Posted on 08/15/2013 7:03:11 PM PDT by annalex
Once a woman in the crowd surrounding Christ and His disciples cries out to Him:
Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. (Luke 11:27)
What is it? We have, clearly, an act of venerating Mary. Note that the Blessed Virgin is venerated properly: not on her own but as the mother of Christ. Yet the reason for venerating is indeed concerning: it is her physiological and physiologically unique relationship with Jesus that is emphasized. That is not yet paganism with its crude theories of gods giving birth to other gods, but it is lacking proper focus and Jesus corrects it:
Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it. (Luke 11:28)
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| The Virgin with the Child on her knees and a prophet pointing at the star. Catacomb of Priscilla, late 2nd c. Source |
Having gotten past this linguistic hurdle, we can understand clearly what this passage, Luke 11:27-28, does: it establishes veneration of saints based not on their blood relation to Christ but on their obedience to God. It is in that sense that we venerate Our Lady: given that Christ is the Word of God personified, she heard and kept both Him in person as her Child and His teaching, figuratively. In Mary the essence of sainthood is seen in the flesh as well as in the mind. We could say that by the late second century at the latest, when we find evidence of the veneration of both the prophets and the Mother of God in the catacombs, the two reasons to venerate a saint: his martyrdom as in the case of Polycarp, or his obedience to the Word, as in Mary, -- unite into a single practice.
Ephesians 4:5. There is one Church, one Faith and one baptism. Not the whatever of whomever whenever they want.
The only thing about the RCC that remotely resembles the church are the born-again believers who happen to worship there, and I would bet there are not many.
John 3:3-5
Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
Jesus never said 'born again'. He said 'born from above', and 'born of water and the Spirit'. We may have a failure to communicate here.
I do like you, Thomas, but give it a rest.
http://blog.efccl.org/leadership/2013/03/so-simple-a-child-could-do-it/
Jesus tells us to become like little children, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. A lot of that has to do with the simplicity of it. Is there something in your life right now that just requires you to have a childlike simplicity with God to receive His kingdom fullness in your life? Just remember: it’s so simple, a child can do it—only a child.
Are you saved?
A simple child-like faith in Jesus is all that God requires of you to be saved.
Luke 18:17-”Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein”.
Jesus desires those who will come to Him innocently like a child (without pride or self-righteousness) for salvation.
Matthew 18:3-”Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven”.
The Lord has made salvation so simple that even a small child can understand and be saved. But many people stumble at the simplicity of the gospel (the good news) of salvation. Jesus offers salvation to anyone who will come to Him.
John 6:37-”Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”.
The Lord drew the comparison to little children for the specific purpose of showing that salvation is easy to receive. It is simply a gift received by faith in the One giving it.
You completely missed that you completely missed what the original post was saying.
Do they give special classes in the RCC to teach you people how to obfuscate, manipulate, and generally confuse and complicate something that is so easy a small child can understand it?
I'd prefer Jesus' blood, myself. Perhaps I am just partisan.
Honestly, it is hard not to facepalm when dealing with Catholics!
Resistance is useless.
This is just too much fun!
Oh goody. I am, after all, only here for your amusement and elucidation.
Elsie is a lamb, really. Sheepish at times, his head is occasionally so wooly that it's easy to pull it over his eyes. But when vigourously lectured, he will butt out, carrying his tail behind him.
Especially with garlic and a handful of kosher salt.
Thomas,
How did people understand God and Jesus before the RCC and Luther ever came upon the scene?
Do you not think that God can use any translation in any language to reach anyone? And indeed did not even use anything written at all before anything was written down.
It is breathtaking how much you limit God with this stuff.
You guys are amazing in your obtuseness.
Like I said, make your case with Scripture alone and just see if it supports what you believe. Approach it from a standpoint of wanting truth and not for defending your RCC beliefs.
Best,
jodyel
Totally lost me on this one, Elsie.
Oh wow, Kayaker, that is cool.
Let me ask though, do you feel safe there? As in is it safe for a single woman living alone? And to be able to come and go at will at any time of the day or night?
Thanks for sharing the pics and info with me!
Oh he will be born again....he just doesn’t know it but I do.
But he could not be objective for purposes of testing this thread since he defends Mohammed and tells me he will never speak to me again if I ever say Mohammed is evil again.
Rolls eyes.....oh to be a fly on the wall when all these deceived peeps have the scales lifted from their eyes.
Must!
Wow! Catholicism is some deceitful pit isn’t it. Let’s look at what that verse really says.
Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
>>Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”<<
And again.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again [anōthen], he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Anōthen
Transliteration: anóthen
Phonetic Spelling: (an'-o-then)
Short Definition: from above, from the beginning, again
[http://biblesuite.com/strongs/greek/509.htm]
Now let’s look at context.
John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Who in there right mind when reading Nicodemus’ answer would think that he understood Jesus to mean “from above”? He wouldn’t have asked if he could enter the second time into his mother’s womb if he understood Jesus to mean from above. He clearly heard Jesus to say “again”.
That’s a double shame on you. I do believe we have been through this before with you.
Okay, so THAT was what those pics and vid were of. LOL
I still eat like I did in school when we only had 30 minutes to get to the cafeteria, make it thru the line, and eat. Did not leave much time for the palate to ponder. But I do remember loving the chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy followed up with an ice cream sandwich or fudgesicle and washed down with a Coke.
Glory days, I’m tellin’ ya!
Why thanks, Elsie....that was ever so helpful.
I think he is spot on all the time!
“Oh goody. I am, after all, only here for your amusement and elucidation.”
Darn straight you are! But the laughter will turn to tears someday.
I am putting you on my Catholic like list with St Thomas Aquinas, Mark. You seem a good egg even though we don’t hold the same views re: faith.
And any friend of Elsie is a friend of mine. :)
I know exactly what it means....and that is why I used it.
They don’t have all the big words in their arsenal. lol
"Don’t you get snarky with me!!!"
Dramatic Lawyer? ROFL.............
Chasing Windmills?
Out of a thousand comments you pick me from a long time ago. Some old comment from the beginning. You created some new drama? Amazing.
True, but they have not been saved if they do not follow up with the good works. They will "make a shipwreck concerning the faith" (1 Timothy 1:19). If you do not do works of love and mercy your faith will die and you will lose your salvation.
Christians are saved the moment they become born again...That's when God puts the Holy Spirit inside the body of the believer...Without that spiritual operation, one does not become a Christian...
No one lost their salvation in ITim. 1:19...It is impossible for a human being to please God by his/her own merit...
Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
There is nothing we can do to please God...The good works are God working thru the Holy Spirit which lives within the believers...Without the Holy Spirit, those works that a person performs are worthless...Sorry, Catholics...
They can't, as there WERE no 'saints' in the days of the aPOSTLES!
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