B
brgregmack
Guest
I’ve been dialoguing with a protestant friend for awhile now, and I recently sent him a link to stpeterslist.com’s post about St. Cyprian’s treatise on this subject. I got to clarify and further explain my reason for sending him the link this morning, namely honest dialogue and stressing that he’s in a different position than those St. Cyprian was talking about.
This afternoon he sent me his response that he had started composing after he read it, stating that he believes that “unity resides in faith in Christ himself and not with adherence to any tradition or particular organized organized group.” He then gave me a quote backing this up. Good news is that he recognizes that the quote doesn’t completely reconcile the differences of opinion on what is essential, so he’s thinking more.
I’ve composed a response addressing his quote and the differences that contradict, covering John 17 (mentioned in the quote), and the need to appeal to another authority to settle those issues. I quote 1 Tim 3:15 and other passages to support the Catholic claims to said authority. Below is the only part of my argument that I would like to check out here before I send my response. If I need to make any corrections, please let me know.
The Latin for the phrase translated as “made perfect in one” or “become perfectly one” is “consummati in unum” and denotes perfect and absolute unity. Also “consummati” is the same root word for the Latin used in John 19:30 translated as “It is finished.”
Since this is the case, 2 questions must be asked: 1) is Christ’s sacrifice on the cross perfect or not? and 2) can we say that the unity claimed by the source of your quote is perfect?
I think we can agree that the answers to these questions are yes and no respectively, even within the Catholic Church, for the absolutely perfect unity will only be completely effected at the consummation of history. At the same time, there is far more disunity among Protestants than Catholics, especially when it comes to doctrine.
This afternoon he sent me his response that he had started composing after he read it, stating that he believes that “unity resides in faith in Christ himself and not with adherence to any tradition or particular organized organized group.” He then gave me a quote backing this up. Good news is that he recognizes that the quote doesn’t completely reconcile the differences of opinion on what is essential, so he’s thinking more.
I’ve composed a response addressing his quote and the differences that contradict, covering John 17 (mentioned in the quote), and the need to appeal to another authority to settle those issues. I quote 1 Tim 3:15 and other passages to support the Catholic claims to said authority. Below is the only part of my argument that I would like to check out here before I send my response. If I need to make any corrections, please let me know.
The Latin for the phrase translated as “made perfect in one” or “become perfectly one” is “consummati in unum” and denotes perfect and absolute unity. Also “consummati” is the same root word for the Latin used in John 19:30 translated as “It is finished.”
Since this is the case, 2 questions must be asked: 1) is Christ’s sacrifice on the cross perfect or not? and 2) can we say that the unity claimed by the source of your quote is perfect?
I think we can agree that the answers to these questions are yes and no respectively, even within the Catholic Church, for the absolutely perfect unity will only be completely effected at the consummation of history. At the same time, there is far more disunity among Protestants than Catholics, especially when it comes to doctrine.
