Posted on 12/27/2019 4:31:57 PM PST by ebb tide
Are you using the Law to justify yourself?
That is a roadmap straight to Lourdes and relics of Baby Jesus’s first haircut. It’s a one way road to disaster.
I'm merely pointing out the inconsistencies of those who claim to believe that they are saved by Scripture alone but who also select those practices put in place by the Catholic Church which suit them (while at the same time deriding that same Catholic Church).
The opposite.
Christ Himself kept the Jewish Sabbath; He had multiple run-ins with the Scribes and Pharisees on this day, who took issue with His performing miracles on that day. Despite having had ample opportunity, He never once stated that the Sabbath was no longer binding
Christ came to fulfill prophecy as a Jew, born under the Law. To be the perfect sacrifice and to pay the sins of others, He couldn't have sin of His own.
Of course, Christ kept the Sabbath, Jews were commanded as part of the covenant to keep the Sabbath.
If our interpretation of Scripture allows us to reach a conclusion by considering what it doesn't say, we could all read the Bible and come up with a million different understandings of what it actually meant.
Let's turn to the Apostles and see what they told Gentiles (non-Jews) about keeping the Law...
Acts 1515 Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had [a]great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. 3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. 4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders came together to [b]look into this [c]matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that [d]in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13 After they had stopped speaking, [e]James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 ‘After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the [f]tabernacle of David which has fallen, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it, 17 So that the rest of [g]mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles [h]who are called by My name,’ 18 Says the Lord, who [i]makes these things known from long ago.
19 Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from [j]things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since [k]he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” 22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, 23 and they [l]sent this letter by them,
“The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. 24 “Since we have heard that some [m]of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, 25 it seemed good to us, having [n]become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have [o]risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; [p]if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”30 So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the [q]congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its [r]encouragement. 32 Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, [s]encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message. 33 After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out. 34 [[t]But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.] 35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.
Scripture tells us Gentile believers were not bound by Moses' teachings of the Law - It was the Holy Spirit and the Apostles who sent this message.
That said, there is nothing about any pronouncement of the roman church that is binding on any believer. There is no authority at Rome over believers. For these reasons and the previous Scripture I cited, your argument about the Sabbath falls flat once you leave the walls of Rome.
best
“ those who claim to believe that they are saved by Scripture alone”
No one claims that captn
Show me a statement where any one of the Apostles states that they are no longer obliged to rest on the seventh day.
(And don't pull the Protestant stunt of citing a broad quote from Scripture that doesn't mention the actual subject matter.)
You are not telling the truth or you weren’t listening. EVERY Catholic Mass has the Gospel read and a New Testament reading and and Old Testament reading and a Psalms sung.
Give me a break! You are not aware all Christianity was Catholic in Paul’s day.
Not a single one of those is a presentation of the Gospel Message that saves.
"It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all." (I Timothy 1:15)
The Gospel Message is the plan of Salvation.
I did not say no scripture is read. I did not say a passage from Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John was read.
Catholicism began when people departed from truth and incorporated pagan practices and beliefs - later than 150AD
It’s because too many self righteous like you tear down the Catholic Church instead of being tolerant of Catholicism. We have to waste time defending it. .
Acts 15 is not vague. It is clear. Gentile believers were not under the Law. Peter, Paul and the other Apostles stated that this message was from the Holy Spirit and from them.
You are very misinformed and need to try a Catholic mass sometime to hear the readings. Someone misinformed you an out works and grace in the Catholic Church.
It is the opposite for every believer, myself included.
We have no self-righteousness at all.
It is why we need a Savior.
Catholics need to be saved as well, or Christ came for no purpose.
Instead of defending catholicism, why not embrace Christ and salvation??
I beg to differ sister. We read it Every Mass and the priests homily talks about it.
I can’t believe you would judge Catholics like that. You apparently don’t have tolerance of another Christian religion.
I find your story hard to believe. In the 80s Mass had the Liturgy of the Word
The Gospel is the main reading at every Catholic Mass as well as OT and NT and Psalms. Quit spreading false information about Catholics. You’re never going to convert Catholics on threads so stop trying to be high and mighty on these threads
Yes, you already said that, and I already pointed out that I was not talking about reading books of the Bible. I'm guessing you have no idea what the plan of salvation - The Gospel - is, or you would not make this mistake.
Quit spreading false information about Catholics.
I told the truth. You simply don't like it. Noted.
You’re never going to convert Catholics on threads so stop trying to be high and mighty on these threads
Only God can open hearts - especially of the religious, who are closed to truth. All we can do is be faithful to speak.
You can take Acts 15 to justify anything. ("Well, the old law no longer applies and the Apostles never said you can't kill somebody, so it's all good, as long as you believe that you're "saved".). /s)
You are confused then because we Catholics have a Gospel reading from MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, or JOHN
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