“In every case I can recall, I found that if you took a devout Catholic and put them in an ecumenical setting of bible studies, they’ll become a Protestant.”
~ ~ ~
I disagree. To be kind to my beloved Methodist neighbor,
when I was first converted...reverted to the faith. I went
with her to a ladies’ Protestant weekly Bible study.
The speaker was a woman..not a good idea. I lasted three
weeks. I was convicted, she shared in that short time,
man is COMPLETELY depraved. That’s not true.
God the Holy Spirit put on my heart, do not return. The problem is you have no authority to interpret Scripture. Private interpretation of Scripture...you see it’s fruits, division and error. All of Scripture has to line up. Old and New Testament. God gave the authority to interpret
Scripture to the Church.
Read a Catholic Bible...it will be help, especially the footnotes for difficult verses. http://www.drbo.org/
“God gave the authority to interpret
Scripture to the Church. Read a Catholic Bible...it will be help, especially the footnotes for difficult verses. http://www.drbo.org/ “
Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible is far and away the last desirable Catholic Translation...the best one is the Jerusalem Bible (Not the ‘New Jerusalem Bible).
I have been using the Jerusalem Bible for nearly the last 40 years as my favorite translation...and I am not ‘Catholic’, but I am catholic...one holy catholic church...
God gave each of us who know and love His Son, Jesus, as personal friend and savior, the Holy Spirit to ‘interpret’ Scripture...to understand what Scripture says. There are NO misteries in the Word of God...except those created by theologians, both Catholic and Protestant.
We do not need men to interpret for us...Jesus said, when I go I give you another Comforter...the Holy Spirit. The Church is not some hierarchy, it is the body of those who are a part of the bride of Christ. The Holy Spirit will make it clear, if we are not already quick enough to understand what God wrote in the Word.
If you ask God, and it is not made plain to you, then ask yourself...who did you ask...the Real God will make it plain to you.
How do you KNOW God the Holy Spirit put in on your heart not to return? Isn't this an interpretation?
The problem is you have no authority to interpret Scripture.
I see this statement a lot from Catholics. No where in scripture are we told that we are to "interpret". The scriptures tells us that ALL scripture is inspired by God for correction, teaching, and reproof so that we might be equip. It also tells us very plainly that we are not to look to anything other than scripture. And this was confirmed by the early church fathers when they deliberately set apart scripture from all other Church teaching as special or inspired.
You will certainly not find anything about venerating before images or the perfection of Mary in scripture. In fact just the opposite. It's very clear.
Read a Catholic Bible...it will be help
I have. You will find the Catholic Bible to be a poor interpretation of the original language. Beside, the early fathers tossed out the Apocrypha as not to the level of inspiration as the rest of the scriptures.