Pope Stirs Controversy Amongst Evangelicals

[WorthyNewsBot]

VATICAN CITY (Worthy News)– Pope Francis created a controversy amongst Evangelicals this week, when he stated in his weekly address, that those who believe they can maintain a "personal" and "direct" relationship with Jesus Christ outside the "mediation of the Church" was "dangerous and harmful."

In his weekly address from St. Peter's Square, the Pope said, "No one becomes Christian on his or her own! Is that clear? No one becomes Christian by him- or herself."

"Christians are not made in a laboratory. A Christian is part of a people who comes from afar. The Christian belongs to a people called the Church and this Church is what makes him or her Christian, on the day of Baptism, and then in the course of catechesis, and so on," the Pontiff continued.

"We are able to live this journey not only because of others, but together with others. In the Church there is no 'do it yourself', there are no 'free agents'," the Pope added.

"At times one hears someone say: 'I believe in God, I believe in Jesus, but I don't care about the Church…'. How many times have we heard this? And this is not good. There are those who believe they can maintain a personal, direct and immediate relationship with Jesus Christ outside the communion and the mediation of the Church. These are dangerous and harmful temptations," he continued.

"Dear friends, let us ask the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, for the grace never to fall into the temptation of thinking we can make it without the others, that we can get along without the Church, that we can save ourselves on our own, of being Christians from the laboratory," the Pope concluded.

Evangelicals have long maintained that one must become "born again" and true faith is not a religion, but a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

While many evangelicals are members of churches of many different denominations, the common denominator amongst Evangelicals is the need for a "personal relationship" with Jesus Christ as the sole mediator to God. As Evangelicals often quote, "For there is one mediator between God and Man; the man Jesus Christ." [1 Timothy 2:5]

Pope's Entire Message on June 25, 2014

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[kwikphilly]

Blessings ,,,

     WOW! If that ain't an anti-Christ spirit,nothing is!!!!!Talk about dangerous?Intercession of Mary,a dead person,really????    Just another reminder of why I walked away from catholicism  many years ago,,,,,,,,,,,blasphemy! UnBiblical,,,,,unScriptoral.............heretical!

                                                                                                                                                   With love-in Christ,Kwik

[Fez]

What is he scared of, that he has to make such an impassioned and unscriptural defense? Is he losing members to the truth?

[B3L13v3R]

It's sad to see Pope Francis use the very  Scripture 1Ti 2:5,  that does away with the RCC confessional box with it's second mediator, the "father/priest."

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

-Where, after one enters the confessional, makes the sign of the cross...
-States to this man/father/priest (acting as Jesus) "Bless me *father, for I have sinned, my last confession was (give last time...)
-Then confesses their sins to father/priest, who is now acting as your second mediator.
-Followed by the father/priest giving you "penance" you must do for the forgiveness of your sins.

The penance is often many prayers to Mary, combined with a number Our Father's, where the Rosary is often used to keep **repetitious count for the assigned prayers.
-The priest, acting on behalf of Jesus Christ as a second mediator will then forgive/absolve you of your sins by the "***Prayer of Absolution."
Followed by you making the sign of the cross, saying "amen."
-After leaving the confessional box, you must work now for the forgiveness of your sins by doing/praying your father/priest given "****penance."

*Mat 23:9  And call no man your father (in the God sense) upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

**Mat 6:7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

***Absolution: The condition of being formally forgiven of sins by a priest in the sacrament of penance.

****Penance: a Catholic sacrament; repentance and confession and atonement and absolution.
Noah Webster 1828 dictionary: "Penance: The suffering, labor or pain to which a person voluntarily subjects himself, or which is imposed on him by authority as a punishment for his faults, or as an expression of penitence; such as fasting, flagellation, wearing chains, &c. Penance is one of the seven sacraments of the Romish church."
Penance is works!
Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Prayerfully and truly hoping that some of the 1.2 billion in the Roman Catholic church may come to know the True Jesus Christ outside of the restraints of RCC liturgy.

 

kwikphilly, glad your out. 

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ that understand, please look to preach the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those in the RCC.
 

[JTC]

To read what the pope really said you would have had to click the link above that says this: Pope's Entire Message on June 25, 2014

 

I did and I read the entire thing. He wasn't speaking harsh nor hateful. He simply said what he had to say as the leader of the Catholic church. How many times do Protestant preachers of various denominations say you must be part of their denomination to be saved? I've heard more say this than I care to count. I won't mention any examples because I know I'll ruffle someone's feathers if I do. Next time read what he pope actually said. That's all.

[other one]

that's a good question.....   how many do say/teach that???

[Guest shiloh357]

To read what the pope really said you would have had to click the link above that says this: Pope's Entire Message on June 25, 2014

 

I did and I read the entire thing. He wasn't speaking harsh nor hateful. He simply said what he had to say as the leader of the Catholic church.

It isn't an issue of being harsh or hateful.  That's the problem.  The problem is that his satements are simply not true.  No one is a Christian because they are a member of any church, any more than a mouse is a cookie because he lives in a cookie jar.

 

How many times do Protestant preachers of various denominations say you must be part of their denomination to be saved?

 

I've never heard protestants say that, generally.  There may be some cult-like offshoots, but generally speaking protestants DON'T say that you have to be a member of their church or denomination to be saved.  It is the RCC only who claims that they are the one true church.

 

 

I have read what the Pope actually said and he is just as wrong as wrong in his full statement as he is in the abridged statement.

[Wife2Dan]

Interesting...

[LovelyJoni]

Truly disturbing, every time he opens his mouth I just wish he'd shush it! I thank God that Jesus saved me outside of the church being that I have no vehicle and live so far out in the country. Thank Jesus for saving a wretch like me!!! I'm forever grateful:) The catholic church always disturbed me being that my mother and her 5 siblings were raised in a Catholic home and let's just say it had some lasting negative affects but vengeance is the Lord's. He will come back and take care of all that.

[Qnts2]

I can't think of a single instance where a protestant minister ever said you have to be part of his denomination to be saved.  If there are any big named preachers teaching that, I would like to know who they are? 

 

Some denominations do teach that or variations of that.

 

Generally, the protestant churches which say they are the true church are "Campellites", such as the Church of Christ, and the Disciples of Christ.

 

There are other subsets of denominations which are so extreme as to discount any other outside group. Some teach 'biblical separation' and have other doctrines not generally acceptable in the Christian church at large. For this group, I would need to name names to identify them. 

 

Another group has a belief similar to the RCC belief, a form of apostolic succession, claiming the pamphlet 'Trail of Blood' by James Carrol to be a history which shows the one true church.