[Bua ar la]

I love the anti- Catholic rants, and that’s exactly what they are because first you don’t even understand what Catholic means - look it up. Add to that this; Matthew 16:17-19 -“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Has it ever occurred to you that Christ said build my Church - not 1500 different versions of my Church, wake up and stop slamming fellow Christians and begin a new day of gathering together all the disparate denominational variants in the Christian Church that must make be almost unrecognizable to the One that matters.

[SubMareener]

Read the end of the Book! If there is only one Church, why did Jesus dictate letters to SEVEN Churches, all of them different, but all containing people who had not succumbed to that church’s particular error. Don’t be stuck on stupid! Be a Victor!

Revelation 2
7 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God.”’
- - - - -
11 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The victor shall not be harmed by the second death.”’
- - - - -
17 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the victor I shall give some of the hidden manna; I shall also give a white amulet upon which
is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it.”’
- - - - -
24 But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not uphold this teaching and
know nothing of the so-called deep secrets of Satan: on you I will place no further burden,
25 except that you must hold fast to what you have until I come.
26 “’”To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
27 He will rule them with an iron rod. Like clay vessels will they be smashed,
28 just as I received authority from my Father. And to him I will give the morning star.
29 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
- - - - -
Revelation 3
4 However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments;
they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy.
5 “’”The victor will thus be dressed in white, and I will never erase his name
from the book of life but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my
Father and of his angels.
6 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
- - - - -
7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write this:
“‘The holy one, the true,
who holds the key of David,
who opens and no one shall close,
who closes and no one shall open,
says this:
8 “‘“I know your works (behold, I have left an open door before you, which no one can close).
You have limited strength, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make those of the assembly of Satan who claim to be Jews and are not,
but are lying, behold I will make them come and fall prostrate at your feet,
and they will realize that I love you.
10 Because you have kept my message of endurance, I will keep you safe in the time of trial
that is going to come to the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming quickly. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may take your crown.
12 “‘“The victor I will make into a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again.
On him I will inscribe the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem,
which comes down out of heaven from my God, as well as my new name.
13 “‘“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
- - - - -
20 “’”Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.
21 I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself
first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.

22 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
- - - - -

* [2:7] Victor: referring to any Christian individual who holds fast to the faith
and does God’s will in the face of persecution. The tree of life that is in the
garden of God: this is a reference to the tree in the primeval paradise (Gn 2:9);
cf. Rev 22:2, 14, 19. The decree excluding humanity from the tree of life has
been revoked by Christ.

http://www.usccb.org/bible/revelation/2
http://www.usccb.org/bible/revelation/3

Revelation 17
7 The angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns.
http://www.usccb.org/bible/revelation/17

Romans 10
8 But what does it say?
“The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart”
(that is, the word of faith that we preach),
9 for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
11 For the scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

http://www.usccb.org/bible/romans/10

[Biggirl]

Well for a start Easter this year all the churches will observed Easter together, April 16.

[SkyPilot]

I love the anti- Catholic rants, and that’s exactly what they are because first you don’t even understand what Catholic means

Oh believe me, I do know what Catholic means.

I was baptized and raised in the Catholic faith, I was an altar boy, I went through First Communion, Confirmation, CCD all through school, I thought about becoming a priest in high school and even visited a Catholic seminary, I was married in the church, I went to confession, I went to Mass every week and sometimes every day, I went on many Catholic retreats, I said the rosary, I had prayer cards, I wore medals of saints.....all of it.

I was very good at being "Catholic", but I knew nothing about was it meant to give my life to Jesus and accept salvation. It was not until I was in my 30's that I understood.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Romans 10: 9-10

I once asked a priest, "How can I be sure I am going to heaven?"

Do you know what he told me? He stammered, and after a long while, he said:

"Well, that is a Great Mystery."

I know I am going to heaven. I have been bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I have been born again into God's family. I am saved by Grace, through Faith. And no one can snatch me from His hand.

[daniel1212]

I love the anti- Catholic rants, and that’s exactly what they are because first you don’t even understand what Catholic means - look it up. Add to that this; Matthew 16:17-19 -“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Actually the meaning of that very verse saw different interpretations among so-called "church fathers," while the church began by division, and the unity it had was under clearly manifest apostles of God, who established their Truth claims upon Scriptural substantiation in word and in power, not the novel and unScriptural premise of ensured perpetual magisterial infallibility as per Rome (and basically in primary cults).

But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, (2 Corinthians 6:4-7)

And Scripture commands division:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)

Thus division is both required and a judgment for not having leadership of apostolic quality, and Rome's so-called apostolic successors fail of the qualifications and credentials of manifest Biblical apostles. (Acts 1:21,22; 1Cor. 9:1; Gal. 1:11,12; 2Co. 6:4-10)

Has it ever occurred to you that Christ said build my Church - not 1500 different versions of my Church, wake up and stop slamming fellow Christians and begin a new day of gathering together all the disparate denominational variants in the Christian Church that must make be almost unrecognizable to the One that matters.

Actually as daily seen here, Catholicism itself is fragmented, from papal loyalists to those who exclude all modern popes from being so, besides division from the EOs.

Meanwhile, among the laity where what a church effects is manifest, evangelicals testify to being the most unified in conservative core beliefs, in contrast to those Rome counts and treats as members in life and in death. You can only wish 80% of Catholics would vote for the conservative Presidential candidate.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Has it ever occurred to you that Christ said build my Church - not 1500 different versions of my Church, wake up and stop slamming fellow Christians and begin a new day of gathering together all the disparate denominational variants in the Christian Church that must make be almost unrecognizable to the One that matters.

This is a very common, earth-bound, and worldly view of what the Church actually is.

It is false. The universal church is comprised of all who have entrusted themselves to Christ alone for salvation.

As to multiple "churches..."

"IN ESSENTIALS UNITY, IN NON-ESSENTIALS LIBERTY, IN ALL THINGS CHARITY."

[Elsie]

I love the anti- Catholic rants, and that’s exactly what they are because first you don’t even understand what Catholic means - look it up.

 

Darned good idea!

 

Add to that this; Matthew 16:17-19 -“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

 

 

look it up.

 

I think I'll see what the Early Church Fathers (Catholic) had to say about this....

---

---

 

As regards the oft-quoted Mt. 16:18, note the following bishops promise in the profession of faith of Vatican 1:

 • Basil of Seleucia, Oratio 25:

'You are Christ, Son of the living God.'...Now Christ called this confession a rock, and he named the one who confessed it 'Peter,' perceiving the appellation which was suitable to the author of this confession. For this is the solemn rock of religion, this the basis of salvation, this the wall of faith and the foundation of truth: 'For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.' To whom be glory and power forever. — Oratio XXV.4, M.P.G., Vol. 85, Col. 296-297.

• Bede, Matthaei Evangelium Expositio, 3:

You are Peter and on this rock from which you have taken your name, that is, on myself, I will build my Church, upon that perfection of faith which you confessed I will build my Church by whose society of confession should anyone deviate although in himself he seems to do great things he does not belong to the building of my Church...Metaphorically it is said to him on this rock, that is, the Saviour which you confessed, the Church is to be built, who granted participation to the faithful confessor of his name. — 80Homily 23, M.P.L., Vol. 94, Col. 260. Cited by Karlfried Froehlich, Formen, Footnote #204, p. 156 [unable to verify by me].

• Cassiodorus, Psalm 45.5:

'It will not be moved' is said about the Church to which alone that promise has been given: 'You are Peter and upon this rock I shall build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.' For the Church cannot be moved because it is known to have been founded on that most solid rock, namely, Christ the Lord. — Expositions in the Psalms, Volume 1; Volume 51, Psalm 45.5, p. 455

• Chrysostom (John) [who affirmed Peter was a rock, but here not the rock in Mt. 16:18]:

Therefore He added this, 'And I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; that is, on the faith of his confession. — Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Homily LIIl; Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.LII.html)

• Cyril of Alexandria:

When [Peter] wisely and blamelessly confessed his faith to Jesus saying, 'You are Christ, Son of the living God,' Jesus said to divine Peter: 'You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.' Now by the word 'rock', Jesus indicated, I think, the immoveable faith of the disciple.”. — Cyril Commentary on Isaiah 4.2.

• Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Book XII):

“For a rock is every disciple of Christ of whom those drank who drank of the spiritual rock which followed them, 1 Corinthians 10:4 and upon every such rock is built every word of the church, and the polity in accordance with it; for in each of the perfect, who have the combination of words and deeds and thoughts which fill up the blessedness, is the church built by God.'

“For all bear the surname ‘rock’ who are the imitators of Christ, that is, of the spiritual rock which followed those who are being saved, that they may drink from it the spiritual draught. But these bear the surname of rock just as Christ does. But also as members of Christ deriving their surname from Him they are called Christians, and from the rock, Peters.” — Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Book XII), sect. 10,11 ( http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/101612.htm)

• Hilary of Potier, On the Trinity (Book II):

Thus our one immovable foundation, our one blissful rock of faith, is the confession from Peter's mouth, Thou art the Son of the living God. On it we can base an answer to every objection with which perverted ingenuity or embittered treachery may assail the truth."-- (Hilary of Potier, On the Trinity (Book II), para 23; Philip Schaff, editor, The Nicene & Post Nicene Fathers Series 2, Vol 9.

[Elsie]

Has it ever occurred to you that Christ said build my Church - not 1500 different versions of my Church, wake up and stop slamming fellow Christians and begin a new day of gathering together all the disparate denominational variants in the Christian Church that must make be almost unrecognizable to the One that matters.

Seems like Rome made SEVEN different versions at a REAL early date - so early that an angel told John to write to them; pointing out their ERROR; in the first three chapters of Revelation.

[Elsie]

... pointing out their ERROR...Error?

How is this POSSIBLE???

Peter was the LEADER; right?

[Hacksaw]

I love the anti- Catholic rants, and that’s exactly what they are because first you don’t even understand what Catholic means - look it up.

I've come to the conclusion long ago that there are much bigger problems threatening us - like the destruction of Western Civilization - that have to be faced before we get into the trivialities that these Protestant-Catholic feuds without end are going on about. People don't like the Papacy, people think Martin Luther was wrong, etc... which is fine. But it is not the problem. If every Catholic (or every Protestant) vanished overnight our sick culture would still have the exact same problems it does now.

These pointless debates are a bit like libertarians (who have finally entered full clown world) constantly talking about "muh weed" while the house is burning down. Not an attack against either of you, I just wish we would take care of much bigger problems facing us first.