Posted on 01/01/2015 2:06:50 PM PST by RnMomof7
With Reformation Day coming up, this is a good time to recall why the Reformers departed from Roman Catholicism. In our day especially, it seems that many Christians have history-amnesia when it comes to the importance of what God did through the Reformers. During the Reformation, great confusion existed regarding what was, and was not, the true church of Christ. Rome had asserted itself as the true church for centuries, and continues to do so today. However, as the Reformers recognized then, Christians must follow in step today by recalling that joining hands with Rome is a departure from Christ.
To be clear, this is not to say that everyone who sits in a Roman Catholic church is not a Christian. What it is saying is that several changes must occur before Roman Catholicism, by the book, can be considered biblical Christianity. And the men and women of the Reformation understood this, hence their necessary break with Rome. In their case, and ours, joining Christ necessitates breaking with Rome and coming under Christ means coming out from under Rome.
Christians will know that it is time to join hands with Rome when it does the following:
1. Renounce the Papacy.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecripplegate.com ...
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it.
Clearly, for anyone who has eyes that wish to see the truth, Jesus and the Disciples were having a discussion about the truth of who Jesus really was. Some Disciples answered that some thought he was really John the Baptist, others said simply that Jesus was a prophet. It was Peter who told the truth about who Jesus really was, the Son of the Living God.
Jesus' acknowledgement to Peter was that he had spoken the truth, and that truth was not revealed by simple flesh and blood, but by God in heaven.
It is therefore, the truth that Peter spoke on which Christ's church is built. Anyone not under the influence of dogma realizes this.
They also don't need affirmation, interpretation, spin, or some authority to create dogmatic spin on Christ's words either.
You're intelligent enough to see that Christs words don't need affirmation from anyone which should include the Catholic Church. Not understanding why you insist on defending the very institution that places itself between man and God when Jesus Christ removed that barrier for us.
(That is not intended to be a disrespectful statement or question btw.)
“They do not need an affirmation from Paul.”
Correct. But He in fact CHOSE Paul as an apostle and taught him through personal revelation, personally setting him apart as his minister to the Gentiles. So it really is Christ speaking to us through Paul, after his resurrection. If you don’t believe that you just lost at least 13 letters from the NT (Hebrews’ authorship being in dispute).
Context in the Bible is incredibly important. Anytime I've engaged in a discussion with a Catholic (as a former Catholic) the discussion invariably turns to Matthew 1:18 in which Catholics insist on talking about that specific verse in isolation of those that come before it.
I tend to give most Catholics the benefit of the doubt when they simply try to argue Matthew 1:18 by itself. It's when they refuse to debate the context that is set before reaching Matthew 1:18 that I know their argument is disingenuous at best, dishonest at worst.
Challenging someone's belief system, especially when that belief system has been held a lifetime isn't easy, and it requires a willingness to look at things from a different perspective/point of view in order to change. Some folks just aren't willing to do that. (I Personally I struggled a lot when deciding to leave the Catholic Church after being challenged to defend my Catholic faith.)
One last comment: Jesus teaches us using examples and stories throughout the New Testament. Those stories are important because they set the context of the lesson that Jesus is teaching.
The shortest verse in the New Testament has two words in it: Jesus wept.
In isolation, we don't know who, what, or why Jesus wept. The context that comes before the verse however tells us why He did.
This is one example of why I say one cannot always take one single verse and quote its meaning with any authority. The content in the Bible is there for a reason, and that's to set the context.
Salvation as much as the abuse of children is criminal....the real crime was the Priesthood protecting the criminals and so it continued and spread for decades.....that is the difference between what is found everywhere else....the Priests were protested...all the way to the top...like a child sexual gang would do....there is a differece.....the cover up continues.
Yes...and thank you.
You have the wrong book, because there is NO competition. Jesus was addressing his people, Israel. The entire scope of Matthew for instance is the Kingdom of Heaven, a temporal kingdom with Jesus as the King. Jesus, through Paul, was addressing children of God who are neither Jews or Gentiles, but one Spiritual Body. Its really not hard if you set aside your religious traditions and simply read God's Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal His Truth.
If you fail to discern the difference between what is written to Israel, and what is written to the Church, you quickly end up in the religious ditch of confusion and error. That was the point of my earlier post.
Sorry you don’t seem to believe in Christ’s words — right?
When you can't discuss intelligently, poison the well, right?
Messiah said there would be false prophets in sheep's clothing that inside would be ravening wolves. He said that they could be recognized by their fruit because corrupt trees bring forth evil fruit.
Well then, the Catholic church is in trouble. While Luther wrote those words, he had no secular power to carry them out. As the preceding shows the Catholic church was very capable and had many innovations in their pursuit of AS in their history. It even continued...Gasp!..after Luther was DEAD. Of course it had begun a 1000 years before he was born. The Catholic church was the real anti-semitic race merchant of history.
And believe it or not, it is far easier to go to God through a priest than to do it one on one with Him yourself.
Going through a priest can give you a sense of feeling insulated from God.
Going one on one, leaves you exposed to the God who sees and knows everything last little thing about you. There is no hiding there. You can fool a priest and even lie to him, but you can’t with God.
So beautifully stated!
The God who knit us together in our mothers wombs, who knows every hair on our heads, and how many days we have in this lifetime has no desire to have an "intermediary" between us.
Sin separated us from our Father in Heaven. Jesus paid the debt for our sin. We are no longer separated from God.
That was Jesus' entire purpose.
My my, will you now revert to the old SDA belief that worship on Sunday is THE MARK OF THE BEAST!
And religion works to KEEP us separated from Him.
Which I daresay, is the reason so many of us reject religion and go straight to Scripture, God's very words to us.
People left Christ’s Church, unfortunately.
How Old Is Your Church?
With that in mind, do you really want to hang your hat on the argument that your RC was there first? Do understand that God’s chosen people ,the Jews, were in line LONG BEFORE your RC? That you were grafted in there? If God will remove His chosen people, do you not think He might remove the Roman Catholic Church also?
This has all been discussed in the Bible already and I will not repeat it here, but I would encourage you to go READ IT.
*It was founded by Jesus Christ Himself in Mt 16:18.
*It would be built on Simon Peter, Mt 16:18.
*It would be defended by GOD Himself, Mt 16:18-19.
*It would have authority given by Jesus Christ, Mt 16:19,18:17-18.
*It would be guided by the Holy Spirit who will dwell within it, Jn 14:15-17, Act 15:28,16:6.
*It would be one and undivided, Mk 3:24-25.
*It would have one fold and one shepherd, Jn 10:16.
*It would have Priests, Bishops, and Deacons, 1Tim 3:1-13.
*It must have the Holy Eucharist celebration, Jn 6:42-70, Acts 2:42.
*It must be found in all nations, Mt 28:19.
*It must be found in all centuries, Mt 28:20.
*Jesus Christ said He would be with His Church every day, in every year, until the end of the world, Mt 28:20. (This means no gaps in time.
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Thank you for posting this.
It's a keeper. I will use it in the future against those predictable anti-Catholic rants posts.
"They" is everyone who doesn't recognize the Catholic Church today as the ONE TRUE CHURCH.
The Catholic Church and how to recognize it.
Use this guideline as a measure:
*It was founded by Jesus Christ Himself in Mt 16:18.
*It would be built on Simon Peter, Mt 16:18.
*It would be defended by GOD Himself, Mt 16:18-19.
*It would have authority given by Jesus Christ, Mt 16:19,18:17-18.
*It would be guided by the Holy Spirit who will dwell within it, Jn 14:15-17, Act 15:28,16:6.
*It would be one and undivided, Mk 3:24-25.
*It would have one fold and one shepherd, Jn 10:16.
*It would have Priests, Bishops, and Deacons, 1Tim 3:1-13.
*It must have the Holy Eucharist celebration, Jn 6:42-70, Acts 2:42.
*It must be found in all nations, Mt 28:19.
*It must be found in all centuries, Mt 28:20.
*Jesus Christ said He would be with His Church every day, in every year, until the end of the world, Mt 28:20. (This means no gaps in time.)
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:o)
Well, good luck explaining supporting evil to God. Because it ain’t a true church that did the things and does them often, that I listed. At least not ‘true’ to the Bible.
Please show where New Testament believers are commanded to keep the Sabbath.
***Did you or someone else just make up this meeting on Sunday practice, or are you commanded to by Scripture ? ***
No sweat!
The day Christ rose.
Matthew 28:1
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
Mark 16:2
And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Mark 16:9
Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Luke 24:1
Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
John 20:1
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
***John 20:19***
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Now pay special attention to these two verses.
***Acts 20:7***
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
***1 Corinthians 16:2***
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
Romans brings a lot of points up that hit us where we live.
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