“And the gates of Hell shall not prevail”, is not the same as “people within the Church won’t make mistakes or teach error”. The Church is more than the Church Militant. It is the Church Triumphant as well. Certainly, no error is taught there, but here on earth where there is still sin, disagreements and misunderstandings still exist. Even if the pope is wrong on one teaching or another, or Orthodoxy is wrong in the same way, or Lutheranism is wrong, etc, that is not the gates of Hell prevailing against His Church.
Hey Jon; merry Christmas brother…
Jon, certainly, no error is taught in the church triumphant, in heaven; no one would disagree with you on that point. However, the following words were spoken to Jesus’ church militant, here on earth, in the 1st century, to the fledgling fallible and sinful leaders of Jesus’ church militant:
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
According to the holy bible Jesus’ established church militant (in the 1st century) - was told by Jesus that the holy spirit would be sent to His church militant, on earth, to guide His church into all truth. In spite of all the sin, disagreements and misunderstandings (due to fallibly minded folks, and the never ending onslaught of the marauding underworld) - that still existed in the 1st century, encompassing and assailing the church militant, comprised of the apostles themselves, and their disciples such as Luke, Mark and Titus and Timothy, surely you would agree that the holy spirit, as per John 16:13, was in fact protecting and safeguarding doctrinal truth, in Jesus’ church militant, from within and without, in the 1st century? Up until Pentecost Jesus’ church militant had not received the holy spirit and the divine protection that would enable Jesus’ church militant to reliably speak the truth regarding all that Jesus taught, for the simple fact that Jesus had yet to be glorified:
John 7:39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
But once Jesus was glorified the following occurred:
John 14 - “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you.
John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 15:26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.
John 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
John 16:13 - “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."
Jon, in your opinion, did the holy spirit, (the spirit of truth) - testify about Jesus, as per John 15, and teach Jesus’ fledgling church militant all things, and remind Jesus’ fledgling church militant of everything that Jesus said, when He was with His church militant on earth, as per John 14, and did the holy spirit, in fact, guide Jesus’ church militant into all truth, as per John 16, and continue to remain with Jesus’ church militant, forever, as per John 14, safeguarding said truths, revealed to Jesus’ fledgling church militant, in the first century, on Pentecost?
