A compelling non-Catholic argument

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guanophore;3400381:
Fortunately, the Catholic faith is not based on the Bible,
Than [sic] by your own profession, it cannot be of God.
I think you are once again making a private interpretation that is yet again in error here. Actually you are making a judgement as well.

Guanophore’s meaning was clear. The Church assembled the Bible through the Holy Spirit operating through the imperfect instruments of Jesus’ disciples and His Church. While we revere the Bible as we revere the Blessed Mary (and all the saints who held The Word within them to the end) we do not worship the bible nor Mary. No, we worship The Divine with true proper worship (e.g. Able vs. Cain) by offering to God the only thing He will find acceptable - Mary’s Son.

Your logic would lead us to the fallacy that none of the Apostles were of God since they did not all preach from the same scripts and because the bible did not exist for about 400 years after them. Nor did the truncated KJV bible exist for another 1500 years when Luther defiled the Word of God by taking it upon himself to extricate what he didn’t want to hear.

James
 
What, that the Church is the body of Christ? :confused:

What is St. Paul driving at in this passage, then? 🤷
He is saying that INDIVIDUALS within the body of Christ are given gifts FROM THE SPIRIT. These gifts vary among all of us. Note that they are appointed by the Holy Spirit and not by the Church.
 
This is not scripturally based, it is based on the catholic churches interepretation of scripture and their tradition. The Church of which God speaks, is not limited to catholosism.
Unless you are claiming infallible authority upon yourself, I assume you meant to say it this way.

“I do not believe this is proper interpretation of Scripture. I disagree that the Catholic Churches interpretation is correct.”

Otherwise what you say is nonsense since your second phrase concedes the Church is referring to Scripture.
 
Why do I care about history, when I know the Author.
Please tell me you did not just say this? God has given us two precious gifts so that we can know Him. Our mind to reason with and our eyes to see. Just as science isn’t a threat to God but a display of His Majesty, so is His Story.
 
You are making a distinction that has nothing to do with faith. In fact creation is going to be destroyed by God, because it has become utterly sinfull. Therefore creation was created by God, but it is not of God. Satan is the principalities of the air.
Yet God is going to destroy all men’s body’s and give them new ones since all men are sinners. Then God is going to rejoin all men to their bodies only to cast those that he condemns into hell with body and soul and unite those He calls His own with Him in heaven. I am sure that many people who have faith IN THEIR FALSE RELIGION and FALSE TEACHING will go to hell since scripture tells us ‘not everyone who calls me Lord Lord will enter heaven’. Put your faith in Jesus not in your own private council. The Holy Spirit will lead you to The True Church.

We Catholics profess with all our hearts, minds and souls that We are The Church. Individually we are all sinners but collectively We are the Body of Christ here on Earth.

James
 
]We believe that the Church is an institution of Christ. What makes your authority greater than ours?
I do not make that claim. I only claim that my authority is equal to yours. I would never claim that I have greater authority than any other member of the body of Christ.
I’m not getting your point unless you are saying the Church is a false prophet. What gives you the authority to make such a judgment? What would preclude us from making this judgment of you?
No, I am not making that judgement at all. If you look at the context of that statement you would understand, that I was stating that it is impossible for a bad tree to produce Good fruit.
Please do not twist my words.
Since you think Ni8shadow wrote something unbiblical and it appears the only difference is the use of the word “fallible” and “sinful”, can you explain the difference?
Fallible is meaning that you are living in the Spirit, but still capable of sin. Sinfull is meaning that you are living in sin, and thus incapable of anything of the Spirit.
I am starting to doubt your sincerity. We have told you numerous times that our Faith is in Jesus Christ. From this Faith, we trust that His Vicar is inspired by the Holy Spirit and accept this BECAUSE of our faith in Jesus Christ.
No, you accept that His Vicar is inspired by the Holy Spirit because of the Catholic Churches understanding of scripture. You say that you believe it because the Church teaches it. This implies that your faith in Christ is only through you faith in the Church. If this implication is true, then you put your faith in the Church first, and in Christ second. Understand that I am not doubting your faith in Christ, nor am I judging you. Please do not think of my statements that way. I am merely testing your beliefs to see if they stand up to the scriptures.
We think that the Body of Christ is greater than just His members. Now I understand why you think you have such infallible powers of interpretation. You are projecting His nature unto yourself.
The Body of Christ*** IS ***its members. I do not project anything of the sort. Any authority I have comes from Christ. I do hope that people see his nature in me, but not of my own doing but through the grace of God.
It seems that you are begining to personally attack me. Is this true?
This is getting pretty old. If you want to accuse one of teaching an untrue claim from Scripture, you should provide more specifics.
Your responses are full of resentment. I would ask that you would take a break from posting before you say something out of anger. I have much love for you, and I am greatfull for your responses. I do not wish to see either one of us begin to respond in anger. If you see me making the same mistake, than I wish you would also rebuke me.
 
If anyone says they are save, but goes on “sinning their little brains out” then they are indeed not saved.
This is where Once Saved Always Saved falls apart completely since every single one of you Protestants admit that they are sinners yet when confronted with that in the face of salvation you come up with these silly little bale-wire and duct-tape patches that the other really bad sinner is not really saved. At heart you admit the absolute absurdity that those that habitually sin while calling themselves Christians are nothing of the sort - even if baptised and believing in Christ as God’s only Son. It takes more - it takes living the faith.

Most Catholics can concede that the Bible speaks of salvation as a past-tense event ( Ephesians 2:8–9). But is is also a present-tense event (Philippians 2:12, Paul exhorted us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”). Yet scripture also indicates salvation is a future tense event (Romans 13:11) “our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (1 Cor. 3:15; 5:5).

So it should be logically clear that salvation can be freely received as well as freely forfeited. I think you imply as much above but you just do not consciously grasp this truth and admit it to yourself yet. In time The Holy Spirit will reveal this contradiction to you.

James
 
I think you are once again making a private interpretation that is yet again in error here. Actually you are making a judgement as well.

Guanophore’s meaning was clear. The Church assembled the Bible through the Holy Spirit operating through the imperfect instruments of Jesus’ disciples and His Church. While we revere the Bible as we revere the Blessed Mary (and all the saints who held The Word within them to the end) we do not worship the bible nor Mary. No, we worship The Divine with true proper worship (e.g. Able vs. Cain) by offering to God the only thing He will find acceptable - Mary’s Son.

Your logic would lead us to the fallacy that none of the Apostles were of God since they did not all preach from the same scripts and because the bible did not exist for about 400 years after them. Nor did the truncated KJV bible exist for another 1500 years when Luther defiled the Word of God by taking it upon himself to extricate what he didn’t want to hear.

James
No, I was merely stating that if the Catholic Church does not base their faith in the bible, then there is a problem. For it is wrtten in John 1,"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it. "

Do you agree?
 
Yet God is going to destroy all men’s body’s and give them new ones since all men are sinners. Then God is going to rejoin all men to their bodies only to cast those that he condemns into hell with body and soul and unite those He calls His own with Him in heaven. I am sure that many people who have faith IN THEIR FALSE RELIGION and FALSE TEACHING will go to hell since scripture tells us ‘not everyone who calls me Lord Lord will enter heaven’. Put your faith in Jesus not in your own private council. The Holy Spirit will lead you to The True Church.

We Catholics profess with all our hearts, minds and souls that We are The Church. Individually we are all sinners but collectively We are the Body of Christ here on Earth.

James
Must you always take my posts out of context?
 
Please tell me you did not just say this? God has given us two precious gifts so that we can know Him. Our mind to reason with and our eyes to see. Just as science isn’t a threat to God but a display of His Majesty, so is His Story.
Yes I did. Without the Holy Spirit, what trhuth can our mind reason, and what truth can our eyes see? Do not sinners have minds and eyes?
 
This is where Once Saved Always Saved falls apart completely since every single one of you Protestants admit that they are sinners yet when confronted with that in the face of salvation you come up with these silly little bale-wire and duct-tape patches that the other really bad sinner is not really saved. At heart you admit the absolute absurdity that those that habitually sin while calling themselves Christians are nothing of the sort - even if baptised and believing in Christ as God’s only Son. It takes more - it takes living the faith.

Most Catholics can concede that the Bible speaks of salvation as a past-tense event ( Ephesians 2:8–9). But is is also a present-tense event (Philippians 2:12, Paul exhorted us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”). Yet scripture also indicates salvation is a future tense event (Romans 13:11) “our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (1 Cor. 3:15; 5:5).

So it should be logically clear that salvation can be freely received as well as freely forfeited. I think you imply as much above but you just do not consciously grasp this truth and admit it to yourself yet. In time The Holy Spirit will reveal this contradiction to you.

James
No, I was a sinner. I have since been transformed, through salvation, into the likeness of Christ. Although Salvation was instant, the transformation is gradual. I am therefore, by the grace of God, no longer bound to sin.
 
Even Irenaeus, when he begs Pope Victor not to break communion with the East, does not question the Pope’s authority - he just questions his prudential judgment.
.
That’s spin, that’s not what Eusebius siad about the incident. Eusebius says that Pope Victor attempted to excommunicate the East, and that Irenaeus and the other bishops “very sternly rebuked” Victor. Furthermore, Eusebius says with regard to this controversy that Irenaeus “corresponded by letter not only with Victor, but with very many other heads of churches, setting out both sides of the question under discussion.” Strange for Irenaeus to do, if Pope Victor was the sole arbitor of the matter. Joe
 
From Protestantman: I do not make that claim. I only claim that my authority is equal to yours. I would never claim that I have greater authority than any other member of the body of Christ.
This is not how your statements have come across. You see the Catholic Church as an institution of man. Catholics see it as an insitution of Christ. We disagree.
From Protestantman: No, I am not making that judgement at all. If you look at the context of that statement you would understand, that I was stating that it is impossible for a bad tree to produce Good fruit.
Please do not twist my words.
I prefaced my remarks by saying I didn’t get your point. Are you implying that the Church is a bad tree?
From Protestantman: Fallible is meaning that you are living in the Spirit, but still capable of sin. Sinfull is meaning that you are living in sin, and thus incapable of anything of the Spirit.
So it is just an instance of people using words whereby the other person’s meaning was not understood. I believe it was quanophore with whom you were discussing. For the record, we don’t make that distinction because it implies judgment of their interior state, knowledge and consent and judgment of the grievousness of the offense against God. We leave that judgment to God.
From Protestantman: No, you accept that His Vicar is inspired by the Holy Spirit because of the Catholic Churches understanding of scripture.
Agree
From Protestantman: You say that you believe it because the Church teaches it. This implies that your faith in Christ is only through you faith in the Church.
You do not understand us very well. This is our fault as well as yours. We believe it because we believe that Christ created the Church, guides it, and gave it to us so we may know the “sure and normal” path to salvation.
From Protestantman: If this implication is true, then you put your faith in the Church first, and in Christ second.
It is categorically false. Please see above.
From Protestantman: Understand that I am not doubting your faith in Christ, nor am I judging you. Please do not think of my statements that way. I am merely testing your beliefs to see if they stand up to the scriptures.
I’ve told you all this because I believe Christ when He ordained the Chair of Peter, when He said He would be with us always, Pentecost, and when He said it was the Pillar and Bulwark of Truth against which the Gates of Hell will not prevail. This is my faith. And I believe it stands up quite well against Scripture.
From Protestantman: The Body of Christ*** IS ***its members. I do not project anything of the sort. Any authority I have comes from Christ. I do hope that people see his nature in me, but not of my own doing but through the grace of God.
I guess we are just reacting to an appearance of a claim to Authority that we believe you don’t have.
From Protestantman: It seems that you are begining to personally attack me. Is this true?
I’m just rebuking you as you requested. 😃
From Protestantman: Your responses are full of resentment. I would ask that you would take a break from posting before you say something out of anger. I have much love for you, and I am greatfull for your responses. I do not wish to see either one of us begin to respond in anger. If you see me making the same mistake, than I wish you would also rebuke me.
I have no resentment toward you as a person. I also have no resentment toward what you say.

But just keep in mind one thing. My life is a gift from God for whom I’m grateful for everything. Out of His love Jesus Christ came for me. In gratitude, worship and praise, I will defend Jesus Christ to my very end. Because I see no distinction between His Church, His Eucharist, and His very Divinity, I can not be meek in my defense. Don’t take it personal.
 
In light of the way this is going, I am going to take some time away from this forum. In that time I am going to meditate in the word of God. In this he will strengthen me, and guide me. I will return when I feel that I have more to offer. Thank all of you for your responses. I have indeed gained much insight into your faith. God Bless and peace be with you always.
 
No, I was merely stating that if the Catholic Church does not base their faith in the bible, then there is a problem. For it is wrtten in John 1,"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it. "

Do you agree?
Unfortunately we do not agree. The bible itself tells us to live by every word of God and to follow the teachings and traditions that Jesus’ disciples gave us and to obey His Word. It is impossible to divorce scripture from tradition and teaching and remain obedient to God; just as it is disobedient not to follow Jesus’ commandment to ‘eat my body or you have no life in you’.

Eucharist or the desire for Eucharist is the thing that separates God’s from Satan’s since no one can partake of Eucharist worthily unless one truly believes and remains in Christ (without condemning oneself in so doing). The Word made flesh that came down from heaven, walked this earth, taught, loved, laughed, cried, suffered, died and rose again to ascend to God and send the Holy Spirit is what we Catholic believe in. The Church collectively is The Body of Christ and Eucharist is Jesus’ presence with Us that rains down over all of God’s field as manna from heaven as a life giving gift of the Holy Spirit. Eucharist is the very same Word of God that was with God from before the time of Creation.

Catholics everywhere from east to west, 24/7, as His Priestly People invoke God’s Mercy in daily masses and prayers (Liturgy of the Hours). We petition God to extend His Mercy over all of humanity and to grant His Mercy on those who do not obey His commandments. What other religion on the planet has non-stop prayer and mass for the benefit of their neighbors? What single person or institution can say they they are as obedient to God and offer a similar charity?

The world will always have it’s Cains and Ables. Both brothers want to please God and acknowledge God. But only one has the heart and the knowledge to find God’s favor through proper sacrifice.

Why not come to the Table of the Lord and participate fully in what God gives as spiritual food and to offer to God back the only thing He finds acceptable and pleasing?

James
 
This is irrelavent, because it does not say that Peter was living in sin anywhere in the scriptures. So yes his teaching is absolutely true, but it does not adress my statement.
OK, so if Peter is irrelevant, what about my example of Caiaphas, he spoke an inscripturated prophesy of God’s truth while plotting to kill Jesus. This was not because of his sinlessness, but because of the office that he held.
He prophesied God’s truth because of his office of high priest, while he had fallen into sin.

He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
 
Must you always take my posts out of context?
I did not think I did. If so I apologize.

Catholics have the same irritation with Protestants who religiously take scripture out of context so I am encouraged that you can empathize with our complaint as well.

James
 
There are several things awry in the arguments that protestantman has made.

One is the rejection of history as a valid source for insight. That’s a kind of fundamentalist anti-intellectualism that makes its adherents vulnerable to doctrinal errors that were long ago refuted by the church.

It also ignores the writings of the ECF as valid and valuable insights into what they were taught by the apostles and how they interpreted some passages of the New Testament. (THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE SMYRAEANS is a very good example.)

The abridged doctrines on sin, confession, and forgiveness, which are modern errors of the post reformation step children, that ignore or misinterpret certain passages and oversimplify the Gospel that is preached in the New Testament is another problem. This IMO constitutes the preaching of a different gospel , which is a bad thing.

The inferred idea that all authoritative Christian teaching must be found in the Bible is the grossest error and one that the ECF didn’t even allude to since they express their interpretations of scripture in ways that the Catholic Church holds to this day. The fact that the New Testament does not anywhere even implicitly state this belief and is in fact refuted in 1st Timothy 3:15 and 2nd Timothy 2:15 (Note carefully there what St. Paul says. Does he say to study just the Bible?)

Essentially, what you wind up with is a kind of tail chasing argument that contradicts the Word of God and the historic teachings of Christianity in favor of ill or mis-informed teachings of modern new winds of doctrine.

It can be frustrating to discuss with those who hold them. 🤷
 
No, I was a sinner. I have since been transformed, through salvation, into the likeness of Christ. Although Salvation was instant, the transformation is gradual. I am therefore, by the grace of God, no longer bound to sin.
We are actually pretty close here since you believe that grace is infused over time (as if pouring into a vessel) rather than imputed instantly like so many Protestants believe. We Catholics like the potter and clay analogy where God works the clay to shape us into what He wants us to be. So, in an interesting way you are actually out of step with most Protestants here and are quite close to the truth we Catholics hold.

The thing we have to get you to though is the need to confess one’s sins when we do occasionally step away from God’s grace and fallback on our old self and our original sinful nature. God made it plain that he does not want us looking back at our old way of life in the passage about Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt for looking back. But fortunately, Jesus in the upper room demonstrated that even His disciples in conducting their works for Him would inevitably commit small venial sins (get their feet dirty and dusty) and this is where we get confession from in the washing of their feet and as well in His loosing and binding authority in breathing on the disciples (This is a gift granted to Jesus by God’s Mercy as reward for Jesus’ obedience).

As we are called to a greater expectation in becoming Christian it also becomes possible to sin more gravely in God’s eyes since we know the truth. Even as believers we can still deny Jesus, as Peter did, and commit grave sin even when we know in our hearts we Love Jesus but act out of fear or selfish interest. Jesus will forgive us 70 times 7 times of our sins and The Church through losing and binding does the same.

Until the day we die we must run the good race and finish it and not quit the field. We each must carry our personal cross up Calvary and trip and fall on our way just as Jesus fell (but not in a sinful sense). God is merciful and knows our individual limits. He knows we will trip and fall as we learn to walk with Him and pull our hand away from Him. We must not however consciously abuse that mercy nor put His mercy to the test least we commit unpardonable sins against the gentle Holy Spirit (This manifests itself in four ways if present at the instant of death: 1] despair concerning the possibility of salvation; 2] presumption of God’s mercy and forgiveness {maliciously sinning and presuming Jesus will pardon it}; 3] denial of the truths of faith; and 4] final impenitence and refusal to turn to God.) . God through Jesus gives us Mother Church to invoke His refreshing Grace to wipe our sins away. Even though Jesus was himself without personal sin, God provided Veronica to clean even Jesus’ face and refresh Him to wipe away the dust and the gore as He struggled with the burden of our sins. We should take a lesson here and seek refreshing forgiveness regularly to quicken the rise to spiritual perfection and to bring other’s to Jesus rather than limp along in a luke-warm status.

James
 
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