our guide instead of any body of men. We come to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, just as you do. I know it looks like we're all wandering around with no connectivity, because we do, we are. We're waiting for the return of Jesus Christ, to finally straighten out all of the messes of our making, because we know we can't do it without Him. The teaching about the Tower of Babel is pretty clear from where I'm sitting.

***We don’t expect everyone to have perfect understanding.***

Could you further define ‘we’ used in this context please?

*** Your church talks about gaining understanding about God as something that is always ongoing. As better understanding unfolds, it is due to the work of the Holy Spirit & the Holy Spirit protects your church from error. Even your church refuses to say that it currently has all of the Truth at this very moment. It has all of the Truth that has been revealed to it.***

Do you have the Truth of God not revealed? I’m not getting your point.

***By the time that all filters down to your church’s portion of the Body that’s sitting in the pews, you’ll find as much diversity of thought & understanding as you will find in the entire Body of the invisible Church.***

Individual men can be and very often are in error. That is why Scripture tells us to defer to the Church - the foundation and pillar of Truth. Even the great St. Augustine wandered off into heresy. There is one Truth from the Holy Spirit.

***The Holy Spirit works on all individuals within the Body & none of us pretend to have all of the answers. We see those who try to pretend that they do have all of the answers for what they are, pretenders to the Throne of God.***

There are a bunch of them on the airwaves, agreed.

***If someone throws an idea or belief at you, you’ll test it against the teachings of your church. You might find your church silent about it or you may find that your church has a teaching about it, but whether or not you understand that teaching & embrace it depends on the work of the Holy Spirit.***

Umm, it’s not my church. I belong to it; it does not belong to me. The extent of understanding does depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, agreed. But not the deference to Church teaching.

***Protties do similar testing, but we use the Bible as our guide instead of any body of men.***

Why? The Bible itself proscribes personal interpretation. Remember that Jesus did not leave any written words. The only record that we have that mentions Him writing is in the dust.

Jesus taught extensively; He created His Church and appointed Peter as the steward (the keys confirm it). We are to hear and defer to the Church, not personal interpretation of Scripture.

*** know it looks like we’re all wandering around with no connectivity, because we do, we are. We’re waiting for the return of Jesus Christ, to finally straighten out all of the messes of our making, because we know we can’t do it without Him. The teaching about the Tower of Babel is pretty clear from where I’m sitting.***

Thank you for your statements; they are clear. I disagree with many of them of course; your statement about Babel is poignant and fitting. We would say that the Reformation created the many beliefs (instead of tongues); yet the creation of Jesus Christ still stands amidst the chaos of the Reformation that still continues to this day.

Much appreciated and thank you for a clear explanation.

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