Why do other faiths believe we have pagan roots?

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Jon (recovering baptist 😉 )
First you must believe in Jesus Christ as your Saviour and repent of your sins. Salvation, through faith alone.
Then, as a believer, you can be baptised.
Scripture alone is the rule of faith and practice
Historians trace the earliest church labelled “Baptist” back to 1609 in Amsterdam, with English Separatist John Smyth as its pastor. In accordance with his reading of the New Testament, he rejected baptism of infants, instituted baptism only of believing adults.
Quote Fr. Longenecker “Difficult cases such as the good thief, should be explained that the Catholic Church has taught that there is a “baptism of blood” and “baptism of desire.” baptism of blood refers to those who were not baptized but were martyred for Christ.
The thief, who repented was not a martyr. He was a robber, crucified for his crimes, and came to believe in Christ while on the cross. Big difference. So, this does not apply to him!
Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 “the wages of sin is death.” “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:8" while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Romans 10:13 “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved.”
You don’t believe any of this? Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the HEART one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from WRATH through Him.”

By dismissing these scriptures, are you not disqualifying yourself from salvation as described in Romans 10:9 And Romans 5:8 “…having now been*** justified by His blood***” It is impossible to read this any other way without twisting scripture. Without believing these scriptures, are you confident you are justified by His (Christ’s blood) without actually doing what He says to do in Romans 10:9 ?
Quote: Fr. Longenecker: “the New Testament indicates what we call “baptism of desire” is the case for the Old Testament saints. Noah and his family “saved through water” in the flood, (2 Pet. 2:5) the Hebrew children were baptized “into Moses in the cloud and the Red Sea””
Noah was saved by faith. God asked Noah to build an ark. No one had ever seen rain. It took faith for Noah to do what God asked him to do. 2Peter 2:5 “and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly” NKJV

1Cor.10:2 “all were baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, (Christ the Word of God) and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual ROCK that followed them, and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST.”
Note: From this scripture, God is saying that the Rock is Christ, not Peter. It cannot be both.
15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Tim 3:16”
The church in scripture is described as the Church of the Living God, the body of Christ, the Bride of Christ. Doesn’t mean Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox. Many churches consider themselves part of the church of Christ. We need to ensure that when Christ returns for his bride, the Church, we are found to be faithful to His teachings, that is the Word of God. Jesus is the Word and the Rock upon which God has built His church, the pillar and foundation of the truth. He is the cornerstone that the builders rejected.
And why is following John Smyth’s baptist faith any different than following Joseph Smith’s Mormon faith as example.
You can’t compare Mormon’s, which is a cult to the Baptist church. Joseph Smith was a treasure hunter, forger, criminal, who drew people away from the teachings of Christ to new teachings. The Baptist church believe in scripture alone, which is salvation by faith alone and not by works or penance.
Your choices will basically be Catholic or Orthodox. The only two churches that go back to Christ and practice christianity as the early church did.
The early fathers of the 1st century church did not baptise infants. In the 4th Century Constantine changed Christianity into a state religion. He appeased the pagans and introduced pagan rituals. He introduced baptising infants. If they died before baptism, they went to Limbo. No limbo in scripture. The Catholic Church has amended that teaching, but shows, it didn’t adhere to what the early church did. Souls have to go to purgatory to pay for their venial sins. Or someone can pray to God for your sins to get you out of purgatory. It is a myth invented by the Catholic church during it’s history. Where is purgatory in scripture? Teaching that you have to pay for your sins, says that Jesus’ sacrifice is not enough. But you get to heaven by your deeds and works.

Luther strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God’s punishment for sin could be purchased with money. “Indulgence.” Luther taught salvation and eternity in heaven is not earned by good deeds but received as a free gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin and subsequently from Hell. He challenged the authority of the Pope by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge from God. He was a Friar, Priest and Theologian Professor.
Carmen
 
Carmen -

We don’t reject Sacred Scripture we reject your fallible interpretation of scripture.

Re: thief on the cross

Baptism by blood = Martyr
Baptism by desire = those who would but due to extreme circumstances that prevent the person from getting baptized.

The thief on the cross had a baptism of desire

Re: purgatory

Did you know that in Jewish teachings the concept of Purgatory is there.

In Protestant history, the Protestant Tradition, rejected a few books in the Catholic Edition.

Let me ask you, what gave the Reformation leaders the authority to subtract from Sacred Scripture and how do you know the additional books in the Catholic Church are not as inspired?

If I had time I’d point out verses but you have confirmation in the OT and NT re: purgatory as the NT references indirectly books found in the Apocrapha. It is most definitely seen and proved in the Apocrapha. But again, who originally had the authority to subtract these books from Sacred Scripture?
 
You don’t believe any of this? Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the HEART one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from WRATH through Him.”
By dismissing these scriptures, are you not disqualifying yourself from salvation as described in Romans 10:9 And Romans 5:8 “…having now been*** justified by His blood***” It is impossible to read this any other way without twisting scripture. Without believing these scriptures, are you confident you are justified by His (Christ’s blood) without actually doing what He says to do in Romans 10:9 ?
Don’t forget 6 where Paul talks about baptism. The Romans were already baptized therefore already justified. What you are doing is taking Scripture out of context than accusing other of twisting it.
Noah was saved by faith. God asked Noah to build an ark. No one had ever seen rain. It took faith for Noah to do what God asked him to do. 2Peter 2:5 “and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly” NKJV
Don’t forget
1 Peter 3:21 21

This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God 7 for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
1Cor.10:2 “all were baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, (Christ the Word of God) and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual ROCK that followed them, and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST.”
Note: From this scripture, God is saying that the Rock is Christ, not Peter. It cannot be both.
Why because you say so? Jesus said that Peter was rock, the rock He would build His Church.
You can’t compare Mormon’s, which is a cult to the Baptist church. Joseph Smith was a treasure hunter, forger, criminal, who drew people away from the teachings of Christ to new teachings. The Baptist church believe in scripture alone, which is salvation by faith alone and not by works or penance.
Where is the Scripture that states that you must believe in Scripture alone, or faith alone. to repeat my previous post
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
What do you do with Matthew 25 with the parable of the talents and The king who says I was hungry and you gave me to eat…
Sounds like we will indeed be judged on works which is a result of our faith.
The early fathers of the 1st century church did not baptise infants.
In the 4th Century Constantine changed Christianity into a state religion. He appeased the pagans and introduced pagan rituals. He introduced baptising infants. If they died before baptism, they went to Limbo. No limbo in scripture. The Catholic Church has amended that teaching, but shows, it didn’t adhere to what the early church did. Souls have to go to purgatory to pay for their venial sins. Or someone can pray to God for your sins to get you out of purgatory. It is a myth invented by the Catholic church during it’s history. Where is purgatory in scripture? Teaching that you have to pay for your sins, says that Jesus’ sacrifice is not enough. But you get to heaven by your deeds and works.
If you are going to write garbage at least be truthful what you write has not basis in fact Infant Baptism
Paul notes that baptism has replaced circumcision (Col. 2:11–12). In that passage, he refers to baptism as “the circumcision of Christ” and “the circumcision made without hands.” Of course, usually only infants were circumcised under the Old Law; circumcision of adults was rare, since there were few converts to Judaism. If Paul meant to exclude infants, he would not have chosen circumcision as a parallel for baptism.
Luther strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God’s punishment for sin could be purchased with money. “Indulgence.”
The Church never taught this nor were indulgences ever purchased. Even today we donate money to a cause. Some even get tax breaks. It wasn’t the money but the donation that was considered a charitable act. Please learn truth before you spread lies which is against the commandment thou shalt not bear false witness.
Luther taught salvation and eternity in heaven is not earned by good deeds but received as a free gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin and subsequently from Hell. He challenged the authority of the Pope by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge from God. He was a Friar, Priest and Theologian Professor.
Carmen
He was also a heretic and had many other psychological problems.
 
Carmen -

We don’t reject Sacred Scripture we reject your fallible interpretation of scripture.

Re: thief on the cross

Baptism by blood = Martyr
Baptism by desire = those who would but due to extreme circumstances that prevent the person from getting baptized.

The thief on the cross had a baptism of desire

Re: purgatory

Did you know that in Jewish teachings the concept of Purgatory is there.

In Protestant history, the Protestant Tradition, rejected a few books in the Catholic Edition.

Let me ask you, what gave the Reformation leaders the authority to subtract from Sacred Scripture and how do you know the additional books in the Catholic Church are not as inspired?

If I had time I’d point out verses but you have confirmation in the OT and NT re: purgatory as the NT references indirectly books found in the Apocrapha. It is most definitely seen and proved in the Apocrapha. But again, who originally had the authority to subtract these books from Sacred Scripture?
 
Jon (recovering baptist 😉 )
Historians trace the earliest church labelled “Baptist” back to 1609 in Amsterdam, with English Separatist John Smyth as its pastor. In accordance with his reading of the New Testament, he rejected baptism of infants, instituted baptism only of believing adults.
The thief, who repented was not a martyr. He was a robber, crucified for his crimes, and came to believe in Christ while on the cross. Big difference. So, this does not apply to him!
You don’t believe any of this? Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the HEART one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from WRATH through Him.”
By dismissing these scriptures, are you not disqualifying yourself from salvation as described in Romans 10:9 And Romans 5:8 “…having now been*** justified by His blood***” It is impossible to read this any other way without twisting scripture. Without believing these scriptures, are you confident you are justified by His (Christ’s blood) without actually doing what He says to do in Romans 10:9 ?
Noah was saved by faith. God asked Noah to build an ark. No one had ever seen rain. It took faith for Noah to do what God asked him to do. 2Peter 2:5 “and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly” NKJV
1Cor.10:2 “all were baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, (Christ the Word of God) and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual ROCK that followed them, and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST.”
Note: From this scripture, God is saying that the Rock is Christ, not Peter. It cannot be both.
The church in scripture is described as the Church of the Living God, the body of Christ, the Bride of Christ. Doesn’t mean Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox. Many churches consider themselves part of the church of Christ. We need to ensure that when Christ returns for his bride, the Church, we are found to be faithful to His teachings, that is the Word of God. Jesus is the Word and the Rock upon which God has built His church, the pillar and foundation of the truth. He is the cornerstone that the builders rejected.
You can’t compare Mormon’s, which is a cult to the Baptist church. Joseph Smith was a treasure hunter, forger, criminal, who drew people away from the teachings of Christ to new teachings. The Baptist church believe in scripture alone, which is salvation by faith alone and not by works or penance.
The early fathers of the 1st century church did not baptise infants. In the 4th Century Constantine changed Christianity into a state religion. He appeased the pagans and introduced pagan rituals. He introduced baptising infants. If they died before baptism, they went to Limbo. No limbo in scripture. The Catholic Church has amended that teaching, but shows, it didn’t adhere to what the early church did. Souls have to go to purgatory to pay for their venial sins. Or someone can pray to God for your sins to get you out of purgatory. It is a myth invented by the Catholic church during it’s history. Where is purgatory in scripture? Teaching that you have to pay for your sins, says that Jesus’ sacrifice is not enough. But you get to heaven by your deeds and works.
Luther strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God’s punishment for sin could be purchased with money. “Indulgence.” Luther taught salvation and eternity in heaven is not earned by good deeds but received as a free gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin and subsequently from Hell. He challenged the authority of the Pope by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge from God. He was a Friar, Priest and Theologian Professor.
Carmen
All of this that you posted I would ask,

According to who?

You say you can’t compare Mormons and baptists…according to who?

You say Mormons are a cult…according to who?

I could readily say baptists are a cult that does not make it so.

So let’s take it tovthe church per Matthew 18?

Which church? A church founded in the 1800s or 1600’s ??

Which one of them? They will all give a different take. Indeed this is how they were formed and continue to form. A disagreement arises in the protestant church…Matt 18 is exercised and the losing party creates his own church and declares the other wrong.

I choose to go to the first century church.

Also, the thief was saved by baptism of desire…meaning of he was able he would have been baptized. Every conversion story in the New Testament speaks of baptism. It’s essential and it was indeed practiced in the first century for all converts including children.

American individualism which perverts protestantism today did not exist then, and that is why the majority of mainline Protestants still baptize infants as well.
 
Carmen -

We don’t reject Sacred Scripture we reject your fallible interpretation of scripture.

Re: thief on the cross

Baptism by blood = Martyr
Baptism by desire = those who would but due to extreme circumstances that prevent the person from getting baptized.

The thief on the cross had a baptism of desire

Re: purgatory

Did you know that in Jewish teachings the concept of Purgatory is there.

In Protestant history, the Protestant Tradition, rejected a few books in the Catholic Edition.
C
Let me ask you, what gave the Reformation leaders the authority to subtract from Sacred Scripture and how do you know the additional books in the Catholic Church are not as inspired?

How do you know they were???

If I had time I’d point out verses but you have confirmation in the OT and NT re: purgatory as the NT references indirectly books found in the Apocrapha. It is most definitely seen and proved in the Apocrapha. But again, who originally had the authority to subtract these books from Sacred Scripture?
I have answered your previous post, in depth, using scripture. You have not made your case as you haven’t backed it up with references. You haven’t even responded to my questions. I did go to the link you gave me and I responded as you asked me to.

You haven’t given me the same respect. But ask me more questions? The reformation?

You tell me you don’t reject scripture? But my interpretation? What is your interpretation?
I quoted scripture but because I believe scripture, you call it my interpretation?

The thief on the cross had a desire to be baptized? Who says? He probably didn’t even know about baptism!

I don’t see your interpretation of the teachings of the early Church as adhering to what they did. You are adding stuff Jesus didn’t teach. Where is Purgatory in the bible? The Jews also rejected Christ. Jewish teachings you noted, is it in the old testament? Where?

Did protestants reject those Catholic books because they strayed from Jesus’ teachings? Was it misinterpreting scripture, adding new non biblical teachings? The history of the catholic church is seeped in dubious teachings. Money making schemes that had no basis of truth in scripture and defrauded poor believers by false teachings. The history of the Popes alone describe a litany of deception and were not themselves living a life as believers thought from church doctrine. They had illegitimate children, mistresses, enriched themselves, etc.

Any wonder they bring into question, even quotes from scripture as it doesn’t concur with church extra biblical teaching.

You do not accept scripture as the authority but you accept the Pope as the authority citing Peter and claiming to be the church he founded. If it doesn’t adhere to what Peter or Jesus taught, but has a mixture of Christ’s teachings and teachings that are out of biblical context, how can the claim be valid. Indulgences, limbo, purgatory, prayer for the dead, saved by works, praying to saints, Mary’s immaculate conception. But repentance of sin and the belief that Jesus’s blood is what takes away our sins, you do not believe. Your good deeds will save you from hell?
Read your bible and try taking God at His Word like Noah and many others did, and as many do today. If you don’t accept that Jesus’ sacrifice justifies you before God, you have missed the bible’s CORE message.

Carmen
 
I have answered your previous post, in depth, using scripture. You have not made your case as you haven’t backed it up with references. You haven’t even responded to my questions. I did go to the link you gave me and I responded as you asked me to.

You haven’t given me the same respect. But ask me more questions? The reformation?

You tell me you don’t reject scripture? But my interpretation? What is your interpretation?
I quoted scripture but because I believe scripture, you call it my interpretation?

The thief on the cross had a desire to be baptized? Who says? He probably didn’t even know about baptism!

I don’t see your interpretation of the teachings of the early Church as adhering to what they did. You are adding stuff Jesus didn’t teach. Where is Purgatory in the bible? The Jews also rejected Christ. Jewish teachings you noted, is it in the old testament? Where?

Did protestants reject those Catholic books because they strayed from Jesus’ teachings? Was it misinterpreting scripture, adding new non biblical teachings? The history of the catholic church is seeped in dubious teachings. Money making schemes that had no basis of truth in scripture and defrauded poor believers by false teachings. The history of the Popes alone describe a litany of deception and were not themselves living a life as believers thought from church doctrine. They had illegitimate children, mistresses, enriched themselves, etc.

Any wonder they bring into question, even quotes from scripture as it doesn’t concur with church extra biblical teaching.

You do not accept scripture as the authority but you accept the Pope as the authority citing Peter and claiming to be the church he founded. If it doesn’t adhere to what Peter or Jesus taught, but has a mixture of Christ’s teachings and teachings that are out of biblical context, how can the claim be valid. Indulgences, limbo, purgatory, prayer for the dead, saved by works, praying to saints, Mary’s immaculate conception. But repentance of sin and the belief that Jesus’s blood is what takes away our sins, you do not believe. Your good deeds will save you from hell?
Read your bible and try taking God at His Word like Noah and many others did, and as many do today. If you don’t accept that Jesus’ sacrifice justifies you before God, you have missed the bible’s CORE message.

Carmen
Perhaps, you are mixing my posts up with some others you are speaking about a million rabbit holes.

It is clear you are not interested in real dialogue, but just grandstanding . I get it, I was baptist for 30 years, I get the talking points…

They are wrong…you present characterizations, inaccuracies and outright falsehood regarding Catholic beliefs, history, teaching, structure, etc…

If you are interested in diving deeper into understanding on a single topic, maybe pick one and I will gladly help you with lots and lots of references.

I was discussing the Protestant/Baptist worldview and basis of authority.

You see, Mormons, and every sort of “christian” cult out there uses the Bible as its authority. What sets them apart is “orthodoxy” or how their interpretations keep with tradition. It is with this worldview that you say mormons are a cult and it is with this worldview that Catholics, Orthodox, and Coptic Christians say that protestants are in error. You should note that the Oriental and Ethiopian Church holds the same view as us Catholics and were in no way influenced by Constantine. That said, your understanding of Constantine is not based in reality, but instead in Anti Catholic Propaganda.

Anyway, let me know if you want to talk more on a single topic…Id recommend baptism as that is what we started with and we can have a real conversation.

You unfortunately are a bit blinded right now by false teaching regarding Catholicism…we can help clear it up for you and help you understand what the Catholic Church actually teaches.
 
Martin Luther was seen as a “great reformer” however the case with him be Martin Luther was more Catholic despite nailing the thesis to the church doors and more Catholic than most Reformers would like to admit.

Martin Luther added saved by faith alone but the only place you see faith alone is in James 2:24 that says we are justified by works not faith alone… But many protestant believers don’t know what to do with that and come up with a very weak explanation.

Martin Luther was a heretic … At first Martin Luther wanted to subtract the book of James and Revelations but was greeted with too great of opposition so he brought back the book of James and Revelations. Why did Martin Luther want to subtract the book of James and Revelation? Because he couldn’t reconcile the book of James and Revelations with his “faith alone” doctrine.

Like any heretic, just subtract here and there and manipulate other verses to suit “faith alone” doctrine.

I found it interesting that Martin Luther tried to cut James and Revelations too! That’s how cults form. Who was the one to change Sacred Scripture? Carmen - By what authority did Martin Luther have to change Sacred Scripture?
 
Yes…the Catholic Church teaches that there is Baptism of water, Baptism of desire, and Baptism of blood.
What does the bible say about baptism of water, baptism of desire and baptism of blood?:doh2:
 
Historians trace the earliest church labelled “Baptist” back to 1609 in Amsterdam, with English Separatist John Smyth as its pastor. In accordance with his reading of the New Testament, he rejected baptism of infants, instituted baptism only of believing adults.

All of this that you posted I would ask,

According to who?

You say you can’t compare Mormons and baptists…according to who? The bible

You say Mormons are a cult…according to who? The bible!

I could readily say baptists are a cult that does not make it so.

So let’s take it tovthe church per Matthew 18?

Which church? A church founded in the 1800s or 1600’s ?? The 1st century church.

Which one of them? They will all give a different take. Indeed this is how they were formed and continue to form. A disagreement arises in the protestant church…Matt 18 is exercised and the losing party creates his own church and declares the other wrong.

I choose to go to the first century church.
The Catholic church does not fulfill the requirements in your post that they didn’t stray, but kept doing what the first Christians did. It comprehensively fails that test because of it’s tainted history.

Also, the thief was saved by baptism of desire…meaning of he was able he would have been baptized. Every conversion story in the New Testament speaks of baptism. It’s essential and it was indeed practiced in the first century for all converts including children.
You can’t come up with an extra biblical doctrine because of this instance of the mercy of God. Was the thief baptized the same way as the biblical references you read? No. How can you say he had a baptism in his heart? Where is baptism by desire in the bible? It has no basis of truth without it being spoken of in the bible.

American individualism which perverts protestantism today did not exist then, and that is why the majority of mainline Protestants still baptize infants as well.
Then they have strayed from the original teachings of Christ too.

You haven’t answered any of my questions but here I am answering yours again. Don’t you have any answers for my questions.
 
It’s not us saying the Church is the foundation. The Bible says that.

1 Timothy 3:15

15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

Matt 18

15 “If your brother or sister** sins,[c] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[d] 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.**

This shows clearly the church is given the authority over the individual. Otherwise going to them for resolution is meaningless.

The church doesn’t come before Jesus. The church is the agency of Jesus. It protects and proclaims his message. It keeps it from being twisted into error as even you would probably admit happens in many many churches .

So to know who is keeping the true tradition and teachings of Christ you go to the beginning. You read the early church fathers and find a church that has a historical lineage to them and is still teaching the same as them. Your choices will basically be Catholic or Orthodox. The only two churches that go back to Christ and practice christianity as the early church did.

If you want to follow a tradition that started 1600 years after Christ you really should ask why. And why is following John Smyth’s baptist faith any different than following Joseph Smith’s Mormon faith as example. What gave either of them the authority to start their new reinventions of Christianity.

Hope this helps,

Jon (recovering baptist 😉 )
Sorry. This post was for SjMelnychuk
 
The early fathers of the 1st century church did not baptise infants.
They baptised entire households, men, women and children.
In the 4th Century Constantine changed Christianity into a state religion.
False. Constantine legalised Christianity and ended the State backed persecution of the Church.
He appeased the pagans and introduced pagan rituals.
Also false. Constantine himself introduced nothing into the Church.
He introduced baptising infants.
Also totally false. Please get your information from works written by actual historians. Wherever you’ve been getting your knowledge from isn’t worth the paper its printed on.
If they died before baptism, they went to Limbo.
I don’t know when Rome started teaching this, but it was long after Constantine.

Please read some actual Church history before you make further posts like the above. It makes you look very foolish and does not lend much in the way of credibility to the rest of your post.
 
Carmen - Baptism is a Sacrament of God’s Grace. Salvation is an act of Grace not an act of works.

I find it interesting, through this thread I saw for the first time circumcision being compared to baptism …ie baptism a circumcision of the heart. When did the Jewish people normally get circumcized? At first, as adults and children much like the early church with baptism. Eventually circumcision was only done to infants.

Baptism = Circumcision of the heart.

If Baptism is a Sacrament to which one receives salvation by grace it’s not difficult than to follow through with the thinking that there would be an allowance for people who are killed for proclaiming Christ before baptism or for those like the theif on the cross who were not granted water baptism. Again, water baptism is a Sacrament through which by the grace of God people are saved, renewed, born again of water.

Where in the bible does it say you have to reach the age of reason before you can receive baptism? When did the teaching of baptism being just an ordinence begin? I tell you, from Jesus to the Apostles all the way to the Early Church Fathers that span the first 500 + of early Church history Baptism has been taught to be a Sacrament, an act of receiving by Grace salvation. So are you saying that the first 500+ years of the Church including Jesus and the apostles got it wrong?

Finally, by whose authority can you say the Early Church Fathers and the Apostles got it wrong? When Jesus was baptizing whole families don’t you think, if infant baptism was wrong Jesus would have said something? But rather he said, for children such as these the Kingdom is for.

Furthermore, the bible is not the pillar and foundation of truth 1Tim 3:16 says the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth. It is not I that have to convince you the truth in the Catholic Church but you should find true evidence to validate your claims and so far your “faith alone” doctrine doesn’t hold any weight and your “bible alone” and complete disregard of historical teachings of the Church doesn’t hold any weight either.
 
Also Carmen - I don’t know who has been teaching you church history because you show yourself to be ignorant of church history. It seems you’ve been learning from your fellow Baptist / Anti-Catholic friends who also are being given false information on church history.

And here’s another thing to consider!

Who initially gave you the bible you read today?

Don’t you know that before Protestants the Bible was and still is a Catholic book?
Think about it! The bible is a Catholic book. The Catholic Church gave the Bible to the world! Now, don’t you think that if the Bible is a Catholic book than the Catholic Church should have a better understanding of the Bible?

It’s like the difference of an artist with his/her work… Is not the artist going to be able to draw out a deeper more significant meaning behind their work than say somebody who studied their art work centuries later? That would be akin to saying to Mozart "I don’t care what you have to say about your art work, I’d much rather hear from a student who studied your work centuries after. Of course you’d learn more about a master piece from the artist as opposed to the student of the artist.

However, when it comes to Sacred Scripture you see consistency from Jesus and his Apostles and through the era a the Early Church Fathers to what the Catholic Church today teaches. However, how many denominations came after Martin Luther and the Reformation? Since the founding of the Baptist Church and the Anabaptist movement how many denominations have been formed? I’ll tell you, there’s 44,000 + Protestant Church denominations and among the Protestant Churches some baptize infants and hold to baptism as a Sacrament and others within the Anabaptist movement like Baptist, Mennonite, Pentecostal, Missionary-Alliance and the whole of the Evangelical movement hold to baptism as just an ordinance so even among the Protestant tradition there is huge disagreement with this. Well, who’s right? By who’s authority would they have to say they’re right? And if the bible is the soul rule of authority for Christian life why are there so many denominations? All claim to have the most accurate interpretation of scripture but not all can be right.
 
Then they have strayed from the original teachings of Christ too.

You haven’t answered any of my questions but here I am answering yours again. Don’t you have any answers for my questions.
Carmen - you haven’t answered any of my questions. Not one was answered. You ignore the tough questions, ignore the verses that pretty point blank leaving no room to misinterpret ie the slew of resources and bible verses.

You have to first discredit, if you can, Catholic teaching in order to place any weight behind what you are saying. You speak of scripture through your own understand, therefore, by your own fallible interpretation. You share your interpretation of Sacred Scripture yet show inadequately how you came to your interpretation scripture. Yet many of us have shown you the consistency of the Catholic Churches teaching from Jesus and the Apostle to the Early Church Father’s. What the Early Church Fathers taught the Apostles taught and what the Catholic Church teaches is what the Early Church Fathers taught. Which btw brings a heck of a lot more weight than say an infant denomination teaching something that contradict 2000+ consistent teaching.

You see, anybody in a Protestant tradition always has to reference the Apostles and Early Church Fathers and yet disregard the Church. What ate you going to believe? 2000+ consistent and congruent teaching or a denomination that even among themselves is divided. I think a 2000+ year history of consistent teaching or the contradictions and inconcistency that exist withing the Protestant tradition?
 
Martin Luther was seen as a “great reformer” however the case with him be Martin Luther was more Catholic despite nailing the thesis to the church doors and more Catholic than most Reformers would like to admit.

Martin Luther added saved by faith alone but the only place you see faith alone is in James 2:24 that says we are justified by works not faith alone… But many protestant believers don’t know what to do with that and come up with a very weak explanation.

Martin Luther was a heretic … At first Martin Luther wanted to subtract the book of James and Revelations but was greeted with too great of opposition so he brought back the book of James and Revelations. Why did Martin Luther want to subtract the book of James and Revelation? Because he couldn’t reconcile the book of James and Revelations with his “faith alone” doctrine.

Like any heretic, just subtract here and there and manipulate other verses to suit “faith alone” doctrine.

I found it interesting that Martin Luther tried to cut James and Revelations too! That’s how cults form. Who was the one to change Sacred Scripture? Carmen - By what authority did Martin Luther have to change Sacred Scripture?
I can’t believe you are trusting in your own good deeds or works to save you!

You want me to justify Martin Luther.
I need to defend the fullness of Jesus Christ! I need to defend the truth that we are saved only by believing that the blood of Jesus is able to cleanse us of all sin. We receive forgiveness from
God when we ask Him for forgiveness.

You have misunderstood James. He is saying that if you have faith but nothing to show for it, no fruit, then faith without works is dead. He is right. You are not justified by faith alone. Show me your works that have come by your faith.

I believed God would bring my husband to me. God did. And because of my faith, God returned my daughters to me. By my works I was justified because of my faith. James 2:26 “for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

You are not saved by works. Salvation, is different to works. Salvation is the free gift of God when we believe in Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection. That by Him our sins are forgiven. In my 24 yrs as a Christian, my faith in God has produced works. I am justified by those works, not that I had power, or I made them happen. God is glorified as He is the One who honors my faith. The works James is talking about is not doing good deeds, feeding the poor. These things we should do as Christians. But our deliverer from sin, our Saviour from the penalty of sin, is Jesus Christ. By His blood He imputes to us His righteousness. God says our righteousness is like a filthy rag.

Your good works alone will eventually bring you before the judgment seat of God and He will say depart from Me, I never knew you.

I pray that you would ask God to reveal His truth to you. You are being robbed.
In eternity the truth that it’s only the precious blood of Christ that saves will be made clear to you but will not deliver you if you don’t believe it while still in this body that is under sentence of death.

You don’t believe anything I say. Not even scripture convinces you. It is God Who reveals His Son to us. You need God to open up His Word to you and give you the understanding of how His grace saves us.

If you ask Him to show you, He will. He is found by those who seek Him.

That’s what I did. I have nothing that wasn’t given to me. I am nothing without God. No wisdom, no understanding, no testamony. It is all the grace of God that saved a wretch like me.
Carmen
 
Carmen - the Catholic Church teaches that by Grace through the Sacrament of baptism we are saved.

Who says the Catholic Church is a works based faith?

Have you not been reading anything Catholics have been posting? It sure seems like you take things out of context.

Baptism is the means in which we receive by grace salvation but you are mistaken if you think faith alone saves…

James 2:24 is clear!

Justified by works NOT faith alone.

Show me where in the bible it says we are saved by faith alone!

Anyone who teaches salvation by works alone according to the Catholic Church is heresy!

What does “works” mean?

Well to believe is something we do
Baptism is a gift and sacrament

We can’t do anything apart from God. We can’t even breath apart from God.

Salvation comes as a Grace received to be able to cooperate with God.

So by grace we believe
By grace we receive the sacrament of baptism
By grace we repent
By grace we reflect pennance
By grace we work out our salvation in Christ

Where in the bible does it say we’re saved by faith alone? You have yet to produce one scripture verse that says we’re saved by faith alone.

And yet many scripture verses that point to baptism as the means of being born again of water, become a new creation in Christ and many verses that talk about being saved through baptism but not one single verse that says we’re saved by faith alone.

If we believe and yet continue willfully in sin does it make a difference to our eternal security in Christ?
 
Baptism - buried in Christ’s death and raised to new life in Christ!

This also includes Christ’s death on the cross PLUS His resurrection.

Jesus came as the 2nd Adam which means there is a lot more to it then the shedding of Christ’s blood.

Everything in the OT foreshadows the NT. Jesus was called the lamb of God. At the time of the passover it wasn’t just the blood of the lamb sprinkled on the door but the Jewish household also consumed the lamb. There is so much more. Jesus didn’t die on the cross just to take our place Jesus also raised back to life so that we too can be raised from the dead in Christ.
 
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