[Dr. Eckleburg]

I'm curious, "the Reformed" (which as best I can tell is nothing more than a small splinter group which thinks it speaks for all of Protestantism, but doesn't) loves to talk about preaching the gospel (yes, I used a lowercase G intentionally), but NEVER actually references any of the Gospels. Have the Gospels been redacted from your Bibles or do you just choose to ignore them?

I and other reformers post from the Gospels consistently. Perhaps RC apologists miss those posts because they do not read their Bibles and so the truth is unfamiliar to them.

Further, Bible-believing Christians don't end their Bibles at John nor begin them with Matthew, as so many RC apologists seem content to do.

"Be not afraid; only believe." -- Mark 5:36

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"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." -- John 6:35-40

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"Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." -- Matthew 12:48-50

If the Reformation was actually based upon a cohesive set of doctrines there would be ONE Protestant Church.

There is one Christian church of Jesus Christ on earth, and that church grows daily as He gathers His sheep to Him by the word and will of God.

Fruit-wise, the RCC is heading in the wrong direction.

As as for Luke 1:48, reread (or read for the first time) the above verses by Christ from Matthew. Indeed, Mary was blessed by God to carry the Christ child to term. Anything more added to the simple words of Scripture is idolatry. Christ's family are all those who believe in His name as Lord, God and Savior.

You and I are just as blessed as Mary because pregnancy is not the rule and measure of salvation; God's grace through faith in Christ alone redeems our sinful hearts and identifies us as His "brother and sister and mother."

The Bible is to be understood in its totality. Where one verse is unclear, others will clarify it. Mary was blessed by God, just as all Christians are blessed by God when they are given faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; when their sins are blotted out by Christ's sacrifice on the cross and God remembers them no more; when God declares them righteous according to the righteousness of Christ within them, freely and mercifully imputed to them.

Jesus never referred to Mary as "mother." Instead he called her "woman."

Rome would do well to follow Christ and not the paganism of the cults of Isis and Cybele from which this blasphemous Mariology sprang.

[1000 silverlings]

It seems there is some confusion as to what the "gospel" is. It is the "good news of Jesus Christ as our personal Savior", in which case everyone here is preaching it, as opposed to the doctrine of Mary as others' personal saviorette. As Dr. E says, it's not just the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

[wagglebee]

I and other reformers post from the Gospels consistently.

I went back through your recent posts and I would say that about 25% of your posts that post Scripture are from the Gospels. However, I also noticed that you seem to prefer commentaries on the Bible nearly as much as you do the Bible itself.

There is one Christian church of Jesus Christ on earth, and that church grows daily as He gathers His sheep to Him by the word and will of God.

Yes, there is ONE Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and I am quite certain that many on the FR Religion Forum who claim to be Christians are totally deluded. Among these lost souls I would include those with a proclivty for doing things like fabricating falsehoods.

As as for Luke 1:48, reread (or read for the first time) the above verses by Christ from Matthew. Indeed, Mary was blessed by God to carry the Christ child to term. Anything more added to the simple words of Scripture is idolatry.

So, you don't count yourself among all generations?

[wmfights]

If the Reformation was actually based upon a cohesive set of doctrines there would be ONE Protestant Church.

Why?

The Christian churches of the Apostolic era were not a centralized hierarchy and Christianity spread like wildfire. I think there is a good argument that the more centralized Christianity has become the more it's declined. The fastest growing Christian churches in our southern hemisphere are Pentecostal and Baptist. They are both decentralized in structure.

[RnMomof7]

You and I are just as blessed as Mary because pregnancy is not the rule and measure of salvation; God's grace through faith in Christ alone redeems our sinful hearts and identifies us as His "brother and sister and mother."

Indeed and Amen

[Quix]

INDEED.