How old is your church?

[Guest Angeledei]

Jesus says "My Church," not my churches; that is the Church. That means it was to be either in competition with the Church Moses established by direction of God, or it was to displace it. There is but one God, hence there can be but one Church of God. Two churches could only be established to teach two different doctrines, codes and practices, which would mean a contradiction.

Christ gave Peter, and later The Twelve under Peter's headship (St. Matt. 18:18), the power "to bind and to loose." This means that Peter had the right to legislate, pass sentence, or rather judgment as to what is to be allowed or forbidden in Christ's Church. Such powers were exercised by the High Priest in Israel, who had the juridical right to pronounce a person "zakkai" (innocent), "patur" (absolved), or "chayyabh" (liable to punishment, guilty).

[Ovedya]

Angeledei

Following are links to three portions "27 Lessons" which the cult "Iglesia Ni Cristo" in the Philippeans uses to indoctrinate their new members. Compare them to your apologetic statements above. Remember, the following is from a cult in the Philippeans that believes itself to be the "One Trust Church," rejects the RCC entirely, believes its founder to be an angel sent to recover the "One True (and original) Church," denies the Trinity, and denies the divinity of Jesus Christ:

LESSON 3 "THE TRUE RELIGION"

LESSON 4 "THE CHURCH OF CHRIST"

LESSON 9 "ONE ORGANIZED CHURCH"

Consider this very carefully. I think that it's quite clear that the Iglesia Ni Cristo is not what it claims to be. However, how can we trust that the RC, which makes identical claims, is what it claims to be also? The fact is clear (to me, anyway): The Bible never asserts or alludes to man's religion being "Christ's one true church." Read those links above and think very carefully on this.

[Guest Angeledei]

While you mean well, I will not go to a known "cult" site. Just say out of spiritual protection (as I have read quite a bit on spiritual warfare), but I appreciate your thought.... just a side note - I sure hope you are implicating the Roman Catholic Church as a cult...

Anyway, the main difference would be that Christ actually DID establish the Catholic (meaning universal) Church and not those of any "cult"

You know I need to ask this: What do you say of those saints and doctors of the Church who lived prior to the Protestant REVOLT? THere was only ONE Christian Church prior to Luther. Is this to be dismissed or covered up like it never was? when I was a Baptist I never even knew about the writings of the early Church Fathers. The Pastor of my church avoided any writings prior to Luther. WHY?????? IS IT RIGHT TO IGNORE THEM???

Irenaeus

"The blessed apostles [Peter and Paul], having founded and built up the church [of Rome] . . . handed over the office of the episcopate to Linus" (Against Heresies 3:3:3 [A.D. 189]).

Tertullian

"[T]his is the way in which the apostolic churches transmit their lists: like the church of the Smyrneans, which records that Polycarp was placed there by John, like the church of the Romans, where Clement was ordained by Peter" (Demurrer Against the Heretics 32:2 [A.D. 200]).

The Little Labyrinth

"Victor . . . was the thirteenth bishop of Rome from Peter" (The Little Labyrinth [A.D. 211], in Eusebius, Church History 5:28:3).

Cyprian of Carthage

"The Lord says to Peter:

[endure4salvation]

**If you are a Roman Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Our Lord Jesus Christ; the One True Faith, ". . . outside of which no one at all can be saved."

I just want to point out here that our newest member here is telling us that if we aren't a devout Roman Catholic that we are unsaved and have a 0.00% chance of entering heaven unless we change to her church.

I won't get involved in this debate.

[irishcowboy]

If we are the Body, why arn't His Arms reaching,

why arn't His hands Healing.......

well,

just about every "Religion" says they is the only way to get to heaven...... one even says that theirs is the only one that can get a person to heaven, but then out of all the people in that religion, only 144,000 will get to go....

wow, what great odds...... of not being able to make it that is.......

The Word Of God says there is only ONE WAY, and that is thru the Lord Jesus Christ, that we can get to the Father... The Gosple of Jesus is what we are suppose to be sharing....... for that is the only way.....

Religion was what put Jesus on the Cross, it was Grace that He was taken down, burried, and rose from the dead.....

mike

[Ovedya]

While you mean well, I will not go to a known "cult" site. Just say out of spiritual protection (as I have read quite a bit on spiritual warfare), but I appreciate your thought.... just a side note - I sure hope you are implicating the Roman Catholic Church as a cult...

Anyway, the main difference would be that Christ actually DID establish the Catholic (meaning universal) Church and not those of any "cult"

I suppose, then, that you will have to take my word for it, that each point you made above is almost identical to the points on the pages I referenced.

I think the communication breaks down at the point at which the Catholic Church defines "church" as being an institutionalized religious sect (that being apart from Judaism, Buddhism, etc.). The original Roman church did not define the term "Catholic" as meaning anybody who has the life of Christ, but as being the only authorized religious institution of Christ. Therefore, in the Catholic mind, "universal" is not meant to indicate the universality of all believers in Christ, regardless of race, creed, denominiation, nationality, culture, etc. Rather, the term "catholic" in the mind of the institutionalized Roman Catholic indicates the universality of the organized religious structure of the Catholic church, and its authority as being the only institution to which one must belong to in order to obtain eternal salvation.

[Guest Angeledei]

I noticed that everyone ignored this question:

You know I need to ask this: What do you say of those saints and doctors of the Church who lived prior to the Protestant REVOLT? THere was only ONE Christian Church prior to Luther. Is this to be dismissed or covered up like it never was? when I was a Baptist I never even knew about the writings of the early Church Fathers. The Pastor of my church avoided any writings prior to Luther. WHY?????? IS IT RIGHT TO IGNORE THEM???

I just want to point out here that our newest member here is telling us that if we aren't a devout Roman Catholic that we are unsaved and have a 0.00% chance of entering heaven unless we change to her church.

I won't get involved in this debate.

But if I had 100 posts or more under my belt then it would be a different story? Is it because I am the "newest member" or because I am a Catholic?

[jesusislord]

FOLKS GREETING SO YOU ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LORD

I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS LATEST INVASION OF PEOPLE FROM THE APOSTATE CHURCH... DO NOT WANT THE TRUTH . WHAT HAVE THEY CAUSED IN THIS ROOM ....... CONFLICT AND CONFUSSION....... IS THAT OF GOD. NO WAY IT IS FROM GOD....... SO I HAVE DUSTED MY FEET OF THEM ...

ALL THEY POST IS SOMEBODIES ELSES VIEWS AND NOT THEIR OWN.

SO IF YOU ALL ARE CHRISTIANS GOD BLESS U IF NOT MAY U BECOMED SAVED

SOON BEFORE THE LORD RETURNS FOR HIS CHURCH AMEN

AND AMEN

[artsylady]

Angeledei:

LOL! This is exactly how I felt when I left fundamentalism!!  I felt like I had been brainwashed by errors.

If i read correctly from your other website, weren't you the ripe old age of 12 when that happened?

[artsylady]

Do you actually believe Philip, Bartholemew, Matthew, Luke, Paul and countless other followers of Christ were Catholic? Do they really teach you that?