THE TRUE CHURCH

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/9170/RYLE2.HTM ^ | 11/4/03 | J.C. Ryle

[RnMomof7]

The church is not a building. It is not a denomination

It is a body of believers

1Cr 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, [ye are] God's building.

[RnMomof7]

Bump to the church

[ahadams2]

Ping.

[jobim]

Hello to my Protestant fellows. I'm Catholic and stick to the Catholic threads, but the overt attack on the ONE TRUE CHURCH did catch my eye. Your positions are erroneous because you possess no grounding in history, and as soon as you do establish those groundings, you will cease to be Protestant and join the ONE TRUE CHURCH. Just keep in mind that the Eucharistic Lord is the center of the ONE TRUE CHURCH: don't you hunger to receive Him? Read John 6: Christ will always be waiting for you to feed you. He calls all to be ONE with Him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

[xzins]

amen

[bonfire]

Thank you for this, Mom. It's beautiful and I really needed it.

[drstevej]

***My copy of the Roman Catholic Bible, (The New American Bible,Catholic Book Publishing Co. New York, 1977), contains only three Epistles of John, none of which contains six chapters.***

Hint: Try the Gospel of John.

[dangus]

Not only no grounding in hostory, no grounding in scripture! For we are told that the Church shall be unified, and visible. The various churches squabble amongst themselves over virtually every issue, break off into their own little denominations, and are invisible to the world.

[drstevej]

***Just keep in mind that the Eucharistic Lord is the center of the ONE TRUE CHURCH***

The It is Finished Lord or the Perpertual Sacrificed Lord?

***don't you hunger to receive Him?***

Have received Him by faith, not by tongue.

***Your positions are erroneous because you possess no grounding in history, and as soon as you do establish those groundings, you will cease to be Protestant and join the ONE TRUE CHURCH.***

Just guessing, but I may have more church history background than you and am still Protestant more than ever. Let me reword your dictum a bit....

Your position is erroneous because you possess no grounding in the Bible, and as soon as you do establish those groundings, you will cease to confuse Catholicism with the ONE TRUE CHURCH.

[Claud]

Hi RnMom. Interesting you post this. Just yesterday I was listening to the Bible Answer Man Hank Hanegraff (hope I spelled that right) talking about just this subject. The exact nature of the visible Church to the body of Christ is really a ticklish issue, and even us Catholics have pretty fierce internal debates on it: Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus and all that.

Hank's point was that as long as we agree on the core doctrinal issues the rest (liturgics, ecclesiology) doesn't impair the body of Christ. And I can understand that position because Catholics have similar views on non-dogmatic issues: if it hasn't been dogmatically defined we are free to debate without hurling anathemas. And the Eastern Rites can express things like purgatory differently than we do in the Latin Rite: also no problem as regards unity.

But where I believe Hank's position is flawed, and maybe some of you can answer this, is how do we ultimately know what's a core issue or not? What is worthy of utter repudiation as heresy and what is tolerable debate? We can lay out a series of "you-must-believe-this-to-be-a-Christian", but what divine authority does it have? There is no clear delineation in Scripture and in the end it seems to be just a personal opinion.

[opus86]

"Your positions are erroneous because you possess no grounding in history..."

IMHO, the Truth as revealed in Scripture is more important than history.

[Ff--150]

I want you to belong to the one true Church: to the Church outside of which there is no salvation. I do not ask where you go on a Sunday; I only ask, "Do you belong to the one true Church?"

Praise God for Free Republic and the Catholic/Calvinist/ahadams2 forum where all can find how screwed up their churches and their Bibles are, and be saved. Thank You, Jesus!

[secret garden]

Like our latest upheaval, this article will bring about many different interpretations.

[Ff--150]

But where I believe Hank's position is flawed, and maybe some of you can answer this, is how do we ultimately know what's a core issue or not?

How dare you question Hank Hanegraaff on this forum--you're goin' burn baby burn [/sarcasm]!

You make some solid points, but you will be answered to how heretical you are, and will provide entertainment for the chosen ones to enjoy, should you choose to remain. God bless you.

[Boxsford]

Years ago our family learned a cute little children's song that,in part, went like; 'the church is not a building,the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people...I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together....' We used to sing that song as though we understood it.

That song resonated through our family's heart when we left a legalistic church and had only ourselves and the Lord each Sunday morning. My husband recaptured his position in our family as spiritual lead and the Lord showed up in our worship time--whatever day or time it was. That children's song became a truth in our hearts rather than simply in our minds. It was not by choice but by His divine intervention that we were what seemed to be 'alone' when really we were left alone,for a season, with Him. Our family grew together in a unity that I could go on for days writing about all because the Lord showed us that He is our sufficiency.

[anniegetyourgun]

The Church (the Bride of Christ) is unified - of the same mind, that of Christ. She is visible in the world as she crosses all continents and man-made divides. And, of course, He is at the center of the Church. In fact, He is the head of the Church. And, He is the Holy Sacrifice - regardless of any ritual. Jesus paid it all. It's all about Him - always has been, always will be.

[polemikos]

But where I believe Hank's position is flawed, and maybe some of you can answer this, is how do we ultimately know what's a core issue or not?

I'm no HH expert, but having listened to a few of his shows, his stock answer to connumdrums seems to be "the main things are the plain things" after which he moves on to another caller, quickly. Yet, such "main" and foundational "things" as salvation, the Eucharist, sola Scriptura, and sola fide find wide and conflicting (and therefore erroneous) interpretation within Protestant circles.

give me a sec to get my asbestos suit on . . .