And the Apostles had the words. They circulated those words first orally, then by writing them down. It can be, rinnie, that the pope makes mistakes because he is human. There is a better chance that all the patriarchs together have a better chance of getting it right than one patriarch alone. And it isn’t any different for Lutherans, for Reformed, for any other communion. We confessional Lutherans take the position that our confessions are right, not that they are infallible, and there’s a difference. I believe the early councils are right, and authoritative. They do not necessarily have to be infallible for that to be the case.
He says much more than that.
**Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” **
He sends them - as equals! Sends them to do what? To preach and teach, to baptize, bind and loose.
22After he had said this, he breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
Receive the Holy Spirit. To do what? Only to bind and loose sin? Was that their only role? Of course not.
**23Whenever you forgive sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you don’t forgive them, they are not forgiven." **
This is only one part of what he sends them all, equally, to do.
The language is the same. The sending that Peter is given earlier is then given to the rest of the disciples.
They are equals! They were equals in the early Church. They grades of orders all started as presbyter. Bishops, of course, have greater responsibilities. The authority if grades is a human tradition - a good one, mind you, but a human one.
Jon
How can the Pope make mistakes when he claims to speak in the name of Christ. Of course I agree he can make mistakes when speaking in his own name, and his own opinion he tells you that himself. He never claimed to be without sin.
And Jon I am sorry the language is not the same he gave Peter the keys to the kingdom to bind and loose anything, He never mentioned only sin. Jesus said WHATEVER you bind or loose.’
To the others he said bind and loose sin, its clear.
To teach in his name, to forgive sins in his name, and to baptise yes it is clear he said these things also. He stated all of them. But when he said to bind and loose it stated sin.
If they felt they could all bind and loose anything on their own, why was it never done. Why had the Pope been the only ONE to do it. Surely if this authority was given to all, another besides the Pope would have used that authority in the RCC all these years.
Also I have another problem with what you are saying. You say that when a Priest binds or looses my sin he has the power of the HS to do so.
But if you claim the Pope can be mistaken when he binds and looses something, how can I be sure the Priest is not mistaken?
You can’t have it both ways. Either the when the Pope speaks in the name of the H.S. alone or with the others its the truth, or its not.
How can he claim to speak in the name of God and be mistaken? How can you be so sure he is mistaken?
I am sure he is not mistaken, because as I stated I either believe he has the power to speak in the name of God every single time he says or I can accept none.
What do I do, claim to have the mind of God myself and decide? Flip a coin? Jesus said he would not leave us orphans. If we have a pope who is mistaken when he speaks in the name of God, we are all orphans.
Jesus said you can’t be lukewarm. Its hot or cold.
Now didn’t Jesus say when they speak in his name it was indeed from the Holy Spirit? Where did he say only when the 12 speak in his name as a Group?
Our faith is that when they speak in the name of the HS it comes from God. History shows that only one has made this claim on his own, and made this claim with others. Never has any other done this on their own.
And had Apostolic succession straight down to Jesus to do so.
Again if the Pope is mistaken as you state, how did Jesus keep his promise to me in his word?
