Hello all,
I have a friend who has a free view of worship, and has used Catholic, Pentecostal, Anglican and even Quaker services in the past. The view is that the True Church is any Church that has Jesus as it’s foundation. I am always interested in a Catholic response to such a persuasive and non-confrontational argument! Here is a brief excerpt of a recent reply:-
*The church:
Yes Peter is the Rock, but Jesus is the foundation.
Peter therefore is the Rock that is laid on Jesus, but also anyone who has Jesus as his/her Rock and foundation belongs to the Church.
At the time of the reformation, the Catholic Church although succeeding from Peter, had lost its foundation in Jesus. You might know that there were systems of indulgences and other practices that were not part of the Christian faith.
When the printing press and translations of the bible started to become widespread, I believe it was a call of the Holy Spirit to find that true foundation once more. It was not the move of the Holy Spirit to divide the Church but to bring back Jesus.
Men divided the Church.
And every time, the Holy Spirit has called people to the true foundation, it has divided them because they can’t reconcile it (Think of Jesus saying he raise sons of Abraham from these stones).
Maybe the gates of hell think they are prevailing against us when the Church divides, but the Church never falls and crumbles, and in times and places of persecution, actually grows…the blood is an intercession!)
So I believe that God loves the Church, and always has, but that he has power to call people powerfully to a further Holiness, and revelation of himself.*
Any thoughts?
