Posted on 01/23/2022 5:59:01 AM PST by ADSUM
One of the most common questions about biblical interpretation is how much of the Bible ought to be taken “literally.” That’s a tricky question to answer, because the word literal actually has two distinct (but related) meanings.
When the Catechism of the Catholic Church talks about the literal sense of Scripture, it’s referring to “the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation” (116). It’s in this sense that the Church endorses St. Thomas Aquinas’s adage that “all other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal.” So if we mean literal in this older sense, we should always start by taking Scripture literally. Whatever else the Bible might mean, it means what its authors intended.
Oh man, I was sure the answer was Read it in Hebrew, like G-d spoke it.
I love how modern Hebrew effortlessly keeps up.
For example, so many English words become Hebrew by way of transliteration. And then sure enough, secrets of the ages are solved just like that.
Like the mystery surrounding the prophet Habakkuk - the meaning of his name, and the tradition of his being the boy whom Elisha brought back to life because of this part of 2 Kings 4:16:
And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace [chobeket] a son...
Elisha told her that at the time of life [כעת חיה], she'd had her very own son to hug. And see, here's a HUG just for U:
חיבוק
It's a "chai" book.
Makes simple sense. A hug is what one person gives to another for comfort and love. By its very definition a hug involves two or more who are next to (neighbor) each other. Open arms reach around and enclose someone else ("U" -- יו --, the special holy name that was never meant to be just a number), like the covers of a book on each side of its spine. The same concept follows with angels' and birds' wings.
And there U have it:
Habakkuk and a smile.
Koach [*כוח] adds life.
*kaf and chet, see "at the time of life". It's literal.
The Book of Life: Read it in Hebrew, like G-d spoke it.
You ever heard the song by The Searchers, Love Potion No. 9? Same location as this hug. It's spelled out right in the words. All very plain and simple with its map intel, but who's really listening?
Gen 49
1.And Jacob called to his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days
2. Gather yourselves together, and hear, you sons of Jacob; and listen to Israel your father:
***
Remember Madame "Rue". She was the gypsy with the gold-capped (crowned) TWO, because it is important to rhyme:
👑
ב
Good thing Madame "Rue" is French!
APATHY + the missing letter W* = PATHWAY
* See keyboard: W in English is the apostrophe in Hebrew, used also for a geresh. Either way, it's used to represent a missing letter, contractions, acronyms..
And בוק is a "cue".
Gotta hand it to Englisha the Prophet. He knew all the hidden angles. ;)
I gotta run. Gotta hug some chickens...
Nobody is worshiping the writers of the Bible.
Why is it so important for you to give credit to man? Why do you go to the utmost to credit men instead of honor God?
You have spent a lot of time here on your position that man was important in writing God’s word. Why is that so important to you? Think about it.
God gave His word to man. Man received it. FULL STOP. Don’t add anything.
Still posting this LIE?
Don't you EVER give up PROVING that you do NOT care what the Early Church Fathers have said about this??
• Augustine, sermon:
"Christ, you see, built his Church not on a man but on Peter's confession. What is Peter's confession? 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' There's the rock for you, there's the foundation, there's where the Church has been built, which the gates of the underworld cannot conquer. — John Rotelle, O.S.A., Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine , © 1993 New City Press, Sermons, Vol III/6, Sermon 229P.1, p. 327
Augustine, sermon:
Upon this rock, said the Lord, I will build my Church. Upon this confession, upon this that you said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,' I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not conquer her (Mt. 16:18). — John Rotelle, Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine (New Rochelle: New City, 1993) Sermons, Volume III/7, Sermon 236A.3, p. 48.
• Augustine, sermon:
For petra (rock) is not derived from Peter, but Peter from petra; just as Christ is not called so from the Christian, but the Christian from Christ. For on this very account the Lord said, 'On this rock will I build my Church,' because Peter had said, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' On this rock, therefore, He said, which thou hast confessed, I will build my Church. For the Rock (Petra) was Christ; and on this foundation was Peter himself built. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus. The Church, therefore, which is founded in Christ received from Him the keys of the kingdom of heaven in the person of Peter, that is to say, the power of binding and loosing sins. For what the Church is essentially in Christ, such representatively is Peter in the rock (petra); and in this representation Christ is to be understood as the Rock, Peter as the Church. — Augustine Tractate CXXIV; Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: First Series, Volume VII Tractate CXXIV (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.cxxv.html)
• Augustine, sermon:
And Peter, one speaking for the rest of them, one for all, said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt 16:15-16)...And I tell you: you are Peter; because I am the rock, you are Rocky, Peter-I mean, rock doesn't come from Rocky, but Rocky from rock, just as Christ doesn't come from Christian, but Christian from Christ; and upon this rock I will build my Church (Mt 16:17-18); not upon Peter, or Rocky, which is what you are, but upon the rock which you have confessed. I will build my Church though; I will build you, because in this answer of yours you represent the Church. — John Rotelle, O.S.A. Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine (New Rochelle: New City Press, 1993), Sermons, Volume III/7, Sermon 270.2, p. 289
• Augustine, sermon:
Peter had already said to him, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' He had already heard, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the underworld shall not conquer her' (Mt 16:16-18)...Christ himself was the rock, while Peter, Rocky, was only named from the rock. That's why the rock rose again, to make Peter solid and strong; because Peter would have perished, if the rock hadn't lived. — John Rotelle, Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine (New Rochelle: New City, 1993) Sermons, Volume III/7, Sermon 244.1, p. 95
• Augustine, sermon:
...because on this rock, he said, I will build my Church, and the gates of the underworld shall not overcome it (Mt. 16:18). Now the rock was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). Was it Paul that was crucified for you? Hold on to these texts, love these texts, repeat them in a fraternal and peaceful manner. — John Rotelle, Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine (New Rochelle: New City Press, 1995), Sermons, Volume III/10, Sermon 358.5, p. 193
• Augustine, Psalm LXI:
Let us call to mind the Gospel: 'Upon this Rock I will build My Church.' Therefore She crieth from the ends of the earth, whom He hath willed to build upon a Rock. But in order that the Church might be builded upon the Rock, who was made the Rock? Hear Paul saying: 'But the Rock was Christ.' On Him therefore builded we have been. — Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume VIII, Saint Augustin, Exposition on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXI.3, p. 249. (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf108.ii.LXI.html)
• Augustine, in “Retractions,”
In a passage in this book, I said about the Apostle Peter: 'On him as on a rock the Church was built.'...But I know that very frequently at a later time, I so explained what the Lord said: 'Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,' that it be understood as built upon Him whom Peter confessed saying: 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,' and so Peter, called after this rock, represented the person of the Church which is built upon this rock, and has received 'the keys of the kingdom of heaven.' For, 'Thou art Peter' and not 'Thou art the rock' was said to him. But 'the rock was Christ,' in confessing whom, as also the whole Church confesses, Simon was called Peter. But let the reader decide which of these two opinions is the more probable. — The Fathers of the Church (Washington D.C., Catholic University, 1968), Saint Augustine, The Retractations Chapter 20.1:.
Self assumed 'authority'!
 'When I tell you what imagery found in Scripture REALLY means,' the magnificant Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather superior tone, ' it means just whomever I choose it to mean, neither more nor less; but sometimes two or more different things at once.' 'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can define imagery to mean so many different things.' 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, C.SS.R, S.S.L., O.F.M, S.T.D 'which is to be master - that's all.' |
Elsie!
if anybody needed help to turn from his self-serving ways, it was that odious Dathan character. Not exactly a ladies' man, so instead of learning how to hug and love and be a trustworthy person filled with integrity, he resorted to slimy, dispicable tactics in order to "win" a beautiful woman of valor. Fake.
You remember Dathan... in The Ten Commandment's movie (1956), he was The Searcher tasked with identifying the Deliverer. And when he found out who it was, Dathan wanted his palms greased.
It's just what the Searcher said to the gypsy:
I told her that I was a flop with chicks
I've been this way since 1956
She looked at my palm and she made a magic $ign
She said, "What you need is Love Potion No. 9"
It smelled like turpentine, so it functioned as a powerful degreaser cleaner as well.
***
Joseph was hated for his dreams. A long while back I discovered from an Ulpan site that to say "Dream On" (seriously, get real) in Hebrew is literally you're "living in a movie."
There's always a song. Literally. Buck Owens' signature song:
They're gonna put me in the movies
They're gonna make a big star out of me
We'll make a film about a man that's sad and lonely
And all I gotta do is act naturally
Well, I'll bet you I'm a-gonna be a big star
Might win an Oscar you can't never tell
The movie's gonna make me a big star,
'Cause I can play the part so well...
***
In case anyone wonders why when God made Abram an offer to go "unto a land that I will show you",
Abram flew right out the door to see all the stars. The place deceptively called "UR" was a black hole of darkness.. Everyone was pinned down by business as usual, who could ever escape?
NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover
@NASAPersevere
· Jan 21
With a turn of my bit carousel, I’ve cleared the two pebbles that likely blocked me from processing my latest sample tube. Two smaller ones remain lower down, but may not be an issue (and might fall out just by driving). Onward!
***
(And he said unto them, Know ye not this pebble? and how then will ye know all pebbles?)
” When the Catechism of the Catholic Church...”
There lies your problem RIGHT THERE.
Read the BIBLE. The very “word of God”, “inspired” by God, “God breathed”.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, NONE of those things!
The following are quotes from
https://biblehub.com/greek/4073.htm and
https://biblehub.com/greek/4074.htm
HELPS Word-studies
4073 pétra (a feminine noun) – “a mass of connected rock,” which is distinct from 4074 (Pétros) which is “a detached stone or boulder” (A-S). 4073 (pétra) is a “solid or native rock, rising up through the earth” (Souter) – a huge mass of rock (a boulder), such as a projecting cliff.
4073 (petra) is “a projecting rock, cliff (feminine noun) . . . 4074 (petros, the masculine form) however is a stone . . . such as a man might throw” (S. Zodhiates, Dict).
4074 Strong’s Concordance
Petros: “a stone” or “a boulder,” Peter, one of the twelve apostles
Original Word: Πέτρος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Petros
Phonetic Spelling: (pet’-ros)
Definition: “a stone” or “a boulder”, Peter, one of the twelve apostles
Usage: Peter, a Greek name meaning rock.
HELPS Word-studies
4074 Pétros (a masculine noun) – properly, a stone (pebble), such as a small rock found along a pathway. 4074 /Pétros (”small stone”) then stands in contrast to 4073 /pétra (”cliff, boulder,” Abbott-Smith).
“4074 (Pétros) is an isolated rock and 4073 (pétra) is a cliff” (TDNT, 3, 100). “4074 (Pétros) always means a stone . . . such as a man may throw, . . . versus 4073 (pétra), a projecting rock, cliff” (S. Zodhiates, Dict).
End quote.
Peter – Petros, masculine, a stone, pebble
As such it is unstable, be small and easily moved.
Petra – a CLIFF, huge, stable, unmovable.
The confession, “You are the son of the living God.” Is rock-solid, durable, enduring, as in petra, cannot be moved!
See the text in the Interlinear Greek-English bible at https://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Greek_Index.htm
Scroll to Matthew 16:18 See Peter associated with petros, the rock Jesus referred to as petra.
That sentence doesn't parse at all.
The footnotes in a Catholic Bible are not (a) authoritative; (b) infallible; (c) required, in every jot and tittle, for Catholics to believe; or in some cases even (d) reliable. (Footnotes per se are, however, required to be in Catholic Bibles before they can be published.)
They were written by some set of scholars somewhere. Those scholars convinced a censor to convince a bishop to give them the imprimatur, which means (in that censor's and that bishop's fallible judgement) that they aren't contrary to Catholic teaching.
But saying they aren't contrary to something is not the same as saying they are a perfect, or even the best, exposition of that same thing. I can say that a book is not contrary to the Constitution of the United States, but it doesn't follow from that that it's the best possible exposition on that topic.
In other words: the footnotes for the NABRE may be pretty modernist. A Catholic, especially a layman who rejects them as "pretty modernist" isn't going to be slapped down for heresy. They're mostly just irrelevant.
By the way, the NABRE was sufficiently bad as a translation that it was rejected as a lectionary Bible by the Vatican, so that isn't in fact where the readings for Mass in the US are drawn from. They seem to be a purpose-built translation which may be an edit of the NABRE to be more faithful to the original documents. (They're more faithful to the original documents, whether they came from the NABRE is a different question.)
Anyone who's ever studied either Latin or Greek recognizes this; it's a common pattern. Julius Caesar had to be "Julius," not "Julia," because Julius is second declension masculine and Julia is first declension feminine.
For that reason, you will never, ever, hear a Greek Orthodox apologist make this argument against the Catholic church. Greek Orthodox actually know Greek! (shocked expression)
"Petros" is used to mean "pebble" in some classical Greek poetry. The usual word in the Koine Greek of Jesus time is "lithos," not "petros".
There are Protestant exegetes who admit this, BTW. One example:
The Greek makes the distinction between petros and petra simply because it is trying to preserve the pun, and in Greek the feminine petra could not very well serve as a masculine name.' -- Frank Gaebelein, Expositor's Bible, vol 8, Zondervan:1984, p. 368
Peter was the pebble to Jesus being the Rock. Reading the Bible as a whole, it is clear. With RCC tinted glasses, not so clear. Matt 13:14.
Commentary is (a) required, (b) officially sanctioned; (c) part of the shepherding guidance from your teaching office to which laity are told to rely on; (60 years in the case of the NAB series); (d) approved as not being contrary to Catholic teaching; (e) an example of understanding of the Bible from the church your promote and which is what this article is about; (f) a subject that fully warrants my criticism in the light of the preceding, despite your attempt to argue against what i did not argue.
"They were written by some set of scholars somewhere. Those scholars convinced a censor to convince a bishop to give them the imprimatur, which means (in that censor's and that bishop's fallible judgement) that they aren't contrary to Catholic teaching."
None of which I argued contrary to.
"But saying they aren't contrary to something is not the same as saying they are a perfect,"
And so forth, but again your apologetic is arguing against what I did not state. It remains that for over half a century your church had been teaching liberal interpretation, from a Bible whose translators are reluctant to use even the word "fornication!"
"But saying they aren't contrary to something is not the same as saying they are a perfect,"
Actually it seems that there is not much revision in it, and with the main reason for the update being as regards the Psalter and use of inclusive language. Better late than never, but the point is this example is contrary to the promotion of how to "How to Literally Read Scripture Literally" and with the premise of Rome being The Teacher on this since she is authorized to infallibly interpret the Bible, as if that was what was doing. Rather, reducing historical accounts to fables and folk lore is not demonstrating How to Literally Read Scripture Literally.
There is no question that the Bible isn’t to be taken hyper-literally.
Beyond that, I’ve come to question if it’s possible to have a serious discussion on Christian matters of truth and faith with people whose supreme question appears to be, “which religion (religious club) is the right one?”
That seems to be the starting point, and the enduring big question, for Catholics who have either converted to the Catholic Church or who have simply remained Catholics. But it is not so for evangelical Christians.
...the bible as it is translated into the English language:
and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.NIV Luke 6:48
He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.NIV Romans 9:33
As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."NIV 1 Peter 2:4-8
4. As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--
5. you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
7. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, "
8. and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for.
But, since there WAS no NT at the time Christ spoke to Peter, just what DID Peter and the rest of the Disciples know about ROCKS???
NIV Genesis 49:24-25
24. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
25. because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb.NIV Numbers 20:8
"Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."NIV Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.NIV Deuteronomy 32:15
Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior.NIV Deuteronomy 32:18
You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.NIV Deuteronomy 32:30-31
30. How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
31. For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede.NIV 1 Samuel 2:2
"There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.NIV 2 Samuel 22:2-3
2. He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3. my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior-- from violent men you save me.NIV 2 Samuel 22:32
For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?NIV 2 Samuel 22:47
"The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!NIV 2 Samuel 23:3-4
3. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: `When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God,
4. he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.'NIV Psalms 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.NIV Psalms 18:31
For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?NIV Psalms 18:46
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!NIV Psalms 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.NIV Psalms 28:1To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.NIV Psalms 31:2-3
2. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
3. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.NIV Psalms 42:9
I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"NIV Psalms 62:2
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.NIV Psalms 62:6
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.NIV Psalms 62:7
My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.NIV Psalms 71:3
Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.NIV Psalms 78:35
They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.NIV Psalms 89:26
He will call out to me, `You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.'NIV Psalms 92:14-15
14. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,
15. proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."NIV Psalms 95:1
Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.NIV Psalms 144:1
Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.NIV Isaiah 17:10
You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.NIV Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.NIV Isaiah 30:29
And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.NIV Isaiah 44:8
Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."NIV Habakkuk 1:12
O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish.
.....No other rock.............And now you know the Biblical position!
• 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.
yet Athanasius, from the eastern church, identified the canon 30 years prior to that in his festiv letter and said the books were well known. The canon was well known prior to the small regional councils of Carthage and Hippo.
Fie upon me, for I am assailed by CONsubstantialists!
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