"Please tell me where the Bible says specifically that the Catholic church is the "only" Church?"
Okay, how bout....."You are the rock and upon this rock I will build by church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. "
Catholic means UNIVERSAL. The Catholic Church is generic Christianity. It's Christianity without additions or subtractions.
Catholic means UNIVERSAL. The Catholic Church is generic Christianity. It's Christianity without additions or subtractions.
We agree that "catholic" (at least with a small 'c') means "universal."
However, I'd make a distinction between saying "Catholic Church" vs. saying "Church." Once you add the adjective "Catholic" in front of "Church," it confuses rather than clarifies. I assume most people, upon hearing the word "Catholic," tend to think specifically of the Roman Catholic church, along with its general doctrines & traditions. There may be a handful who *do* hear "Catholic" primarily as "Universal," but those folks are likely pretty difficult to find.
The "Church" cannot be not limited to "Catholics/Roman Catholics" or to any other denomination. IMO, the "Church" has
nothing to do with denomination. If some want to argue that the Catholic/Roman Catholic church was the "first church" and thus every other "church" (group of believers) broke away from the "first church," we may simply disagree on the definition of "church" and/or "Church."
When speaking of the "Church," I believe it to be "the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation," as defined in
The Baptist Faith and Message.
Christianity without additions or subtractions is best defined by the following, which can also be found in
The Baptist Faith and Message:
"Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord."
Having said that, my hope is that all Christians of whatever denomination remember to
test what their fellows or leaders say against the
divinely inspired Word of God.
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
- Luke 21:33 (NIV) -