I quoted from Jude, Padre,
For the twenty third time, I am not attacking men or women of whatever denomination they may claim.
I am attacking false doctrines, invented or misinterpreted by men or women for their own gain, teachings that do not line up with Holy Scripture, but contradict it.
The Roman Catholic Institution is a mini-country with a mini-government. It is of men, not of God.
Jesus attacked only the false teachers, false leaders who misrepresented God and His Holy Word (which we are commanded to defend).
The Canon of Scripture was completed in 96 A.D. when the Apostle John completed recording Jesus' words of the book of Revelation which he had received from Him. Galatians, written ca 48-49 A.D. by Paul, is widely considered the earliest book of the New Testament. Also, Thessalonians 1, written by Paul around 50 A.D. is considered to be one of the earliest books of the New Testament (some scholars consider it the earliest).
The Christian believers, just as Jesus promised, knew His voice, and they knew which Scriptures were of God
They did not need worldly or powerful men to so inform them.
I often quote from the Septuagint and/or the Orthodox Study Bible because the Old Testament passages which Jesus and the Apostles quoted in the New Testament were, for the most part, from the Septuagint, rather than the Hebrew Bible.
For almost the first four hundred years of Christianity, (until Jerome completed the Latin Vulgate (405 A.D.), translated from the Hebrew) the Christian Church used the Greek Septuagint, rather than the Hebrew Scriptures as their Old Testament, and then as the basis of their Old Latin translation.
I ignore the footnotes other than geographic info, because they are not inspired Scripture, but the opinion of men, and in the case you cite, misinformed and/or misguiding men.
There is no authentic "Pope" within the Protestant or Independent church ranks, as there is no sanctioned "Pope" within Roman Catholicism or the Orthodox Church.
The Apostles were unique, as were the Old Testament Prophets. They had no successors.
When the last living Apostle, John died, they were gone.
There have been no Apostles since that time. They completed their task of writing the New Testament, the words of Jesus given them by the Holy Spirit. Once complete, there was nothing further for them to do.
Only Jesus Christ is the Head of His Church.
Isaiah 42:8 "I am the Lord God; this is My name. I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to carved images."
Isaiah 48:11 "For My own sake, I will do this for you, because My name is profaned; and I will not give My glory to another."
Christianity grew as God drew them to the gospel of Jesus Christ, through His spoken Word from eye witnesses, and His written Word, the prophecies in the Tanakh, the Epistles (completed in the late 40's to early 60's), as the Holy Spirit convicted them of their sin and need for repentance.
There is no grand overarching hierarchy in the Body of Christ, nor is one required. It is a spiritual unity.
There are evangelists (evangel is a Greek word meaning "good news"). They are proclaimers of good news.
There are elders/bishops, pastors and deacons in the local churches.
There is no universal head of the church except Jesus Christ, ever.
There were "traditions" only until the New Testament was complete (96 A.D.), at which point those "traditions" had become written Scripture.
Matthew 20: 25-28: "But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
There was no distinctive dress that set them apart as special. They neither coveted worldly possessions or dictatorial power over others.
If Roman Catholicism had stuck with the unadulterated Word of God, they would have had no need to slaughter thousands of humble believing Christians who refused to join with their apostasy and/or heretical perversions of the Gospel of Christ, or to succumb to their worldly greed and thirst for power.
Wolves in sheep's clothing are no less wolves.
Acts 20:29-35: For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
Ephesians 4:15-16: "but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."
Acts 20:32-35 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"
If Rome had in any way changed, other than window dressing, they would have cancelled their multitudinous Anathemas against all Christians who refuse to join with them in their non-biblical doctrines; instead, both Vatican I and Vatican II have reaffirmed them.
Nothing anyone says "drives me insane." You greatly over exaggerate your own importance. Only the opinion of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is important.
2nd John 1:3: "Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love."
padremike wrote:
And, pray tell, what do you ignorant protestants think you're accomplishing by attacking Roman Catholics if not being condescending, high horse, smug superiority, etc, etc, etc? How in the world did Christianity grow without a full Canon of scripture for 300 years? The answer is oral tradition and the teachings of the apostles. You cannot have an understanding of scripture without the "Traditions" and history of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church to give the true interpretation and theology to support it. You correctly quoted the Epistle of Jude that the Faith was once, for all times, delivered by Christ to the apostles: nothing added for salvation and nothing taken away. If you truly desire correct interpretation of this critical piece of scripture goggle Vincent of Lerins commentary on the word Catholic. The names of the people he mentions did precisely what protestants have done to scripture - interpreting apart from the historical/Traitional church promoting heresies and schism. (The Orthodox study bible is probably one of the best but, as a protestant, much of the teachings and interpretations it contains you must deny.) Protestantism has committed both, heresy and schism, because you have as many different interpretations of scripture as you have denominations, sects, cults, subsects all claiming their interpretation is the only way. The only thing you agree on is that you all hate Catholics. I remind you again I'm not a Roman Catholic but they have more in common with the original Christian church than every Protestant denomination. I know you hate it but, nevertheless, it is true! Your Christian charity sucks when it comes to Rome. Some of us pray for all Christians to be one. You silly bigots pray against the Roman Church and you do it out of invincible ignorance! Your entire ethos is one of conflict and division hence over 25,000 different denominations, sects, cults, subsects, etc. That is why I said that your concept of the peace if Christ is conflicting, confusing, etc. Oh I know it drives you insane to be called heretics but when the shoe fits......... and you too have your own pope. It's call "my sects interpretation of the King James Bible" and its a paper pope - the printed word without the Spirit.
And, pray tell, what do you ignorant protestants t... (
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