Ive been in and around some sites for a while putting my little bit in here and there. Now I would like to ask some questions of my own that bother me as I contemplate returning to RC myself. [First regarding one true church discussions -I cannot find any scriptural or historical evidence that when Jesus was teaching and preaching to the Apostles,He referred to setting up such a complicated belief system for future followers to follow. He clearly understood the people of His time and generally spoke using parables that they understood. Would He not have set up the Church to believe the exact same things He taught to the Apostles in a simple clear fashion.?
Bluegoat explained this fairly well but I’d like to elaborate.The reason for the “complexity” is, as some have pointed out, the development of doctrine. The situation can actually be likened to The Parable of the Sower:
Mark 4:3-10, 14-20
Hear ye: Behold, the sower went out to sow. And whilst he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate it up. And other some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth. And when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And some fell upon good ground; and brought forth fruit that grew up, and increased and yielded, one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred. And he said: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
And when he was alone, the twelve that were with him asked him the parable. . . . He that soweth, soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown, and as soon as they have heard, immediately Satan cometh and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these likewise are they that are sown on the stony ground: who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but are only for a time: and then when tribulation and persecution ariseth for the word they are presently scandalized. And others there are who are sown among thorns: these are they that hear the word, And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts after other things entering in choke the word, and it is made fruitless. And these are they who are sown upon the good ground, who hear the word, and receive it, and yield fruit, the one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.
This situation reflects the issue beautifully. Christ told a simple parable, that is how he taught. But, do to misunderstanding on the part of His followers, Christ had to elaborate to explain what the parable/doctrine
means. This ties exactly into what Bluegoat has already said, that the Church had to elaborate on doctrines that were, at the time, being misunderstood and misinterpreted.
Is it not true that perhaps when He spoke the famous line often quoted here" upon this rock I will build my church"He meant the universal Christian Church to which all catholics and protestants would belong as one[/right]
I don’t buy this interpretation due simply to historical fact. For the first 1500 years of Christianities existence, there was only one Christian Church/denomination (whatever you wish to call it): the Catholic Church. Many Protestants will disagree with this, but that doesn’t really matter. You can substitute “Catholic Church” with “Baptist Church” and the argument still holds because the point is that there was only one Church and it was a visible entity, not simply the Mystical Body of Christ; of which all validly baptized persons are a part.
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