Replies

>>Ah. And each and every local Church has the authority to speak on behalf of all the others, then?<<

Where did you get that?

>>could you please tell me why "hierarchy starting with a pope" is somehow "bad" or "unbiblical" or "not suited for the Church of Christ"<<

He is the leader of those who teach another gospel from what the apostles taught. Those that purport to lord over the people are called nicolaitans and God hates that. Besides, the closest anywhere that indicates shepherds over the flock are found in Acts 20 where Paul is talking to the elders of Ephesus, NOT Rome. And it's Paul NOT Peter.

Where did you get that?

See the very post to which you're responding. If you're claiming that "any old visible Church is good enough, if taking an unrepentant sinner to them", then that logically requires unanimity between the Churches... or else the command of Jesus would be nonsense ("if your brother sins"--how so, if the 7 Churches have 7 different ideas of what constitutes a "sin"?).

He is the leader of those who teach another gospel from what the apostles taught.

(*wry look*) Mm-hmm. So it's not the mere fact that a hierarchy is involved, but it's the POPE, SPECIFICALLY, with whom you claim to have a beef. And how, exactly, do you come to the conclusion (aside from personal taste and raw personal opinion) that he's teaching "another Gospel from what the apostles taught"? What, apart from "CynicalBear hates it", is different from apostolic teaching... and how do you know that?

Those that purport to lord over the people are called nicolaitans and God hates that.

O-kayyyyy. So... tell me, please, where in Scripture you find THIS tidbit? Where does Scripture say that "those that purport to lord over the people are called nicolaitans"? I see the word "Nicolaitans" only twice in the Bible (Revelation 2:6 and 2:15), and it's left undefined in both cases. For a "sola Scriptura" guy, you're certainly going far afield from Scripture... :)

Besides, the closest anywhere that indicates shepherds over the flock are found in Acts 20 where Paul is talking to the elders of Ephesus, NOT Rome. And it's Paul NOT Peter.

How about (as a quick reference, off the top of my head) St. Peter, in 1 Peter 5:2-4? Or would you call someone who's "over a flock" to be "not a shepherd"?