How to become a Protestant Pastor? Perhaps the reason why so many bible interpretations?

[Hisalone]

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrement. Medetative and contemplative prayer is used extensively in Catholic devotions. Examples: Litany of the Saints, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Rosary. You are completely ignoring what I am stressing: Discernment and Formation.And truth be told, the Catholic Priesthood has a higher standard of dedication than anything I encountered as a Fundamentalist. Vows are unheard of in the Protestant ministry. Diocesan Priests have vowns of celibacy and obedience. Orders add poverty on top of the other two. Fundamentalists? No sacrifice needed. They can marry. They have no one to be obedient to. Poverty? Talk to Jerry Fallwell and the televangelists about that one. Seminary is more than just learning the faith out of a book. Education for a Pastor is vitally important. Christianity is not simple. CS Lewis said that nothing real is simple.

PS Before you call Adoration of the Eucharist idolatry, it isn’t. It would be if it were not the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. But that is a topic for another thread.

Again I ask adoration of what? You say that Jesus is in the bread but if He is not then what are you adoring?
The devotions of the litanies and rosary and Chaplets are not to hear God in fact they get in the way. Contemplative prayer as practiced in the monastaries is an excercise to hear God.
Peter traveled with his wife. Do you mock Peter?
My pastor recieves no pay, works in excess of of forty hours to shepherd a very small flock. Takes care of his family and does have a strong prayer life. Its a shame you never met Christ when you were a fundamentalist.

 

[BrianH]

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrement. Medetative and contemplative prayer is used extensively in Catholic devotions. Examples: Litany of the Saints, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Rosary. You are completely ignoring what I am stressing: Discernment and Formation.And truth be told, the Catholic Priesthood has a higher standard of dedication than anything I encountered as a Fundamentalist. Vows are unheard of in the Protestant ministry. Diocesan Priests have vowns of celibacy and obedience. Orders add poverty on top of the other two. Fundamentalists? No sacrifice needed. They can marry. They have no one to be obedient to. Poverty? Talk to Jerry Fallwell and the televangelists about that one. Seminary is more than just learning the faith out of a book. Education for a Pastor is vitally important. Christianity is not simple. CS Lewis said that nothing real is simple.

PS Before you call Adoration of the Eucharist idolatry, it isn’t. It would be if it were not the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. But that is a topic for another thread.

No one tags Jerry Falwell about being wealthy. If you are going to bash televangelists, which I can join, at least peg the right one.

 

[CWBetts]

Again I ask adoration of what? You say that Jesus is in the bread but if He is not then what are you adoring?
The devotions of the litanies and rosary and Chaplets are not to hear God in fact they get in the way. Contemplative prayer as practiced in the monastaries is an excercise to hear God.
Peter traveled with his wife. Do you mock Peter?
My pastor recieves no pay, works in excess of of forty hours to shepherd a very small flock. Takes care of his family and does have a strong prayer life. Its a shame you never met Christ when you were a fundamentalist.

I never met Christ because a Fundamentalist Church is just an empty building. Christ is truly present in every Roman Catholic church in the world. FUndamentlaism falls into the trap of ignoring the parts of the Bible they can’t explain. I never met Christ until I beccame Catholic. Stop your Catholic-bashing. To say that the Rosary and Chaplet of Divinr Mercy “get in the way” provess you know not of waht you speak. I spent years as a FUndamenta;ist, but never learned how to pray until I became Catholic.

 

[Hisalone]

I never met Christ because a Fundamentalist Church is just an empty building. Christ is truly present in every Roman Catholic church in the world. FUndamentlaism falls into the trap of ignoring the parts of the Bible they can’t explain. I never met Christ until I beccame Catholic. Stop your Catholic-bashing. To say that the Rosary and Chaplet of Divinr Mercy “get in the way” provess you know not of waht you speak. I spent years as a FUndamenta;ist, but never learned how to pray until I became Catholic.

Its funny that you accuse me of Catholic bashing on a thread that was started and that you joined that bashes Protestants. If all you know is the rosary and the Chaplet you still dont know how to pray.

 

[wisdomseeker]

The first step is to be called by God, everything after that will fall into place.

P.S. They are not just people with great biblical knowledge, they are called of God to be under shepherds of his flock, Christ being the chief shepherd.

i dissagree with you here. those called by Jesus has been recorded in Sacred Scriptures. it started with the Apostles. then the Apostles called others so would be an umbroken sucssession of the called.

Jesus did not wait until the Bible came into being to call people to follow Him. since the enterpretation of the Bible by man can lead into err, congregations formed based on Scriptures alone cannot be trusted.

a priest cannot ordained anybody. ML cannot and have no authority to ordain others. you use the Bible to ordain yourselves. that is not what Jesus commanded to do. Jesus was ordained by the Father, then Jesus ordained the Called. it is all there in the Bible. read it. it already happened. the Bible alone cannot ordained noone.

***“Let us note that the very tradition, teaching, and faith of the
Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, was preached
by the Apostles, and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was the Church founded;
and if anyone departs from this, he neither is nor any longer ought to be called a Christian.”
St. Athanasius, Letter to Serapion of Thmuis, 359 A.D… ***

 

[CWBetts]

Its funny that you accuse me of Catholic bashing on a thread that was started and that you joined that bashes Protestants. If all you know is the rosary and the Chaplet you still dont know how to pray.

Every week I engage in the prayer that is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Every day i spend time contemplating what GOd desires for my life. Yes, I do pray the powerful prayers of the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. I also ask for intercession from the Saints and Mary. Not all prayer is on your knees. You can pray while walking, while driving, doing housework. And it is during these times I feel God in my life. None of this was stressed in my old Fundamentalist church. Fundamentalism is 100% man-made. It never surfaced until the 19th century, and is based on taking passages of the Scriptures out of context, or ignoring them altogther. Again, I know this from experience.

 

[Hisalone]

Every week I engage in the prayer that is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Every day i spend time contemplating what GOd desires for my life. Yes, I do pray the powerful prayers of the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. I also ask for intercession from the Saints and Mary. Not all prayer is on your knees. You can pray while walking, while driving, doing housework. And it is during these times I feel God in my life. None of this was stressed in my old Fundamentalist church. Fundamentalism is 100% man-made. It never surfaced until the 19th century, and is based on taking passages of the Scriptures out of context, or ignoring them altogther. Again, I know this from experience.

Why are you an active participant in a thread started for the purpose to bash Protestans?
As an exCatholic I have been there done that.

 

[CWBetts]

Why are you an active participant in a thread started for the purpose to bash Protestans?
As an exCatholic I have been there done that.

If you are an ex-Catholic, you never knew your faith.

 

[wisdomseeker]

Not at all.
Peter was taught by Christ. Christ is the same today as He was yesterday. He sill teaches His disciples, those that listen. Does your church teach you how to hear from God?

i just dont see how it cannot. remember what it is written… “and you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” apparently we do hear from God, since we believe what He said to this day.

since you refuse to believe what our Lord said, you are the one who do not hear from God.

we have witness from the beginning like the one bellow. do you have any witness like this testifying of your church back then?

**
“Let us note that the very tradition, teaching, and faith of the
Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, was preached
by the Apostles, and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was the Church founded;
and if anyone departs from this, he neither is nor any longer ought to be called a Christian.”
St. Athanasius, Letter to Serapion of Thmuis, 359 A.**D…

 

[humble_in_doubt]

If you are an ex-Catholic, you never knew your faith.

I did certainly know Catholicism. I knew scripture back to front, I knew the catechism (heck I still remember most of it), I read all the greats (from Augustine to Aquinas). In fact I knew more about the Catholic faith than any other Catholic I knew (who all remain Catholic).

The truth is I walked away from religion because the fallacy of it all became exposed. As I grew intellectually it eventually became untenable from a logical perspective … and that’s it.

 

[CWBetts]

I did certainly know Catholicism. I knew scripture back to front, I knew the catechism (heck I still remember most of it), I read all the greats (from Augustine to Aquinas). In fact I knew more about the Catholic faith than any other Catholic I knew (who all remain Catholic).

The truth is I walked away from religion because the fallacy of it all became exposed. As I grew intellectually it eventually became untenable from a logical perspective … and that’s it.

You simply decided you know more than God.

 

[Hisalone]

i just dont see how it cannot. remember what it is written… “and you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” apparently we do hear from God, since we believe what He said to this day.

since you refuse to believe what our Lord said, you are the one who do not hear from God.

we have witness from the beginning like the one bellow. do you have any witness like this testifying of your church back then?

**
“Let us note that the very tradition, teaching, and faith of the
Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, was preached
by the Apostles, and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was the Church founded;
and if anyone departs from this, he neither is nor any longer ought to be called a Christian.”
St. Athanasius, Letter to Serapion of Thmuis, 359 A.**D…

Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God is the rock that Gods Church is built on.

 

[allischalmers]

Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God is the rock that Gods Church is built on.

Amen and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAmen

 

[CWBetts]

Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God is the rock that Gods Church is built on.

So what Jesus is saying is this: (Matthew 16:17-18, KJV)

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. [R] +]
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Rock, and upon me I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

This makes no sense. If the “Rock” is insignificant, then why would Jesus rename Simon “Kephas”? Peter, and his authority as the first Pope, is the rock Jesus is talking about here. To have him mix his metaphors makes no sense! And in case you haven’t noticed, the gates of hell have not prevailed aginst the Catholic Church, although the attacks keep coming. I’ve noticed the world doesn’t expend alot of energy attacking the Evangelical movement. Not compared to the attackes leveled at the Catholic Church. Perhaps it is because the devil sees no need to attack those that pose no threat to him.

 

[allischalmers]

the Bible alone cannot ordained noone.

that tells me a lot about your education, buddy boy!

 

[CWBetts]

The first step is to be called by God, everything after that will fall into place.

P.S. They are not just people with great biblical knowledge, they are called of God to be under shepherds of his flock, Christ being the chief shepherd.

I know for a fact that no effort is put into discerning a call amongst Baptists. They pressure people into admitting that they “feel a call” to the ministry. I know this is true, this is what happened to me. They are just people, relying on their own charisma to buld a big congregation. Pastor appointment is a joke as well. It is a popularity contest, with the congreagtion voting on whomever they like the best. That is not the structure found in the Scriptures. Men were sent. Men were chosen. They were not self-appointed, and they were not elected by the entire congreragtion. I have spent more than a year in prayer discerning my own vocation, and I still am not sure. I do know that as a Baptist my “call” was what I knew my pastor wanted to hear.

 

[wisdomseeker]

that tells me a lot about your education, buddy boy!

Thanks be to God, He doesnt depend on your education to bring about His plan.

"Let us note that the very tradition, teaching, and faith of the
Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, was preached
by the Apostles, and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was the Church founded;
and if anyone departs from this, he neither is nor any longer ought to be called a Christian."
St. Athanasius, Letter to Serapion of Thmuis, 359 A.D…

 

[wisdomseeker]

Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God is the rock that Gods Church is built on.

that doesnt change the fact that He built His Church. Jesus was ordained by His Father and Jesus ordained the Apostles whom they appointed others. to this day there is an umbroken line of sucssession of Bishops and priests to do the sacrifice of the Mass in the CC. the CC which put the Bible together, the Book you have today. the Book came from Her. now, because you have this Book you think you can do anything with it. you cant. this Book was written to the Catholic Church. she is the sole enterpreter. this Book cannot in any way be used any other way. certainly not to ordained your pastors. it is all recorded, when Jesus ordained His called. He already called His people. all you doing is trying to imitate what has already happened. think about this.

**
“Let us note that the very tradition, teaching, and faith of the
Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, was preached
by the Apostles, and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was the Church founded;
and if anyone departs from this, he neither is nor any longer ought to be called a Christian.”
St. Athanasius, Letter to Serapion of Thmuis, 359 A.D…**

 

[wisdomseeker]

I know for a fact that no effort is put into discerning a call amongst Baptists. They pressure people into admitting that they “feel a call” to the ministry. I know this is true, this is what happened to me. They are just people, relying on their own charisma to buld a big congregation. Pastor appointment is a joke as well. It is a popularity contest, with the congreagtion voting on whomever they like the best. That is not the structure found in the Scriptures. Men were sent. Men were chosen. They were not self-appointed, and they were not elected by the entire congreragtion. I have spent more than a year in prayer discerning my own vocation, and I still am not sure. I do know that as a Baptist my “call” was what I knew my pastor wanted to hear.

blessed be you for your honesty. we know Jesus built one Church. He ordained one Church not many. He only has one Bride not many. God is no adulterer.

we know the CC has been here for 2000 years. today, people pick up the Bible and go around thinking they understand when they dont.

i have a cousin who also want to be a pastor. his education is only elementary school. yet he condemns me for being in the CC. he tells me that the CC killed Jesus and the Jews. another time he tells me that the CC did not exist untill the Constantino. based on that i can say that all the lies he heard blinded him to the Truth, making him unable to see the Truth no matter what i say. conclusion, the devil blinds people with his lies making impossible for them to even seek the Truth.

"Let us note that the very tradition, teaching, and faith of the
Catholic Church from the beginning, which the Lord gave, was preached
by the Apostles, and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was the Church founded;
and if anyone departs from this, he neither is nor any longer ought to be called a Christian."
St. Athanasius, Letter to Serapion of Thmuis, 359 A.D…

 

[SyCarl]

Men were sent. Men were chosen. They were not self-appointed, and they were not elected by the entire congreragtion.

Actually the Didache says to select bishops and deacons for ourselves.

Appoint, therefore, for yourselves, bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men meek, and not lovers of money, and truthful and proved; for they also render to you the service of prophets and teachers.

Chapter 15
ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf07.viii.iii.xv.html

Clement of Rome indicates that bishops could be selected by the successors of the Apostles or other eminent men and that the approval of the whole church was required.

Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that there would be strife on account of the office of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed those [ministers] already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them in their ministry. We are of opinion, therefore, that those appointed by them, or afterwards by other eminent men, with the consent of the whole church, and who have blamelessly served the flock of Christ, in a humble, peaceable, and disinterested spirit, and have for a long time possessed the good opinion of all, cannot be justly dismissed from the ministry.

Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 44
newadvent.org/fathers/1010.htm

Tertullian says that a church can be apostolic even if not founded the Apostles or apostolic men. In fact he says such churches were being started daily.

To this test, therefore will they be submitted for proof by those churches, who, although they derive not their founder from apostles or apostolic men (as being of much later date, for they are in fact being founded daily), yet, since they agree in the same faith, they are accounted as not less apostolic because they are akin in doctrine.

Prescription Against Heresies, Chapter 32
newadvent.org/fathers/0311.htm

He also says that in the absence of priests anyone can act as a priest for themselves even if they are laics. He includes offering which appears to refer to the Eucharist.

Accordingly, where there is no joint session of the ecclesiastical Order, you offer, and baptize, and are priest, alone for yourself. But where three are, a church is, albeit they be laics. For each individual lives by his own faith, nor is there exception of persons with God; since it is not hearers of the law who are justified by the Lord, but doers, according to what the apostle withal says. Therefore, if you have the right of a priest in your own person, in cases of necessity, it behoves you to have likewise the discipline of a priest whenever it may be necessary to have the right of a priest.

On Exhortation to Chastity, Chapter 7
newadvent.org/fathers/0405.htm

Cyprian also speaks of a bishop being appointed on the suffrage of an entire people.

But—I speak to you as being provoked; I speak as grieving; I speak as constrained—when a bishop is appointed into the place of one deceased, when he is chosen in time of peace by the suffrage of an entire people, when he is protected by the help of God in persecution, faithfully linked with all his colleagues, approved to his people by now four years’ experience in his episcopate;…

Epistle 54, Paragraph 6
ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05.iv.iv.liv.html

Elsewhere he says that a people have the power of selecting priests for themselves and that they should separate themselves from a sinful prelate.

On which account a people obedient to the Lord’s precepts, and fearing God, ought to separate themselves from a sinful prelate, and not to associate themselves with the sacrifices of a sacrilegious priest, especially since they themselves have the power either of choosing worthy priests, or of rejecting unworthy ones.

Epistle 67, Paragraph 3
newadvent.org/fathers/050667.htm

It seems, at very least, there were several ways for priests and bishops to be appointed.