What's the Purpose; function and task of "a church?"

[PJM]

=Garyjohn2;7640693]Good questions!

Well, I’m not sure exactly what requires a Bishop to be a real Bishop…but I do know that if I call myself a police officer, it doesn’t mean I am one…or have the authority to enforce the law. (I mean this in the nicest way for those of other faiths…especially our brothers in Christ!)

Other congregations probably have some of the same goals (or functions) as the Catholic church, but some different ones. For example, they may share the same goal of getting people to heaven, or preaching God’s word…although they will act out these purposes differently. They may have completely different functions in terms of administering the sacraments and such. A common purpose might be to “get souls to heaven and preach the word of God to the best of our ability.”

Here’s a head-scratcher…what is a purpose or function? If an institution states “our purpose is to preach the word of God” but they end up doing something else, can that still be considered their purpose? (again, not singling out any faiths, just a hypothetical!) Does purpose depend on a stated purpose or actual actions/effects?

In a broad, yet spcific sense Christ founded the CC to share His TRUTH. My reason for starting this THREAD was a uncertainity of how there can be THOUSANDS of versions; and different understandings of ONE TRUTH.

What for example might the Obligation [if any?] of a Churchbe to SEEK the Truth; and what if any Obligation exist to Teach and share the Singular truths? Could God really have entended everyone to do as they desire? Can a mutitude of Theologies and Philosophies be effective in saving souls?

**John 10:16 **And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.

Eph. 2:19-20 “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [singular] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, ***Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ***in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; [singular] in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. “

Eph. 4: 4 -8“There is one body [Only One Church] and one Spirit, [Only One set of beliefs] just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, [Only One God] ONLY one faith, [Only One set of doctrine and dogma] one baptism, By water in the Trinity] one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. "

John 14: 16-17 ** And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth**, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.

**John 17: 14-19 **“I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

I’m searching for an insight of why other Christian Faiths exist? I’m not being “cute.” I strugglel with what I read in th Bible; and KNOW that God is in charge; still I wonder why more are not asking why "they don’t accept the Entire Bible as 2nd. Tim. 3:16-17 commands?

**Rom.9: 18 “**So then he has mercy upon whomever he wills, and he hardens the heart of whomever he wills.”

Rom. 9:15 “For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

Isaiah 63:15 “Look down from heaven and see, from thy holy and glorious habitation. Where are thy zeal and thy might? The yearning of thy heart and thy compassion are withheld from me. For thou art our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us; thou, O LORD, art our Father, our Redeemer from of old is thy name. O LORD, why dost thou make us err from thy ways and harden our heart, so that we fear thee not?"

God Bless,

Pat

 

[wisdomseeker]

In a broad, yet spcific sense Christ founded the CC to share His TRUTH. My reason for starting this THREAD was a uncertainity of how there can be THOUSANDS of versions; and different understandings of ONE TRUTH.

What for example might the Obligation [if any?] of a Churchbe to SEEK the Truth; and what if any Obligation exist to Teach and share the Singular truths? Could God really have entended everyone to do as they desire? Can a mutitude of Theologies and Philosophies be effective in saving souls?

**John 10:16 **And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.

Eph. 2:19-20 “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [singular] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, ***Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ***in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; [singular] in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. “

Eph. 4: 4 -8“There is one body [Only One Church] and one Spirit, [Only One set of beliefs] just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, [Only One God] ONLY one faith, [Only One set of doctrine and dogma] one baptism, By water in the Trinity] one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. "

John 14: 16-17 ** And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth**, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.

**John 17: 14-19 **“I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

I’m searching for an insight of why other Christian Faiths exist? I’m not being “cute.” I strugglel with what I read in th Bible; and KNOW that God is in charge; still I wonder why more are not asking why "they don’t accept the Entire Bible as 2nd. Tim. 3:16-17 commands?

**Rom.9: 18 “**So then he has mercy upon whomever he wills, and he hardens the heart of whomever he wills.”

Rom. 9:15 “For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

Isaiah 63:15 “Look down from heaven and see, from thy holy and glorious habitation. Where are thy zeal and thy might? The yearning of thy heart and thy compassion are withheld from me. For thou art our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us; thou, O LORD, art our Father, our Redeemer from of old is thy name. O LORD, why dost thou make us err from thy ways and harden our heart, so that we fear thee not?"

God Bless,

Pat

We know that there is only one Church, the CC.
the explanation for so many different churches is due to disobedience to the Will of God. Man do that, you know. It is a matter of fact disobedience has been the main goal of man. We know that while the Church was being formed, many grew on teh side line trying to pull them from the CC. It has not changed, till this day we have the same problem. The devil is not goiing to leave the Church alone, you know. he will try very hard to confuse us Catholics and will try to pull us in every direction in his effort to take us from the Holy Church, from being under the authority of St Peter. “Our Lord said: Peter, the devil is trying to take you, but I have prayed for you.” do you see what is happening here? this is very important for us Catholics to understand this. Peace

“The Church is hidden from no one for it is the Catholic Church itself which is therefore called universal in Greek because it is spread throughout the entire world. It is not allowed to anyone not to know this Church for which reason, according to the word of Jesus Christ, it is not possible that it be hidden. There are many other things which keep me in the bosom of the Catholic Church – the unanimity of peoples and nations keeps me here, her authority, inaugurated in miracles, nourished by hope, augmented by love and confirmed by her age, keeps me here. The succession of priests from the very seat of the Apostle Peter up to the present episcopate keeps me here and last, the very name of Catholic, which not without reason belongs to this Church alone in the face of so many heretics, so much so that although all heretics want to be called Catholic, when a stranger inquires where a Catholic Church meets, not one of the heretics would dare point out his own basilica or meeting place.” St Augustine.