Biblical inconsistency?

OSV.com ^ | 07-25-18 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[Salvation]

Biblical inconsistency? Jesus does not negate himself but rather gives different teachings on following the commandments

Msgr. Charles Pope

7/25/2018

Question: In Matthew 5:19, Jesus rails against relaxing or changing even the least of the commandments, and yet verse 19 also says that if one does, “[he] will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” It seems the consequences should be “losing” the kingdom of heaven if Jesus is consistent with what follows in verse 20. Can you explain the seeming inconsistency? — Jim Flynn, via email

Answer: Two different teachings are being made here, hence it is not a matter of consistency.

In verse 19, the operative teaching is that while unrepented mortal sin excludes one from the kingdom of God, not all violations of the law are mortal. Even the Ten Commandments, while indicating grave sin in themselves admit of lighter matter.

For example, regarding the Seventh Commandment, stealing a large amount or something essential or irreplaceable is usually a mortal sin. However, taking something small or insignificant, while a sin, may not be a mortal sin that excludes one from the kingdom of God. Thus, if the Lord were to adopt your word, the condemnation might be too sweeping. It does not follow that if someone breaks the least of the commandments they necessarily lose the kingdom of God.

Further, you will note that there is a kind of parallelism or play of words at work here. The Lord is saying, in effect: “If you break even the least of my teachings, I am going to call you the least!” Preachers often use such sayings in order to be memorable.

For example, consider the following word stitch: “Say what you mean, and mean what you say. But don’t say it mean.” The word “mean” unites all three phrases, but in each case a slightly different sense of the word “mean” is used.

Here, the Lord is not only being careful not to imply that even small infractions would land us in hell, but he is also being artful, resourceful and memorable by his use of a parallelism.

As for verse 20, we encounter a different teaching: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Here we are dealing with the problem of minimalism. Though the Pharisees fancied themselves meticulous observers of the law, they were very minimalist in their application of it. Jesus said they were hypocrites because they followed exacting laws about small things, such as tithing, but neglected weightier matters of the law, such as justice and mercy (cf. Mt 23:23). It is one thing to pay tithes; this is good and required. But neglecting the poor and failing to feed and teach them is far more important to God.

Jesus will develop this teaching against minimalism in the verses that follow in the Sermon on the Mount. For example, he will teach that it is not enough to avoid murder; the command requires we let God banish vengeful hatred from our hearts. It is not enough to avoid acts of adultery; we must allow God to give us chaste minds and hearts. It is not enough to avoid excessive retaliation; we ought to avoid retaliation altogether.

Therefore, the message of verse 20 is a call to exceed the minimalist notions of the law. Grace equips us for more, and we are expected to attain more by that grace. The old law could not save. Only the “new law” of grace can save or make us sufficiently holy to enter heaven.

Thus verse 19 speaks of little things, verse 20 of weightier things.

[Elsie]

Are you saying that you do not believe the words of Jesus?

Like THESE??? Matthew 23:9 Douay-Rheims Bible

And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.

[Elsie]

You have made it abundantly clear what you believe about Mary.

So has Rome...

The way it's written: Galatians 4:4-5 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. The way Rome teaches it: Galatians 4:4-5 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a.... Co-Redemptrix, Ark of the Covenant, Beloved daughter of the Father, Favoured Daughter of the Father, Cause of Our Joy, Cause of our Salvation , Comfort of the Afflicted, Destroyer of Heresy, Ever-virgin , Gate of Heaven, God-bearer, Great Mother, Health of the Sick, Heavenly Chariot, Help of Christians, Holy Mary, Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of Virgins, House of Gold, Joy of the Just, Majesty, Mirror of Justice, Morning Star, Most Holy, Mother Admirable, Mother Inviolate, Mother Most Amiable, Mother Most Chaste, Mother Most Pure, Mother of Christ, Mother of Divine Grace, Mother of God, Mother of Good Counsel, Mother of Mercy, Mother of Orphans, Mother of Our Creator, Mother of Our Redeemer, Mother of Sorrows, Mother of the Church, Mother of the Poor, Mother of the Word, Mother of the Word Incarnate, Mother Thrice Admirable, Mother Undefiled, Mystical Rose, Nova Eva (the New Eve), Our Lady of Compassion, Our Lady of Confidence, Our Lady of Victory, Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Queen Assumed Into Heaven, Queen Conceived Without Original Sin, Queen of All Saints, Queen of Angels, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Families, Queen of Heaven, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Peace, Queen of Prophets, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Queen of Virgins, Ravisher of Hearts, Refuge of Sinners, Resplendant car, Seat of Wisdom, She Who Shows the Way, Singular Vessel of Devotion, Spiritual Vessel, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Sovereign Mistress of the Angels, Tabernacle of the Lord, Temple of the Holy Spirit, Temple of the Most Holy Trinity, Throne of Wisdom, Tower of David, Tower of Ivory, Treasure House of God's Graces, Untier of Knots, Vessel of Honor, Virgin God-bearer, Virgin Most Faithful, Virgin Most Merciful, Virgin Most Powerful, Virgin Most Prudent, Virgin Most Renowned, Virgin Most Venerable Virgin of virgins, born under the law, 5 to HELP redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship; sooner or later; and not spend TOO much time in Purgatory.

[Elsie]

Let's try again...

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The way it's written:

 

Galatians 4:4-5

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

 

 

 

The way Rome teaches it:

 

Galatians 4:4-5

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a....

 

Co-Redemptrix, 
Ark of the Covenant,

Beloved daughter of the Father,
Favoured Daughter of the Father,

Cause of Our Joy,

Cause of our Salvation ,
Comfort of the Afflicted,
Destroyer of Heresy,
Ever-virgin ,
Gate of Heaven,
God-bearer,

Great Mother,
Health of the Sick,

Heavenly Chariot,
Help of Christians,
Holy Mary,
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of Virgins,
House of Gold,
Joy of the Just,
Majesty,
Mirror of Justice,
Morning Star,
Most Holy,
Mother Admirable,
Mother Inviolate,
Mother Most Amiable,
Mother Most Chaste,
Mother Most Pure,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of Divine Grace,
Mother of God,
Mother of Good Counsel,
Mother of Mercy,
Mother of Orphans,
Mother of Our Creator,
Mother of Our Redeemer,
Mother of Sorrows,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of the Poor,
Mother of the Word,

Mother of the Word Incarnate,
Mother Thrice Admirable,
Mother Undefiled,
Mystical Rose,
Nova Eva (the New Eve),
Our Lady of Compassion,
Our Lady of Confidence,
Our Lady of Victory,
Our Lady, Star of the Sea,
Our Mother of Perpetual Help,
Queen Assumed Into Heaven,
Queen Conceived Without Original Sin,
Queen of All Saints,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Families,
Queen of Heaven,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Peace,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,
Queen of Virgins,
Ravisher of Hearts,
Refuge of Sinners,

Resplendant car,
Seat of Wisdom,
She Who Shows the Way,
Singular Vessel of Devotion,
Spiritual Vessel,

Spouse of the Holy Spirit,

Sovereign Mistress of the Angels, 
Tabernacle of the Lord,

Temple of the Holy Spirit,
Temple of the Most Holy Trinity,
Throne of Wisdom,
Tower of David,
Tower of Ivory,
Treasure House of God's Graces,
Untier of Knots,
Vessel of Honor,
Virgin God-bearer,
Virgin Most Faithful,
Virgin Most Merciful,
Virgin Most Powerful,
Virgin Most Prudent,
Virgin Most Renowned,
Virgin Most Venerable

Virgin of virgins,                           born under the law, ⁵ to HELP redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship; sooner or later; and not spend TOO much time in Purgatory.

 

 

 

[Elsie]

Cross-threading again?

Let's bring it HERE then!!

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For a low; LOW! price of ONLY $11.95...

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.catholiccompany.com/brown-scapular-brown-cord-18-inch-i104714/?sku=2026726&utm_source=google&utm_medium=products&aid=4280&product_id=2026726&creative=11070181829&device=c&matchtype=e

 

 

[Elsie]

...who smoke or swear??? Maybe you??? That's sinning willfully,...

REALLY?

[Elsie]

Even when they can back it up with Catholicism’s own documents.

 

"One indeed is the universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved, in which the priest himself is the sacrifice, Jesus Christ, whose body and blood are truly contained in the sacrament of the altar under the species of bread and wine; the bread (changed) into His body by the divine power of transubstantiation, and the wine into the blood, so that to accomplish the mystery of unity we ourselves receive from His (nature) what He Himself received from ours."

--Pope Innocent III and Lateran Council IV (A.D. 1215)

 

 

How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Reformulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the head through the Church which is his body:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on Earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.

This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the gospel of Christ or his Church but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience—those too may achieve eternal salvation. "Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men" (CCC 846-48)

 

Pick one.

[nobamanomore]

Notice how the trolls tag the other trolls so they will know to come in and gang up on them.

[daniel1212]

Which as a characteristic is because it is such who are true believers, I have no argument with what you said or quoted, but the parable of the sheep and goats makes it a little clearer to me and it was clear to James which is why he said faith with with out works is dead.

Faith with with out works is dead, and which what Reformers as Luther formally clearly taught as sola fide, versus the Catholic strawman of it.

But if James (who only mentions Christ twice, and never His death and resurrection) was teaching that the merit of works justifies one before God then he is contradicting both Moses and Paul. And if Abraham was first accounted righteous in the offering of Issac (Gn. 22) then he was not saved until then, versus such acts justifying/vindicating him as being a believer, fulling what Gn. 15:6 declares (And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness, like as a fulfilled prophecy justifies the prophet as being one.

Likewise the Lord's teaching on the sheep and goats does not mean the sheep enter into eternal life because their works actually obtained this, which would be as salvation under the Law, but because such works testify to them being true believers of saving faith. By which evidence they are accounted/judged fit to be rewarded, it being fitting that they are under grace, (Rv. 3:4) even though it is only because God motivated and enabled them to do so. God .

To believe is to obey, (Rm. 8:13,14) and obedience by the Spirit means one believes. (Heb. 6:9,10) Likewise in Mark 2, to be forgiven was to be healed, and thus they Lord could use the words interchangeably in that case ( Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?, (Mark 2:9) since the former effected the latter,

Similarly, because true believers obey the Lord, their object of faith (which includes penitent confession when convicted of not doing so), then such are promised salvation,(Mark 16:16) just as it is to those who believe. (Jn. 3:36) The meek shall inherit the earth, not actually because they are meek, but because such characterizes true believers.

Catholics attempt to basically teach salvation as under the Law, in which one is actually justified and made worthy to enter Heaven on the level of his performance in heat and deed (even invoking, "be perfect even as your Heavenly father is perfect"), and attempt to justify this was attributing this attainment to grace, via the sacraments and Purgatory.

And they dismissing the exclusion of salvation by works such as Romans 4 taught by asserting this only applies to the Law, and or as done outside Christ. However, a Jew under the Law could also maintain they he was obeying God by grace, enough to be saved. And the Law is used to condemn all systems of salvation by works since it represents the epitome of such systems, and Galatians 3:21-22 states,

"if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. " (Galatians 3:21-22)

Thus the effect of heart-purifying justifying faith is not be to confused with the actual means of obtaining it. For the clear teaching of Scripture is that man does not obtain eternal life because they actually earned it, or became actually good enough in character to enters Heaven thru Purgatory, as per Rome's false gospel, but faith is counted for righteousness, and they are accepted in the Beloved in Christ's account, and made to positionally sit together with Him in Heaven, (Eph. 1:6; 2:6) from where they look forward to the 2nd coming of the Lord, and the only transformative change believers are promised after this life. (Phil. 3:20,21) (At which time is the only suffering after this life .)

Thus the typical exhortation is to be practically what one is positionally, such as

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:" (Colossians 3:1-5)

Many people will brag that they are saved by faith and not works and have taken out the word Grace so they are crediting them selves with faith, it is still me, me ,me. By the way some people talk it would appear to new believers that they actually have a license to sin. Jesus said the only ones who would enter heaven are the ones who does his will, sin is the transgression of the law or Gods will. So any one bragging that they can sin all they want and still be saved are really saying that Jesus did not know what he was talking about.

True, as is the case of those who presume that because they do good works then they are saved because of them, that one is justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and merits the attainment of eternal life, as Trent (Canon 32) can be understood as teaching, versus accounted fit to be rewarded in the light of his effectual faith, as explained above.

However, the practically unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, (1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:21) this being contrary to saving faith, (cf. 1Tim. 5:8) nor will flesh and blood as meaning the sinful nature though believers are presently spiritually seated with Christ. But the believer will become practically what he is positionally (which they are to strive to become in this life), at the resurrection, and they of overcoming faith will actually sit with Him. (Revelation 3:21)

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:18-21)

To God be the glory.

[daniel1212]

You keep trying to replace the body of genuine research on Bible history and texts with your phony speculations and presumptions from Roodianism. So here is a link to just about every legitimate and provable argument against you false theories, including the latest one that you (falsely) claim that the New Testament we have in Koine Greek is just a translation of supposedly "original" Hebrew texts personally written by the apostles or their friends. Heres the link to the long paper that soundly refutes your falsehoods: http://www.empirenet.com/~messiah7/spl_ChristOrMessiah.htm Take note, all the Christian FRiends this has been pinged with.

And all this time we were supposed to think Luther was the Protestant pope, not Rood!

[imardmd1]

Having a concensus in doctrine and defending it is not trolling.

[imardmd1]

The word is intransigent. Don’t argue with me about this.

[metmom]

Then provide us with the *original* Hebrew texts.

Otherwise you are going on what you think would have been said if the texts had been in Hebrew and that just allows for anything goes.

Easy way for you to make up your own doctrine and teaching and pass it off as God’s word.

And I’m pretty sure God would not take to kindly to that.

[metmom]

No translator, copy of the original writing of John in his language, in the Vatican archives.

From the very church you condemn.

Yeah, right......

[kosciusko51]

Sounds like a plot for a Dan Brown novel...

[metmom]

It doesn’t make any difference, you break into Caucus posts daily.

Prove it or admit its a false accusation.

[nobamanomore]

Yes, there’s a lot of consensus among the 10 or 20 thousand protestant denominations, lol.

[metmom]

IOW, Catholics are getting someone who doesn’t exist to get them out of somewhere that doesn’t exist.

[metmom]

Notice how the trolls tag the other trolls so they will know to come in and gang up on them.

Your projection is showing again.

[metmom]

Yes, there’s a lot of consensus among the 10 or 20 thousand protestant denominations, lol.

Another *fact* That's as accurate as the rest of the ones you've posted.

[metmom]

And there is.

Far more than you know, if you actually knew anything about Christian churches.