Just what I thought. You cannot prove your point from Scripture because it’s just
not there.
As for the shamefully ignorant claim that the
"Holy Bible* is the only concrete evidence we have from the Apostles that shows what we must do to follow GOD’s plan for our salvation"*** -
WRONG**. **
We have the teachings of the Early Church Fathers who passed on the faith when there was NO canon of Scripture.
Did you actually think about what you claimed or did you just type in a rush?
And the ONLY way for that canon to be revealed to the world was to have it declared by the Church - God’s earthly
instrument and supreme Authority on earth.
Have you ever researched how the Biblical canon came into being? How about the New Testament itself? I
didn’t think so . . .
Are you serious? Bishops are mentioned in Scripture (Acts 20:28, 1 Tim. 3:2, titus 1:7-9) as well as in the writings of the Early Church:
Ignatius (BISHOP of Antioch)
**"**Follow your bishop, every one of you,
as obediently as Jesus Christ followed the Father. Obey your clergy too
as you would the apostles; give your deacons the same reverence that you would to a command of God. Make sure that no step affecting the Church is ever taken by anyone
without the bishop’s sanction. The sole Eucharist you should consider valid is one that is celebrated by the bishop himself, or by some person authorized by him.
Where the bishop is to be seen, there let all his people be; just as, wherever Jesus Christ is present, there is the Catholic Church" (
Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2 [A.D. 110[/COLOR]]).
The Keys are in the 265 Popes we’ve had since Peter.
They can ALL be traced back to him:
newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm
OK, so you don’t believe that what the Apostles wrote in the Holy Bible everything we need for our salvation.
You believe GOD’s Word is insufficient? The Apostles missed something?
Where do you look for the truth of salvation, the truth about Jesus, the truth of the Eucharist, Jesus virgin birth, baptism?
What tradition about Jesus do get from other then the Holy Bible?
We had the Gospels being passed around before there was a
“Catholic Church”. Yes, the Catholic Church did then make canon what GOD had already chosen.
Sorry for confusing should have added -
Yes but not Bishop as defined by the Catholic Church.
First century- church headed by a local Bishop. Called catholic as in universal.
Second century - bishops supervised a larger territory over several churches.
Third century -joining of church and state real problems begin.
Acts 20
28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
1 Timothy 3
1Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,[a] he desires a noble task.
2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)
Many early Popes don’t fit this mold.
Titus 1
7Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
I have seen varies lists of Popes and antepopes-is that the term? The Popes that were but then it was decided they were heretics and were not considered Popes.
All this is simply theory. How do we know that the laying on of hands took? There were way too many imoral Popes. There is no concrete proof of this authority being present or handed down.
Prove there is authority in the Pope.