Why do we need the Church? Not A Church, but THE Church.

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We don’t have denominations, that’s why we are called **One **. Every week my priest starts the Mass off by saying “let us pray in God’s **Universal **church.” The Catholic church is called “Universal” because it is for ALL people to join in. There is only **One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church. **Us.
This is nothing short of attempting to to claim everything for yourself. The word catholic to describe that the Church is universal is Biblical. The proper name Catholic to create exclusivity is not. This is a man made, man devised church which is NOT Christ’s Church alone. It is an institution, not the Body of Christ. No one single denomination can claim to be the one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
 
Sellers1;5514771:
PJM;5514678 said:
***
***I have read many wonderful responses but none that specifically respond to the question. Lest we be accused of not being able to, I offer the following possibilities.

1 Jn. 1:8 ******
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

It seems to me that this is the logical and factual place to began our explanation. From here we point out a highly significant difference in the “theology of personal Salvation.” The Catholic position is that it must and always does include Faith, combined with Works. James Chapter 2 is the clearest evidence of this FACT.
The question then is what is the purpose of Thee Church and what are its charges and mandates, In order to reply to this a brief explanation must be given for Mt. 16:18-19, Mt. 18:18; Mt. 28:19-20 and 1 John 4:6. And Jn. 10:1-3, Isaiah 22. All provided below for you’re edification.

Mt. 16: “15 He said to them,… 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

This is the single most important set of verses as it deals with the founding of the RCC and the Primacy of Peter, on which every other teaching rest.
Of great significance was the location of “the district of Caesarea Philippi,” in which to found His new Church with the mandate of Mt. 28:20, “go therefore and teach all nations.” Christ as God has a singular unerring purpose for what He does, says and teaches.

“Caesarea Philippi,” was selected because it was on the mountain [like when He gave the Commandments and Sermon on the Mount] and because it was the location of a very large and highly significant Pagan Temple. Christ intended to show that what He was about to do was to be in opposition to Satan and Pagan [all false religions] religious practices.]

Thee extensive and intentional use of singular tense words; “I, you, Peter, My, Church, rock, are all notably singular as ONE CHURCH and ONE Leader is exactly what Christ envisioned and founded.
Of equal significance are the terms “what ever you [Peter] bind or loose.”

Why? Because then as now Jerusalem [and other cites] were walled and fortified, with real gates and real keys. Further it was common at this time for each city so enclosed to have their own king [and kingdom] and ONE PERSON who answered ONLY to thee king as “keeper of the key’s.” This person always has total and autonomous rule and governance over the kingdom; including the obligation to make and enforce laws, to punish offenders and to freely appoint assistants.

As further evidence of this indisputable fact, we include the following evidence.

Luke 22:28 "You are those who have continued with me in my trials; 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Isaiah 22: Re: PETER (and Jesus)“ 22 And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father’s house. 24 And they will hang on him the whole weight of his father’s house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel,”

1 John 4: 4 Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

John 10: 1"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; 2 but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

In closing allow me to offer another reminder from the message and teachings of Christ Jesus.

2 Tim. 3: 16 “All scripture is inspired by God and * profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Romans 10: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ. “

***My dear Bible expert friend. I provided an entire Chapter, [James Chapter 2] not simply a single verse in support of the Catholic teaching. Additionally I provided additional verses as evidence.
You provided many verses to attempt to prove your point of view. What you omitted were the many preachings of St. Paul which compliments those of St. James and therefore reflects the truths of Salvation. Got to read all of Scripture my friend.🙂

Either the Bible is TRUE, or it is not! You can’t have it both way’s. :eek:
You are absolutley right.🙂
The idea that “the entire bible” is required to support it’s teachings any and one assumes all teachings is highly suspect, and actually lessens the importance of the multiplicity of teachings and messages contained therein.

It seems easier for a non-catholic to provide what they think the Bible is saying, because you’re understanding by default becomes God’s teaching:shrug:
That’s not true. It would be all too simple.
Catholics must and can only teach in communion with Chruch teachings. That is what God Has [not had…has] in mind.
Prove it. Give me chapter and verse. Convince me of this and you’ll win me over.🙂
Love and prayers,
 
This is nothing short of attempting to to claim everything for yourself. The word catholic to describe that the Church is universal is Biblical. The proper name Catholic to create exclusivity is not. This is a man made, man devised church which is NOT Christ’s Church alone. It is an institution, not the Body of Christ. No one single denomination can claim to be the one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
Well, according to Scripture, the Catholic church IS the true church. Do you ever do any research on your history of the church? Because “to be deep in history, is to cease to be Protestant.” In other words, Protestants do not research their history, for if they did, they would find the truth in the Catholic church. The word “Universal” derived from St. Ignatius in the year 107 A.D. The Catholic church is NOT man made, unless you call Jesus the Man.
So now let’s talk about man made:

1.) If you are Lutheran, your church was founded in the year 1517 by Martin Luther.
2.) Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in 1534, because the pope would not grant him a divorce.
3.) If you are Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
4.) If you are Protestant Episcopalian, you religion was an offshoot of the church of England founded by Samuel Seabery in the American Colonies in the 17th century.
5.) If you are Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
6.) If you are Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.
7.) If you are Unitarian, Theopilius Lindley founded this church in London in 1774.
8.) If you are Mormon (LDS) Joseph smith started your religion in Palmyra, NY in 1829.
9.) If you are Baptist, you owe the terets of your religion to John Smyth who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.
10.) If you are a Christian Scientist you look to 1879 in which your religion was born to Mr. and Mrs. Baker Eddy as its founder.
11.) If you belong to anything called “Church of the Nazarene”, “Pentacostal Gospel”, “Holiness church”, “Pilgrim Holiness church”, “Jehovah’s Witness”; your religion is one of hundreds of new sects founded by men in the past century.

12.) If you are Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 A.D. by Jesus Christ, the Son of God and is still the same church. 🙂
 
12.) If you are Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 A.D. by Jesus Christ, the Son of God and is still the same church. 🙂
AMEN!!! 👍 Awesome post!

So. How can this argument be settled? Only if there is a final authority. Does Jesus want this argument? Of course not. He wants us to be united in HIS Church. So - this comes down to who is the final authority. Based on the list presented above, who is the final authority for all those religious communities? Ah ha - they have no final authority, because every pastor is free for the most part, to interpret Scripture any way he desires - especially when you get further on down the list, it’s even more fast and loose.

We Catholics have only ONE authority - that is THE ONE TRUE FAITH of Jesus Christ - HIS Catholic Church.

I see no where else to go with this ------ except perhaps to Holy Mass. 😉

~Liza
 
AMEN!!! 👍 Awesome post!

So. How can this argument be settled? Only if there is a final authority. Does Jesus want this argument? Of course not. He wants us to be united in HIS Church. So - this comes down to who is the final authority. Based on the list presented above, who is the final authority for all those religious communities? Ah ha - they have no final authority, because every pastor is free for the most part, to interpret Scripture any way he desires - especially when you get further on down the list, it’s even more fast and loose.

We Catholics have only ONE authority - that is THE ONE TRUE FAITH of Jesus Christ - HIS Catholic Church.

I see no where else to go with this ------ except perhaps to Holy Mass. 😉

~Liza
If only it sank in their hearts and their minds…;)👍👍
 
=Sellers1-This is nothing short of attempting to to claim everything for yourself. The word catholic to describe that the Church is universal is Biblical. The proper name Catholic to create exclusivity is not. This is a man made, man devised church which is NOT Christ’s Church alone. It is an institution, not the Body of Christ. No one single denomination can claim to be the one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
***Allow me friend to respond to you’re comments and then reply to the O,OPQ.

So friend do you hold this view because you don’t believe in God, you don’t believe in thee Bible, or you don’t believe what God Himself say’s in the bible:shrug:

Read Matthew 16: 18-19 [please take special note of the singular tense I [Jesus] you [Peter] My [Jesus] Rock [singular] Church [singular] and I [Jesus] give you [Peter] THEE KEYS to My [Jesus] Kingdom of heaven. ALL OF THEE KEYS!

Ignoring, denying, changing the words of the exceedingly specific and very clear meaning, does not change thee truth. It simply makes you less than objective:blush:🤷

2 Tim. 4: 1”I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.”*

Mt. 28: 16 " Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19* Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” **

Now for the O.OPQ

We need THEE Church for the idential reasons [plural] that One NEEDS a mother. Thus thee Church is called “Mother Church.”

And what does a Mother do in addition to give birth [Baptism]? She nutures, trains, teaches. forms. corrects. loves and guides. That describes well what Mother Church does.😉

Love and prayers,
 
1.) If you are Lutheran, your church was founded in the year 1517 by Martin Luther.
Actually, Lutherans trace their history back to Pentecost as well, as part of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church. The fact that Catholics and Lutherans are currently (temporarily) not in full communion with each other does not exclude or deny our joint history, anymore than the schism of 1054 excludes or denies the joint history of west and east prior to that year.

Jon
 
In other words, Jon, what he’s saying is:
“Stop pointing out when I am rude and obnoxious, or I will spew insults, my own prejudices, and basic unsubstantiated hit-and-run “apologetics” at you, until you beg for mercy.”

Just in case anyone else needed a translation 👍

gets ready for the tirade which is about to be unleashed upon him
You are as deceitful and as arogant as the false prophet Luther! LOL! Thanks for the good laugh! I am humored by childish attemps of insult.
 
universal - catholic

not proper name (denomination) Catholic.

That is the business. You have no authority to make it exclusive to your denomination only.
This shows your lack of education! Yes the transaltion for Catholic is Universal!
 
=jake23;5522464]This shows your lack of education! Yes the transaltion for Catholic is Universal!
***Even so, as it was applied first specifically to the very and only Church founded by Jesus Himself, if one ops to usurp the term “Catholic”, one should then be willing to accept all of the teachings, doctrine and dogma so as to not delute it’s authenticy;)

Wecome home jake?***
 
AMEN!!! 👍 Awesome post!

So. How can this argument be settled? Only if there is a final authority. Does Jesus want this argument? Of course not. He wants us to be united in HIS Church. So - this comes down to who is the final authority. Based on the list presented above, who is the final authority for all those religious communities? Ah ha - they have no final authority, because every pastor is free for the most part, to interpret Scripture any way he desires - especially when you get further on down the list, it’s even more fast and loose.

We Catholics have only ONE authority - that is THE ONE TRUE FAITH of Jesus Christ - HIS Catholic Church.

I see no where else to go with this ------ except perhaps to Holy Mass. 😉

~Liza
protestants were lead to believe that there is no Church. the Bible is their authority. how can they not see that a Book cannot be authority to any one because someone has to read and someone has give the understanding of it. as far as i know lies blinds people to the Truth.

they insist in believing such a thing. it is almost as if it was a competition. it is using the Word of God for self satisfaction.

they are discourage to read history and some who do read the wrong history.
 
Actually, Lutherans trace their history back to Pentecost as well, …
Yeah - and so does every other Protestant denomination out of the tens of thousands out there. What makes you so different? Just because you are closer to the Truth than some of the others? I’m sorry Jon, but being close to the goal line does not make it a touch down, no matter how close you may be. In the end you still loose the game by that final point.

~Liza
 
Yeah - and so does every other Protestant denomination out of the tens of thousands out there. What makes you so different? Just because you are closer to the Truth than some of the others? I’m sorry Jon, but being close to the goal line does not make it a touch down, no matter how close you may be. In the end you still loose the game by that final point.

~Liza
And, individually all catholics can be.

I think this whole argument is loosing the goal line now.
 
Actually, Lutherans trace their history back to Pentecost as well, as part of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church. The fact that Catholics and Lutherans are currently (temporarily) not in full communion with each other does not exclude or deny our joint history, anymore than the schism of 1054 excludes or denies the joint history of west and east prior to that year.

Jon
No jon, Lutherans trace their roots back to Luther in 1517. why can’t you see this? Your own religion and you can’t see this?🤷
 
No jon, Lutherans trace their roots back to Luther in 1517. why can’t you see this? Your own religion and you can’t see this?🤷
Why do you use the lower case j when addressing Jon? I hope that was simply a typo?
 
And this is my point exactly. We are told that we don’t say it the right way, or we don’t show them the right way, or they don’t feel welcome, or any number of endless excuses - but in the end it is only selfish arrogance that keeps them from accepting the Truth.

The reason they don’t accept is because if they did it would mean that the vast majority of them would have to change how they live. They would have to stop contracepting, living together, divorcing, aborting - and they just don’t want to change how they live their lives. So they reject the Truth out of convenience and call it something else.

There really is no other reason for it. Every single last argument has been refuted with reams of evidence and explanation. No other conclusion makes sense.

~Liza
Yea, I agree, there is just no way to convince, you just got to pray, its the most important thing you can do for them!👍
 
Originally Posted by JonNC
Actually, Lutherans trace their history back to Pentecost as well,


ok. give us the historical evidence please. how is lutherans tracing their history all the way back to pentecost? unless you mean throught the CC.
 
The reason they don’t accept is because if they did it would mean that the vast majority of them would have to change how they live. They would have to stop contracepting, living together, divorcing, aborting - and they just don’t want to change how they live their lives.
I’m not too sure that holds water - if I look around me at the many catholic in name people I know of, if contracepting, divorcing, living together and aborting was my thing, I’d have no reason to think the catholic church condemns these things looking at how they live their lives. In fact, where I am currently, I’d be forgiven for thinking cohabitation was a requirement of the catholic church.
So they reject the Truth out of convenience and call it something else.
Why would anyone seeking the truth reject it? That makes no sense.
There really is no other reason for it. Every single last argument has been refuted with reams of evidence and explanation.
Don’t you think it’s interesting that the Pope, and the Bishops, incredibly educated men of God, take a much more concilliatory and ecumenical approach to eangilization.

Don’t you think it’s interesting that the Pope and the Bishops don’t use the language one sees here against non catholics.

Don’t you think it’s interesting that the Catechism of the Catholic Church directly contracts the views spouted by some catholics here on non catholics.

As catholics, who admire and support the pope, and trust in his God given leadership, don’t you think some catholics here should be following his example?
 
No jon, Lutherans trace their roots back to Luther in 1517. why can’t you see this? Your own religion and you can’t see this?🤷
OTCA,
My religion is the same as yours - Christian.
With due respect, I have seen your level of knowledge regarding Lutheran beliefs here (a thread about the 10 commandments comes to mind). I just don’t think you have the background knowledge to tell me what Lutherans believe, or what our roots are.
Originally posted by wisdomseeker
ok. give us the historical evidence please. how is lutherans tracing their history all the way back to pentecost? unless you mean throught the CC.
The totality of my post says;
Actually, Lutherans trace their history back to Pentecost as well, as part of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church. The fact that Catholics and Lutherans are currently (temporarily) not in full communion with each other does not exclude or deny our joint history, anymore than the schism of 1054 excludes or denies the joint history of west and east prior to that year.
So, that is exactly what I meant, the pre-reformation, pre-schism Church, through which Lutherans trace their roots and history.

Jon
 
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