C
Cyril_Of_Canada
Guest
Hi everyone. I just came off from an emotional day yesterday which climaxed with abstaining from a protestant communion for the first time and finding out something truly wonderful about my wife and my friend and his own marital situation that literally brought me to tears. I just want to say how wonderful God is working in my life, and, although I’m scared at the same time, I know God is there with me.
One of the things that happened yesterday is that a man I truly respect and love as my friend in Christ recently accepted my invitation to read two catholic study Bibles I own. I handed the Didache Bible and Ignatius Study Bible to him last week and was able to share things I thought I normally wouldn’t: Catholic Answers Live forum, Catholic Answers Live radio and Catholic Answers tracts and just share with him about this aspect of me that is truly seeking the Lord.
Well, I saw him yesterday afternoon and we had a discussion. He said he didn’t agree with the Catholic interpretation of some of the scriptures in the Didache Bible and felt it was theologically even though to me he is that kind of person, but he did like the Ignatius Study Bible. We covered the topic of the Canon Of Scripture and I asked him his thoughts about Wisdom Chapter 2 on how strikingly similar it to Christ’s ministry. But in the end, it came down to authority. He likes Augustine but he is siding with Jerome(Jerome’s personal opinion on the matter that is) when it comes to the Canon Of Scripture and the Deuterocanon. That’s fine. The Protestant Service started and I had to cut it short and we agreed to disagree. He asked me if I accept that particular council where where the Canon Of Scripture was set. I said I did; He said he didn’t. We left it at that.
Later, I met him again and asked him some more questions about his thoughts. He said he has nothing to share with me but if I have something interesting to share with him, then to let him know. I asked him more for something specific, but he said just “something interesting.” He’s currently seeking studying german to read what Lutherans have to say about theology in german which is how I was able to offer him to borrow my Catholic Study Bibles. After all, Lutherans are very close to catholicism compared to the church we’re in.
So, I’ve been really pondering on this. What really struck me was how he felt the Didache Bible was theologically even though he is learning german in order to read what german lutheran theologians have to say. I must say, I really feel prompted to hand him the book Rome Sweet Home or Crossing The Tiber and say “This may interest you. It had a life-changing influence on me and I wanted to share it with you. It had a huge influence on me and I found it very interesting to read.”
I also feel I should continue to ask him questions to discern what he thinks about some things, such as what is it in the Didache Bible about interpretations that he disagrees with. And I really want to share him this really interesting site that I found out the other day that talks about the history of the Canon and how Luther changed it and where we can find the deuterocanon references in the New Testament.
But something tells me a conversion testimony might be the best thing, especially to an evangelical protestant.
I’m afraid of providing something he may not find interesting and the door of discussion and sharing might be shut, but I really feel prompted to give Rome Sweet Home or a book like that, but I need to discern what is emotion and what is the Lord impressing upon my heart and really how to proceed with this. I actually feel ****** about evangelizing because I’m not a catholic yet but I really want to employ stratagem(not strategy) where I have loved ones rise up and join me in my journey to the Catholic Church. I don’t want to do this alone, and I certainly am praying for people in my church to join me who could help influence my wife.
One of the things that happened yesterday is that a man I truly respect and love as my friend in Christ recently accepted my invitation to read two catholic study Bibles I own. I handed the Didache Bible and Ignatius Study Bible to him last week and was able to share things I thought I normally wouldn’t: Catholic Answers Live forum, Catholic Answers Live radio and Catholic Answers tracts and just share with him about this aspect of me that is truly seeking the Lord.
Well, I saw him yesterday afternoon and we had a discussion. He said he didn’t agree with the Catholic interpretation of some of the scriptures in the Didache Bible and felt it was theologically even though to me he is that kind of person, but he did like the Ignatius Study Bible. We covered the topic of the Canon Of Scripture and I asked him his thoughts about Wisdom Chapter 2 on how strikingly similar it to Christ’s ministry. But in the end, it came down to authority. He likes Augustine but he is siding with Jerome(Jerome’s personal opinion on the matter that is) when it comes to the Canon Of Scripture and the Deuterocanon. That’s fine. The Protestant Service started and I had to cut it short and we agreed to disagree. He asked me if I accept that particular council where where the Canon Of Scripture was set. I said I did; He said he didn’t. We left it at that.
Later, I met him again and asked him some more questions about his thoughts. He said he has nothing to share with me but if I have something interesting to share with him, then to let him know. I asked him more for something specific, but he said just “something interesting.” He’s currently seeking studying german to read what Lutherans have to say about theology in german which is how I was able to offer him to borrow my Catholic Study Bibles. After all, Lutherans are very close to catholicism compared to the church we’re in.
So, I’ve been really pondering on this. What really struck me was how he felt the Didache Bible was theologically even though he is learning german in order to read what german lutheran theologians have to say. I must say, I really feel prompted to hand him the book Rome Sweet Home or Crossing The Tiber and say “This may interest you. It had a life-changing influence on me and I wanted to share it with you. It had a huge influence on me and I found it very interesting to read.”
I also feel I should continue to ask him questions to discern what he thinks about some things, such as what is it in the Didache Bible about interpretations that he disagrees with. And I really want to share him this really interesting site that I found out the other day that talks about the history of the Canon and how Luther changed it and where we can find the deuterocanon references in the New Testament.
But something tells me a conversion testimony might be the best thing, especially to an evangelical protestant.
I’m afraid of providing something he may not find interesting and the door of discussion and sharing might be shut, but I really feel prompted to give Rome Sweet Home or a book like that, but I need to discern what is emotion and what is the Lord impressing upon my heart and really how to proceed with this. I actually feel ****** about evangelizing because I’m not a catholic yet but I really want to employ stratagem(not strategy) where I have loved ones rise up and join me in my journey to the Catholic Church. I don’t want to do this alone, and I certainly am praying for people in my church to join me who could help influence my wife.
