On those issues, I haven’t yet. But I’m not afraid to look - its why I’m here.=Lampo;6664743]You can find that certainty in the Catholic Church.
With scripture? Or better, without conflicting with scripture?That will come with time. The Church can back up 100% of everything she claims
Separated from Antioch, Jerusalem, etc.The Magisterium. A single “patriarch” does not have the promise unless you are thinking of the pope when he speaks ex cathedra.
Please back up the claim regarding ex cathedra. The Orthodox, who were there at the early councils, do not accept it.Yes. It could when the pope speaks ex cathedra or the when the bishops in communion with the pope speak. And remember what I said, the Church can back up this claim that Jesus left this responsibility to the Catholic Church.
He questioned them and came to the conclusion based on his own authority that they were not the word of God. What makes you say that the Catholic Church allowed the canon to be questioned? If that’s the case, then up until Trent, no one had certainty to what books were inspired. I recommend you read the book, “Where We Got The Bible” by Graham. You can even read it online. Here are a couple of snippits from it:Luther didn’t declare it. He, like many others, questioned their canonicity. Perfectly allowed in his time.
Again, we find lists of the books of the New Testament drawn up by St Athanasius, St Jerome, St Augustine, and many other great authorities, as witnessing to what was generally acknowledged as inspired Scripture in their day and generation and country; but I repeat that none of these corresponds perfectly to the collection in the Bible that we possess now; we must wait till 397 for the Council of Carthage, before we find the complete collection of New Testament books settled as we have it today, and as all Christendom had it till the sixteenth century, when the Reformers changed it.
Here is a link: LinkBut, at all events in regard to the New Testament, the Reformers left the books as they found them, and today their Testament contains exactly the same books as ours; and what I wish to drive home, is that they got these books from Rome, that without the Roman Catholic Church they would not have them, and that the decrees of Carthage, 397 and 419 A.D., when all Christianity was Roman Catholic—reaffirmed by the Council of Florence, 1442, under Pope Eugenius IV, and the Council of Trent, 1546—these decrees of the Roman Church, and these only are the means and the channel and the authority which Almighty God has used to hand down to us His written Word. Who can deny it? The Church existed before the Bible; she made the Bible; she selected its books, and she preserved it. She handed it down; through her we know what is the Word of God, and what the word of man; and hence to try at this time of day, as many do, to overthrow the Church by means of this very Bible, and to put it above the Church, and to revile her for destroying it and corrupting it—what is this but to strike the mother that reared them; to curse the hand that fed them; to turn against their best friend and benefactor; and to repay with ingratitude and slander the very guide and protector who has led them to drink of the water out of the Saviour’s fountains?
Maybe I just have not ran across it yet, but in my studies of the Catholic faith, I have never heard that the Church allowed Catholics to hold the position that the DC’s were not canonical, which would have been in direct opposition of Church.Agreed, but the point was that simply hold the position that they were not canon was not cause for excommunication, or any kind of discipline. It was allowed until Trent for the Caridnal and for Luther.
No, I don’t mean authority to merely have an opinion. Where did Luther get the authority to actually remove them from the official, inspired canon of Scripture?To comment on the fact that the d-c’s were good to read? I think it was Jerome who said the same thing. Did someone have to have authority to have opinions regarding the canon in Luther’s time?
Jon
You will in time. Just ask the Holy Spirit to show you the truth and be willing to accept it no matter where you find it.On those issues, I haven’t yet. But I’m not afraid to look - its why I’m here.
Absolutely. Nothing the Catholic Church teaches conflicts with Scripture. It’s impossible. They came from the same source! Do you believe that for anything to be considered Christian (doctrines, dogmas, traditions, practices, etc.), it must be found in the Bible?With scripture? Or better, without conflicting with scripture?
What do you mean here?Separated from Antioch, Jerusalem, etc.
I won’t go into a full discourse here on ex cathedra, but here are a few links and info.Please back up the claim regarding ex cathedra.