Orthodoxy? Catholic? Or stay where I am?

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It’s rebellion against what God plainly reveals in Scripture. Therefore, what you’re really arguing for here is the sinful nature of humanity, but then, we already agree on that.

A rule is valid based on the authority of the one who made the rule. The fact that people disobey it is no proof against the rule.

Just like with sola scriptura: The fact that people rebel against the Bible does not constitute a proof that sola scriptura is wrong.
A rule is indeed based on the authority of the one who made the rule. The Church alone has been granted the authority by God to interpret scripture. The reformers took what did not belong to them, and made of it their own. They had no authority to do so. It was the Catholic Church that promulgated the Bible. It rightly belongs to her.

You will disagree of course, and that’s fine.
 
Eruvande #1
I’m also not entirely convinced by papal supremacy, even though I have really liked the past three popes.
I need to take further steps and really am conflicted because Orthodoxy and Catholicism, for all their similarities, are also at odds with each other
The fact that the Orthodox do not assent to Christ when He clearly founded His Catholic Church with St Peter as His Chief Vicar is the reason that they have fallen prey to some false beliefs and practices.

Christ was crystal clear:
**All four promises to Peter alone: **“You are Peter and on this rock I will build My Church.” (Mt 16:18)
“The gates of hell will not prevail against it.”(Mt 16:18)
I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven." ( Mt 16:19)
“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” (Mt 16:19) [Later, also to the Twelve].

**Sole authority: **“Strengthen your brethren.” (Lk 22:32)
“Feed My sheep.”(Jn 21:17).

Christ established only His own Church on St Peter and mandated “He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me.” Lk10:16. Again, Christ said, “If a man will not hear the Church, let him be as the heathen.” (Matt. 18:17). Our Lord never commanded men to obey two conflicting authorities.
 
Koineman #120
The fact that people rebel against the Bible does not constitute a proof that sola scriptura is wrong.
The silliness of the sola scriptura argument is that Jesus wrote nothing and commanded us to follow His Catholic Church, which authenticated and pronounced infallibly which writings form the Sacred Scriptures.

The early Catholics had no NT to appeal to and learned their faith from oral not written instruction as the Bible was inaccessible to most until the printing press was developed in the 15th century. Johann Gutenberg, a Catholic, produced the first printed Bible, with the Church’s approval, in 1455.

So the complete message of Jesus was, and is, through Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of His Church, and no other.
 
The fact that the Orthodox do not assent to Christ when He clearly founded His Catholic Church with St Peter as His Chief Vicar…
This is rather shallow and naive. The problem is supreme universal jurisdiction, and it only precedes the reformation for 100 years.
is the reason that they have fallen prey to some false beliefs and practices.
Sources please.
 
I am really conflicted right now between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Both seem wonderful, but I am finding the differences quite a challenge to understand. I love the Orthodox emphasis on the love of God. Both facets of the Faith have affection for the Mother of God, but I love the Catholic Rosary. I can’t easily get to either a Divine Liturgy or a Mass, so that’s kind of a bind. I’m also not entirely convinced by papal supremacy, even though I have really liked the past three popes.

Oh, I’m just so confused. My protestant friends think I’m out of my mind anyway to be looking seriously at either, and I know no Catholics or Orthodox in real life. The internet and the telly go so far, but I know I need to take further steps and really am conflicted because Orthodoxy and Catholicism, for all their similarities, are also at odds with each other.

I’m going to my Anglican church with my family at the moment and will continue with that until I get the opportunity to do something else (I am disabled and held back from many things) I’ve probably said this before, but I feel a bit like the man Jesus asked ‘Do you want to be healed?’ I want to follow God where He leads me, and feel He has led me to the precipice and I’m not certain at all which direction to take.

Sorry to be boring, I know I have been wrestling with this for a long time, thank you for your patience in reading this.
My first response would be not to stay where you are, you have obviously been introduced to apostolic Christianity and have come to know that it comes from Christ himself. So to settle for anything less than apostolic Christianity would be the wrong thing to do given what you know. Secondly, I have been in your shoes before. I would say read apologetics, like Scott Hahn, Steve Ray and the like. There is overwhelming support for papal supremacy in the church fathers and in church history. I can’t list anything right now because my battery is about to die but look into it.
 
The fact that the Orthodox do not assent to Christ when He clearly founded His Catholic Church with St Peter as His Chief Vicar is the reason that they have fallen prey to some false beliefs and practices.
Funny…I would think that most Orthodox would hold up mirror and let Rome ponder on the reflection. Do you have any actual facts to back up these “false” beliefs and practices? Or better yet, something that shows that God said a single man was infallible and was Christ on Earth?
 
With reference to my post #123,
Isaiah45_9 #125 comments:
This is rather shallow and naive. The problem is supreme universal jurisdiction, and it only precedes the reformation for 100 years.
The shallowness and naiveté exists with those who do not know or deny the mandate of Christ in installing His Supreme Vicar, St Peter. The universal jurisdiction existed from the beginning – from Christ (post #123).

Note that the early Church always accepted the Bishop of Rome as head of the Church. In about 80 A.D., the Church at Corinth deposed its lawful leaders. The fourth bishop of Rome, Pope Clement I, was called to settle the matter even though St. John the Apostle was still alive and much closer to Corinth than was Rome. Tradition shows Pope St Clement exercising his primacy in about 96, on a matter of schism in the Church of Corinth. Of the same generation as Saints Peter and Paul and when St John the Apostle was probably still living in Ephesus, Pope Clement wrote as one commanding to the Church of Corinth in Greece: “If any disobey what He (Christ) says through us, let them know that they will be involved in no small offence and danger, but we shall be innocent of this sin.” (I Clem. ad Cor. 59,1) This Is The Faith, Francis J Ripley, Fowler Wright Books, 1971, p 151; 139-141].

The fidelity shown at the Council of Chalcedon was later discarded:
“After the reading of the foregoing epistle [The Tome of Leo], the most reverend bishops cried out: ‘This is the faith of the fathers! This is the faith of the apostles! So we all believe! Thus the Orthodox believe! Anathema to him who does not thus believe! Peter has spoken thus through Leo! . . . This is the true faith! Those of us who are Orthodox thus believe! This is the faith of the Fathers!’” (Acts of the Council, session 2 [A.D. 451]).
See: The Papacy
What did the Early Church Fathers Say?

americancatholictruthsociety.com/docs/ecfpapacy.htm

The supreme and universal jurisdiction which originated with Christ is thus acknowledged and accepted until the fateful schism which has resulted in the false teaching and errors below.
Sources please.
While the Orthodox to their credit have validly ordained priests and bishops, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the seven sacraments, they have fallen into false beliefs and practices in that they explicitly have the grave errors of permitting divorce and remarriage, allowing contraception, denying the reality of the infallibility of the Pope and His supremacy, and rejecting the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
 
czarlazar #127
Do you have any actual facts to back up these “false” beliefs and practices?
See post #117.
Or better yet, something that shows that God said a single man was infallible and was Christ on Earth?
Yes: in post #123 the Christ, as God the Son, did precisely establish St Peter as His Supreme Vicar of His Catholic Church on earth.

Where is your authority to challenge the Christ?
 
Like I said, naive and shallow.

The USCCB, IOW - **your **immediate authority says:

Steps Towards A Reunited Church: A Sketch Of An Orthodox-Catholic Vision For The Future
In the Eastern world, structures of authority and community in the Church developed in a somewhat different pattern from the fourth century onwards. The bishop of Constantinople was recognized in 381 as “patriarch,” and second in order of precedence after the bishop of “the old Rome”; after the Council of Chalcedon (451), he exercised supra-metropolitan authority in the northern part of the Eastern Empire, and was responsible for Christian missionary efforts outside the imperial borders. His see, along with the patriarchates of Rome, Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, was recognized in the legislation of the Emperor Justinian, in the sixth century, as forming a “pentarchy” of primatial leadership among all the Churches. But while the Western Church went on to develop its own institutional independence in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages under the headship of the bishop of Rome, the Eastern Churches remained fully integrated into the religious and political fabric of the late Roman Empire, even as the Empire’s territory dwindled under the domination of Arab and Turkish peoples. The Church’s main doctrinal definitions remained imperial law; maintaining Christian unity was an important imperial priority. And when the Eastern Roman Empire finally fell before the Turkish invaders in 1453, the Churches of the eastern patriarchates shared the political and social role of unifying and protecting the Christian minorities in lands dominated by a variety of Muslim rulers. In the Slavic territories to the north and east, new metropolitan sees and new patriarchates continued to develop after the fall of Constantinople, carrying out the mission of unifying newly converted Christian peoples, who largely shared the same geographical, linguistic and ethnic characteristics. Primacy had a less supra-national character than it had acquired in the Latin Church; what we presently call autocephaly – ecclesiastical independence correlative to the emerging nation-state – had become the underlying pattern for ecclesiastical organization.
:cool:
 
The fact that the Orthodox do not assent to Christ when He clearly founded His Catholic Church with St Peter as His Chief Vicar is the reason that they have fallen prey to some false beliefs and practices.
If you could converse without a question-begging script and with a perspective that reflects your own communion’s view of the Orthodox churches… yeah, that’d be great.
 
Not everyone cares for that.

The SSPX website even has a page headed “A brief explanation of ecumenism showing what the Church teaches on this issue and how Vatican II contradicts it.” Need I go on? :hmmm: (I could also quote a plethora of internet bloggers, but I’d much rather not. I think they get quoted too much already. Indeed, I won’t even post the link to the webpage I mentioned – anyone who really wants to find it can do so on their own. :))
 
Peter 2 1:20

“Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation.”
That passage is not talking about individuals interpreting scripture. It is talking about the reliability of prophecy because of its source: divine inspiration. The context bears this out:
“19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (NASB)
“19 Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, 21 for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God.” (NABRE)
"19 And we have the more firm prophetical word: whereunto you do well to attend, as to a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation.
21 For prophecy came not by the will of man at any time: but the holy men of God spoke, inspired by the Holy Ghost." (DRA)
He’s saying that the prophets didn’t make up their message or interpret it as they saw fit but rather spoke it directly from God. They spoke as they were “moved by the Holy Spirit.” Thus, he is showing the absolute reliability of those messages. Hence his reference to “the prophetic message that is altogether reliable” and his exhortation in v. 19: “whereunto you do well to attend, as to a light that shineth in a dark place.”

The subject of whether or not individuals should interpret Scripture on their own is not in view here. It’s about the reliability of the prophecies because of the One they come from and because of the manner in which they were delivered: not by the will of man or by the prophet’s own personal interpretation but directly from God. Thus, it’s not about the people who hear those prophecies.
 
That passage is not talking about individuals interpreting scripture. It is talking about the reliability of prophecy because of its source: divine inspiration. The context bears this out:

He’s saying that the prophets didn’t make up their message or interpret it as they saw fit but rather spoke it directly from God. They spoke as they were “moved by the Holy Spirit.” Thus, he is showing the absolute reliability of those messages. Hence his reference to “the prophetic message that is altogether reliable” and his exhortation in v. 19: “whereunto you do well to attend, as to a light that shineth in a dark place.”

The subject of whether or not individuals should interpret Scripture on their own is not in view here. It’s about the reliability of the prophecies because of the One they come from and because of the manner in which they were delivered: not by the will of man or by the prophet’s own personal interpretation but directly from God. Thus, it’s not about the people who hear those prophecies.
The passage I quoted said that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation. Meaning, that the truth of scripture is not to be interpreted privately. It’s quite simple, really.
 
The passage I quoted said that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation. Meaning, that the truth of scripture is not to be interpreted privately. It’s quite simple, really.
I agree. It IS quite simple. Just look at the context and follow the author’s train of thought, like I did, and you can see what he intended to say. Nothing about people interpreting Scripture; everything about the source of prophecy and why it’s reliable. The “private interpretation” bit is referring to the prophets not interpreting the message as they passed it along.
 
I agree. It IS quite simple. Just look at the context and follow the author’s train of thought, like I did, and you can see what he intended to say. Nothing about people interpreting Scripture; everything about the source of prophecy and why it’s reliable. The “private interpretation” bit is referring to the prophets not interpreting the message as they passed it along.
That’s your private interpretation.
 
Peter 2 1:20

“Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation.”
I think you should fully quote the verse instead of leaving it there. It is much more fair to his argument, although it doesn’t rule out yours either.

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as there were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1: 20

Really, what Peter is talking about here is the need to consult God when reading and interpreting prophecy. There is nothing directly tying this to the Church of Rome. If you want to make that argument, you need to add more to your points in order to reach that conclusion.
 
I think you should fully quote the verse instead of leaving it there. It is much more fair to his argument, although it doesn’t rule out yours either.

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as there were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1: 20

Really, what Peter is talking about here is the need to consult God when reading and interpreting prophecy. There is nothing directly tying this to the Church of Rome. If you want to make that argument, you need to add more to your points in order to reach that conclusion.
I don’t think the text goes that far. The only thing Peter exhorts his readers to do is to look to the prophecies. The rest of the text regarding inspiration and no individual interpretation has to do with how the prophets received the message and passed it on. There just doesn’t seem to be any idea of “here’s how you should read prophecy” in this passage.
 
I think you should fully quote the verse instead of leaving it there. It is much more fair to his argument, although it doesn’t rule out yours either.

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as there were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1: 20

Really, what Peter is talking about here is the need to consult God when reading and interpreting prophecy. There is nothing directly tying this to the Church of Rome. If you want to make that argument, you need to add more to your points in order to reach that conclusion.
What is your understanding of the term ‘prophecy?’
 
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