One of the problems I see here though is simply that Catholics seem to be saying that they actually wrote the Bible; all they did was to provide a translation of same.
I really do not understand this. What “translation”? What I see is that you seem not to connect the dots between the upper room, the Apostles, the Church at Jerusalem, united with the Church at Damascus, Antioch, etc., with Paul, the other Apostles, the spread of the Church throughout Asia and to Rome – still all the same Church. Those guys writing the New Testament. Their descendents: of RECORD, passing the faith as witnessed in writing by Justin Martyr, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Didache . . . Irenaeus . . . Movin’ on up through the 3rd Century: Names, dates, places. Continuity of teaching.
And the Church of that era and those places, united in faith, can be traced in doctrine and practice to the Catholic (and Orthodox) Churches of today. The guys who wrote the New Testament, and the guys who closed the canon of the Old Testament **
for the Church **were catholic (whether you spell it with a small “c” or a capital “c”. They were not Gnostics, Montanists, Sabellians etc. By 107 A.D. it was necessary to distinguish the “catholic” church from the heretical sects. Ignatius used the word “catholic” to indicate that THE Church was the one that was all propagated on the foundation of the Apostles – not the Christianized heretical groups.
In order for me to be a true “Bible Worshipper;” I would not be able to make most of the comments I have here, about it.
I have not said things like “Do not question it” in terms of where it came from. Rather; I have questioned the answers given here about that very thing.
Well, FWIW, I find the term “Bible worshipper” offensive myself. Even if it were true, I would not use it.
For eg. when I asked “mercygate” about what are the “primary sources” being referred to by Catholics here; all she could do is to quote Catholic writers, which to me, would not be a “primary source.”
I guess you’re not an academic, huh? Since when is Josephus a “Catholic writer?” If I read “Catholic” sources from the SECOND CENTURY and those sources state Catholic teachings still held by the Church, the WORST you can say is that the Church has been consistent in hanging on to what it received from the Apostolic age.
The Bible itself is the primary source, but many do not like that because it does not have the apologetics they need to back up their denomination’s various angles on this point we are discussing.
Still looking for those second Century SDA sources – if you’re trying to demonstrate historical continuity.
The Bible itself makes the claim to have existed well before the Roman Catholic Church.
You have stated this several times but though I have read the Bible MANY times, I don’t know the Scripture you are pointing to here. Can you give us the citation, please? You KNOW we won’t agree with you, but if this is a belief of the SDA, maybe it would help us to understand where you’re coming from.