Posted on 07/01/2015 7:13:05 AM PDT by RnMomof7
Recently there has been a surge in prominent Evangelicals calling for unity with Roman Catholicism. In one sense there seems to be strong foundational similarities that would justify these calls to unity. Catholics are baptized in the name of the Trinity. God’s revealed word in the Bible -- setting aside their addition of the Apocryphal books, for argument’s sake -- is foundational to their worldview. Catholics love Christ and believe that he died on the cross and rose again to provide grace for sinners.
Obviously there are theological differences associated with the specific teachings of each one of these perceived similarities, and I do not want to minimize the importance of these differences. But for argument‘s sake, at least on the surface, there is some common ground.
There is also a strong agreement in ethical standards. Both Roman Catholics and Evangelicals ground morality on God’s holy nature as revealed in the law of God. This means that on the hot button moral issues of the day; the murder of the unborn, human sexuality, the sanctity of marriage there is solidarity between Roman Catholic and Evangelical ethics because they are coming from the same source. Again, this seems to justify a call to some sense of unity.
Are these good enough reasons to publically stump for visible unity with Roman Catholics? That question is beyond the scope of this post. But there is a more fundamental question that must be answered first. That question serves as the dividing line between followers of Christ and the world, which separates biblical Christianity from every other worldview; does Rome possess and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The author of the book of Hebrews in chapter 10 contrasts the gospel with that which is but a shadow of the gospel. He argues:
"And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." -- Heb 10:11–14
The argument being presented here makes it clear that Christ’s singular sacrifice, his death on the cross, perfects those for whom it is made for. This is the gospel. It is contrasted with the shadow of the gospel in which sacrifices were repeatedly made year after year because though they symbolized the atoning and perfecting sacrifice of Christ, they never themselves perfected those for whom they were made. The gospel of Jesus Christ perfects and any other religious strategies cannot.
This principle is directly applicable to the question of Roman Catholicism and the gospel of God. Roman Catholic worship centers on the mass. The mass is a series of liturgical practices that culminates in the Eucharist which according to paragraph 1068 of the Catholic of the Catholic Church (hereafter CCC) is a divine sacrifice. Paragraph 1367 of CCC calls the Eucharist a “truly propitiatory” sacrifice. This sacrifice is performed repeatedly in the life of a Catholic.
The reason the Eucharist is performed repeatedly is because even though it is claimed to be a propitiatory sacrifice that can make reparation for sins (CCC, 1414), it is a sacrifice that never perfects anyone. According to the Catholic message grace is something that you get from God by performing certain acts. First, God gives you the grace for faith in Jesus (CCC, 2000). Second, when you are baptized God graciously erases the sin of Adam from your record (CCC 1257). From that point on you get more grace by doing things like participating in the sacraments, including the Eucharist. The problem is that when you commit sins, you lose some of the grace you have gained and now need more lest your grace be found wanting at final judgment. This forces the Catholic into a position where they need to return day after day, week after week, and year after year to a priest who serves to repeatedly re-present the same sacrifice which never perfects those for whom it is made, since it only offers grace to cover some sin.
This is not the gospel.
Roman Catholics need the gospel for the same reason we all need it. We are all sinners with such a messed up and low view of how holy holiness really is that we think somehow through our own efforts we can attain it. If we just had enough time and willpower we could somehow have our good deeds outweigh our bad, and this will please God just enough for me to be acceptable to him. This is a satanic lie. A satanic lie that to some degree or another we have all bought into at some point in our life.
But the truth is glorious. God is good and God is holy. He is more good and more holy than we can possibly imagine. God is so good and so holy that anything less than absolute perfection is unacceptable in his presence. It is because of God’s awesome goodness and awesome holiness that in his wisdom he has offered us grace, through faith in Christ. A good and holy sacrifice that absolutely without question completely perfects everyone for whom it is made.
Post 1056
So how does that change the fact that RCC in the authorized Douay-Rheims changed the meaning to be ‘she’ the singular pronoun, to support the specious Mariology dogma? Incidentally, the Jewish Scholars who translated the Hebrew into Greek did not use a Greek word form that conveys ‘they’. The word form they used conveys ‘He’. Got wrath?
Is it Friday yet?
No, sadly, it is only mid-week. But I’m retired! What am I worried about? I can have TGIF six days a week!
You are begging the question, so to speak.
Incidentally, the Jewish Scholars who translated the Hebrew into Greek did not use a Greek word form that conveys ‘they’. The mword form they used conveys ‘He’.
So make up your own translation; you've got forty years' experience wandering in the wilderness; does that not qualify you to make your own translations, gospel, doctrines, customs, traditions ? Just be sure to get the name of your faith community copyrighted; so many are already taken.
Got wrath?
Is that a new slogan for a marketing campaign ?
But to answer you; No, I got mercy.
Naw, I think I’ll go with the translation by the Jewish Scholars who gave the world the Septuagint, the same translation which the RCC changed to support the heresies of Mariology. Maybe you would like to share a half dozen Scripture passages which teach Mariology and support the RCC characterization of the Mother of Jesus?
The topic of Gen 3:15 has been discussed extensively. http://forums.catholic.com/showpost.php?p=10111520&postcount=4
The bottom line is, no one can say with certainty if it should be “he” or “she”. It’s debatable. So it’s not “proof” that the Church “changed”’the verse. At most it’s an innocent mistake (on Jerome’s part) based on a copyists’ error.
*LOL*
Does that mean you accept or reject that the Authorized Version, AKA KJV, is the accurate and true translation of the Bible in English ?
... the heresies of Mariology.
Maybe you would like to share a half dozen Scripture passages which teach Mariology ...
Are you looking for cheat codes to PacMan ?
and support the RCC characterization of the Mother of Jesus?
I love and honor blessed Miriam/Mary. Somehow this inflames the adversary, but then that is to be expected and borne with grace.
So you don’t have a half dozen of such passages either. Next
Be safe. Pax vobiscum
Then by extension you will have to go with the number of books in the Septuagint. Do you really want to go there?
mitigate what statement?
It is differentiated from contrition that is called “imperfect,” which is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). (CCC 1453)
If you are interested, mortal sin is described in CCC 1854 - 1864.
Well, I guess if I had died when I was a catholic, I would have been up a creek, because I could not generate enough love for God above all else. I was more interested in avoiding Hell fire and brimstone. I figure if I could only generate 99% love for God, above all else, but 1% fear of Hell, then I would have been in deep kimchi.
I discovered later, when I became born from above, like what Jesus said in John 3:3, that EVERY single solitary tiny little sin that people commit, IS a mortal sin.
I would think that in the Garden, Adam committed an extremely SMALL venial sin of disobedience. What harm could there be, from such a tiny little sin like that? Because of that TINY little venial sin, billions of people will experience fire and brimstone forever. Remember, God has a kind of fire that we know nothing about. I have no intention of taking part in that. If other people prefer Hell over Heaven, that's on them. They shouldn't ask me to experience that kind of pain. 🔥😩😫
The above was not a joke, Son.
Boy, I say boy, why, I say why are you biting my leg.
You're a chicken and I'm a chicken hawk. 😀😂
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