Ralphy's Questions for Catholics

[paul_c]

Did you notice that he did all this after he trusted christ. He was simply showing his faith by his actions. Ralph

Well, Abraham trusted God, since this was before the incarnation, but you see, it is necessary to show your faith by your action. If you don’t, your faith is just empty words. Hence, Actions make Faith real. Read 1 Corinthians 13:
If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Beatiful, isn’t it. And it clearly establishes the primacy of action (love).

 

[agbasinger]

Well, Abraham trusted God, since this was before the incarnation, but you see, it is necessary to show your faith by your action. If you don’t, your faith is just empty words. Hence, Actions make Faith real. Read 1 Corinthians 13:
If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Beatiful, isn’t it. And it clearly establishes the primacy of action (love).

Reminds me of the Christian hip-hop band DC Talk- “Love is a verb”.

 

[Shannon9791]

Did you notice that he did all this after he trusted christ. He was simply showing his faith by his actions. Ralph

So are you saying it is necessary for one to show their faith by their actions, as Abraham did?

 

[ralphy]

So are you saying it is necessary for one to show their faith by their actions, as Abraham did?

Showing faith by your actions is a natural thing to do after you are saved, as you now have the Holy spirit within you. Oh, by the way, that little yellow face that you continually send in you emails must be a self portrait, right? Ralph

 

[Shannon9791]

Showing faith by your actions is a natural thing to do after you are saved, as you now have the Holy spirit within you. Oh, by the way, that little yellow face that you continually send in you emails must be a self portrait, right? Ralph

So you’re saying Abraham was already saved, and that he didn’t have to do anything? I’m asking you all these questions because I’m trying to understand exactly what you’re getting at. You said that Abraham had to show his actions to prove his faith, but before that you said that he was saved through his faith alone. I’m just trying to figure out which one you think it is.

Yes, the little yellow face is what I look like on most days, but not when I get up in the morning. Mornings I usually look like this :coffeeread:

 

[ralphy]

So you’re saying Abraham was already saved, and that he didn’t have to do anything? I’m asking you all these questions because I’m trying to understand exactly what you’re getting at. You said that Abraham had to show his actions to prove his faith, but before that you said that he was saved through his faith alone. I’m just trying to figure out which one you think it is.

Yes, the little yellow face is what I look like on most days, but not when I get up in the morning. Mornings I usually look like this :coffeeread:

Yes I believe that Abraham was saved by faith alone, as the bible says. He was showing his faith by his actions. I prefer to stick with the original yellow face, as the first one is nicer. Ralph

 

[ralphy]

How do you know that the Bible is God’s word?

Search the scripture, get a good concordance and you will find the answer to your question. This question was answered about 400 emails ago. May I suggest a “Strongs” concordance, it is very good. I usually get about 60-70 emails a day on this forum. Ralph

 

[paul_c]

Search the scripture, get a good concordance and you will find the answer to your question. This question was answered about 400 emails ago. May I suggest a “Strongs” concordance, it is very good. I usually get about 60-70 emails a day on this forum. Ralph

You know very well, he is asking you what is the authority underwhich you believe that the Bible is God’s word. To catholics The answer is obvious. Because it was declared as such by Pope Damasus in 382AD. If you deny the Catholic church’s authority, then by whose authority do you accept the Bible, which afterall, was developed as a teaching tool by the Catholic Church.

Since you get 60-70 responses a day, do you actually absorb any of the points other people make?

 

[Shannon9791]

Yes I believe that Abraham was saved by faith alone, as the bible says. He was showing his faith by his actions. I prefer to stick with the original yellow face, as the first one is nicer. Ralph

OK, that’s cool, I’ll accept that for now, but let me ask you this. How else can one show their faith if not by their actions? What I’m trying to get at is this, even if one says they have faith, it takes an action for them to do such, so the principle of once saved always saved is flawed. James says “I’ll show you my faith through my works,” because there’s no other way to do it. How can you prove to me, or anyone for that matter, that you have faith if not through actions. It took actions for Abraham, it took actions for the early disciples, and it takes actions for us now.

 

[AwGusTeen]

Search the scripture, get a good concordance and you will find the answer to your question. This question was answered about 400 emails ago. May I suggest a “Strongs” concordance, it is very good. I usually get about 60-70 emails a day on this forum. Ralph

Why do you need a concordance Raplhy, if your source is scripture alone? That’s simply someone else’s interpretation. Isn’t your interpretation guided by the Holy Spirit?

 

[cazayoux]

Showing faith by your actions is a natural thing to do after you are saved, as you now have the Holy spirit within you. Oh, by the way, that little yellow face that you continually send in you emails must be a self portrait, right? Ralph

Maybe natural, but also necessary.
Do you agree that the actions, after being saved, are necessary?

michel

 

[cazayoux]

Search the scripture, get a good concordance and you will find the answer to your question. This question was answered about 400 emails ago. May I suggest a “Strongs” concordance, it is very good. I usually get about 60-70 emails a day on this forum. Ralph

If you go by the bible alone, why oh why would you trust Strong?
Is he inspired by the Holy Spirit like the N.T. writers?

michel

 

[paul_c]

Yes I believe that Abraham was saved by faith alone, as the bible says. He was showing his faith by his actions. I prefer to stick with the original yellow face, as the first one is nicer. Ralph

Ralph, if Abraham had shown faith but never acted on it, there would be no memory of him today. He would not be the Patriarch of monotheism because A) he would never have left the Aram, B) he never would have sired Issaac or Ishmael, C) he never would have become circumcised, and D) he never would have attempted to sacrifice Isaac.

Face it, Faith without action is merely empty thoughts. This world requires action to mean anything. If St. Paul had merely beleived in Christ on the road to Damascus, but didn’t spend the rest of his life evangelizing, would he be remembered today?

You can say he took action because of faith, but what if he didn’t take action. Would we have simply said he didn’t really have faith? If so, isn’t it clear that you need to demonstrate your faith through action?

Think about your own situation. if you merely thought that Jesus saved you but never, ever did anything good in your life, would anyone believe that Jesus did save you?

 

[cazayoux]

Why do you need a concordance Raplhy, if your source is scripture alone? That’s simply someone else’s interpretation. Isn’t your interpretation guided by the Holy Spirit?

hehehe … you beat me to it.

michel

 

[ralphy]

You know very well, he is asking you what is the authority underwhich you believe that the Bible is God’s word. To catholics The answer is obvious. Because it was declared as such by Pope Damasus in 382AD. If you deny the Catholic church’s authority, then by whose authority do you accept the Bible, which afterall, was developed as a teaching tool by the Catholic Church.

Since you get 60-70 responses a day, do you actually absorb any of the points other people make?

God said in His word that men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote the bible, I think that is very good authority. I would probably stand on Gods authority rather than on pope Damasus’s authority, wouldn’t you. Ralph

 

[ralphy]

hehehe … you beat me to it.

michel

I am assuming that you do not know what an concordance is. It is a book that gives you words and references where to find it in scripture. It has no commentary on any of the words whatsoever. Ralph

 

[cazayoux]

I am assuming that you do not know what an concordance is. It is a book that gives you words and references where to find it in scripture. It has no commentary on any of the words whatsoever. Ralph

It doesn’t organize things for you?
citing scripture in a particular view?

michel

 

[cazayoux]

***God said in His word that men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote the bible, ***I think that is very good authority. I would probably stand on Gods authority rather than on pope Damasus’s authority, wouldn’t you. Ralph

reference please.

 

[cazayoux]

It doesn’t organize things for you?
citing scripture in a particular view?

michel

are you saying a lexicon can’t be biased?

 

[ralphy]

If you go by the bible alone, why oh why would you trust Strong?
Is he inspired by the Holy Spirit like the N.T. writers?

michel

I assume that you you do not know what a concordance is. It is a book full of key words from the bible which gives the location of scriptural verses which includes these words. Get one it will help you. It does not give any commentary about the words. Ralph