[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

-—the RCC does not have scripture as its central authority.——

SOLE authority. That’s Luther’s tradition. It’s not even in the Bible.

What did Jesus say?

“If he will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector.”

Not churches, THE church. Singular.

[CynicalBear]

>>“If he will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector.”<<

You forgot to include more of that passage.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

The “church” in that instance was the local group of believers, not a central overall ruling organization.

>>Not churches, THE church. Singular.<<

You mean like the “church” at Corinth? Or like the “church” at Ephesus. Or maybe the “church” in Smyrna? How about the “church” in Sardis or the “church” of the of the Laodiceans?

Interesting how they were not included in some overarching ruling hierarchy like the RCC isn’t it?

[metmom]

“If he will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector.” Not churches, THE church. Singular.

Which does not by default mean the RCC. There is only one church which is why the word is not plural in the passage.

The church is a body, a living organism - the body of Christ. It's an organism, not an organization.