Luke 9:49-50 and Mark 9:39

[peace2u2]

Do these verses imply our Christian brethren who are not in full communion with Jesus’ One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church but who gather in communion in His name in prayer and who also participate in healing services?

Luke 9:49-50
Then John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.”
Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Mk 9:39
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

 

[COPLAND_3]

Here are some footnotes from the original Douay-Rheims Bible

Mark 9:38. **In your Name. **Miracles are wrought sometimes by the name of Jesus, whosoever the men be, when it is for the proof of a truth or the glory of God. Insomuch that Julian the Apostate himself did drive away devils with the sign of the cross: as St. Gregory Nazianzen writes. *(Orat. 1. in Julian. Theodoret, li. 3. c. 3. Hist) *And so also heretics may do miracles among the heathens, to prove any article of the Christian faith; but they never did nor ever shall work any miracle to prove any of their erroneous opinions; as, to prove that Christ is not really in the Blessed Sacrament.

Luke 9:50. **Prohibit not. **There are some who follow not Christ precisely in life and doctrine, of whom we may make our advantage to the propagation of Christ’s honor and religion, when they do anything for the advancement thereof, with what intention soever they do it. Philip. 1:15.

 

[Ad_Orientem]

St. Ambrose on Luke 9:

Now why does He in this place say that they are not to be hindered … when according to Matthew, He says to these, I never knew you? … the name of Christ is so great, that even to the unholy it serves to give defense, but not grace. Let no one then claim to himself the grace of cleansing a man, because in him the power of the eternal Name has worked. For not by your merits, but by his own hatred, the devil is conquered.

St. Theophylact:

Therefore in heretics and false Catholics, it becomes us to abhor, and forbid not the common sacraments in which they are with us, and not against us, but the divisions contrary to peace and truth, wherein they are against us as following not the Lord.

Source: Catena Aurea of St. Thomas

 

[JRKH]

Do these verses imply our Christian brethren who are not in full communion with Jesus’ One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church but who gather in communion in His name in prayer and who also participate in healing services?

I’m not understanding your question here???
What specifically are you asking?

To me, the point of the passages are that what is important is the heart of the individual. Note that Jesus says - he who invokes His name cannot immediately speak ill of him…Also he speaks of those who act kindly toward a disciple because he is a disciple…
These are things that are consistent with Jesus teaching that it is the person’s hear that is important - not their specific geographical or familial/tribal/whatever position.

Peace
James

 

[Richard_White]

I think that Protestants are still exempt from this, because they are against us in some ways, rebelling against some of the direct teachings of Christ.

 

[Ed_Silvia]

Isn’t it the Catholic Church’s position after Vatican II that there can be salvation outside the Catholic Church but not outside Christ? It does appear that way at times.

 

[po18guy]

Everything that our Lord said must be balanced against the totality of His teaching. Contrast those two verses with this one:

Matthew 7:21-23
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
Concerning Self-Deception

21 “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’

Notice that our Lord did not prevent them from doing those things at the time. But the state of their hearts will bring either justice, or mercy upon them.

 

[peace2u2]

I’m not understanding your question here???
What specifically are you asking?

To me, the point of the passages are that what is important is the heart of the individual. Note that Jesus says - he who invokes His name cannot immediately speak ill of him…Also he speaks of those who act kindly toward a disciple because he is a disciple…
These are things that are consistent with Jesus teaching that it is the person’s hear that is important - not their specific geographical or familial/tribal/whatever position.

Peace
James

I am asking this…My Protestant friend insists that the verse in Luke 9:49-50,

"Then John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.”
Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”,

is speaking about them.

I don’t understand how that can be because when the verse was spoken and even written down, there was no Protestant church, so how can that verse be talking about any Protestant church?

So, who exactly is Jesus speaking about - was there another group at that time that had separated from the Catholic church during that time?

 

[JRKH]

I am asking this…My Protestant friend insists that the verse in Luke 9:49-50,

"Then John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.”
Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”,

is speaking about them.

I don’t understand how that can be because when the verse was spoken and even written down, there was no Protestant church, so how can that verse be talking about any Protestant church?

So, who exactly is Jesus speaking about - was there another group at that time that had separated from the Catholic church during that time?

Well - Specifically - - I think that it is fair to say that the verses do not speak about “protestants” per-se…since as you say, there were no protestants (unless you count the Pharisees )

However

I would also suggest that the verses can be applied to protestants…
Do they Gather in Jesus name? Yes -
Do they speak ill of Him? No -

Seems to fit.

Peace
James