Acts 15:8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts.
Cynical Bear: Notice that “no distinction” between the apostles and the lay? The RCC claiming “without any God given authority” applies to anyone but the Vatican is total nonsense and contradicts the clear teaching of scripture. I certainly wouldn’t rely on them.
~ ~ ~
Taking one verse again, isolating it, taking it out of context. You nor I have the authority to interpret Scripture. God gave that authority to the Church. Private Judgment is heresy. Look at the fruit of Private Judgement.
Acts 15:8-9
And God, who knoweth the hearts, gave testimony, giving unto them the Holy Ghost, as well as to us; [9] And put NO difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Notice verse 9. Protestantism is “rot” with differences,
your beliefs are inconsistent.
Catholicism does that all the time to support their doctrines.
No Catholic is in any position to cast stones over that when their whole church bases its papacy on ONE verse, taken out of context.
So show me how it’s taken out of context. The context is that the disciples were discussing putting the gentiles under the law like Catholics try to put people under the law. The “context” applied rather well to our discussion. True believers don’t listen to the RCC.
>> You nor I have the authority to interpret Scripture.<<
Oh but we do.
Acts 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Even the Bereans were commended for not just taking mans word but to search the scriptures to see if what they said was true. Search the scriptures and you, as we have, will see that the RCC is not to be trusted. It’s obvious to anyone searching for truth that we are indeed told to “search the scriptures” with obvious implications that we would be able to “interpret scripture”.
>> God gave that authority to the Church.<<
Show me from scripture the source of that.
>> Private Judgment is heresy.<<
Not according to scripture as proven in the above passage in Acts.
“So show me how it’s taken out of context. The context is that the disciples were discussing putting the gentiles under the law like Catholics try to put people under the law.”
THE ABOVE IS NOT WHAT YOU, CYNICALBEAR FIRST STATED!!!!
CynicalBear previously posted:
KJV Bible:
Acts 15:8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. 9 He made no DISTINCTION between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts.
CB said, his private interpretation:
Notice that “no DISTINCTION” between the apostles and the lay? The RCC claiming “without any God given authority” applies to anyone but the Vatican is total nonsense and contradicts the clear teaching of scripture.
~ ~ ~
You didn’t include the verses surrounding, people would see you took out of context, the fruit, you misinterpreted the two verses. That is not what those verses are talking about. Who is the “us” and the “them” in Acts 15:8? What is the “DIFFERENCE” Peter is speaking of? I wasn’t sure so I looked it up.
It’s not the difference between the authority of the Apostles, the first priests and your term the “lay” people. Peter was talking about a disagreement, some believed everyone should be circumcised, Gentiles too. Peter set them straight because of His authority. If you take into context all of the verses, you see in verse 7 Peter speaks of God’s choice, giving Peter the authority, “by my mouth”, the Gentiles should hear the Gospel. Peter, the first Pope.
p.s. The Gospel was changed, the word in the KJV is
Distinction. “Difference” and “Distinction” do not mean the
same. Wonder why King James’ translators would use another
word? They also changed “priests” to “elder” in Acts 15:2, Protestantism has no priesthood, the obvious change.
+ + +
* [15:1–35] The Jerusalem “Council” marks the official rejection of the rigid view that Gentile converts were obliged to observe the Mosaic law completely. From here to the end of Acts, Paul and the Gentile mission become the focus of Luke’s writing.
* [15:1–5] When some of the converted Pharisees of Jerusalem discover the results of the first missionary journey of Paul, they urge that the Gentiles be taught to follow the Mosaic law. Recognizing the authority of the Jerusalem church, Paul and Barnabas go there to settle the question of whether Gentiles can embrace a form of Christianity that does not include this obligation.
* [15:6–12] The gathering is possibly the same as that recalled by Paul in Gal 2:1–10. Note that in Acts 15:2 it is only the apostles and priests, a small group, with whom Paul and Barnabas are to meet. Here Luke gives the meeting a public character because he wishes to emphasize its doctrinal significance (see Acts 15:22).
* [15:7–11] Paul’s refusal to impose the Mosaic law on the Gentile Christians is supported by Peter on the ground that within his own experience God bestowed the holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his household without preconditions concerning the adoption of the Mosaic law (see Acts 10:44–47).
Acts 15:1-10
A dissension about circumcision. The decision and letter of the council of Jerusalem.
[1] And some coming down from Judea, taught the brethren: That except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. [2] And when Paul and Barnabas had no small contest with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain others of the other side, should go up to the apostles and PRIESTS to Jerusalem about this question. [3] They therefore being brought on their way by the church, passed through Phenice, and Samaria, relating the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. [4] And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church, and by the apostles and ancients, declaring how great things God had done with them. [5] But there arose some of the sect of the Pharisees that believed, saying: They must be circumcised, and be commanded to observe the law of Moses.
[6] And the apostles and ancients assembled to consider of this matter. [7] And when there had been much disputing, Peter, rising up, said to them: Men, brethren, you know, that in former days God made choice among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. [8] And God, who knoweth the hearts, gave testimony, giving unto them the Holy Ghost, as well as to us; [9] And put no DIFFERENCE between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.