[Steelfish]

“the plain and obvious meaning of Scripture will never be enough.”

So you will forgive only 70 x7=490?
Or when Jesus says:

“He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up at the last day” according to Protestants He actually did not mean it.

Besides aren’t there various versions of the Bible?

This is why we need one single authority empowered by Christ Himself and extended to Peter and his successors to make authoritative interpretations including the very selection of the books that constitute the Bible- the early Church Fathers, as well as to rule on heretical beliefs: The Council of Nicea etc. who exhaustively study and examine the sacred documents, the oral traditions and make such determination.

This is why every eminent theologian after whom colleges and universities have been named are either Catholic or converts to Catholicism.

.

[Iscool]

“He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up at the last day” according to Protestants He actually did not mean it.

Of course he meant it...We know he meant it...We believe it literally...

But we also know that it is spiritual...We eat his flesh and blood not with our mouth but with our spirits and souls...We consume his spiritual flesh and blood into our inner man...Just as Jesus intended...

There is no connection of our flesh and our inner man...We have been spiritually circumcised...What goes into the mouth goes then into the toilet...It doesn't transfer to our soul...

And it's the same with you...What goes into your mouth leads you no where but to the bathroom...

When we are told to believe in Jesus Christ, do you really think it's your flesh that is doing the believing???

[Iscool]

This is why every eminent theologian after whom colleges and universities have been named are either Catholic or converts to Catholicism.

You mean those Catholic universities which teach and encourage abortion and queer marriages...

[metmom]

“He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up at the last day” according to Protestants He actually did not mean it.

Is that like when Jesus says that the Spirit gives life, the flesh profits nothing, then according to Catholics, He doesn't really mean it?

[Springfield Reformer]

This is why we need one single authority

That's a consequentialist argument.  The end justifies the means, not Scripture. I know you probably think there is something of a Biblical argument for the "single human authority" theory, but what sense does it make to raise it? If Scripture is as incomprehensible as you say, on what basis do you argue from Scripture for any of your positions? Can't be understood means can't be understood, right? But if Scripture CAN be understood, then why rebuke Protestants for saying so, when by your actions you in principle agree with them?

So which is it? The Bible is incomprehensible, so we're wasting our time even talking about it?  Or the Bible is comprehensible, and therefore we can use it to discover God's truth?

As for the passages you cite, they are obvious in their meaning. Do you really know any believer, from the smallest child to the most elderly, who actually counts the number of times they forgive? Really? Of course not.  Spiritually, you have to know better than this. Everywhere Christ teaches us to have a willingness to forgive, that without such a spirit we are assured our own sins will be unforgiven. The lesson of the 490 would not be lost on such a person.

But to the carnally minded, yes, they might actually think they had to count it out. And then really let the other guy have it when the 490 "forgives" were up. What utter nonsense. But as Paul says, the carnal mind does not understand spiritual things, and can't. But for those who are born of the Spirit, it's a no-brainer. Really.

But there's the rub, isn't it.  If your trust is in man, you have no choice but to look to man to figure out who's carnal and who's spiritual. You need a "single human authority," because the system revolves around carnal human authority, empowered to drive the cattle all in one direction by carnal means. Unity through shared rules, not a shared spirit. The reason Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light is that for those born of the Spirit, the energy and the will to work the works of Christian love come naturally, not to produce salvation, but to joyously reflect our Savior's redeeming love for us. We are a new creation in Him, and call no one Master but Him.

That whole idea is terrifying to the carnal mind.  Where's the command and control? If I can't SEE the command structure, it doesn't exist. But where does that leave the Holy Spirit? Standing outside that visible structure, knocking on the door.  If the "system" is so "complete" that it can function without divine intervention, how does that glorify God?

BTW, John 6 is actually pretty easy too. It all comes down to whether you believe Christ straightforwardly in verse 66 when He plainly tells His disciples He is speaking of spiritual matters, not fleshly ones.

Much more could be said, but the upshot is this: The Lord knows His own. It looks too confusing to us mortals because like Peter walking on the water, we take our eyes off of Jesus and start thinking about why we aren't sinking into the chaotic sea around us. And that's when we start to sink, start to grasp for carnal means to avoid drowning in the chaos. But if we focus instead on our Savior, Who Himself has full control over all those waves and winds, we will stay afloat, and make it to His side.

Peace,

SR

[wardaddy]

There are exceptions but as a rule given we don’t have sainthood nor elevate earthly leaders or preachers so much it stands to reason fewer schools with prod names

A few though....Lipscomb fairly near me comes to mind

And Harding maybe.....

Millsaps College

Rhodes maybe

It happens

[Elsie]

We’re the Truth because we say we are.