**Yankee_drifter, you said: **
Joe, if you shorten your posts maybe we can fully respond.
**That seems reasonable. I will, after responding to your post. Do you believe what i wrote though, regarding the bible as being the Christians only authority for the first 400 years of Christianity, or even 1500 years? You can PM if you want.
You said:
**
**Who has the authority granted by Jesus Christ? All born again believers in Him.
**
**So, all Christians regardless of church affiliation have the authority to interpret the bible as they based on their unique view of their bibles? For example the following Christian churches (and that’s nothing compared to the true number) - all have the God given authority to teach based on their interpretation of the bible:
- Adventists
- Anabaptist
- Anglican / Episcopalian
- Baptist
- Calvinist
- Charismatic
- Congregational
- Gospel Hall Brethren
- Lutheran
- Methodist / Wesleyan
- Non-denominational
- Pentecostal
- Presbyterian
- Quakerism
- Reformed
- Restoration movement
- Unitarian
- Waldensians
Keeping in mind that, typically, when these church leaders ask if one believes the Bible, those church leaders mean, do you believe the Bible as we interpret it? You will be the first person that has ever answered this question.
**
See Joe, like a lot of roman catholics you believe “Church” means an organization or denomination. It doesn’t. The body of Christ, His very bride, are spiritually born again believers in Him.The Bible tells us how and why one must be born again.
**How many Bodies doe Jesus have; as far as I know he only has one head? The CC believes that Jesus built one church and His church is the assembly of believers united. If you lived for the first 1500 years of Christianity to which non-Catholic church would you belong? Does the CC have just as much authority as the 15 churches I listed?
**
You believe in your church. Your faith is in your church. You believe your church can save you through its sacramental system.You believe that when you die, if enough prayers and masses are said for you, that you can get out of “purgatory” sooner. Are you trusting in Christ alone for your salvation? Or church rules and rituals?
**You believe in the 16th century man-made doctrine sola scriptura. Are you trusting in Christ alone for your salvation? Or church man-made rules? **
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Not just of your church, Joe.
**Agreed. Is he the savior of the Catholic church, or is the church built by Jesus the whore of Babylon as most protestants teach? I am a former protestant and sadly, this is what they teach, for the most part. **
Do you accept that Joe? Or do you believe
you must
“do” something to pay for your everyday sins?
**One cannot earn one’s way into heaven. We are in agreement. **
Do something to get to heaven?
**However, faith without works is dead, as per the bible. Jesus said: pick up your cross and follow me. He did not say: don’t worry about doing anything good in life; I got you covered. Salvation is a free gift for everyone who picks up their cross…
**
"Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44"They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45"He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
If your faith isn’t in Christ alone, then what is it in?
**Yup! If that is all we need to do, then why even go to church; just have faith in Christ; no teachers necessary - correct? Why does Paul tell us to obey our leaders and defer to their authority? Do you have teachers or are you your only teacher; be honest? If your faith is in Christ alone, thenwhy the need for teachers or churches? **
