Testimony of a Former Irish Priest

BereanBeacon.Org ^ | Richard Peter Bennett

[Cronos]

Let's see -- The Church founded by God, surviving and thriving over 2000 years thanks to God's grace, was instrumental in the conversion of the Romans, Greeks, Celts, Germans, Poles, Russians, Bulgarians, Keralites, Goans, etc. right through to the reformatting.

that's to the greater glory of God.

"smaller gospel believing organizations" -- you mean like the ECUSA and the CoE or the ELCA or the PCUSA or the United Methodists or the Unitarian Universalists or the UC or the Christian Scientists or..?

[Cronos]

after the Rapture of the church,

So, if you are sola scriptura, where exactly did you find the word "Rapture" in the Bible?

pre-tribulation rapture teaching began in Scotland in 1830. The idea is unknown in the Church before this date, and it was unknown to the early Christians.

This is contrary to the Hebraic and biblical idea of the righteous remaining on the earth (Psa.115:16).

Psalm 37:9, 11, where we read that those who hope in the Lord and those who are meek will inherit the land. The Lord himself even repeats this promise in Matthew 5:5. In Psalm 37:29 it is affirmed with these words: "the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever." In Proverbs 2:21-22 the author states: "For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it."

In Proverbs 10:30 it is stated: "The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land." These scriptures are underscored in the parables of Jesus. They tell us it is the wicked that will be removed from the earth. This conclusion is also supported by the book of Revelation.

The menorah is used to include The Church (Rev. 1:12-13). We have an immediate emphasis upon the coming kingdom of God and the idea of the saints reigning with him on earth (1:6). The Apostolic Church is warned (2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:26-27; 3:5; .3:12; 3:21) of the hour of trial.

There are Christian martyrs (6:9) and Jewish and Gentile believers are NOT separated (Do you believe that Jewish and Gentile believers will be separated by the "rap ture"?)Early Christians uniformly were seeking to be prepared that they might meet the Lord in victory, without spot, blemish or compromise, on that day (1 Thess. 5:23; 1 Jo. 3:3; 1 Jo. 2:28; 1 Pet. 1:7). It is obvious that this victory would come through suffering (1 Pet. 1:7).

early Christians were looking to endure to the end (Mt. 24:13), through much tribulation (Acts 14:22) and to meet the Lord in victory. This earth is the Lords and so are we (Psa. 24:1). He will not abandon his earth or his saints to the Antichrist. He will protect them, cover them and seal them until the wrath is passed over. Then he will remake his earth in righteousness and his saints will reign on the earth with him.

[Cronos]

‘Morning to you too — it’s morning for me here :-P

[Cronos]

Salvation is not earned by works. The Church teaches and has taught that Salvation is NOT earned by works. What does your sub-branch of the Pent-e-costals, who are a sub-branch of some other denomination teach? Does it also teach anything about curses? And, what about the fabled talking in tongues? Is it a necessity to show that one is “s aved”?

[roamer_1]

In Luke 24:39 Jesus invites the Apostles to "handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." Then he ate food with them.

Sorry to break into a perfectly good argument, but what is REALLY interesting about this passage is in comparison with John 20:15, when Jesus met Mary Magdalene on her way back from discovering Him gone from the tomb:

Joh 20:15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Joh 20:16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Joh 20:18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

(e-Sword: KJV)

Yet a bare paragraph (and eight days) later, He says to Thomas:

Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

Yet this episode with Thomas is certainly before the ascension of Act1:19... So what does one do with that? Were there two ascents? Had He ascended to the Father privately, some time before the "Thomas encounter," and that one being the effective one?

If so, He has already "come back" physically at least once, and can/does come and go as He pleases, which outright defies the idea that there must be only one return.

As He went once privately to the Father, returned, and then went publicly, so He might likewise return privately for His bride, before the publicly witnessed grand return.

Just sayin'...

[roamer_1]

Speaking only for the Reformed, we don't have a problem with tradition. We have a problem with TRADITION.

; )

:D

[don-o]

We Protestants are well familiar with being hounded and attacked by Romanists. Tell'em to come back. We've got their back.

What does this mean RE: Orthodoxy?

[roamer_1]

Right now there are FReepers wondering, "What's a record?"

Unfortunately, there are many Republicans, thinking they are Conservatives, who likewise ask: "What's a record?"

[don-o]

Interesting. Am I correct that you are offering support for the "rapture"? I hadn't heard that put forth as a support; but, that's the way "sola scriptura" works. Novel interpretation is always a possibility.

[redgolum]

Washing the feet during Holy Thursday services is an old tradition. My pastor growing up didn't do it, but the one their before him did. The other LCMS church in town did also.

These were farmers. Not to many self righteous people.

[roamer_1]

Interesting. Am I correct that you are offering support for the "rapture"?

Sorry, I must not have been emphatic enough, as you seem to have doubt.

I hadn't heard that put forth as a support; but, that's the way "sola scriptura" works. Novel interpretation is always a possibility.

...And every now and then, a blind hog finds an acorn... Unless of course, he's being fed in a pen, where there is no chance of acorns...

[Iscool]

However, the red letters are the quotes from Christ. Jesus Christ. Lord God Almighty. No interpretation. Just His Words.

You don't know that at all because Jesus didn't write those words...Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote that those words are what Jesus said...And you guys don't even think Matthew wrote the book of Matthew...

I do not believe that people who equate the words of the Chronicler with the Words of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ are really Christians. They are Judaizers; they are Paulicians; they are all manner of those condemned during the first millennium as heretics.

LOL...Thank God nobody gives a flip what you believe...

Paul spent an equal amount of time with the risen Jesus as Mark did with the unrisen Jesus...

As it has already been said, you guys are on the wrong side of the Cross...

When Jesus spoke to those Apostles, there were no Christians and there was no church...The church is on the other side of the Cross from where you are...

So what you 'believe' is completely inconsequential to us Christians...You need to get on this side of the Cross and work out your salvation with fear and trembling...

[Iscool]

Let's see -- The Church founded by God, surviving and thriving over 2000 years thanks to God's grace, was instrumental in the conversion of the Romans, Greeks, Celts, Germans, Poles, Russians, Bulgarians, Keralites, Goans, etc. right through to the reformatting.

LoL...And the one who wouldn't convert, you guys butchered...

[don-o]

Unless of course, he's being fed in a pen, where there is no chance of acorns...

Touche'! That is widely applicable, methinks. (Consider it stolen.)

[Cvengr]

We agree that salvation from eternal condemnation is not earned by works, which is what the grouping of all believers through faith in Christ believe.

Promoting guilt and doubt, though, fails to promote living the Christian life through faith in Christ, while encouraging living out of fellowship with Him by following anything but God by faith in Him.

[don-o]

LOL...Thank God nobody gives a flip what you believe...

Best sentence ever as far as summing up what is wrong about the RF.

[Veeram]

ping

[Veeram]

ping

[Cvengr]

What were the Jewish laws on a woman touching a man unilaterally?

[OpusatFR]

Thank you for your reply.

I suppose that we will just continue to disagree.

I love my faith and the joy and happiness I have with Christ.

I hope that you continue on your walk.