This, in obvious violation of the very scriptures they say they espouse!!!
Heb 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Jude 1:11 Woe to them! For they walk in the way of Cain, and abandon themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error, and perish in Korah’s rebellion.
Isn’t that incredible?
Great post.
What is also incredible is that those leaders expected to be obeyed nd submitted to when they were NOT keeping watch over the souls of the faithful. When scriptures such as these became available to the laity, it was clear to them that the clergy were failing to live up to the standards expected by God of shepherds.
I was told by a man today that he left the Catholic Church because he became disgusted over the scandals.
**Matt 26:31
for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
**
Satan focuses on bringing down the shepherds because it is one of the best ways to scatter the flock.
To the apostles and all the disciples of the world, followers of Christ (you and me). So where two or more are gathered the Lord is there to what, play tiddly winks ? Peter says the HS fell on Cornelius just as he had on the apostles. John says we, the ecclesia, have the “unction” from the HS, to know all things.
Yes, we have unity by virtue of our mutual faith in Christ, but what the Apostles meant by “we” in speaking about the Chruch is not the same as what you are saying here. They were talking about those validly ordained in unity with the successor of Peter.
Thou sewest up that which was wrent at our Lord’s shedding blood. The veil was wrent in two, the middle wall of partition is come down and we can all boldly go before the throne, the holy of holies. You have the same respecter of persons attitude as the OT had and divisions amongst the brethren and much middle men.
The fact that Jesus established a priesthood does not return the veil that was rent. The new priesthood, though foreshadowed by the old, is of a different order.
You have a misunderstanding about the priesthood in condemning it as “respecter of persons”. Everyone has gifts and callling. The fact that one has one gift, and another a different gift does not mean that one is more “respectable” than anothoer. The priesthood is a life of service to which not everyone is called. The same can be said of motherhood.
. That is old testament and the wrong foreshadow.
And by what authority do you make this assessment?
Should your judgment on this point have more value to us than that of Christ, who teaches us that He is a priest after the order of Melchizedech?
. You really think all that was spoken to apostles was only for them and their institutional successors ?
There were some things spoken only to the ordained and for their successors. Why do you think that nothing of the 40 days after the resurrection are recorded?
. Do you know how many other things you have to take away from lay people if you follow that to the letter ?
The ordained are called to lay down their lives in service to the flock. This is the example that Jesus set, and the one to which those who are caught up into His priesthood are called. This does not “take way” anything from the laity, who need to be equipped by them for the work of the ministry.
I’m one of them there Prots. I got carried away by all the little blue faced men with the big thumbs and wanted to get in on the excitement of this preaching-to-the-choir fest. 
Ha!