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And thus the debate rages on between Roman and evangelical and Orthodox views.

It’s fallen human nature to want to possess exclusive power, to want the road to God to have to go through us. It feeds our sadly wandered pride. Yielding it back to God isn’t easy.

The gospel, the free gift of God, was never chained. The emphasis on the personnel was something that came later than the generation of the apostles.

Ultimately those who are proud of the personnel can’t be argued down in our own power. We can remonstrate but that’s it. Quite true to what we believe, God has to touch and convict. Demonstrating the Lord at work in non-Roman contexts says far more than any amount of theologizing can.

I believe the fallen nature of humans is just this: we are a dichotomy between flesh and spirit. The two are in constant struggle, and this is typified by our denominational differences. The animal nature of us is a pack instinct, since humans are tribal in origin. We have an “us vs. them” mentality, but we were also made in God’s image. This is what Satan hates the most, and uses our animal nature against the spiritual one, attempting to destroy us this way.

The many-faceted character of Jesus is something I find pretty amazing. Look at the way atheist-historians are trying to redefine Him, as someone just like the rest of us. Granted he was 100% human, but as the Son of God his spiritual nature is all-encompassing of what humans should ultimately be.

Elegant words. One can hear the note of melancholy in them. That’s why it’s more important than ever to note:

This was and never will be about power. It’s about Faith and the assent to the Truth. It’s the fallen human nature that portends that this is an issue pertaining to human supremacy.

The personnel as you call them are integral in the salvation of the world. Keeping the gospels free and unchained from the monstrosities of error. To lead souls to Christ and preserve them from the heresies of the world. To lead us to all Truth just as Christ promised through the Holy Spirit.

The only time the gospel has been chained is when it is held hostage by those who seek what the want from it for their own sake. They look at the gospels not unlike Narcissus looking at his own reflection. Seeing only what they want to see. And in attempting to derive communion with God through text they deny the actual communion that can be had with the entirety of the Mystical Body of Christ around them. Denying the supernatural Faith. Denying the presence of Jesus Christ: Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. Denying the sacraments that bring us God’s grace.

Whole swaths of the Body of Christ amputated by such people because it interfered with their own private understanding of things. A failure to assent to Faith and belief for the supremacy of private rationalization.

I don’t deny that God works outside of “non-Roman” contexts. But I have to wonder about the mind that feels compelled to delineate the works of God in such a fashion. It’s not pride. It’s gratitude. A deep sense of gratitude to God for leaving with us a Church to help us find our way to Him in this world. It is the Church that is the salve for our fallen human nature. As a function of reason we have questions which is the Church’s responsibility to answer through those “personnel”. Given the imprimatur of infallibility by the Holy Spirit on the most important issues of Faith and Morals.

We all can’t have the perfect faith of the evangelical. Although one has to wonder if it truly is faith because the evangelical proclaims his or her faith with such certitude as to make it seem that they are speaking of some immutable law of physics. If that’s the case, then how can they call it Faith?