Well I am glad that you have heard of Acts, but it seems that some hear but do not fully understand the meaning.
While you seem to reject the “Catholic” Church because it is not specifically named in the New Testament as such, perhaps one ignores the fact that Jesus founded His Church and delegated to Peter as the leader of the Apostles to go and “ Preach and Baptize” to all nations. The lack of the”Catholic” name seems to be a minor point when Christ’s Church needed to distinguish itself from the false churches that were not following the teaching of Jesus.
As Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke about Jesus, he also wrote Acts about Peter and Paul as they followed the path of Christ.Acts documented the Catholic Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Anointing of the Sick, the Appointment (ordination) of Bishops and Deacons.These Sacraments established by Christ and followed by the early Catholic Church members.
As St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict taught, we are not a “religion of the book.” We need to worship at the Holy Mass, and hear and not only read the sacred words, so that the Savior can reach our hearts through his action in his Mystical Body: through gestures, through song, through signs of peace, through sacred images, through sights and sounds and even odors. The written word is great; media resources are great; but we must go beyond them to kneel down and worship the Savior along with other citizens of the true Israel, the Church he founded.
Jesus said of His Church: “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” Luke 10:16
Oooops! I don't think so! More eisegesis.
Actually, Simon bar Jona had a duisturbing character feature that led him to consistently exercise his impenitent desire to exercise ambitious domineering influence even over the Master Himself (Mt. 16:21-23); even until a few hours prior to the Cross (Lk. 22:24,26).
Even once more, almost immediately after Jesus had restored Peter to his place amongst the Eleven then ascended, again when Peter was asked to simply wait not many days for the promise of The Father (the Incarnate Christ being absent, and the Holy Spirit not yet having arrived), in Their absence Peter impatiently, and without any spiritual guidance, attempted to insert himself as pro tem leader, stirring up the brethren by misinterpreting Scripture as an excuse to take command and get another Apostle appointed, not having a God-given command of any kind to select one.
No, I don't think any supra-local-assembly permanent episcopacy was ordered up by The Christ. And certainly not with Peter as its preeminent leader.
Many independent autonomous assembies of Christians, whose polity is government ny a plurality of non-sacerdotal spiritually mature elders and congregationally-selected overseers, are doing just fine without any mediators between themselves and The Father but The Man, Christ Jesus. Their worship is conducted without artful liturgy, fancy robes, or fixed formalized words repeated over and over by rote, but only in the breaking of break in the Remembrance Supper as desired and ordained in that Upper Room by the Lord Himself.
Simple and humble, my FRiend, and meek toward The God.
“As St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict taught, we are not a “religion of the book.”
Trotting put a straw man argument, are you?
God’s people are HIS, treasuring HIS eternal truth.
HIS Word contains all necessary for salvation, assurance and instruction in godliness.
HIS Word is the ultimate authority, since God speaks with authority.
Unfortunately, every church and every man gets things wrong in every age - and this is especially true of Rome.
Kinda like that Call no man father thing; right??
1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[b]
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
What were you trying to insert into this verse? Something about a church??
Jesus said of His Church: “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” Luke 10:16