Posted on 01/03/2011 10:40:41 AM PST by RnMomof7
On January 3, 1521, Pope Leo X issues the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem, which excommunicates Martin Luther from the Catholic Church.
Martin Luther, the chief catalyst of Protestantism, was a professor of biblical interpretation at the University of Wittenberg in Germany when he drew up his 95 theses condemning the Catholic Church for its corrupt practice of selling indulgences, or the forgiveness of sins. He followed up the revolutionary work with equally controversial and groundbreaking theological works, and his fiery words set off religious reformers all across Europe.
In January 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther. Three months later, Luther was called to defend his beliefs before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms, where he was famously defiant. For his refusal to recant his writings, the emperor declared him an outlaw and a heretic. Luther was protected by powerful German princes, however, and by his death in 1546, the course of Western civilization had been significantly altered.
Don't forget Dutchboy88 on your list...
The believers in Jesus Christ, alone, recognize the biblical truth behind Rom. 3:10-18.
Ironically, you would have never heard of this book without the Catholic Church...
The Biblical truth behind Rom. 3:10-18 is that we are not justified by works of the Law. The strictures of the Mosaic Law were a chastisement to prove to man that we are unable to save ourselves. They were a curse chosen by the Israelites in their unfaithfulness. Only through Christ's sacrifice and God's Grace are we redeemed.
The problem with Protestant theology in general is that it tends to stop there. Yes we are redeemed... Now what?
Read on into Ephesians and discover what we have become through Christ's sacrifice... we have been rejoined to God's Heavenly Family through a spirit of adoption and the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. Christ has been joined to His Church as One Flesh and we are joined to Christ through this union with the Church. In this union with Christ, we are joined also with the Holy Trinity and members of the Royal Family of Heaven (1 Cor 6:3).
In this perspective then, one can find the purpose for the Church Christ built... it facilitates our Heavenly family life here on Earth through the Sacraments. In Baptism, we take on the name of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). In Reconciliation, we take His discipline and are healed of our spiritual afflictions. In the Eucharist, we come together at His Table. In Confirmation, we are anointed by the Holy Spirit and enter into adulthood. In Holy Orders and Matrimony, we take on our Earthly vocations. In the Anointing of the Sick, our Lord comes to us in our infirmity. At its most basic, the Church helps us live our spiritual lives in the Family of God. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that... but it is still far deeper than can be imagined.
Protestants tell us over and over that our works are nothing before God... and yet the Bible tells us over and over that we will be judged by our works (Matt 16:27, Acts 26:20, 2 Cor 11:15, Titus 3:8, James 2:14-26, Rev 18:6, Rev 20:12-13). Can your theology handle this or does it gloss over as so many do? Catholic theology handles it quite easily. When we were in our sin, we were separated from God. God no more delighted in our deeds than a man would delight in the doings of the neighbor kids. Now that we are brought back into the Family of God, He does delight in our work and rewards us. In effect, Christ merited for us the ability to merit from God.
If you read Romans carefully, you will find that in speaking of "works", it is speaking specifically of "works of the Law". There is the lesson that has been too universalized to comport with the rest of Scripture.
I will agree that no one on this Earth knows the full truth... but at least the Catholic Church is teaching, building and preaching and (where it does not know) giving reverence to the Mysteries beyond Her grasp.
God night and God bless you.
That was meant to be “Good” night and God bless you... really should go to sleep now...
Henry VIII of England
However, around 6 October 1536, Tyndale was tried on a charge of heresy and summarily condemned to death, despite Thomas Cromwell’s intercession with Henry on his behalf
http://nethelper.com/article/Henry_VIII_of_England#Martyrdom_of_William_Tyndale
More of your errant history. Had the Roman cult allowed its constituents to actually read the text, you might have noticed that Paul is simply quoting passages from Isaiah, Psalms. And had you read anything other than the party line, you would have further noticed that Paul teaches that it does not depend on men who will (choose) or men who run (behave), but upon God. And He will have mercy on whom He chooses, not those who align with man-centered sacerdotalism, mariolotry, indulgences, and other cult worship practices. This might be terribly devastating to those who need the organization to legitimize their faith.
And don’t tell us that Rome is now going to take credit for the Torah, w’Nebuim, w’Kethubim. If so, they have raised the bar on their own arrogance.
You are just silly. The text of the Bible is read nearly in its entirety during Mass on a three-year schedule. We didn't always have this same schedule, but we have always had a very robust Liturgy of the Word. This is important because until the invention of the printing press, it was impossible for every home to have its own copy... the monks were doing what they could. The Bible records that faith comes of hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17) because the Word at the time was proclaimed, not read individually.
The "errant" history is the one that superimposes modern abilities on ancient times. It sees no faith in the masses before there was a Bible in every home and the verses were numbered for memorization. There was no universal Church for 1,400 years because Christians were unable to read the Bible with their own eyes, only hear it at Mass. Contrary to Christ's promise, we were left orphaned until St Gutenberg, not the Holy Spirit, saved us.
All rubbish.
And had you read anything other than the party line, you would have further noticed that Paul teaches that it does not depend on men who will (choose) or men who run (behave), but upon God.
Gee, really? That's the first time I've ever heard that... my eyes are finally opened! Oh wait... that's Christianity 101... my bad.
Sarcasm aside, why don't you spend a couple of hours perusing the Catechism of the Catholic Church before coming back with another misconception of our "party line."
God bless you.
Oh, God has blessed me, my FRiend. Revisit your claim that we would never have known the contents of Paul’s letter to the Romans were it not for your demonic cult. Do we get an admission that the text existed long before there was such a thing as the Roman Catholic Church? Or more obfuscation?
Incredibly, you do not read on past the cliched verses you have been taught. Rom. 10:18ff goes on to say, the Word has gone out all over the world. And, now God by action of His Spirit is dragging in those who, “...sought Me not.” Someday, Rome will reap the whirlwind.
The true church that existed in the time of the apostles, and thoroughout the centuries, was by 380ad claimed to be highjacked by Roman kooks who added every form of cult practice to the purity of the Gospel. The real believers, however, held only to Paul’s clear statements of salvation by grace through faith, and that not of themselves, lest Rome come along and boast of its incredibly fat head and bathrobe garbed lechers. Rome is not only demonic, but unnecessary, useless, impotent, feckless, worthless. We invite you into the light of Christ, alone...if you are granted such election.
ABSOLUTELY INDEED. WELL PUT. VERY WELL PUT.
Of course the text existed before it was included in the Canon by the Church... who has ever claimed otherwise? As for names... the Roman Catholic Church came to known as such to distinguish it from the Eastern Church after the Great Schism. Before that, there was simply the Church. Read into that whatever you will.
... lest Rome come along and boast of its incredibly fat head and bathrobe garbed lechers. Rome is not only demonic, but unnecessary, useless, impotent, feckless, worthless.
{shaking the dust from my sandals...}
Actually, there is no organization called the "Roman Catholic Church" and never was. There is a Roman Rite within "The Church" as she calls herself which is both Catholic and Apostolic.
"The Church" has existed, uninterrupted, since its foundation under it's first Pope Peter which precedes the letters of St. Paul.
“”As for names... the Roman Catholic Church came to known as such to distinguish it from the Eastern Church after the Great Schism. Before that, there was simply the Church.””
Dear friend, it’s still called simply the Church and although we do not have full unity with the EO’s they are united with us in valid Sacraments of the Church.
Here is a good article.
How Did the Catholic Church Get Her Name?
http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/churb3.htm
Excerpt...
The term Roman Catholic is not used by the Church herself; it is a relatively modern term, and one, moreover, that is confined largely to the English language. The English-speaking bishops at the First Vatican Council in 1870, in fact, conducted a vigorous and successful campaign to insure that the term Roman Catholic was nowhere included in any of the Council’s official documents about the Church herself, and the term was not included.
Similarly, nowhere in the 16 documents of the Second Vatican Council will you find the term Roman Catholic. Pope Paul VI signed all the documents of the Second Vatican Council as “I, Paul. Bishop of the Catholic Church.” Simply that — Catholic Church. There are references to the Roman curia, the Roman missal, the Roman rite, etc., but when the adjective Roman is applied to the Church herself, it refers to the Diocese of Rome!
Cardinals, for example, are called cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, but that designation means that when they are named to be cardinals they have thereby become honorary clergy of the Holy Father’s home diocese, the Diocese of Rome. Each cardinal is given a titular church in Rome, and when the cardinals participate in the election of a new pope. they are participating in a process that in ancient times was carried out by the clergy of the Diocese of Rome.
Although the Diocese of Rome is central to the Catholic Church, this does not mean that the Roman rite, or, as is sometimes said, the Latin rite, is co-terminus with the Church as a whole; that would mean neglecting the Byzantine, Chaldean, Maronite or other Oriental rites which are all very much part of the Catholic Church today, as in the past.
In our day, much greater emphasis has been given to these “non-Roman” rites of the Catholic Church. The Second Vatican Council devoted a special document, Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Decree on Eastern Catholic Churches), to the Eastern rites which belong to the Catholic Church, and the new Catechism of the Catholic Church similarly gives considerable attention to the distinctive traditions and spirituality of these Eastern rites.
So the proper name for the universal Church is not the Roman Catholic Church. Far from it.
Thank you for going into more detail than I did in my post #530. I do get weary of the procession of pinheads, shrill menopausal biddies, and Reformist pimps that refer to the Church as "Rome".
LOL! I don't know how you can deal with it day in and day out ,dear friend. I need to break a break at times.
Thank you for your persistence in defending the faith!
Obfuscation, of course. Your claim was that we would never have read it had it not been for Rome. Piffle. Double piffle. The churches (note little c) were reading it in the letters circulated long before such a thing as the Roman Catholic Church (trademark) existed (or for that matter before the "Church" with a capital C existed). Read the text, my FRiend (now that it is legal) and notice all the references to "churches". Gatherings of the real believers occurred everywhere, all over the world, and do to this day. There was no central authority.
The eklesia simply means "a popular assembly" or "summoned out ones". Of course, recognizing this elementary koine' greek etymology would require a break from Rome's demand to consider "Church" like a brand of chewing gum. Oh, well.
The called out, the elect had been reading the text in question from Hebrew Canon for the thousand (David) and seven hundred (Isaiah) years before Christ. Paul was simply (simply?) granted the understanding that this is what the Word of God was getting at all along. Works by lost, evil men were inadequate, ineffective. Men are at war with God and do, cannot, seek Him...alone.
It is true that God waited for Paul to really give perspicuity to the rest of the Scripture. It was Paul who explained faith is granted as a gift by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit as the only sufficient cure. When the Blood was shed, the shadows of sacrifices, priests & cermonies were done away with. No transaction, just a gift to the chosen. No organization, no sacerdotalism, no absolution by man, no human mediators. Amazing.
And, what I read into the Schism and name branding is that the believers in Christ are grateful much of the damage is contained within that organization. Witness the celebration of Luther's excommunication. What a blessing! Give Rome our thanks. However, there are still remnants of errant theology around, some of it perpetrated by those outside of Rome. The darkness has worked very hard to poison the orginal message of the Gospel...free grace through faith granted to the elect.
"{shaking the dust from my sandals...}"
Grateful for the exit. It allows me to cooperate with Paul's words of caution to Timothy: But, refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing they produce qarrels. And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in oppostion, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
We pray He will grant such release to many currently inside the prison of Rome. Come out into His light...if you are granted eyes to see and ears to hear.
I stand with you brother.
When ever I begin to take the " the procession of pinheads, shrill menopausal biddies, and Reformist pimps" too seriously I simply remind myself that they really are as consequential and entertaining as a Jerry Springer / Maury Povich marathon.
Thanks for the kind words.
Grace to you, my brother.
Would you prefer Babylon? How about "the Papist"? Shall I go on? :O)
Do I have to wait for Maury's DNA reveal to discover which of the parade is suggesting those alternatives? ;O(
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