Neither is the book of St. Polycarp mentioned in what the Protestants call the apocrypha. I do find that St. Polycarp apparently received as the other Church Fathers did, letters written by and shared by St. Paul, St. Peter, and other communications amongst the Church leaders at that time. I therefore can and do consider him an ancillary source to what's in my Bible. I do also regard it my duty to my God to consider the full Bible in my endeavor to understand and pass on my faith. I find it totally unproductive to cling to a single verse or verses without considering the whole Word of God.
I believe it absolutely necessary to remind myself and others that St. Paul had spent long periods of time in teaching the churches that he had established. And so I rely more heavily of what Jesus said, with all ties going to Jesus rather than to put Jesus' teachings aside in favor of St. Paul's. After all St. Paul in his letters could do no more than hit the highlights.
Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive : “I find it totally unproductive to cling to a single verse or verses without considering the whole Word of God”. But you rely on the mary of Catholicism without a single Bible verse instructing you to do so, and your religion has built an entire demigoddess edifice out of whole cloth! You know what folks who do not practice what they preach are known as? Hypocrits
Perhaps you should remind yourself that the Holy Spirit is the one who inspired the writers of the gospels - of whom Jesus told His disciples, "will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" - AS WELL AS the epistles also called Sacred Scripture which are Divinely-inspired. No one need see the words of Jesus in competition with what Paul wrote. They are ALL from God.
This is why we KNOW that the Deuterocanonicals/Apocryphals are NOT from God and do not belong with the canonical books that ARE from holy men of God who were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
“I do not find St. Polycarp in the Cannon of my Bible
Neither is the book of St. Polycarp mentioned in what the Protestants call the apocrypha.”
Funny thing is that your cult sure thinks a lot of him...
St. Polycarp Catholic Church and numerous web pages dedicated to him, so I guess you’re saying that the rcc is wrong in quoting him so much?
I agree completely about following the words of Jesus...
Lets see how well you follow Jesus.
Q. Do you bow to a statue of a graven image of a god hanging on a Roman cross?
Exodus 20:4, Deut 5:8, Lev 26:1
Q. Do you bow to a statue of that same god’s so called mother mary?
Exodus 20:4, Deut 5:8, Lev 26:1, 2 Cor 11:14
Q. Do you pray the rosary and pray to the so called mother of Jesus?
Gal 1:8, 2 Cor 11:4 & 14
Q. Do you call a man that claims a fake office of priest father?
Matt 23:9
Q. You must follow your infallible teacher pope no matter how wrong he is
Matt 23:8
“direct defiance of Apocalypse 22:18&19”
You accuse us Protestants of adding to Holy Scripture
Wow look at all these additions
1 . Prayers for the dead . …………-—————————……300 A.D.
2. Making the sign of the cross ………………………… …300 A.D.
3. Veneration of angels & dead saints …………-————…….375 A.D.
4. Use of images in worship………………………………… . 375 A.D.
5. The Mass as a daily celebration……………………………… 394 A.D.
6 Beginning of the exaltation of Mary; the term, “Mother of God” applied a Council of Ephesus……………. .-———————————————————— 431 A.D.
7 Extreme Unction (Last Rites)……………………………… ..526 A.D.
8. Doctrine of Purgatory-Gregory 1…………………………… .593 A.D..
9. Prayers to Mary & dead saints ……………………………… .600 A.D.
10. Worship of cross, images & relics ……………………… … 786 A.D.
11 Canonization of dead saints ………………………………… ..995 A.D.
12. Celibacy of priesthood …………………………………… …1079 A.D.
13. The Rosary ……………………………………………… … 1090 A.D.
14. Indulgences ……………………………………………… …..1190 A.D.
15. Transubstantiation-Innocent III …………………………… 1215 A.D.
16. Auricular Confession of sins to a priest …………………… 1215 A.D.
17. Adoration of the wafer (Host)…………………………… .. 1220 A.D.
18. Cup forbidden to the people at communion …………………..1414 A.D.
19. Purgatory proclaimed as a dogma……………………………..1439 A.D.
20. The doctrine of the Seven Sacraments confirmed …………….1439 A.D.
21 Tradition declared of equal authority with Bible by Council of Trent…………………………………………————————… 1545 A.D.
22. Apocryphal books added to Bible ………——————……….1546 A.D.
23. Immaculate Conception of Mary……………………………….1854 A.D.
24, Infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals, proclaimed by the Vatican Council ……………… 1870 A.D.
25. Assumption of the Virgin Mary (bodily ascension into heaven shortly after her death) ……………………………-—————————————————……1950 A.D.
26. Mary proclaimed Mother of the Church……………………… 1965 A.D.
Matthew 7:5 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
5 Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
That John was one slick dude!
He foreknew that Revelation was going to be bound up with other writings by Rome a few centuries after his death.
Or maybe THIS means something else to Catholics.
Who get their panties in a wad because some writings the ECFs argued PASSIONATELY about earlier BEFORE 'including' them into THEIR canon.
A smart person wouldn't complain about 'removal' and yet say NOTHING about ADDING!!
If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book.
So noted: Call no man father gets explained away; while John 3:16 gets accepted in it's entirety.
Considering that you just referenced Apocalypse 22:18&19, can you explain how that teaching FAILED so miserably as shown in Apocalypse chapters 2&3??
Then why do you Catholics now not do the same??
As regards the oft-quoted Mt. 16:18, note the following Early Church Fathers 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.
Says the Catholic.
Do you believe in the immaculate conception? That Mary was sinless her entire life ?
All hung on ONE verse of Scripture.
Do you believe that Jesus cannot deny any request of Mary?
All hung on ONE verse of Scripture.
Do you believe that priests can retain for forgive sin?
All hung on ONE verse of Scripture.
Do you believe Peter is pope?
All hung on ONE verse of Scripture.
Do you believe that Jesus would really command people to violate the Law and eat blood?
All hung on ONE verse of Scripture.
Do you believe that Jesus is being continually slain that the mass is participating in?
All hung on ONE verse of Scripture.
Do you believe that people are supposed to be in submission to the CATHOLIC church?
All hung on ONE verse of Scripture.
Do you believe that Jesus gave Mary to the church to be everyone's mother?
All hung on ONE verse of Scripture.
And that doesn't even address the things the Catholic church teaches that cannot be found in Scripture at all.