“The Catholic Church is most clearly described there”,,
Oh please, like Jesus ever described a church-as-government, based in Rome, living like royalty. In truth, the Catholic church is an autocratic offshoot of the true church that existed in Constantinople. The Orthodox Church is the tree, Catholics are a branch. The purpose of their sect was to try to dictate to the first churches. They rejected that. Baptists trace from European Catholicism. Baptists rejected it too.
If you are not orthodox, Baptist is the closest you can be to the first churches. Autonomous, centered in Christ and the individual as worthy to speak with God with no human mediator, and submissive to no man-made hierarchy.
Catholicism is a man made thing,,,designed to control people. And that is what it has done well.
I would also add that this system is similar to what Democrats try to do with their big government plantation. Keep people dependent on them and government.
Rome has the same setup, the grace from God is given out only through them, the church, through the sacraments. The members are told what to say, when to kneel, and when to stand and sit. The “priests” allegedly have the power to force Jesus from the right Hand of the Father to come down to be re-sacrificed over and over. Yet this “power” that allows them to turn bread into Jesus, somehow cannot be utilized in order to keep their pants on when in the vicinity of teenage boys. This is clear evidence to me that “priests” do not have the power Rome claims they do.
There in but ONE mediator, who was sacrificed ONCE for ALL.
Amen, DR.