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>> “For Catholics, to do penance is a natural outcome of our realization that we have offended God, and our desire to contribute in some tiny way to the repair of the harm we have caused...” <<
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But the word of God plainly tells us that we cannot do that!
Our “payment” is just more filthy rags to add to the mountain thereof.
And finally, the apostles didn’t just “have” the ancient scriptures; they were the total substance of what they preached. They didn’t teach men’s traditions, they taught God’s word. (Read Acts 28 for Luke’s testimony to that effect)
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****But the word of God plainly tells us that we cannot do that!****
We cannot “contribute in some tiny way to the repair of the harm we have caused”? We cannot in any way make atonement for our sins?
_______________________________
****Our “payment” is just more filthy rags to add to the mountain thereof.****
????? I do not understand this; I have never seen anything like it in the Bible.
______________________________
****And finally, the apostles didn’t just “have” the ancient scriptures; they were the total substance of what they preached. ****
I think I must have been unclear, or maybe I am misunderstanding you. Are you saying that everything the Apostles taught is in the OT? Or that there is nothing taught by the Apostles outside the OT and the NT combined? Or something else?
****They didn’t teach men’s traditions, they taught God’s word. (Read Acts 28 for Luke’s testimony to that effect)****
And the Catholic Church teaches the same thing. The difference is that the Church’s understanding is that not *everything* Christ taught to the Apostles, which the Apostles then taught to their disciples, etc., is in the Bible.
****But the word of God plainly tells us that we cannot do that!****
We cannot “contribute in some tiny way to the repair of the harm we have caused”? We cannot in any way make atonement for our sins?
_______________________________
****Our “payment” is just more filthy rags to add to the mountain thereof.****
????? I do not understand this; I have never seen anything like it in the Bible.
______________________________
****And finally, the apostles didn’t just “have” the ancient scriptures; they were the total substance of what they preached. ****
I think I must have been unclear, or maybe I am misunderstanding you. Are you saying that everything the Apostles taught is in the OT? Or that there is nothing taught by the Apostles outside the OT and the NT combined? Or something else?
****They didn’t teach men’s traditions, they taught God’s word. (Read Acts 28 for Luke’s testimony to that effect)****
And the Catholic Church teaches the same thing. The difference is that the Church’s understanding is that not *everything* Christ taught to the Apostles, which the Apostles then taught to their disciples, etc., is in the Bible.