I've been born again to a living hope through Jesus Christ. I have an inheritance in heaven that is imperishable. By God's power, it is being guarded

[Cat]

I believe everything in the statement. I am a convert to Catholicism from evangelical Protestantism.

My problem with the statement is that it is in incomplete. But that’s understandable, since it’s pretty hard to summarize Christianity in one statement.

My serious problem with the statement is that it trivializes the very real and present danger of sin and sets the Christian up for dismal failure and utter ruin in this life.

By stating “by God’s power, it is being guarded through faith,” you abdicate all responsibility to God and take no responsibility yourself. If you fail to be good and continue to sin in your daily life, it becomes GOD’S problem, not yours. HE should step in and guard you, and if He doesn’t, well, that’s the way it is. It’s not your fault, since you’re trusting Him. Let Him do His job, and you’ll do yours–just sit back and rest in Him.

This is the “positional” salvation that so many Protestants (myself and my husband, e.g.) were taught. It doesn’t matter if I commit heinous sin–my salvation is still assured because it is GOD who saves and I have nothing to do with it. Jesus Christ’s perfect righteousness covers me and God doesn’t even see my sin. ALL our sins, past, present, and future, are already forgiven and our place in heaven in assured.

So don’t worry about sin. Don’t even think about yourself at all. Just keep your eyes on Jesus and you won’t sin (ha ha, that’s a good one.)

This teaching works well for many people who are already basically good people because of their upbringing, culture, environment, genetic predisposition, ethnic heritage, etc. Their goodness continues to be acted out in their Christian lives. They would be good even if they were atheists, though. Their goodness has nothing to do with Jesus (other than the fact that all that is good comes from God.) It has to do with their personal situation.

However, for many people, especially in this era when culture has degraded and civilization has given way to hedonism, this “covering by Christ” teaching gives a license to sin with impunity. Hey, it doesn’t matter! I can’t do anything to separate myself from the love of God! It says so in Romans 8.

And many Protestants struggle with serious sins like adultery and homosexuality and theft, and with addictions, and with daily sins like gossip and critical spirit.

The teaching in many non-Catholic Christian groups is that if a Christian continues to sin, he/she is not really a Christian, and needs to “receive Christ” for real. This sets a non-Catholic Christian up for a cycle of receiving Christ with joy, living a good life for a while, falling into sin, doubting their salvation, and starting the cycle all over.

Eventually many non-Catholic Christians simply give up. Christianity doesn’t work for them and they get off the cycle and just live their lives, hoping that somehow, if God is even real, He/She will save them from hell.

Of course, Catholics struggle with sin, too. But Catholics believe that continuing to practice these sins is an actual rejection of Christ and puts us in danger of losing heaven. In other words, WE have some responsibility in our own salvation. Practicing Catholics make a point of trying to repent, confess, do penance, and try to improve (through the help of the Holy Spirit).

In other words, Catholic Christianity is a lot more “practical” than non-Catholic Christianity. It actually encourages a very real and demonstrable change in the person who embraces Jesus, instead of allowing a person to continue to act as they always have.

One of the reasons that I became a Catholic is that I believe the teachings are more in line with actual Biblical teachings. In my many decades as a non-Catholic Christian, I saw so many fellow Christians fall into the cycle of faith, sin, doubt, falling away, and returning to faith. I saw many many Christians fall away and never come back. I simply couldn’t believe that these people were never Christians to begin with. That’s terrifying–that means that many of the teachers, preachers, and just plain Christians sitting in the pews in any Protestant church are not really Christians at all. I couldn’t accept that.

Sin is dreadfully powerful, and when we pass on all the responsibility to God for protecting us from it, we are forgetting the awful death of Christ on the Cross and trivializing His sacrifice. Sin is SO powerful that God Himself had to die, and even that wasn’t enough to convince people to turn away from sin and follow Him. We need to be aware of the danger, and not just say, “God will protect us” as though God is some kind of lucky rabbit’s foot.

 

[Answersplease]

In reality- not my opinion- the entirety of the verse says this:

"an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Thanks.

If you are going to make a statement, then make a STATEMENT.

Playing the “GOTCHA!” game on “cradle Catholics” whom you say in a supposed joking manner probably don’t have Bibles reflects poorly on your witness for Jesus The Christ.

A joke on Catholics made by a Catholic might be funny. The same joke made by a non-Catholic on a Catholic is rude, and I think you meant to get under the other poster’s skin and irritate him. If you think I’m off base, get a Joke made by a Jew (or any distinctive group) on a Jew (or any distinctive group), and let a non-Jew make the same joke on a Jew.

If you were not playing the “GOTCHA!” game then why did’nt make it clear you were quoting Scripture? And as the above quote shows, you got at least one Catholic in your “GOTCHA!” game.

Is deception a new evangelization method that I have not heard of yet?

That was a rhetorical question so don’t bother to answer, and even if you do show that you are the BEST and most PERFECT Christian on this forum and present your post with LOVE and RESPECT.

I’m not perfect so you will just have to excuse me if I’m blunt.

 

[mmmcounts]

Well, it’s all fine and well to say one has faith. However, faith alone is not sufficient for salvation.

Follow the first link in my signature. It is a particular type of faith that’s required. There is a dead faith that can’t save you. There is also a type of faith that can save you. I think I need to start a thread at some point on what Protestants mean when they say “Alone.” It’s not what you think it is.

I have personally known a number of individuals over the years who have made that same proud boast as you, yet continued to live immoral lifestyles! So while anyone can say he has “faith,” and can claim to be “saved,” that doesn’t necessarily make it so.

That’s actually a valid point and a true observation. Thing is, it doesn’t invalidate anything I’ve said, nor does it invalidate anything I believe. Salvation is more than membership in a particular church, and it’s more than praying a certain prayer when you’re six years old. Salvation means you’ve been born again. Other synonyms for this are “born from above,” “born of the Spirit,” “born of water and the Spirit,” and “baptized with the Holy Spirit (and with fire, half the time it’s mentioned).” “Praying the prayer” is, by itself, fairly irrelevant. What matters is whether or not that person has God in their life. Literally. Through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who transforms people. So those people who “prayed a prayer” or whatever? They obviously haven’t been born again. It didn’t happen. If it did, you would see it.

Of course, the outward appearance of good actions does not necessarily guarantee that a person is doing these things because of the Holy Spirit. There are lots of people who do good things without any influence from the Holy Spirit. The presence of Christlike behavior does not necessarily guarantee that a person is a Christian. (If the person is willing to be honest with you and you can trust what they say, you can figure it out with just a few questions…but the mere presence of good deeds tells you basically nothing). On the other hand, in the absence of any Christlike behavior, it is quite safe to say that person is not a Christian and never was. It doesn’t matter what they say, because the reality of the situation is that their actions tell you they don’t love God, they don’t know God, and the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with who they are and what they are doing.

Fact is, if we truly hope to be saved, we must keep the commandments - that’s the purpose of grace! Grace assists us in keeping the commandments, and in so doing we may *hope *to be saved.

If you have faith, you have confidence in the things you hope for and assurance of the things you can’t see. I hope in faith that God exists. I can’t prove it in a tangible way, and I certainly haven’t seen God, but my faith in His existence is such that I have no problem equating this particular kind of “hope” with “knowing” that God exists. Same thing goes for my “hope” in the virgin birth, Christ’s divinity, and a lot of other things.

Likewise, I have “hope” for salvation. I “believe” that I am saved. I do this in faith. When you “hope” for something in faith, you can be very comfortable with saying you “know” it will happen. When you have faith, you can be sure of what you hope for and certain of what you can’t see. In this case, I “know” that I am saved. Of this thing I hope for, I have a confidence. On this matter of something I don’t see, I have an assurance.

Why is it that all the Catholics I run into on here, including the ones on AAA answering questions, require you to have faith in so many other things but discourage you from having faith where salvation is concerned? I think it has something to do with salvation’s efficacy being placed entirely in the hands of…you. The person. In your understanding of salvation, you are solely responsible for getting it, guarding it, and cashing it in. I’m not saying people have zero responsibility, but the general understanding of Catholics sure seems to be that “assurance of salvation” is only as good as the merits a person can bring to the table.

When I hear this kind of stuff, it makes me wonder exactly how you intend to incorporate the first few verses of 1 Peter into your understanding of this inheritance. What happened to its imperishable qualities? What happened to it being guarded through faith by God’s power? Again, I’m not saying people should just sit back and “let God take care of it.” That’s a position held by…well, nobody, actually. It’s really just a silly caricature of people you don’t fully understand. The point is that God’s power is involved here, and faith is involved, too. Again, here’s what faith is:

And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Those are probably the two best translations of Hebrews 11:1.

So, should faith be something involved in your beliefs concerning the salvation of your soul? Take one more look at the verse from 1 Peter that everyone readily agreed to. Then see if you can actually put it into practice. I know it’s a living hope. It says so right there in the verse. It also says something about faith, though. Synthesize. Integrate. Don’t just leave the last part out.

 

[emarc]

Would anyone care to critique this? Do you have any serious problems with anything contained in the title? Why or why not?

glad to. you can recite it 100+ times but still mean nothing. are you simply boasting or humbled by your experience? well… have you done anything lately for Jesus? did you spend time spreading the good news? have you mend any broken heart? have you proclaimed liberty to the captive? visit any prison? visit the sick? feed the hungry? clothe the naked? sorry, could not stop. but there’s a lot of things we can do for our good Lord who suffered and died for us rather than proclaim your righteousness.
God bless.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

Would anyone care to critique this? Do you have any serious problems with anything contained in the title? Why or why not?

Gabriel of 12;
I will not attempt in anyway to judge your faith, just critique what you asked to my Catholic faith.

(" I’ve been born again to a living hope through Jesus Christ.")

Amen, Catholics are born from above with water in the Holy Spirit John 3:5 in water baptism. I am glad you have the “hope” of living through Jesus Christ. As a Catholic by virtue of my baptism **I am **living in Jesus Christ through his sacraments.

(“I have an inheritance in heaven that is imperishable.”) By God’s power, it is being guarded through faith. "

Amen, Catholics as sons and daughters of the Living God of whom we call “Abba Father” are already experiencing our inheritance here on earth by the gifts of the Holy Spirit especially experiencing Jesus body, blood, soul and divinity true presence on earth as it is in heaven.

From my Catholic faith which is Hebrew 11:1 Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence 2 of things not seen.
2
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
3
By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, 3 so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.

The thing that troubles me is that No one is guaranteed salvation. That is why Jesus gave us his 7 Sacraments to take St. Pauls teaching from the scripture; “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” by and through the sacramental life where the blessed Trinity is always present, helps my walk in Jesus Christ, because without him, I could not do it alone based on my faith alone and falling 7 times a day, as wisdom puts it.

Nothing goes before the Father except through Jesus Christ, this we have access to heaven and the Father in heaven because through the Sacraments Jesus is always present who takes us to the Father in life and in death. This we are given the promise and guarantee only through Jesus himself can this salvation become a reality on earth as it is in heaven.

Peace be with you, thanks for sharing

 

[JesusforMadrid]

Hmm well lets see:

You made proper use of compounding ‘I’ and 'have" with an apostrophe creating ‘I’ve’. You correctly wrote it “an inheritance” and not, “a inheritance”. You were spot on with the possessive apostrophe of “God’s”. Kudos to you. Although I am not sure a comma was needed after ‘power’ in your last sentence and you failed to utilize a compound with ‘it is’ by not writing ‘it’s’. Then again the English language isn’t an exact science. Everything that should be capitalized is and you have proper punctuation marks (other than perhaps the comma we already talked about). Last but not least everything appears to be spelled correctly.

A+ mmmcounts

God bless you

 

[JesusforMadrid]

Hmm well lets see:

You made proper use of compounding ‘I’ and 'have" with an apostrophe creating ‘I’ve’. You correctly wrote it “an inheritance” and not, “a inheritance”. You were spot on with the possessive apostrophe of “God’s”. Kudos to you. Although I am not sure a comma was needed after ‘power’ in your last sentence and you failed to utilize a compound with ‘it is’ by not writing ‘it’s’. Then again the English language isn’t an exact science. Everything that should be capitalized is and you have proper punctuation marks (other than perhaps the comma we already talked about). Last but not least everything appears to be spelled correctly.

A+ mmmcounts

God bless you

This was certainly the funniest thing I have read recently.

 

[1edyson]

haven’t read the entire thread, but my one and only critique is to ask the question…how? and follow it up with why?

 

[wmscott]

One, read the first link in my signature. Two, I’m a Protestant, so your question is silly and just a little condescending. Three, can you explain this joke for me?

“If you have a Bible, turn with me to John 19. If you don’t have a Bible you’re probably a cradle Catholic (laughter) Sorry, one of those convert jokes; shame on me! (laughter)”

Scott Hahn in an address written up in one of those “Fourth Cup” articles. The link:
webpages.marshall.edu/~trimbol3/4thcup4.htm

Can you explain to me why this is funny? Also, did that make you laugh, too?

If you have a Bible turn to James 2
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?
17 So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
And pleased spare me your fallable personal interpretations of Sacred Scripture.

 

[jake23]

One, read the first link in my signature. Two, I’m a Protestant, so your question is silly and just a little condescending. Three, can you explain this joke for me?

“If you have a Bible, turn with me to John 19. If you don’t have a Bible you’re probably a cradle Catholic (laughter) Sorry, one of those convert jokes; shame on me! (laughter)”

Scott Hahn in an address written up in one of those “Fourth Cup” articles. The link:
webpages.marshall.edu/~trimbol3/4thcup4.htm

Can you explain to me why this is funny? Also, did that make you laugh, too?

Youre words are inmature, harshe and un christ like. Before you open the Bible remember that it came from the Catholic Church and the Catholic church aka christians existed before the Bible. I was once a protestant who went to chool to become a pastor and came out Catholic and I am telling you the protestant Bibles are off translations, even the original text (catholic) cannot be for sure 100% accurate seeing that the word was passed verbally for years before the Bible was writen. Your intentions of this thread are questionable as far as good intent.

 

[mmmcounts]

Gabriel of 12;
I will not attempt in anyway to judge your faith, just critique what you asked to my Catholic faith.

Thanks, you’re swell.

(" I’ve been born again to a living hope through Jesus Christ.")

Amen, Catholics are born from above with water in the Holy Spirit John 3:5 in water baptism. I am glad you have the “hope” of living through Jesus Christ. As a Catholic by virtue of my baptism **I am **living in Jesus Christ through his sacraments.

Fair enough. We have interpretive differences. I think you’re overly focused on one verse which parallels two other ways of saying the same exact thing in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, and you feel like I’m steadfastly ignoring that one verse. That aside, at least you believe you have been and are born again. Same stuff as usual.

(“I have an inheritance in heaven that is imperishable.”) By God’s power, it is being guarded through faith. "

Amen, Catholics as sons and daughters of the Living God of whom we call “Abba Father” are already experiencing our inheritance here on earth

Gotta stop you right there. The main thing here (and I think you know this) concerns that inheritance in heaven. Don’t change the subject, please.

The thing that troubles me is that No one is guaranteed salvation. That is why Jesus gave us his 7 Sacraments to take St. Pauls teaching from the scripture; “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”

You act as if maybe I haven’t ever seen this before. Come on now, what do you take me for. “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” is understood by me within the context of Lordship Salvation, so please don’t paint me with the Free Grace brush. Furthermore, I need confirmation from you that this “working out” does not entail you earning the salvation that Jesus paid for with His precious blood. Please confirm or deny.

Btw, when a person falls away from grace, this entails a reliance on works of the law for justification. Such a person is not relying on God’s grace but on their own efforts and merits. But that’s not what you do, right? You rely on your efforts and merits…which are themselves gifts straight from God. I know you wouldn’t word it that way, but the meaning is what’s important. You can use 3,000 characters to explain it differently, but if the end result is something that means the same thing as what I just said, it makes no difference.

Let’s do this in terms of Point A and Point B. Oh, and let’s limit it to just two points. Point A is the cause of salvation and Point B is the glorification of our bodies and life with God eternally. For me, point A is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. “Water and the Spirit” is one of about 5 ways to describe this; water, like fire, represents the purifying power of the Spirit. This causes God to literally become a part of your life, which is changed forever. This is the new birth. That person belongs to God’s family. Then we move to Point B, which entails actually living with God. As I understand your beliefs, Point A (remember, this must be the cause of salvation) is the exercise of the “grace” that you have received. Use it or lose it, as the saying goes. The proper practice and display of your efforts and merits (gifts from God, of course) constitutes the substance of Point A. This leads to Point B, which is an eventual (this word brought to you by Purgatory) eternal life with God.

Would you describe Point A much differently than that? No fair making up two or three additional points. Just describe the single cause of salvation, as you understand it, that gets you from A to B. And don’t be all like “Hey, don’t you believe we have to live good lives and be good people? Hey, don’t we have to be baptized and actually live our lives for God?” Of course I believe we have to do those things. I just don’t put them at Point A. They happen between Point A and Point B, but the focus of this exercise is one of an exclusive focus on Point A. Again, Point A is the cause of salvation. Point B is eternal life with God. That’s it.

Perhaps when you’re done with this, you’ll approach future Protestant-Catholic discussions a little differently. If you’re not willing to put works/efforts/merit in Point A and the Protestants don’t put it there either, maybe you won’t have quite as much to disagree over. If you do stick to the Merit system for Point A, though, you’ll notice continued problems.

I could not do it alone based on my faith alone and falling 7 times a day, as wisdom puts it.

So with God’s help, you earn the salvation that Jesus already paid for and you already received when you were born again. That’s how it comes across to me. Just getting all the cards on the table here.

we are given the promise and guarantee only through Jesus himself can this salvation become a reality on earth as it is in heaven.

What does salvation on earth mean if not a guarantee of eternal life with God? Does your understanding of being “born again” entail something like a “money in the bank” shot at the title belt that you may or may not wind up winning, even if God’s help is guaranteed?

Just as an aside here: If God is in your corner, I don’t think you can lose. If you lose, that means God wasn’t in your corner. The way I see it, we can’t win on our own. We just plain can’t win. That’s why we need Jesus. He’s the only one who can fight for us and win that fight (if you’ll humor me in my analogy for a moment), and if He’s fighting, He doesn’t lose. I think I’m obliged to make some argument about how the victory is already won, but I still have to work out how to phrase it in a way that can be evidentially demonstrated.

Peace be with you, thanks for sharing

And thank you for allowing me to pry apart your belief system. I hope you’ll give some serious thought to the development of Point A.

 

[mmmcounts]

haven’t read the entire thread, but my one and only critique is to ask the question…how? and follow it up with why?

All right, that’s a fair question with a relatively simple answer. Let’s look at the entirety of these three verses.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

The first question is how. The overly simple answer is “God did it.” A slightly more detailed answer says “God caused it through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

The second question is why. Let’s read just a little more to find out.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Did you notice how faith is described there and what the result of “tested” and “genuine” faith is?

As to the “why,” here it is, real simple. So that you may rejoice in the plainly stated fact that the tested genuineness of your faith will result in good things after you die, not bad ones. Most people who hear this call it “Good News.” It’s odd how there’s so many Catholics who find it a bit more…upsetting.

Would you like to inquire as to whether I have dead faith or tested, genuine faith? If you don’t want to, that’s cool too. If a yes/no answer isn’t good enough for you, ask whatever questions you want.

 

[jake23]

Thanks, you’re swell.

Fair enough. We have interpretive differences. I think you’re overly focused on one verse which parallels two other ways of saying the same exact thing in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, and you feel like I’m steadfastly ignoring that one verse. That aside, at least you believe you have been and are born again. Same stuff as usual.

Gotta stop you right there. The main thing here (and I think you know this) concerns that inheritance in heaven. Don’t change the subject, please.

You act as if maybe I haven’t ever seen this before. Come on now, what do you take me for. “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” is understood by me within the context of Lordship Salvation, so please don’t paint me with the Free Grace brush. Furthermore, I need confirmation from you that this “working out” does not entail you earning the salvation that Jesus paid for with His precious blood. Please confirm or deny.

Btw, when a person falls away from grace, this entails a reliance on works of the law for justification. Such a person is not relying on God’s grace but on their own efforts and merits. But that’s not what you do, right? You rely on your efforts and merits…which are themselves gifts straight from God. I know you wouldn’t word it that way, but the meaning is what’s important. You can use 3,000 characters to explain it differently, but if the end result is something that means the same thing as what I just said, it makes no difference.

Let’s do this in terms of Point A and Point B. Oh, and let’s limit it to just two points. Point A is the cause of salvation and Point B is the glorification of our bodies and life with God eternally. For me, point A is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. “Water and the Spirit” is one of about 5 ways to describe this; water, like fire, represents the purifying power of the Spirit. This causes God to literally become a part of your life, which is changed forever. This is the new birth. That person belongs to God’s family. Then we move to Point B, which entails actually living with God. As I understand your beliefs, Point A (remember, this must be the cause of salvation) is the exercise of the “grace” that you have received. Use it or lose it, as the saying goes. The proper practice and display of your efforts and merits (gifts from God, of course) constitutes the substance of Point A. This leads to Point B, which is an eventual (this word brought to you by Purgatory) eternal life with God.

Would you describe Point A much differently than that? No fair making up two or three additional points. Just describe the single cause of salvation, as you understand it, that gets you from A to B. And don’t be all like “Hey, don’t you believe we have to live good lives and be good people? Hey, don’t we have to be baptized and actually live our lives for God?” Of course I believe we have to do those things. I just don’t put them at Point A. They happen between Point A and Point B, but the focus of this exercise is one of an exclusive focus on Point A. Again, Point A is the cause of salvation. Point B is eternal life with God. That’s it.

Perhaps when you’re done with this, you’ll approach future Protestant-Catholic discussions a little differently. If you’re not willing to put works/efforts/merit in Point A and the Protestants don’t put it there either, maybe you won’t have quite as much to disagree over. If you do stick to the Merit system for Point A, though, you’ll notice continued problems.

So with God’s help, you earn the salvation that Jesus already paid for and you already received when you were born again. That’s how it comes across to me. Just getting all the cards on the table here.

What does salvation on earth mean if not a guarantee of eternal life with God? Does your understanding of being “born again” entail something like a “money in the bank” shot at the title belt that you may or may not wind up winning, even if God’s help is guaranteed?

Just as an aside here: If God is in your corner, I don’t think you can lose. If you lose, that means God wasn’t in your corner. The way I see it, we can’t win on our own. We just plain can’t win. That’s why we need Jesus. He’s the only one who can fight for us and win that fight (if you’ll humor me in my analogy for a moment), and if He’s fighting, He doesn’t lose. I think I’m obliged to make some argument about how the victory is already won, but I still have to work out how to phrase it in a way that can be evidentially demonstrated.

And thank you for allowing me to pry apart your belief system. I hope you’ll give some serious thought to the development of Point A.

LOL! you have a little tunnel vision here. You must not have realized the Catholic faith existed before the Bible and the Bible was provided by the Catholic church. I went to college as a protestant who wanted to be a pastor and came out Catholic. I am amazed how so many disregard the historical lifestyles and meanings of Biblical times! Catholics are not saved by works but by faith and faith is shown by what they do. You are defined by what you do, not what you say! Youre comments and mentalilty is unchrist like. Are you hear for spiritual maturity or to attack Gods children? Sounds to me that it is the latter! You should drop the arrogance and your assumption of knowing it all in your 400 year old faith and become humble under the Lord and his church that he left to be one body under him! I will pray for you!

 

[freedomwriter]

LOL! you have a little tunnel vision here. You must not have realized the Catholic faith existed before the Bible and the Bible was provided by the Catholic church. I went to college as a protestant who wanted to be a pastor and came out Catholic. I am amazed how so many disregard the historical lifestyles and meanings of Biblical times! Catholics are not saved by works but by faith and faith is shown by what they do. You are defined by what you do, not what you say! Youre comments and mentalilty is unchrist like. Are you hear for spiritual maturity or to attack Gods children? Sounds to me that it is the latter! You should drop the arrogance and your assumption of knowing it all in your 400 year old faith and become humble under the Lord and his church that he left to be one body under him! I will pray for you!

How do you figure that the Catholic faith existed before the Word of God. I was taught that the Catholic church didn’t begin until the 5th or 6th century. Can you provide scripture please. Please do not give the Peter the stone case. That has already been established as Christ being the Rock. Thanks God Bless

 

[SonofMonica]

How do you figure that the Catholic faith existed before the Word of God. I was taught that the Catholic church didn’t begin until the 5th or 6th century. Can you provide scripture please. Please do not give the Peter the stone case. That has already been established as Christ being the Rock. Thanks God Bless

All of the epistles of Paul, which predate the Gospels, were written to the Catholic Church already in existence in Philippi, Corinth, Galatia, and Ephesus. You were taught incorrectly. God bless.

 

[kalt]

Would anyone care to critique this? Do you have any serious problems with anything contained in the title? Why or why not?

Cute.

But though your goal was probably to catch Catholics, you actually proved that Catholics and Protestants don’t read the Bible the same way–even if too many Catholics don’t recognize it when they see it.

I like your post. It’s a good wake-up call to Catholics who spend more time reading apologetics books and posting here than they spend with their Bibles. (Not suggesting that the Bible is the totality of Tradition.) That goes for the Protestants, too, of course.

 

[freedomwriter]

All of the epistles of Paul, which predate the Gospels, were written to the Catholic Church already in existence in Philippi, Corinth, Galatia, and Ephesus. You were taught incorrectly. God bless.

Could you provide scripture that they were written to the Catholic church. I have yet to find anything in the bible about that. And also when did the catholic church begin. Thanks God Bless

 

[Soutane]

Would anyone care to critique this? Do you have any serious problems with anything contained in the title? Why or why not?

Sounds like John3:15 please contine reading to John3:36- “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

God loves you so much that even though you believe in Him,He will ALLOW you to reject him through sin and thus forfeit the Salvation that He so freely gave you at your Baptism.He gave us Free Will just like He gave to Adam and Eve.

As you can see Holy Scripture must be taken in context and totality.It is HARMFUL to take one selective snippet to justify one’s position.Especially when the individual has been given no authority or assurance by the Holy Spirit that his or her interpretation is inerrant.Remember what St Paul cautioned to those who would interpret Scripture.Infallibility of interpretation is guaranteed to to the Holy Catholic Church and to NO other person or eclaisial body.

 

[Sword_Brethren]

That has already been established as Christ being the Rock.

Wrong

 

[Sword_Brethren]

And also when did the catholic church begin.

Pope Linus 76/79 A.D.
Pope Anacletuc 88 A.D.
Pope St. Clement I 97/101 A.D.
Pope Evaristus 105/107 A.D.

There is the Catholic Church