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To: smvoice
How about to the gospel of your salvation? How about to where Jesus Christ's words ARE? In the Bible. Not in a religious institution.

So how did folks manage before there was a New Testament? Such as during the early weeks, months and years following the Ascension of Jesus? Read Acts 15, for instance. A dispute arose in Antioch over the question of circumcision. Paul and Barnabas returned to Jerusalem to consult "the Apostles and Ancients". It was the Church, not a book, which gave a ruling.

The early Christian communities, such as those at Antioch, couldn't say "let's see what the New Testament says". There wasn't one.

First came the Church. Then came the New Testament. Not the other way around. The New Testament didn't drop out of the sky when Jesus ascended. The documents which are now contained within it, first had to be written, then collected and assembled, then distributed. In the interim, life went on. For quite some time. The Gospel was preached, disputes were settled, evangelists were commissioned. All without out a single New Testament.

40 posted on 11/23/2011 3:55:51 PM PST by marshmallow (.)
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To: marshmallow
Gee, I don't know. How about the fact that the GOSPEL was PREACHED from the very beginning. Acts 17:6 tells us that Paul turned the world upside down with the gospel. Christ and His disciples preached the gospel before ANY church was established. Before Christ even said anything about establishing His church, Christ sent His disciples forth, "and they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel." (Luke 9:6). This was early in Christ's earthly ministry. The preaching of the gospel is talked about 11 times in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Yet there was no Roman Catholic Church in EXISTENCE to verify that what CHRIST AND THE DISCIPLES WERE PREACHING< THAT IS< THE GOSPEL, was in need of their official stamp of approval.

The day of Pentecost finds 3000 people saved without Peter saying ONE WORD about an infallible Church putting its approval on what he preached. As a matter of fact, there is no place recorded that said that Christians, who "went everywhere preaching the Word" (Acts 8:4), needed or expected an infallible Church that existed to endorse the gospel, and verify that the gospel was true.

41 posted on 11/23/2011 4:14:05 PM PST by smvoice (Better Buck up, Buttercup. The wailing and gnashing is for an eternity..)
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To: marshmallow
It was the Church, not a book, which gave a ruling.

And then it ended up in the 'book'... You're even close...The Apostles were not and are not the 'church'...And there was no (C)hurch...And still isn't...Your Catholic clergy and institution are not the church of the bible, nor the Apostles...

49 posted on 11/23/2011 4:54:43 PM PST by Iscool (You mess with me, you mess with the WHOLE trailerpark...)
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