Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: D-fendr
I really don’t see how anyone can read Acts or the Church Epistles, the Council of Jerusalem, etc. and not see the Church with authority and hierarchy.

They were fellow elders together.

There is nothing in that Council of Jerusalem which even nearly resembles the RCC as it is today.

The Holy Spirit through Paul lays out some very specific qualifications for elder and deacon, but nowhere is there any indication of any kind of centralized authority controlling all the churches. They were separate entities, completely capable of being independent and self-sufficient as travel and communication in those days precluded the kind of massive conglomeration of churches being controlled by a centralizes authority we see today.

In addition, it is also a safety valve should error creep into the church, then the whole thing doesn't implode into heresy, there's always a remnant which will survive to pass on the truth.

2,344 posted on 12/03/2011 6:48:17 PM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2317 | View Replies ]


To: metmom

The council of Jerusalem doesn’t indicate “any kind of centralized authority”?

Ok.

Like I said, I can’t imagine not seeing this, but some do, IMHO, for the reasons I stated earlier as well.


2,349 posted on 12/03/2011 6:52:54 PM PST by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2344 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson