"All we need is John 1:1"

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This is what my dh says over and over and over whenever we discuss RCC. To him, the rest of it- theology about Mary, Christ and his nature (to him it’s hubris to even try to explain Jesus’ nature(s)), IC, Assumption, communion of the saints, purgatory, etc, is all just added-on stuff that obscures the centrality of Jesus and his crucifixion/resurrection. Jesus was always against religion and telling the Pharisees they were hypocrites and putting too heavy a weight on them. He says that if we keep John 1:1 in mind, the rest of it doesn’t matter. We just know that Jesus is God in the flesh and came to save mankind from their sins. We are “too small to explain God.”

Part of me understands where he’s coming from, and part of me feels there must be some flaw in his logic somewhere. Maybe I just want there to be b/c I’m interested in converting. 😉

Also, he throws the Orthodox Church and its changelessness at me, although he doesn’t want to go there either, b/c he says any church that claims it alone has the “fullness of truth” is wrong, and that’s not the church Christ came to start.

Help!!!

TIA,
oneseeker
 
Hi oneseeker. Fortunately we have a great community here that can help. I don’t have all the answers, but I have a few things for you and your dh to ponder.

Jesus was definately NOT against religion. The more you study scripture the more you see He was very devout. Almost everything He did and said has religious significance in Jewish tradition. Jesus came to fulfill and complete all that was lacking and screwed up with religious practices. He was against wrong religion and came to show us correct religion.

Also, I think its very important to understand the details of religion, and to apply them to our lives. Much is expected of us because we are God’s people. This scripture quote got me thinking about simply believing in God and asking for salvation.
Matt. 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” We need to know what is expected of us, and do it, in order to be saved.

Much could be said about Jesus founding one church. I’ll just give you a few quotes from scripture to give your dh something to think about.

Matt. 12:25; Mark 3:25; Luke 11:17 - Jesus says a kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and will not stand. Although He is talking about Satan’s kingdom, He is also talking about His own. What Jesus said so long ago describes Protestantism and the many thousands of denominations that continue to multiply each year.

Matt. 16:18 - Jesus says, **“I will build my ‘Church’ **(not churches).” There is only one Church built upon one Rock with one teaching authority, not many different denominations, built upon various pastoral opinions and suggestions.

John 10:16 - Jesus says there must only be one flock and one shepherd. This cannot mean many denominations and many pastors, all teaching different doctrines. Those outside the fold must be brought into the Church.

John 17:11,21,23 - Jesus prays that His followers may be perfectly one as He is one with the Father. Jesus’ oneness with the Father is perfect. It can never be less. Thus, the oneness Jesus prays for cannot mean the varied divisions of Christianity that have resulted since the Protestant reformation. There is perfect oneness only in the Catholic Church.

I hope this helps give you and your dh something to talk about.

God Bless,

Ryan 🙂
 
oneseeker said:
Jesus was always against religion and telling the Pharisees they were hypocrites and putting too heavy a weight on them. He says that if we keep John 1:1 in mind, the rest of it doesn’t matter. We just know that Jesus is God in the flesh and came to save mankind from their sins. We are “too small to explain God.”
Click to expand...
Ask him if he can convince anyone to go to church by saying John 1:1 - Even Jesus didn’t convince all people to believe in Him that He is God by saying just John 1:1, did He?

Yes, he is partially right that our mind is too small to explain God, but because of that God has given His Church the wisdom and gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us all to know more about Him.

To say all we need is John 1:1 is to really downgrade the works of the Holy Spirit who has inspired the apostles, the disciples and those of His Church.
 
oneseeker,

You might try gently explaining to your dh that there is a lot more to Jesus and scripture than simply John 1:1. As far as the one true church and the fullness of the truth is concerned, I would suggest that he read the following passages:

John 8:31-32
“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

John 16:13
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Knowing the truth is apparently very important. This means the truth in its fullness and not a minimal truth.

Jesus was speaking to the apostles in John 16:13 and at that time they were being prepared for leadership. Jesus even tells them in Luke 10:16 that, “He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

When Jesus establishes his Church in Matthew 16:18 it is that Church which will be lead into all truth and it is that Church which we must listen to if we are to hear Jesus voice.

There is a very good biblical reason for this. Jesus desires unity so that the world will know that the Father sent him. After going through the above passages your husband should read the entirety of John Chapter 17 on unity. All of this must be done with an open and prayerful heart.

Later, engage him in conversations on matters of doctrine that you have studied up on and are enthusiastic about sharing. Do this in charity without being argumentative. Lastly, be the holiest and best wife that you can be. If he wonders about the change in you, you can tell him it is the Lord’s grace coming through his Church.

I will pray for you and your husband.
 
ryanoneil said:
Hi oneseeker. Fortunately we have a great community here that can help. I don’t have all the answers, but I have a few things for you and your dh to ponder.

Jesus was definately NOT against religion. The more you study scripture the more you see He was very devout. Almost everything He did and said has religious significance in Jewish tradition. Jesus came to fulfill and complete all that was lacking and screwed up with religious practices. He was against wrong religion and came to show us correct religion.

Also, I think its very important to understand the details of religion, and to apply them to our lives. Much is expected of us because we are God’s people. This scripture quote got me thinking about simply believing in God and asking for salvation.
Matt. 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” We need to know what is expected of us, and do it, in order to be saved.

Much could be said about Jesus founding one church. I’ll just give you a few quotes from scripture to give your dh something to think about.

Matt. 12:25; Mark 3:25; Luke 11:17 - Jesus says a kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and will not stand. Although He is talking about Satan’s kingdom, He is also talking about His own. What Jesus said so long ago describes Protestantism and the many thousands of denominations that continue to multiply each year.

Matt. 16:18 - Jesus says, **“I will build my ‘Church’ **(not churches).” There is only one Church built upon one Rock with one teaching authority, not many different denominations, built upon various pastoral opinions and suggestions.

John 10:16 - Jesus says there must only be one flock and one shepherd. This cannot mean many denominations and many pastors, all teaching different doctrines. Those outside the fold must be brought into the Church.

John 17:11,21,23 - Jesus prays that His followers may be perfectly one as He is one with the Father. Jesus’ oneness with the Father is perfect. It can never be less. Thus, the oneness Jesus prays for cannot mean the varied divisions of Christianity that have resulted since the Protestant reformation. There is perfect oneness only in the Catholic Church.

I hope this helps give you and your dh something to talk about.

God Bless,

Ryan 🙂
Click to expand...
Very good post Ryan. Quite honestly there really isn’t much to add without be redundant. Again very good.
 
Matthew 23

1 Then **Jesus said **to the crowds and to his disciples:

2 "The **teachers of the law and the Pharisees **sit in Moses’ seat.

3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

I love this verse!

Because of what they are and where they sit (on the chair of Moses) you still have to obey them!

So because of who they are (Bishops) and where the pope sits (on the chair of Peter) you still have to obey them.

Like a father to his son. Do as I say not as I do.
 
One of the problems I have with this sort of reasoning is that it is not being followed to its obvoius conclussion.

For example, once you “know” Jesus is God, then wouldn’t it stand to reason that you would put tremendous weight on what Jesus said and did in his earthly ministry?

In other words, instead of ‘all I need to know is Jesus is God to be saved’ wouldn’t the more logical question be ‘Since Jesus is God, I should probably carefully read what he had to say about finding salvation…’ Jesus was, by the way, directly asked this question. The answer is the same one he always gives in the Synoptic Gospels when the question of salvation comes up.

Similiarly, if what is important is to know Jesus, wouldn’t it stand to reason that you should try to know Him well? That is why many of us are Catholic. We believe that Holy Tradition, Holy Scripture, and the Magesterium all combine to give us an easier path to Christ.
 
Not to mention, not all we need to do is “believe that Jesus is God”. Even the demons in Hell believe that.
 
Hmmm, if that’s all we need, why does the Bible have thousands of additional verses 🤷
 
I think it would be the height of hubris to say the rest of God’s revelation apart from that one verse is useless of even detrimental. God messed up by revealing more? :eek:
 
A famous astronomer once told a bishop that all the religion he needed was, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” He found that a sufficient guide for life.

The bishop responded that all the astronomy he needed was, “Twinkle, Twinkle little star. How I wonder what your are.” 😃
 
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