It is my discernment that you have anger, over what, I do not know.
Sorry if I seem angry.I do not know if it is that or that I get too exuberant and am not “calm”. Actually your topic here has a lot to talk about.
I already agreed on this.These churches were more than seeds ,for they were bearing fruit ,or they had ceased to or had mixed fruit .They were no longer seeds.
The United States appears very different today from the original colonies and that is only 200 years in time.
Don’t feel this is an accurate comparison.Colonies were colonies.The US began it’s experiment in 2 phases 1776 (Independence) and 1789 (Constitution). I am drawing a blank on how to compare it to church history.I will say that each generation has it’s good bad and ugly.Are we evolving ? Maybe . Is there anything new under the sun ?
The Oriental Churches and Orthodox Churches in my opinion represent a freezing in time as to what the Church looked like at the time of schism and yet so similar to the OHCAC.
Very well put-though I know very little here,but enough to “feel” your statement
You want Smyrna. You want Philadelphia. What about Hippo?
Smyrna exists today as Izmir, large city in Asia Minor. Philadelphia too,but real small.
The problems of Rome and the Judaizing Christians were resolved
.Do you mean the council at jerusalem ?
Corinth was a young church and it blossomed until?
Don’t know. But perhaps we agree that scripture says the Lord is watching over the churches and had the power to remove the annointing or candlestick, and apparently did with some of these C.hristian communities.I believe we can learn a lot from these seven churches .Some even say that the seven represent church “history” and can relate to end times. If you think nations have a “cycle’” ,even cultures , perhaps churches do also .A beginning ,middle apex and a decline ,and perhaps even a revival here and there .But it always seems where one nation /culture declines , another rises. Just a thought . Something like Lutheranism or Methodists.I would say they were quite energetic and dynamic in the beginning and less so later on or now , but then other moves of God picked up in other denominations. Any church /generation can rest on it’s laurels…Just as you may say the early church thrived and grew, before scripture was complete (resting on oral tradition),one could say she thrived without the form of government she has today .That is, Revelations shows how intricately and personally the Lord is watching over us.Yes, He used the last remaining apostle to straighten/warn of things , but it also shows “independent” (if there can be such a thing in the Body) churches , with no head bishop type government, or even a pope.As Some have said , Christ is His own vicar , at least in Revelations. It proves nothing of course, but I find it to be in harmony with some Protestant church views.
Jesus himself said he came to fulfill and the NT is nothing more than an interpretation of the OT in light of Christ.
I have said elsewhere this is another area for discernment .It is indeed a new testament ,with some new things .Some things are done away with , and some things are not, and some things were there all the time but now are more illumined.
All I meant is that both OT and NT -the Word is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,…Heb 4:12 .I mean when you read the letters to the 7 churches do you not ask yourself ,well, hopefully the Lord in you, how you measure up ,or your parish, diocese, even all of CC, not too mention other churches outside the CC ? I would say it is not you judging , but the letters themselves.
Would there be letters, probably, you may consider Trent the letter that you speak of addressed to Protestants.
Agreed. And the Augsburg Confession or Luther’s 95 Thesis- from a Catholic to Catholics ? I believe only God is true, and only His blood makes the Bride (individuals, churches/denominations) White and Pure.(not to mention His purifying fire)…Thank-you for letting me babble. May we be good iron to sharpen iron in truth and peace.