Mary.

[Guest LadyC]

how sad that any christian would dare say that God's word alone is not sufficient... that trusting in God's Word as the final authority is a man made false doctrine!!!

servinghim, i've noticed in this thread that you have made accusations to a couple of different people, saying they call you a heretic, or that you are unworthy. this seems to be a common theme... yet i have not seen one person say you are unworthy or that you are a heretic. perhaps you are a little TOO defensive? or maybe too sensitive?

in any case, scripture warns repeatedly, as i and others have pointed out, not to add to or take away from scripture. now if everything the catholic church taught was grounded in scripture, then i'd say fine, listen to your church. but since many things the church teaches are unscriptural and highly speculative, anyone who takes the doctrines and teachings as absolute truth, and is not berean in searching the scripture to make sure it is in one accord, is absolutely at great, great risk of being misled.

and that goes for protestants as well as catholics.

[ServingHim]

"Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you."

[ServingHim]

how sad that any christian would dare say that God's word alone is not sufficient... that trusting in God's Word as the final authority is a man made false doctrine!!!

please point it out to me that the Bible is the FINAL AUTHORITY and that it is one's sole rule of faith, and I'll gladly take back every word of what I said.

[BobTriez]

please point it out to me that the Bible is the FINAL AUTHORITY and that it is one's sole rule of faith, and I'll gladly take back every word of what I said.

Start with Galatians 1 servingHim.....

[Guest LadyC]

serving him, answer this...

is the Bible the inspired word of God, or not?

if you say it IS, then how on earth can you even QUESTION whether or not it is the final authority? do you think God wants us to believe that some mere mortal man at the head of the RCC is more of an authority than God Himself?

[ServingHim]

Individual Interpretation of the Bible is Prohibited in Holy Scripture.

It was a sad day when I read that the internet was being used with avid interest by those who are scrambling to form their own churches. These people comb the internet searching for the beliefs of these various sects, just so they can find a nitch to make theirs different from all the others. They completely disregard the teaching of Our Lord when He said, "...and there shall be ONE FOLD and ONE SHEPHERD." John 10:16

There are over 39,000 individual Protestant churches in the world now, with more being added every day. With the advent of millions of potential 'customers' who are easily reached on-line, that number is expected to increase at an accelerated rate. This hurts the Christian cause, as it is satan's way to divide and conquer, and it is GOD's way to unite into one Church with one Shepherd. It is making Protestantism even more and more impotent.

The primary root cause of this is the false belief of individual interpretation of the Bible. Protestant churches cannot teach that they are the 'One True Church' which Jesus Christ founded because none of them can trace their founding back to Jesus Christ when He founded His Church in Matt 16:18. If all Protestantism was united in the Holy Spirit, then how can you explain that Calvinists believe Baptism is a Sacrament, but Baptists do not? How do you explain that Lutherans say that Mary is the Mother of GOD, but Evangelicals say she is not? How do you explain that Episcopalians believe man has free will, yet Presbyterians deny it? You can go on and on through all 39,000 plus protestant sects and see differences as presented in this sampling.

If all Christian Churches taught the same thing then there would be only one Church, as there was for the first 1500 years of Christianity.

In all of the above examples, the one side interprets the Bible this way, and the other side interprets it that way. "The simple fact of the matter is, that it is not possible to put together any selection of words in which some ingenious person may not find a meaning not meant by the writer of the verse." Frank Sheed.

"Only a public authority, divinely guided, can spell out without error, a public message divinely revealed." Fr. Pere Benoit...

The Pope, in accordance with the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, is the public authority of which Fr. Benoit refers.

There are many Bible verses which tell us that individual interpretation of the Bible simply cannot be done without divine assistance...

Luke 24:45, "Then He opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures." So it took Jesus Christ to open the minds of the Apostles so that they could teach others in the truth. Do you believe likewise that Jesus Christ opened the minds of each of the leaders of all those 39,000 protestant churches? If so, why is there so much disagreement between them?

Acts 8:27-40, the eunuch was trying to read Isaiah when Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" But he said, "Why, how can I, unless someone shows me?" Since Philip had been filled by the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4, he was able to explain the truth of Isaiah to the eunuch.

2Pet 1:20, St. Peter said, "This then you must understand first of all, that NO PROPHECY OF SCRIPTURE IS MADE BY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION." I do not see how Peter could have said it any plainer than he did here. Why do Protestants ignore verses such as this one?

2Pet 3:16-17, St. Peter said, "...In these Epistles there are certain things difficult to understand, WHICH THE UNLEARNED AND UNSTABLE DISTORT, JUST AS THEY DO THE REST OF THE SCRIPTURES ALSO, TO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION. YOU THEREFORE, BRETHREN, SINCE YOU KNOW THIS BEFOREHAND, BE ON YOUR GUARD LEST, CARRIED AWAY BY THE ERROR OF THE FOOLISH, YOU FALL AWAY FROM YOUR STEADFASTNESS." Here is a very clear warning that it is easy to fall into error by private interpretation of Scripture.

Who would you prefer to believe...

A group of learned men with impeccable qualifications, and the Holy Spirit to guide them?

Or some individuals interpretation of the Bible, who has questionable qualifications, and who does not have the truth of the Holy Spirit to guide him?

Why does each one seem to trust only themself saying that THEY KNOW what the right interpretation is, YET ALL those who are 'being led by the spirit (or so they say) all differ on many things?? It continues to amaze me how this basic common sense thing is rejected by those who do not want ANYONE, much less a church, to guide them. How sad, for that Church IS Christ, His Body, as Scripture ALONE says! :sweating:

[BobTriez]

What does this mean to you ServingHim ?

Galatians 1:6-10

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--

7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Is that unclear in anyway ?

In Him,

Bob

[ServingHim]

serving him, answer this...

is the Bible the inspired word of God, or not?

YES!!!! and AMEN!

if you say it IS, then how on earth can you even QUESTION whether or not it is the final authority?

IT is USEFUL/PROFITABLE for teaching and reproving...scripture's AUTHORITY says so. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 2 Tim 3:16

do you think God wants us to believe that some mere mortal man at the head of the RCC is more of an authority than God Himself?

tell me how GOD speaks DIRECTLY to YOU and tells you ALL TRUTH and that YOUR TRUTH that YOU hear is the RIGHT ONE, and your friend, who might believe somewhat differently than you, says the same thing. You're in disagreement, YET you both CLAIM that GOD is teaching YOU!?!

Where in scripture does it say that GOD speaks to ALL PEOPLE individually and gives them ALL TRUTH? And if God is DOING THIS, shouldn't ALL PEOPLE then AGREE on ALL TRUTH?

[ServingHim]

What does this mean to you ServingHim ?

Galatians 1:6-10

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--

7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Is that unclear in anyway ?

In Him,

Bob

NO BOB . . . not unclear IN THE LEAST! :il: In fact, it's PERFECTLY CLEAR. Thanks for noting that for us.

[BobTriez]

What does this mean to you ServingHim ?

Galatians 1:6-10

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--

7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Is that unclear in anyway ?

In Him,

Bob

NO BOB . . . not unclear IN THE LEAST! :il: In fact, it's PERFECTLY CLEAR. Thanks for noting that for us.

So why then are you preaching another Gospel - with is really no gospel at all ? I'm confused