Protestants: where was the Church between the fourth century and the fifteenth?

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Deum_quaerens

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Dear Protestants,

I have asked this question to two of your brethren: the first quite unhelpfully told me simply to look for myself; the second, that I would never believe him.

The Church is visible (Matthew xviii, 17), continuous (ie, has not ceased to exist: ibid. xxviii, 20) and the gates of Hell cannot prevail against Her (ibid. xvi, 18).

I am sincerely curious; I have heard from Protestants that “remnants” of “Bible-believing Christians” existed throughout this period, but in the absence of evidence, I am inclined to believe that this is essentially a Protestant myth.

Care to prove me wrong? 🤷
 
Deum_quaerens said:
Dear Protestants,

I have asked this question to two of your brethren: the first quite unhelpfully told me simply to look for myself; the second, that I would never believe him.

The Church is visible (Matthew xviii, 17), continuous (ie, has not ceased to exist: ibid. xxviii, 20) and the gates of Hell cannot prevail against Her (ibid. xvi, 18).

I am sincerely curious; I have heard from Protestants that “remnants” of “Bible-believing Christians” existed throughout this period, but in the absence of evidence, I am inclined to believe that this is essentially a Protestant myth.

Care to prove me wrong? 🤷
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From a Lutheran perspective, the Church was in Rome, Greece, Constantinople, east and west. And it remains in all of those and many more places to this day, though wounded by schism. The Trail of Blood has no historical evidence.

Jon
 
JonNC said:
From a Lutheran perspective, the Church was in Rome, Greece, Constantinople, east and west. And it remains in all of those and many more places to this day, though wounded by schism. The Trail of Blood has no historical evidence.

Jon
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I would agree with you Jon if this churches where in communion. Remember their is only one truth that the Holy Spirit Imparts. If it’s true that we all have the same truth from the Holy Sprit we will all be in Communion. So since we are not all in communion, the means all the Churches on Earth are in heresy but one. Be it Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox or other, but only one true Church. That doesn’t mean a lack of a salvation-granting presence in the heretical Church only a disobedience to the Holy Spirit (Sin).
 
From a Methodist perspective, the Church was in Rome, Greece, Constantinople, east and west. And it remains in all of those and many more places to this day, though wounded by schism.

O+
 
Deum_quaerens said:
Dear Protestants,

I have asked this question to two of your brethren: the first quite unhelpfully told me simply to look for myself; the second, that I would never believe him.

The Church is visible (Matthew xviii, 17), continuous (ie, has not ceased to exist: ibid. xxviii, 20) and the gates of Hell cannot prevail against Her (ibid. xvi, 18).

I am sincerely curious; I have heard from Protestants that “remnants” of “Bible-believing Christians” existed throughout this period, but in the absence of evidence, I am inclined to believe that this is essentially a Protestant myth.

Care to prove me wrong? 🤷
Click to expand...
It was being persecuted by the sun goddess cult that Constantine started in the 4th century… Duh 😉

God bless
 
Chellow said:
I would agree with you Jon if this churches where in communion. Remember their is only one truth that the Holy Spirit Imparts. If it’s true that we all have the same truth from the Holy Sprit we will all be in Communion. So since we are not all in communion, the means all the Churches on Earth are in heresy but one. Be it Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox or other, but only one true Church. That doesn’t mean a lack of a salvation-granting presence in the heretical Church only a disobedience to the Holy Spirit (Sin).
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That is the wounded by schism part. It behooves us, then, to remain in dialogue, seek guidance from the Holy Spirit together to find a way to express the Truth together, and continue to love each other in word and deed.
O.S. Luke:
From a Methodist perspective, the Church was in Rome, Greece, Constantinople, east and west. And it remains in all of those and many more places to this day, though wounded by schism.
Click to expand...
I very wise statement. 😃

Jon
 
JonNC said:
That is the wounded by schism part. It behooves us, then, to remain in dialogue, seek guidance from the Holy Spirit together to find a way to express the Truth together, and continue to love each other in word and deed.
I very wise statement. 😃
Jon
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So the question must be asked, is how do we find this true Church and how do we discern which one it is?
Do we need to be members of this true Church?
 
The problem with this question is that it is poorly worded. Those Protestants who are more litergical in nature, say Lutherans and Anglicans, would have no issue with the historical facts of the Catholic claims to have been the first Church. The fundamentalists and evangelicals might. TO lump all Protestants together in this question is a bad choice.
 
Chellow said:
So the question must be asked, is how do we find this true Church and how do we discern which one it is?
Do we need to be members of this true Church?
Click to expand...
Good questions, both. Obviously, you and I have discerned the Holy Spirit working in our particular faith communions, and we each believe our choice to be correct. It may be the result of our upbringing, which through our baptism is the Holy Spirit moving in our lives. Or it could be the result of the Holy Spirit guiding us as we got older.
We can argue until blue in the face which one of us is right, and all we’ll get for the effort is two blue-faced Christians from different communions who are frustrated with each other. Or, we can seek the guidance to the Holy Spirit to bring our communions together.
That process has started happening. I pray it succeeds.

FOr the second question: Yes, but I believe the Holy Spirit is with both of us where we currently are, too.

Jon
 
JonNC said:
Good questions, both. Obviously, you and I have discerned the Holy Spirit working in our particular faith communions, and we each believe our choice to be correct. It may be the result of our upbringing, which through our baptism is the Holy Spirit moving in our lives. Or it could be the result of the Holy Spirit guiding us as we got older.
We can argue until blue in the face which one of us is right, and all we’ll get for the effort is two blue-faced Christians from different communions who are frustrated with each other. Or, we can seek the guidance to the Holy Spirit to bring our communions together.
That process has started happening. I pray it succeeds.

FOr the second question: Yes, but I believe the Holy Spirit is with both of us where we currently are, too.

Jon
Click to expand...
I agree with your post entirely. I only pray for both of us, to receive God grace in our journey.

Peace be with you Jon.
 
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